MAJOR SPOILER WARNING AHEAD! This is truly a game you have to experience, so please do not let me ruin that for you. I’m avoiding things like plot summaries and whatnot, but I’m still diving pretty deep into details and character dynamics.

I beg of you - please play this game before reading!

Alright, here goes take number 10 of this review…

I’ve idled around the thought of writing a proper review for the past 3 days, but I couldn’t seem to get my emotions back together enough to write something comprehensive enough, while also being something that doesn’t confuse you completely. This is my final attempt at doing that - I am literally at a total loss for how else to express a review for a game such as this, so bear with me.

In traditional fashion, I’ll score each part of this game… but the meat and potatoes of this review will definitely be in the story and key takeaways components. When I say you have to experience this game, you just have to.

Story

I was really baffled on how to write a proper story synopsis for this game, and it’s where 50% of my drafts died. In the simplest form, however, you play as Mark Borja, a Filipino high school student who lives an otherwise pretty ordinary life. He’s a man who, simply put, has such a potent cynicism and lack of care that he takes a closeted genius mind and crams it behind the build of a procrastinator and bare-minimum achiever. As his parents are away from home as overseas domestic workers, Mark is often left to these thoughts - resulting in the perfect trifecta of cramming assignments, idling through what “little” life has to offer, and harboring an end goal of the bare minimum.

This framework is how most of the game gets started - until Mark and some accomplices notice how the world seems to be doing funny things. Crucially, this world seems to be one they’ve lived some variant of before - whether that be the weather, the people they meet, or the events going on around the world. Couple that with a major set of coincident disasters, titled The Ruling, and the unexplained phenomena somehow get more convoluted. Throughout the game, you’ll explore this convolution through Mark’s eyes - even more so once he meets Nicole Lacsamana, who he’s sure he’s met before. Mark’s journey from “living to die” to “dying to live” is one that is furnished by a dynamic cast of these characters - all of whom exert notable impacts on his perception of the world.

As the game evolves and blooms into this emotional rollercoaster of deja vu, you’re tasked with figuring out what’s wrong and trying your best to put a halt to it - even if it means challenging the inevitable. How, you may ask? Just remember: cause and effect.

This story, as I’ve already said twice, is one that demands to be seen to be fully appreciated. If you are still reading and haven’t played, please stop reading. Go play the game. Appreciate this work of art for what it is. Also, because this review is going to get pretty low-level soon into the content of the game, and I don’t want to ruin anything by accident.

This story is the first to have had me sobbing at my desk while reading. The sheer difference between the highest high and the lowest low doesn’t only challenge your emotions, but also forces you to dive into a period of introspection that will totally wear you out. That’s where this story really shines - if you consider your typical slice-of-life something that tugs at your emotional muscles, then Until Then is a full-body emotional workout. I mean it - I’m still exhausted days after playing this game in its entirety.

The story is impeccably written, but not in the “aww, look at this mushy-gushy moment!” kind of way; instead, this story breaks the 4th wall without even meaning to do so, by challenging your notions of self, friendship, love, loss, and everything in between. I was only an hour or so in when I had my first introspective moment - as Nicole teaches Mark that there is more to life than the bare minimum, that seeing the beauty in things is what makes life fun, I had to pause the game and take it all in for a moment. It was really something I had personally neglected.

At the end of it all, if you gain that total attachment to Mark and Nicole, you’ll learn the strongest lesson of all: if you love something, setting it free is not necessarily done with the expectation of it returning, but because it’s the right way to accept and let go.

Every single scene, every single conversation, every single interaction is so masterfully crafted. From text messages in bed to heartfelt conversations on a school roof, there is a level of palpable authenticity that I have never found anywhere else other than my own high school life, four years ago. When prom rolled around, I watched as characters interacted and thought “man, if I had a prom, that would pretty much represent everything about what ours would have looked like.” When characters have awkward, “meet me after school” interactions, they’re not being played up - they are just genuinely that odd at times. When characters have their own sidebar romancing, the pictures look as awkward as you certainly felt in plenty of your own.

It’s this authenticity, specifically, that makes this game such a full-body, taxing workout. You feel as though you are Mark, and Mark is you, because of the same lived experience from years prior. This story’s authenticity shines through above all else. Again, it will force you to come to terms with who you are and what you want in life. You will come out of this game feeling as though you could do better for the sake of yourself, and that is one of the many positive growth agendas this game promotes.

