Until Then

While the setting and inspirations are Filipino through and through, the themes of friendship, love, loss, and acceptance in this visual novel are universal.

In the end, Until Then is a bit like a pixelated Life Is Strange. And like the best Life Is Strange games, it strikes a near-perfect balance between the mundanity of every day life and the joyous and devastating moments that occasionally perforate that normality.

Gameplay is understandably pretty limited, and you’ll spend most of your time simply pressing ‘A’ to advance the dialogue. Occasionally, you’ll be able to move left or right through the environment, and developer Polychroma Games has also seen fit to include a bunch of fun little minigames.

Until Then is a game that stands out for its audiovisual storytelling, offering a story that is both captivating and moving.

The undercooked mystery backdrop is a small blemish because they nailed the writing and character development. Even an underwhelming soundtrack can't diminish the heart on-display through emotionally raw dialogue and facial expressions. Give yourself the experience of reigniting those moments that were powerful at the time but seem small in retrospect. Allow yourself to feel the volatility of teenage life through the eyes of Mark. Play Until Then.

Until Then is a powerful narrative that explores both bigger- and smaller-picture issues of adolescent life. Despite some very confronting themes, the game handles its heavy tale with sensitivity and care, and the result is an experience that will undoubtedly leave its mark on anyone who plays it.

Until Then is a text adventure with an impactful narrative and beautiful direction that make it a strong example of what the genre can do. It's a must-play, be it on Switch or other platforms, especially for those who love the genre or personal growth tales and human drama.

While it can still feel limited by its format, and a bug or two was hit, among its peers Until Then manages to stand pretty tall

With few setbacks, which are negligible to a certain extent, it is a complete package, with an immersive story that uses the media in which it was produced to tell it in a different way than anything that could be seen in an animation or traditional book. This is one experience that will remain in my memory as one of the most spectacular.

But if you don't let all of this put you off and struggle through the rather slow first third of the game, you will be rewarded with an exciting and well-told story that will leave no one eye dry.