Fantasy romance visual novel
Ocean Pearl: Kissed by the Sea is an Otome video game created by indie developer, owl. This game follows Nova, a renowned sculptor, who finds herself unwittingly betrothed to one of the several eligible royals of the sea. Aside from getting to know your future spouse, this game will also let you explore kingdoms under the sea and meet its citizens. This role-playing game on its demo stage and only comes with the first three—out of five—routes.
Find love under the sea
Ocean Pearls: Kissed by the Sea started with Nova inheriting the home she spent her summers as a child. While settling in, however, she receives a mysterious package containing some frosted spheres and a letter from her grandmother telling her to “break open her happiness.” Confused, Nova sets out to get some answers taking one of the glass spheres with her. However, she accidentally falls to the ocean—breaking the glass sphere in the process. This will then led to her meeting her fiance.
Playfully written and fun to read, the game does a good job of explaining what is going on without over-explaining it. Something that some visual novels are prone to do. It also helps that the protagonist is an outsider, so you could learn with her. More, unlike the protagonists in other otome games, Nova is a fun character to follow. She is easy to relate to, and her dialogues are something you expect from someone thrown into a different world. The three love interests in the demo are also interesting. They are varied in looks and how their worlds are set up. The romance bits also pay homage to some popular plot lines, which plays perfectly to the storyline. Note that the love interest that Nova meets depends on the sphere you choose at the beginning of the game.
Aside from interesting characters and storyline, the game also boasts a great sprite art. Many, if not all, backgrounds look to be done in some digital form. The character design—especially the merfolks—is also very unique in a way that they look different from one another. It is also interesting how the art distinguishes the royals from other characters. However, there are a few things that needed cleaning up, including some typos on the dialogues. But as this is a demo, errors are to be expected.
Fun romantic story
Overall, Ocean Pearls: Kissed by the Sea is a recommended game for players who are into romantic otomes. The story is very interesting, with lots of fun moments. The character designs are varied and lovely. More, since it offers three—as of now—routes, it adds replay value to the game. It still has a few issues, but its nothing major that it will affect your experience.