Again, I will admit without shame that this story was the first to have me sobbing uncontrollably at my desk. And when I say uncontrollably, trust that this is not me exaggerating for cinematic purposes; I was quite literally sitting here, telling myself to shut up and pull the tears back so I didn’t convince my roommate that my dog had died or something. You won’t just cry if you’re attached to a character, you’ll cry in general - at circumstance, especially. You’ll empathize so strongly that you won’t need an impetus for tears later on - it’ll just be the right emotion to feel. Even if you navigate through the game without crying, there are designated spots where the game tells you in as many words “okay, it’s alright, let it all out”.

My only gripe about this story was similar to existing ones: this game can really drag on at points by virtue of it being a visual novel. Additionally, I believe that this game can still hit pretty hard as a self-contained one act story, but I don’t regret playing until the very end. Some of the more mundane narrative elements definitely make for a less immediately gratifying experience, which can turn your brain off after an emotionally rigorous scene, but that’s something I can forgive and forget about if you consider the rest of the game equally.

Ultimately, the story of this game taught me so many important lessons about myself, my past, and my future. It taught me the importance of accepting what’s lost, of checking in on my friends, of appreciating the value of the present lest you never get a chance to relive that experience in the future, and of so much more.

And yes, for the silent supporters in the crowd, I still accept that Mark and Nicole meet after their dates. The cafe is called Destiny for a reason, right?

…right?!

Story: 10/10

Music

The piano as a narrative device, you say?! Where have I seen that before?!

I’m not at all being sarcastic or demeaning here - I love music as a plot device, especially when that music being played is important. A large chunk of the game, and especially the first act, revolves music, and the design of this music is picturesque for what you’re playing. At a more surface level, the choices in piano scores are immaculate: Grieg’s Wedding Day At Troldhaugen and Rachmaninoff’s beautiful arrangement of Kreisler’s Liebesleid are two of my favorite pieces, and I was delighted to see them implemented with such execution. In particular, Liebesleid is such an amazing tale for what this story ends up being - for the musically unacquainted, the translation - Love’s Sorrow - tells you all you need to know!

The original works are nothing to scoff at either! The composition mastermind behind this equally impressive game, Kyle Patrick Naval, has orchestrated pieces that mix a degree of simplicity with that gut-punch emotion of truly feeling through music. Even if you aren’t a big fan of the piano, or of slower pieces, Naval’s work forces you to reconcile with your emotions and take a mental inventory of what you’ve seen so far. These pieces are visionary, not just because they’re impressive in design, but because of the sheer evocation of mental imagery they create.

One piece in particular, Time Is Tearing Us Apart, is a major plot device for this game, and it takes & runs with that responsibility very, very well. The moment you can practically watch two halves become a whole with this piece thanks to Mark and Nicole is a moment that should, near-always, force a jaw drop. I listened to all 3 minutes of its beauty completely slack-jawed, as well as sobbing along with Nicole. I’m prideful enough to admit to my emotions.

The OST in general is also downright outstanding, and as I write this review, I’m upset I can’t give you a better idea of each track and my feelings because it’s not out yet on streaming platforms! I’ll make a mental note to revise and come back later.

Oh yeah, and to conclude: any piece of digital media which centers around a duet? Instant perfect score.

Music: 10/10

Characters

I’ll keep this a bit shorter, because what I explained in the story can largely be applied here.

This game forces you to get close to every character, not because you’re forced into an emotional attachment with them for the sake of the story, but rather because the game teaches you a distinct lesson for each character. Nicole’s compensatory love for life, Mark’s dire cynicism, Louise’s perfectionism at all costs, Ridel’s career-first neglect for friendship, Cathy’s sublimation of neglect into laughter… I could go on and on. You learn to build a part of yourself for each character you meet, and that’s not accidental nor negotiable.

You do end up having some of the same artifacts from a traditional slice-of-life as a result - every time Nicole and Mark have a private moment, coupled with blushing sprites and heads on shoulders, I did do a bit of a giddy laugh. Every time you see characters interact with tears in their eyes, through broken words, you tear up a little too. Ultimately, however, this game shines brightest in the non-traditional elements - sudden loss, a reveal of a character’s past that you may not have wanted to accept, and so on.

