Caught by a Lure

People have fabricated many interesting creatures over the millennia, and some of these myths spread all over the world once civilization evolved and cultures clashed. One of the most popular legends is that of the mermaids, which are creatures thought to be half human and half fish. As always, the myths have evolved into great stories for movies and video games, which happens to be the case with this visual novel as well.

Caught by a Lure is a story-driven visual novel in which you get to interact with a mermaid and imagine what it would be like to study one and observe the implications such a discovery would have. Granted, most of the story relies on romance and the love interests that form after a while, but that doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy the intriguing characters.

Speaking of which, the whole thing starts when a researcher manages to catch a mermaid in the ocean and brings it back to the lab in order to study it. However, things get more complicated later on when he realizes that he has feelings for her. Not only that, but it would appear that the mermaid is pretty fond of the researcher as well.

Every now and again you are asked to make a decision that affects the story and its course. Granted, there are no major alterations, but at least it’s nice to know that not everything is set in stone. You can even interrogate the mermaid when you bring it back in an attempt to find out more about her and where she comes from. Later on, the decisions might affect your future relationship with the mermaid.

As for the graphics, it is worth noting that the game was designed in a very short period of time, because it entered a jam competition. Hence, some of the backgrounds are actually just colorful sketches, but the characters and the rest of the images are very detailed and sharp-looking, which is great for a visual novel.

All things considered, Caught by a Lure is pretty short and simple, but it’s also very cute and engaging if you enjoy fantasy tales. Thus, it’s certainly worth a shot from dating sim/visual novel fans, if only to admire the artwork.