Quartett! review by pramit

[pramit 22]

Quartett!

 

Hello everyone, this is my second review of vn, and as amateurish as it might be, i hope you enjoy it.

 

Introduction - Quartett! is a short visual novel(2-10 hours according to vndb). What sets it apart from other visual novels is the art. This vn uses word bubble type text boxes and event cg's instead of sprites, which is a really good thing.

 

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/vZ8oQ.png - ordinary visual novels using sprites

http://i.imgur.com/okxw6.png - quartett looks like this

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VNLwOlxiROA

 

 

 

Art -

 

This is what makes quartett so unique. Like I've in the intro, quartett gives you Bubble type text boxes like in a manga/comic and event cg's that capture almost every movement made by the characters(slight exaggeration, but it feels like that). This means that there is a huge amount of cg. Overall, it gives it a dynamic outlook and makes it look alive, especially if you play with the voice patch. There is a problem you might encounter with the voice patch(if you decide to install it), as you have to adjust the speed and such to match the speed of voice acting, but that is nothing more than a small inconvenience. I love how its drawn, it gives off a very rustic and old age feeling but also feels fresh in a way, appropriate for a classical music town.

The interface does what its supposed to do(save,load,etc), its very smooth, and you have a convenient way of changing the auto speed too.

9/10

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/jnbmk.png

http://i.imgur.com/MjCLJ.png

 

 

 

Music -

Quartett, as the name suggests, is about music. It does not fail in this aspect. Quartett has some really good music pieces that are played to perfection during appropriate scenes. If your someone who likes music, you must play this vn. As a classical violin player, i can guarantee you will not be disappointed by the music. 10/10

 

 

 

the music i am putting in here isn't the best in the visual novel, i put what i can find from youtube(meaning, i can't find the better ones ). The best pieces can be found in key scenes of the vn and they are much better than the ones i put below

- this, i could not find the gallery section of my quartett copy..but it is quite good

- thank you ret(his post is below), for finding this piece. I consider this as one of the best in the vn

 

 

 

Story -

 

Quartett is about the nuances of youth and musical passion. The story follows a young musician who joins a quartet in the mongolia conservatorium. Friendship, jealousy, competition, corruption, are some of the themes that are discussed in the story. Overall, the story is pretty good. Keep in mind, this is a short vn. There is no bad ending, in the end, music triumphs over all.

 

 

Characters -

 

Phill Junhers -

He is the protagonist. Throughout the story, he sports a carefree and "lets all have fun" attitude(while being serious when it counts) and seems to be at peace with himself. Very little is dedicated to his background story, and his character doesn't develop much over the course of the story. He has a little sister who takes care of him(and plays no significant part in the story) and is set to inherit a violin shop from his grandfather. He has no particular struggles to overcome, he is a gifted player even though his style seems flawed to some. He plays the part of the handsome prince and can take the right action in situations that call for it.

 

Charlotte Francia -

Lead violinist of the quartet, she starts off as your typical "tsundere".

http://i.imgur.com/ICCF1.pngCharlotte, if you kill him the story ends..

She initially acts self-confident and sometimes, hostile, towards Phill, but eventually warms up to him. Once considered a child prodigy, she has now fallen and is looked down upon. She regards music as a form of suffering, and her route consists of understand her past and dealing with her personal issues.

 

Juni Argiano -

She plays the viola. Cheerful and often, childish, she mostly serves as comic relief

http://i.imgur.com/OiMtS.png

). She laughs everything away, but she has own issues to deal with. Her past is not as dark as the others, and her route is probably the brightest despite deep grudges and a inferiority complex.

 

Li Shuhua -

Cello player, she is the quiet and somewhat strange girl. She comes from a rich and powerful family and is Giselle's childhood friend. Her route is the darkest and my favorite.

 

 

Side characters -

Second quartet - consists of May Arigano, Giselle Stolzenburg, Signina Vinothek and Hans Crowber.

May Argiano -

 

Listen you - I am May Arigano.

