Ishara: Bane of the Seas

Being on a ship is no longer the adventure it used to be back in the days when most of the ocean was uncharted, so only a few people knew where the seas might take them. However, you can still have a great time, especially since now there are motors and a lot of gadgets that can pinpoint your location with precision. You can also use video games to simulate much tougher conditions.

Ishara: Bane of the Seas is an interactive visual novel with role-playing elements, in which you play the role of a girl by the name of Ishara as she goes on an adventure to retrieve a very special ship. The game may look like your average visual novel at first, but the truth is that there are major differences in the gameplay department, especially since there are combat sequences and quite a few choices to make.

As mentioned before, the plot revolves around Ishara, and the whole thing starts when she decides to steal her family’s ship from her twin sister. However, it turns out that some bandits had the same idea, so Ishara goes on an adventure to retrieve the ship from the bandits and maybe get back in the family’s good graces. In fact, there are two major story branches to follow even from the beginning.

The first major decision allows you to choose whether to be stuck on the ship with your twin sister Cende, or her fiance Felix. This decision changes the story almost entirely, as well as the dynamic between the characters. You can also make a few other choices along the way, given the fact that there are four different endings you can reach, depending on what you choose to do along the way.

As mentioned before, there are combat sequences too, and you actually get to choose which skills to use, although you shouldn’t expect anything too complex either. In terms of graphics, the designers have done a good job in the CG background department, but the characters can be a bit sketchy sometimes. The music is pretty decent, and there’s even voice acting for the battle scenes.

The fact that you can experience the story in two entirely different ways makes Ishara: Bane of the Seas a very attractive prospect in the world of visual novels. Thus, it certainly deserves a shot if you are a fan of the genre.