A woman with eyes of jade stands before You, informing You that You are the Master of the house, and she Your Maid. However, You have no memories, no concept of self—or, indeed, any certainty that You are even alive.
The Maid invites You to join her on a journey through the mansion's lifeless halls, to behold the numerous tragedies that have befallen its residents. She suggests that among them, perhaps You will find some trace of Yourself.
Beyond the first door lies the year 1603. It is an era of unparalleled beauty, where art and theatre flourish. Roses bloom abundantly in the garden where the inseparable Rhodes siblings play, and though they appear to be free of worry and strife... not everyone is content to see them happy.
Beyond the second door lies the year 1707. In this era, the mansion lies in ruins, and a beast dwells within. He claims to yearn for a life of serenity, but it is not long before he yields to his innate savagery and a massacre ensues.
Beyond the third door lies the year 1869. In this technologically advanced era, people are always on the move. The mansion's master is an ambitious businessman who has invested in the rail industry. However, his obsession with wealth and power leads him to neglect and mistreat his wife.
Beyond the fourth door lies the year 1099. The Maid tells You that this is the final tale. In this era, You see a young man who claims to be cursed and a girl with white hair, called Giselle, who has been branded a witch and marked for death.
Having borne witness to these four tragedies, each set in a different time and place, You are now free to choose whether You wish to end Your story here... or press on.
But there are those who would say, "You were able to bear them because they weren't your tragedies."
De verdad que no tengo palabras para definir lo que he sentido al jugar este juego. Lo tiene todo: una historia inolvidable, personajes entrañables, arte espectacular, música majestuosa... La historia te mantiene al vilo todo el rato, llena de tragedia, pero siempre con toques de luz y de esperanza al final del camino. Una historia sobre aceptarse a uno mismo aunque el resto del mundo te trate como a un monstruo y te excluya. Una historia sobre encontrar el amor y ser feliz a pesar de todo. Una historia de redención, aún habiendo cometido crímenes terribles.
Los personajes son complejos y grises, con muchas capas, dede los protagonistas hasta los villanos. Nos metemos en su piel, en su perspectiva y eso nos hace entenderlos más, si bien no justificando sus acciones. Michel es una joya de personaje, y su historia con Giselle me ha echo romper a llorar más de una vez. En general, me han gustado mucho todos los personajes, y me gusta mucho que cada historia este desarrollada en un país diferente (uno de ellos España, justo en Valencia, mi ciudad).
Es una historia tipo iceberg: en las primeras horas te piensas que la trama es una cosa, hasta que de repente te muestran lo contrario, y así una y otra vez... es increíble que este juego no pare de sorprenderte. No tienes ni idea de hasta que punto de profundidad podría llegar a tener una historia... hasta que juegas a The House in Fata Morgana.
A lovely work of fiction and a testament to the medium. For those who enjoyed Umineko but maybe want their next visual novel to be a bit more grounded, this would be a good one to play.
The Veil Over Your Eyes presents the story of The House in Fata Morgana as a manga, and Vol. 1 covers a small section of the entire story (halfway through Door 2, for those who’re familiar with the story).
It is nice to be able to experience Fata Morgana with new art and a new format. I think the manga does a good job of capturing the main beats of the original story, even if in condensed form. The art is nice and helps with visualizing the Gothic beauty of Fata Morgana. I found myself getting sucked into this dark and brooding world once again, and I’m going straight into Vol. 2 next.
The small issues I’ve had are sometimes that it’s hard to follow the text bubbles through the panels (this might be because I’m a bit rusty with manga), and sometimes it feels like the story is cut quickly and some scenes happen fast, which might make it hard for new readers to follow some sections. Thus, I will say it’s best if people experience the original story through the visual novel first. This is not a bad way to experience the story, however, but at the same time, it’s also unfinished, and it’s difficult to say how long it will take for the manga to be completed. If you love manga, however, and have no interest in playing a visual novel, then I definitely recommend jumping in here (especially if you love Gothic stories).
I sincerely hope we can get the next releases soon, as I’m enjoying my time with this dark and emotional story once again. For those curious, check out The House in Fata Morgana: Dreams of the Revenants Edition on gaming platforms (also titled House in Fata Morgana on PC). Currently, that’s the best way to enjoy it. And then if you’re done and want to experience it with new art and a new medium, The Veil Over Your Eyes is a good way to experience it in a new way.
My first ever experience with a ‘visual novel’ which I was put onto by a YouTuber unsurprisingly. The story is hardly complicated, and easy to understand for the first few generations, then picks up the pace and becomes a full circle story in the end. Worth a buy and a one time experience absolutely, if you enjoy the medium.
I would 100% recommend this and playing the actual story/video game as it’s one of my favourite all time stories! The manga is a little lacking in comparison but it’s still very enjoyable.