The Last Matches tries to give The Little Match Girl a happier ending, and in some ways succeeded, but her journey is still full of hardships and sorrow. Our story starts off simple, with Poppy trying to sell some bundles of matches before the holidays. With it getting late, she slips into a nearby alcove and lights a few to keep her warm, and with them, memories of the past flood her mind.
Poppy's tale features more tragedy to me, than it ever did happy moments. From losing a loved one, to having an absent Dad. Both situations that I can relate to personally. I became stuck on the many bad things that happen to her before she ever has a glimmer of true happiness later in life. The CG's are comforting, and I included what many would consider a spoiler for the thumbnail of my video to remind anyone who watches that there are moments of joy in it. I felt often that her situation was hopeless while playing, and most of the game is that way. My playtime came in just above the hour, and fifteen minute mark. Plenty of time to give you two endings, one of which is faithful to the original work, and the other which gives much needed relief from the many heart wrenching scenes you'll have to watch.This is a well designed Visual Novel, I had mixed emotions after playing it which made it one of my harder reviews to write. Perhaps that is just a testament to the quality of the game, because I had to really think and digest it after playing.