The straddling between typical slice-of-life representation and the extra bit of character growth baked into this game is what makes it shine. Yes, we all love seeing a character blush at a risky text message they chose to send or received by chance, and yes, we all empathize with the character crying loudly about life. However, when the game leaves you to your emotions and forces you to draw your own conclusions, you really feel the most attachment to these characters who you now feel you’ve known your entire life. This game transcends so many more walls than the 4th.

As for visual character design & dialogue design, nothing about these characters immediately screams inauthentic. There are no major creative liberties taken with what the characters look or sound like, and you even end up with the standoffish classmates you definitely grew up with who are there just to be hated a bit. Sure, Nicole has a very large bow in her hair for the majority of the game, but they make it work well! There’s nothing unrealistic about this experience, and every character is crafted with this masterful design philosophy that makes you think that these are all representations of who you grew up with.

To bring it up briefly again, the detail given to the sprites for each character, as well as the up-close scenes in higher quality, is something that will floor you when you look hard enough. Mark texting on his phone does not mean he has to be an inanimate sprite, and the fact that receiving text messages can change a character’s face to that of someone blushing is incredible consideration for the authentic player experience. When Mark and Nicole comfort each other in the final scene of the game, and you can watch Nicole tear up in real time as she thanks Mark for so many memories? I had to pause and calm myself down from the level of immediate connection I felt to that scene in particular. This game just captures the awkward, dynamic emotions of teenagers so well, and it doesn’t do so in a way that takes any excessive creative liberties.

And, most thankfully, there is none of that anime-esque male gaze. Yuck.

Characters: 10/10

Gameplay

Short and sweet, because if we get too lost in the mechanics of the game, we’re gonna lose the plot for what this game should actually be teaching you.

To put it simply, the gameplay is alright. There’s lots of fun minigames, stuff to keep you entertained, and Yakuza-style videoke - what’s not to love?! The issue primarily lies with the fact that some of the controls are just a little bit clunky, and in my opinion, the Guitar Hero-esque piano gameplay was a bit too long for my taste. The first minute or two was fun, but I found myself quickly wanting it to be over.

The devs have put in a great deal of overtime to rectify some control issues, and are so incredibly receptive to these issues (especially malfunctioning controls, of which there were a few notable cases when the game came out) that I can’t dock them too much for a very sincere attempt. However, I think at times it was just like I said - a bit excessive.

The rest of the game is gorgeous though - the environments are designed so well, and minuscule changes keep you on your toes, going “oh! Hey! That was different!” which, of course, becomes a gimmick as time goes on. The texting system, while not perfect, is such a great way to keep the story going even through supposed dry spells, even when you consider that the “hold spacebar and pray” mechanic of typing is a bit detached from the experience. The level design as a whole is so well done, with so many details for you to extrapolate, and even as a 2.5D sidescroller, this game is riveting in its gameplay for those exact reasons.

Gameplay: 8/10

Final Thoughts

Whew! I finally made it to the end of this review!

At the end of the day, let Until Then, above all, be a lesson to you in many ways. That’s what this game is - it’s not a game, nor a traditional visual novel, but essentially a well-animated self-help book on all the things you can get out of life. Each of these characters can teach you something so poignant and inspiring, even through sadness, and it is beyond impressive.

Mark and Nicole teach you that it’s possible to bounce back from the ultimate sorrow of loss by appreciating what life can offer in so many different ways, no matter how minor - including the people around you.

Cathy teaches you that the greatest virtue of being a friend is knowing that some feelings are compensatory, and that it’s okay to ask a friend if they’re doing alright.

Ridel teaches you that, no matter how motivating, a career cannot come before the people you love the most.

Louise teaches you that the pursuit of perfectionism is imperfect, and instead, it is often enough to rely on one’s own assumptions, even when they seem to be catastrophically wrong.

Maria and Jake teach you that the universe cannot be spun in your favor whenever you may feel like it, and that as divine as the intervention may be, there is no perfect world.

Until Then teaches you that the greatest journey in life isn’t being able to say that you reached the summit, but that you made the best of the climb; there is no beauty in the perfect world, but there is immense beauty in the people that helped you get to something close.