Velvet Bite: Softly, with Teeth

Velvet Bite: Softly, With Teeth is a LGBT+ (amare) otome visual novel, developed by EVERIUM! You’ve been invited to a Halloween party! Yay! Music! Food! Drinks! Vampires! Wait. VAMPIRES!? The game features six love interests, Japanese and Korean voice acting, and consists of about 12 hours of gameplay.

Changelog:

Hi, long time no see!

We've been waiting for the ink to dry on some developments and have some great news to share. Due to the major nature of it, I opted to err on the side of caution until I saw for sure that the timeline proposed to me was actually being fulfilled.

The game is essentially back on and prepared for a FULL GAME late 2024 release! We've been working since last year with a partner company to help finish and fulfill a version of the game.

I have no direct hand in the game besides offering a base outline, most of the original soundtrack, and offering a few suggestions that they were free to consider.

Here's a list of some of the changes:

- The new character artist is TATA, and all the backgrounds have been redrawn as well.

- The demo includes Japanese voices. Some of the cast includes: Kojyo Rin, Hozuki Kaoru, Uduki Hana and Utamaru.

The script has also been rewritten from the ground up, as well as parts of the overall plot, and the protagonist is completely brand new. (However, I still think she's as charming as Diana! I hope you do too.)

You'll still receive a free steam key to this game, a digital art book, and the new team also currently plans to also provide a voice acting bonus. The soundtrack has already been provided a few kickstarter updates ago.

We reached out to as many special backers as possible regarding their character slots and create-a-dates so that those features could still be fulfillable. While the deadline for those has technically past, if you hadn't received the e-mail or our reminders, please feel free to reach out at swtkickstarter@gmail.com and the new team can help assist you in that regard.

Unfortunately, physical merchandise still isn't feasible after material costs skyrocketing from COVID. Everything from the acrylic for the keychains to the paper of the books means that everything costs substantially more from the manufacturers were were planning to use, making it unfeasible, especially after the growing issues we had encountered during original game development.

It's been a long and surprising road, but as the original creator, I've been impressed at how quickly Studio Everium has progressed, as well as -- even more importantly -- the fact that they're already so close to the finish line. They've given me periodic updates, and while some design choices are different, I believe the core ideas and concept of the game will still be fulfilled.

Right now, the game is also being featured in Otome Jam 2024 [https://itch.io/jam/otome-jam-2024], and you can view the demo below!

Comments:

I wish there was a way to review something as something between such absolutes as yes or no, at least as something like 'yes, but with a caveat' because that's truly what I'd say.And what's that caveat? Let's get it out of the way before anything else; this game is simply priced too high for what you get. There just aren't enough unique story paths, with the majority of each route being the same apart from a couple of key scenes I won't spoil. And, on top of that, some of the story that there is is just a little clumsily translated, like it could have done with another proofreading before release. Finally, though this is hardly as important, there's no little extras like steam achievements or trading cards. That's just a minor thing, but to some players it matters.Now, with that out of the way, let's talk about the good things, because there are a lot of them. The story that there is unique and interesting. I'd even call it truly immersive if it was just a bit longer and more varied. The characters are really wonderfully crafted, and you truly do come to care for them, especially once you venture down their romance route. The artwork is good throughout, but it is truly beautiful for the special scenes you get with each character in their special scenes. And, finally, the music is pleasant, well composed, and fitting to each of the scenes it's used for.

First and foremost, I know I'm not the first long-time supporter to voice my thoughts on this game. With that said, I truly tried to keep an open mind about the change in direction, especially with a new team taking over.I struggled to connect with the story and world-building, as it felt disjointed. Rather than an immersive experience, it came across as a generic story with a romance tag. The characters I once knew and loved felt different. While I tried to accept that they wouldn’t be portrayed the same way, they ultimately felt lacking, stripped of the depth and rich details that once made them engaging. In the original version, bits and pieces of lore helped flesh them out, but here, they feel much more one-dimensional. On top of that, the pacing felt rushed, making it even harder to fully invest in the narrative or the characters’ development.I will say that I appreciate some of the original soundtrack being retained. However, there were moments when the background music didn’t match the tone of a scene or overpowered the voice acting, something I particularly noticed while using the Japanese voice-over. I had to adjust the volume slider to keep the voices and music from clashing.

thumbs up but like with caveat.Not worth at this price point, if you're tight in money definitely wait for discount. also don't come here for the writing. it's more like the writing and story is just super SUPER mid.however i rly like the art (gorjusssssss!) and kinda hv mommy issues so i rly like yvonne. i'd still give a thumbs up maybe mainly because it's one of a very few en vn that has the character design i super like. and honestly what the hell sure waiter please give me more.

Final Verdict:

Velvet Bite follows the nameable female protagonist who goes to a Halloween party only to find out that the guests are all secretly vampires. You'll have the option to romance 6 different love interests, half male and half female, with full voice acting for the love interests.