From here on, i'll have any number of chances like this falling onto my lap

The bottom line is- I don't like the way you do things

That's why, there's no way i'll obey you

 

Sister of Juni, she was once the best friend of Charlotte but she became enemies with her after a argument. She is arrogant and deeply opinionated, and she insists of "doing things her way" not caring about the consequences. She is overly protective of her sister juni. She is a very talented violinist and is famous in the conservatorium.

 

Giselle Stolzenburg -

Childhood friend of Li Shuhua, her family is also rich and the most powerful in town. She seems to have a fascination with famous people, and falls head over heels to Phill. Unlike Shuhua, her personality is much more suited to being a rich girl and she carries butlers around with her where ever she goes.

 

Signina Vinothek -

She works at the bar along with Hans. Her part of the story is mostly related to Hans, otherwise she acts helpful and she knows what goes on in the conservatorium.

 

Hans Crowber -

A friend of Phill, he thinks lowly of himself after having many failed auditions. Signina makes fun of him for that. He has his own issues at home which compels him later on to take a important decision that changes the course of their quartet. He plays violin.

 

 

And finally we have,

Marius Rossi-

Its what you call "adult circumstances". Something you'd never have anything to do with, i'm sure.

The antagonist. He appears as the charming maestro of the orchestra. He deals with the dark side of music production and is seen dealing with corrupt producers and sponsors, all in a bid to gain profit. Beneath it all, he is self-tormented, and at the end of the story, quite human. A great character overall, i wish they dedicated more of the story on him.

 

Overall, i give this visual novel a 9/10. As a short vn, this is a good read

Edited November 27, 2012 by pramit

[killerinsidee 14]

This was a really unique VN, gave it an 8/10. The music was really great, especially the "main song".

A lot of people may be put off by the strange art style, but you get used it to it right away and it really fits the setting.

 

Edit: @OP - the spoiler box under Art is empty and the spoiler box under Juni Argiano doesn't open.

Edited November 26, 2012 by killerinsidee

[pramit 22]

Edit: @OP - the spoiler box under Art is empty and the spoiler box under Juni Argiano doesn't open.

..none of which is the case in my comp. However, given the fact that i cannot access tinyuploads.com(which i used for hosting the images),

(Kohana_Exception [ 0 ]: The requested route does not exist: weberror ~ SYSPATH/classes/kohana/route.php [ 106 ])

i'll think of something later. Can you access the spoiler under intro?

[killerinsidee 14]

Can you access the spoiler under intro?

 

That one works, but I can only see "ordinary visual novels using sprites " and the other line. Can't see http://i.tinyuploads.com/ihDCE3.bmp, unless it's in the editor. Upload the pictures to http://imgur.com/

Edited November 26, 2012 by killerinsidee

[pramit 22]

ok, i used imagur. hope its working now

[killerinsidee 14]

ok, i used imagur. hope its working now

 

It's fine now.

[ret 12]

I find it hard to decide between Period and Quartett as my fav Littlewitch VN. Period switches to a more standard ADV style losing some points, but has more characters. Quartett on the other hand has outstanding presentation and dynamism, not to mention the amazing music...

This title definitely shows how Littlewitch's Floating Frame Director engine can heavily enrich the experience. It's also pretty damn stable and smooth, even inside a virtual machine - another plus.

 

I'm sure you were wanting to put

in your list of music examples, this one is the best track IMO - the first time I heard it, I had this odd tingly feeling in my head - it's that good. :>

Makes me want to pick up a violin and practice... Been years since I last played an instrument though :\

 

Quartett rounds up to a solid 9/10 for me. The voice issue you mentioned is a bit unnerving, but I managed to find a "speed sweet spot" after opening the config menu several times, and it was all a smooth sail from there on.

Edited November 27, 2012 by ret

[pramit 22]

I'm sure you were wanting to put Season in Full Bloom (Double Quartet version) in your list of music examples, this one is the best track IMO - the first time I heard it, I had this odd tingly feeling in my head - it's that good. :>

Makes me want to pick up a violin and practice... Been years since I last played an instrument though :\

added to the list, thanks!