MazM: Phantom of the Opera ~ RIEview + Guide
Before I begin my review + guide in proper, I have never read the original novel before. My brief knowledge of the Phantom of the Opera consists of fleeting awareness of adaptations (movie, musical, games), and of course Wikipedia. With the decision to be a bit more cultured (ha!), I decided to download MazM's Phantom of the Opera, an interactive visual novel game based on the original novel of the same name.
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| I might have hesitated when I read the precautions |
So to keep in mind, you can actually play the whole game for free. You do have to purchase episodes in each chapters to read them, but you can earn the currency (silver and gold) by watching ads.
Note, the special ads are found when you click on the kitty in the episode (might have to move about to find one!). SPOILER: Kitties are found only aboveground, and cursed notes underground.
You would need a total of 20230 silver to unlock all episodes, and 480 gold for 8 STORY portraits. Episodes can actually be bought with either silver or gold, but I would recommend using silver for episodes as you can only purchase the portraits with gold. The last episode of Chapter 5 can be bought using the remaining gold after all STORY portraits are bought.
Total currency needed for each chapter:
Chapter 1: FREE {includes 2 portraits}
Chapter 2: 5320 silver {60 gold for 1 portrait}
Chapter 3: 6090 silver {120 gold for 2 portraits}
Chapter 4: 5740 silver {120 gold for 2 portraits}
Chapter 5: 3080 silver {180 gold for 3 portraits}
Total required: 20230 silver {480 gold for 8 portraits}
Logging in each day to watch 3 ads will earn you 720 silver and 35 gold.
Total number of days needed to collect enough currencies = 27 days (20160 silver, 945 gold)
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| 3 ads daily, with the last ad giving both silver and gold currency |
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| Special ads, also refreshed daily, are only found when you are playing the episode |
Note, the special ads are found when you click on the kitty in the episode (might have to move about to find one!). SPOILER: Kitties are found only aboveground, and cursed notes underground.
You would need a total of 20230 silver to unlock all episodes, and 480 gold for 8 STORY portraits. Episodes can actually be bought with either silver or gold, but I would recommend using silver for episodes as you can only purchase the portraits with gold. The last episode of Chapter 5 can be bought using the remaining gold after all STORY portraits are bought.
Total currency needed for each chapter:
Chapter 1: FREE {includes 2 portraits}
Chapter 2: 5320 silver {60 gold for 1 portrait}
Chapter 3: 6090 silver {120 gold for 2 portraits}
Chapter 4: 5740 silver {120 gold for 2 portraits}
Chapter 5: 3080 silver {180 gold for 3 portraits}
Total required: 20230 silver {480 gold for 8 portraits}
Logging in each day to watch 3 ads will earn you 720 silver and 35 gold.
Total number of days needed to collect enough currencies = 27 days (20160 silver, 945 gold)
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| There are 5 categories of footnotes to be found throughout the 5 chapters |
Most footnotes are easily found, as they appear after the relevant dialogue has taken place. Occasionally the locations may be a place that is unexpected (or sound irrelevant to the dialogue), so it's best to go through all possible locations before continuing on with the next part of the conversation. If you really need help to find a specific footnote, there are playthroughs on Youtube per episode.
Chapter 1 – Overture: The Phantom Appears
[FREE]
Chapter 2 – Fantasia: Encounter with the Phantom
[5320 silver, 60 gold]
Chapter 3 – Nocturne: The Rage of the Phantom
[6090 silver, 120 gold]
Chapter 4 – Capriccio: The Showdown with the Phantom
[5740 silver, 120 gold]
Chapter 5 – Requiem: The Memory of the Phantom
[3080 silver, 180 gold]
Achievements:
There are 3 sections in Achievements: Story, Footnote, and Game Master. You will get 1 SPECIAL portrait when you reach 100% for Achievements.
