Milky Way Prince – The Vampire Star Review

I'm going to be honest, I don't play a lot of visual novel-type games, and I never even knew that there could be ones with such a dark theme (except maybe Clannad, which I know thanks to my wife). Going into Milky Way Prince – The Vampire Star, I had a very different image of what the game would be and quickly grew slightly disappointed by the direction it took. This happened because I knew that the developer had intended this to be a game in which the player could better understand the dynamics of an abusive relationship — in particular, one with a partner with borderline personality disorder — and I was very happy to see mental health be explored. Unfortunately, I quickly caught on to some things I thought had been approached poorly. 

That being said, there's a lot to unpack about this title, and I'd like to go in-depth, seeing as it touches on something both important and dangerous; I truly believe that a game with this subject matter should be handled with the utmost care.

Milky Way Prince is about two young men who get into a relationship whilst dealing with their own mental issues, which creates a toxic environment that breeds abuse. And although the developer wanted to shed some light on the subject through his personal story of being in a relationship with someone with borderline personality disorder, I believe the way it was approached was incorrect. My main complaint with the story aspect is the fact that he's added a vague supernatural element that makes it difficult to parallel it to real life and adds paranormal excuses to the character that are not applicable to anyone's experience (if not just confusing due to the lack of context and knowledge we have as the player).

Additionally, during my several playthroughs, I felt a bit uncomfortable at how much he was painting Sune (the abusive partner) as a victim. Although I understand that people who struggle with mental health are not evil by any means, I believe it ultimately muddied up the lesson he's trying to teach. Despite understanding the ideology that the developer is trying to depict, I worry that those who sympathise with Sune (and are currently struggling with an abuser in real life) might misinterpret this as acknowledgement and encouragement to try and excuse their behaviours. Although it is understandable to struggle with low self-esteem and negative thoughts, it is never okay to not correct them.

Gameplay-wise, Milky Way Prince did two very unique things. For starters, I was very pleased with the opportunity to be in Sune's point of view at the end of each playthrough and get a chance to see his reactions to my choices. This gave more depth to the gameplay, urging me to try again and see if I could do better on the next run. Considering the game is centred around two characters that deal with mental health struggles, I loved the impact of watching what I had said cause a reaction in his mind and vice versa. Additionally, I think this would be an enjoyable mechanic to implement into every visual novel, as it adds much more depth to the characters you romance and gives hints on how to get a good ending with them. This was one of the most important mechanics in the game, as I found myself constantly trying to correct the “mistakes” I had made to an almost obsessive level, very reminiscent of the feeling of being around someone who is easily triggered and requires you to think over how you speak.

Aside from that, I had never seen a visual novel where you can (partially) look around and interact with objects. I always thought it was a stagnated image with text. Unfortunately, that's where the innovative and good mechanics end, as some of the gameplay sequences (such as the "sex") were very confusing. Thankfully, I understood how the sex scenes worked thanks to my wife, who deciphered the images for me. Unfortunately, the rest of the mechanics continued to confuse me, despite my several playthroughs.

Although at first I truly disliked the nonsensical pacing of their relationship — such as how they had sex within minutes of meeting — I don't think it would have been as much of a problem had it not been for the game's theme. I believe that the haste of the story makes it difficult for those that haven't been in such a relationship to truly relate, opening the door for judgement and misunderstanding. Had the game taken a bit more time to get to know the characters and showed us how their relationship grows, Sune's abrupt mood swings would have made more sense and had more impact, and it would be easier to understand and empathise with Nuki's responses. 

Another thing that I felt was a disservice to the game's cause was the vagueness in everything. From the gameplay mechanics (sex, the strange "promises" sequences, and even the endings) to the extreme amount of symbolism — I had to piece too much information together to even understand what was happening (and some things are still confusing). For those of us who have experiences with toxic relationships (or even being toxic ourselves), it's not imperative to have all the context, but I don't see how this would make sense to anyone who comes in fresh. 

This is the sex scene.

Despite the things I disagree with, I think that Milky Way Prince did a good job at portraying how difficult it is to nurture a relationship when there are unresolved issues. One particular scene that stuck out to me was when I sent some nice messages to Sune during a particularly difficult day for him, and he misinterpreted them, which caused him to rage out, which made Nuki spiral too. I have been there, stuck in a toxic push-and-pull with someone I love, and I think it was depicted well. That was only one of the many instances in which lack of proper communication, maturity, or tools caused a spiral between the two characters. 

It took me several playthroughs and then a quick Google search for the endings to truly grasp why it was important to make Milky Way Prince a visual novel. Going through the playthroughs over and over to try and get the "good" ending was an excellent way to represent how it feels to deal with someone who struggles the way Sune does, which is why the change in perspective was my favourite mechanic. It really does help to understand how unappeasable some people can be and how that is toxic. Dealing with his constant disapproval of something or other made it feel very futile to do my best, and that feeling of never getting it right despite my greatest efforts echoed back to some toxic relationships I’ve had in my life. 

The game is a visual novel, as you know. It’s much like others where there’s a still picture, but during some moments, the gameplay works a bit like a point-and-click; it’s not too frequent and doesn’t really bring too much innovation, so I wish it was more fleshed out more if they were going to put it into the game. Additionally, the audio remains sullen and creepy throughout the entire gameplay, adding an anxious undertone to the game. This is one of the things I believe would’ve made more impact had not been present, as in real life there are no creepy music tunes to remind you your loved one is abusive and unstable.

Overall, I think that Milky Way Prince – The Vampire Star could have done a better job handling the subject matter. I wish there had been less focus on the symbolism and metaphorical storytelling, and much more effort had been put into their relationship and growth. Additionally, I can only hope that developers take a moment in the future to really assess what damage a vague game might cause to an already stigmatised discussion.