RETRO REVIEW: Fading Hearts

I really enjoyed the look of the game. Everything is rather pretty and fun to look at. With the exception of the Park, each area really gives you a sense of what it is about. The Park shows what I would consider an entrance, and not much else. I would have liked to see another screen of it, so I could get an idea of what type of park this is. The Bubble Tea Shop shows some green booths situated along side of large windows that allow you to see the beautiful scenery outside. The Cosplay Shop is set up a bit differently. It has nice bright white tables littered around in a more homey situation. The windows are paneled and have curtains. The doors have hearts on them, and there is an area rug. I guess this is to help put you at ease and give a more relaxed atmosphere. All-in-all, things look great and it’s nice to see such a difference in the scenery. Offering something different to look at in each area makes you appreciate the differences in where you are. It really helps to draw you in, and make you feel like you went somewhere new.

The background music starts out upbeat and groovy once Ryou is in his room, and quickly changes depending on the mood. The music is really well-suited to help the overall feel of the game. When you hover over menu items, such as use your computer, rest and etc. you hear a kind of squeaking or chirping sound. The rest of the time you hear the background music.

There are quite a few endings for you to unlock as well as in game achievements. Fading Hearts has many different facets and will change depending on your choices. The game prides itself on that and definitely delivers. From work to school, relationships and the dreams Ryou has, there is a little bit of everything to be found here. The amount of options through your daily actions give great replay value to the game. If, like me, you want to see the different outcomes, you will need to complete many playthroughs where you concentrate on different aspects. I spent 10-15 hours with the game, and still need to unlock an ending or two. For the price of $14.95, the game is well worth it!