STORY – The first 7 achievements will be unlocked as you progress through the story. The next 2 achievements can be easily gained by choosing the correct option (you can explore the reactions from the other option by replaying the episode)
– Unchanging
=> Chapter 4: Collapse – Choose to be harsh with Meg
– Clumsy
=> Chapter 4: The Performance – Lie to Erik
The remaining 4 achievements are story branches. You will have to play through the same episode twice to do so.
=> Chapter 5: Mask and Man (Recollect) || (Judgement)
=> Chapter 5: Farewell (And, you) || (Abraxas)
FOOTNOTE – Easy to clear as long as you obtain all footnotes
GAME MASTER
– Angel's Help
=> Chapter 2: Angel of Music – Happens after encounter with the Angel of Music, tap on the mirror to have Christine practice her singing
– My Authority!
=> Chapter 3: First Pay and Strike – Before talking to Madame Giry, click on the portrait of Mr. Moncharmin on the right side of the room
– Justice Served
=> Chapter 3: First Pay and Strike – After sending Madame Girl out with the envelope, go outside of the theatre and talk to Carlotta
– Social Butterfly
=> Share a game screenshot for the first time
– Meow-ception
=> Select on the kitty in the story and watch an ad for the first time
All the moving and interacting is fine when you first start a new episode, but it quickly becomes tedious when you are replaying the same episode. I had to replay scenes to either find footnote(s) that I had missed, or to fully complete an episode because I chose an option that led the story ending faster than it should have (e.g.: in Chapter 2: Angel of Music you need to choose the option to go find help in Carlotta; if you choose the other option you will not achieve 100% completion of the episode!).
In summary, it would be a much better game play if there's an auto-play or skip-to-choices button. Basically if the game developers could consider including an option that allow people who are replaying the scenes replay in a more efficient manner, instead of furiously tapping their screen to get to where they have to be in the game.
Throughout the episodes there are mini games that can be found. Most are easy at first, and gradually become more difficult in the later episodes. Unfortunately you can't skip the mini games, and can only hope your mind-fingers coordination is in good condition else you can't progress on with the story. The game developers could consider an option where if the player fails the mini games more than 3 times the player can opt to watch an ad (or pay with silver currency) to skip the mini game. But until the game developers incorporate such a function, we only have the option to keep playing until we successfully win the mini game.
Verdict
Overall I highly recommend MazM's Phantom of the Opera game. Yes, you have to watch ads for almost a month to get the in-game currencies if you don't want to spend real money. After all, the game developers need to make a living too, so the least us free players can do is give some of our time to watch ads which will in turn pay the developers.
The game is designed in a way that you will be immersed in the storyline. This means that the game play is less smooth and inefficient when you replay any episode for any reason. Another flaw is the issue of mini games, which cannot be skipped, so you are left honing your skills by trying until you succeed. But hey, at least that would prep you for games that require that skill, right?
Aside from the game mechanics (which is good but could be better), this beautiful interactive visual novel is definitely worth a download to boost your knowledge of this priceless piece of literature.
~ RieRie
Chapter 1 – Overture: The Phantom Appears
[FREE]
The Beginning of the Story
- The Opera House
=> (Isolation)
Prophecy
- Joseph Buquet
- Faust, the Opera
- Jewel Song
Phantom Story
- Mr. Daae
- Emperor
- The Firemen
New Maguerite
- de Chagny family
- Belle Époque
- Faust, the Play
- Trestraou
- Perros-Guirec (Perros)
Suspicious Voice
Farewell Party
- Armand Moncharmin
- Labour Dispute 1
[5320 silver, 60 gold]
In Search of Footprints {280 silver}
- Baroness Castelot-Barbezac
- Office Boy
Trigger {350 silver}
- The Box Seats
Contract
- The Law of Supply and Demand
- Mephistopheles
- Opera and Ballet
- The Beaux-Arts
=> (The Secret of Box Five)
- Sarah Giry
- Eclair
Angel of Music
- Carlotta Alonso
- The Romani
- The Paris Commune 1
Angel’s Advent
Breakthrough
A Letter Written in Red
- Labour Dispute 2
- ‘Memoirs of a Manager’
Preparing for the Performance
- Oboe
Pushing Ahead with the Performance
- Labour Dispute 3
- The Violin
- The Trumpet
Christine, Gone!
- The Chandelier Accident
- The Chandelier 1
- Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Street
An Ardent Wait
- Boulevard Saint-Germain
To the Downstairs {350 silver} || {60 gold for 1 portrait}
The Man Behind the Mask
- Louis Philippe
- Vanitas
- The Pipe Organ
- Divine Comedy
The Prisoner and the Winner
- Turkish Empire
- Don Juan
-->
- Ring Finger
Chapter 3 – Nocturne: The Rage of the Phantom
[6090 silver, 120 gold]
Following the Trail {280 silver}
- Rivoli Street
Masquerade
- The Expedition to the Arctic
- The Masquerade Ball
Missing Each Other
Caught In A Trap
Secrets Uncovered
=> (First Pay and a Strike)
- Firmin Richard
- The Paris Commune 2
- Bloody Week
- Labour Dispute 4
- Labour Dispute 5
- The Clarinet
- The Timpani
- The Internationale
A Pyrrhic Victory
- Anatolian
- Islam and Cats
A Secret Engagement
- Persian Empire
- Seville
A Dubious Plan
The Return of Christine
A Rooftop Confession
- The Lyre of Apollon
The Calm Before the Storm
Preparing to Escape
- Catacomb
- The Chantelier 2
=> (The Money Envelope and a Safety-Pin)
- Safety Pin
The Descent
- Freya Daae
- Sweden-France Relations
- Nightmare
=> (The Ascent)
Finding the Abductor
The Persian
- Daroga
Chapter 4 – Capriccio: The Showdown with the Phantom
[5740 silver, 120 gold]
Hatim’s Story {280 silver}
- Theseus and Ariadne
Escape
Into the Abyss of Despair
- Franco-Prussian War
- Echolocation
A Hidden Passageway
- Organ
- Snuff
- Thebes
- Delphi
Two Search Parties
- The Underground Lake
Torture Chamber
- The Punjab
A Monster Story
- Amir Kabir
- Qajar Dynasty
- Anglo-Persian War
- Freak Show
- Orientalism
- Disability and Disease
- Puckle Gun
- Rouen
- Mazandaran
- Farahabad
The Siren of the Lake
- Sirens
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder 1
- Trigger
Surveillance
Control
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder 2
- Tehran
Collapse
A Threat
=> (The Chase)
The Performance
Ignition
- Musée Grévin
- Ventriloquy
=> (The Start of the Torture)
The Scorpion and the Grasshopper
- Sleep and Death
- Black Powder
[3080 silver, 180 gold]
Deep into the Secret {280 silver}
- The Black Rose
Rescue
Negotiation
Mask and Man
- Anarchism
Reunion
- Jammes Louise Petit
- Sorelli Dupont
- Women’s Suffrage in France
Regret
Farewell
- Bastille Day
- Phrenology
* 1 portrait for each choice at the end of the episode
=> (Old Chains)
Last Footsteps
- Phantom of the Opera, the Novel
* 1 SPECIAL portrait will be given upon completing all chapters |
| 3 sections in Achievements |
Achievements:
There are 3 sections in Achievements: Story, Footnote, and Game Master. You will get 1 SPECIAL portrait when you reach 100% for Achievements.
STORY – The first 7 achievements will be unlocked as you progress through the story. The next 2 achievements can be easily gained by choosing the correct option (you can explore the reactions from the other option by replaying the episode)
– Unchanging
=> Chapter 4: Collapse – Choose to be harsh with Meg
– Clumsy
=> Chapter 4: The Performance – Lie to Erik
The remaining 4 achievements are story branches. You will have to play through the same episode twice to do so.
=> Chapter 5: Mask and Man (Recollect) || (Judgement)
=> Chapter 5: Farewell (And, you) || (Abraxas)
FOOTNOTE – Easy to clear as long as you obtain all footnotes
GAME MASTER
– Angel's Help
=> Chapter 2: Angel of Music – Happens after encounter with the Angel of Music, tap on the mirror to have Christine practice her singing
– My Authority!
=> Chapter 3: First Pay and Strike – Before talking to Madame Giry, click on the portrait of Mr. Moncharmin on the right side of the room
– Justice Served
=> Chapter 3: First Pay and Strike – After sending Madame Girl out with the envelope, go outside of the theatre and talk to Carlotta
– Social Butterfly
=> Share a game screenshot for the first time
– Meow-ception
=> Select on the kitty in the story and watch an ad for the first time
RIEview
So the review for MazM: Phantom of the Opera is a little different from my other reviews, where the verdict is given post-explanation of the different categories of interest. So why should or shouldn't you download this game:–
Game plot
The game is an adaptation of the original novel, meaning the storyline is similar to the original Phantom of the Opera story. However, because I have never read the original novel before, I cannot definitively say just how similar the plot in the game is to the novel. What I do know, is that despite the game contain certain content that I dislike (which were warned in the Precautions that appear when you first launch the game), I came to enjoy the story and even sympathise with the characters through the ride.Character Diversity & Personality
The characters, I presumed, would be based on the cast in the original novel. Like with the game plot, I have no idea if the appearance of the characters are proportional to their appearances in the original novel. But!! It doesn't change the fact that there is a wide range of personalities in the characters, each bringing with them their past and quirks to the story.Game & CG Art
I really like the game art! The movable characters appear as cute miniature versions of themselves, while their full-body appearance is seen at the dialogue box. The highlight, honestly, is the CG art. Can't include any here because you all should download and see for yourselves, but they are so gorgeous!! I have to also give a shoutout to the artist(s) behind the background (AKA the scenes where the characters move about) and location (AKA the static background which you can also collect in the Gallery!); the detail and the art style used is amazing, and at times haunting in a beautiful way.Game Mechanics
There are two main issues that I have in terms of game play. At the beginning when you start the first episode of Chapter 1, the game will give 4 basic tutorials on how the game works. |
| How to move your character |
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| Note: Hint isn't necessary as long as you follow the flow of dialogue |
All the moving and interacting is fine when you first start a new episode, but it quickly becomes tedious when you are replaying the same episode. I had to replay scenes to either find footnote(s) that I had missed, or to fully complete an episode because I chose an option that led the story ending faster than it should have (e.g.: in Chapter 2: Angel of Music you need to choose the option to go find help in Carlotta; if you choose the other option you will not achieve 100% completion of the episode!).
In summary, it would be a much better game play if there's an auto-play or skip-to-choices button. Basically if the game developers could consider including an option that allow people who are replaying the scenes replay in a more efficient manner, instead of furiously tapping their screen to get to where they have to be in the game.
 |
| Mini game that involves a block of text |
Throughout the episodes there are mini games that can be found. Most are easy at first, and gradually become more difficult in the later episodes. Unfortunately you can't skip the mini games, and can only hope your mind-fingers coordination is in good condition else you can't progress on with the story. The game developers could consider an option where if the player fails the mini games more than 3 times the player can opt to watch an ad (or pay with silver currency) to skip the mini game. But until the game developers incorporate such a function, we only have the option to keep playing until we successfully win the mini game.
In-Game Events
N/AVerdict
Overall I highly recommend MazM's Phantom of the Opera game. Yes, you have to watch ads for almost a month to get the in-game currencies if you don't want to spend real money. After all, the game developers need to make a living too, so the least us free players can do is give some of our time to watch ads which will in turn pay the developers.
The game is designed in a way that you will be immersed in the storyline. This means that the game play is less smooth and inefficient when you replay any episode for any reason. Another flaw is the issue of mini games, which cannot be skipped, so you are left honing your skills by trying until you succeed. But hey, at least that would prep you for games that require that skill, right?
Aside from the game mechanics (which is good but could be better), this beautiful interactive visual novel is definitely worth a download to boost your knowledge of this priceless piece of literature.
~ RieRie
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