Order Up!: Noel the Mortal Fate, S1-7
By Rae
I’m a sucker for rpgmaker games, so when Kanawo’s Noel the Mortal Fate came across my steam browsing one day, it was an easy wishlist add. This is doubly true as part of the catalog from PLAYISM – a publisher that has helped bring a lot of fresh, different Japanese games to English-speaking gamers.
While it was actually initially released years ago, Noel has gotten some updates – improved translation, UI updates, and a life on numerous consoles. This particular copy covers seasons 1 through 7, and 8 and 9 are available online as well if you’re eager to continue your adventures afterward.
Noel the Mortal Fate features a fantastic – and unexpected – story. When a high-stakes competition between a teenage girl from a renowned family and her best friend has a surprising outcome, piano prodigy Noel Cerquetti allows herself to be drawn into a deal with a devil in order to get back her rightful place as winner. Unfortunately for her, deals with devils have consequences – each contract has a price, and Noel pays the cost with her arms and legs, nearly dying in the process. Luckily for her, a devil has his pride, and the devil she has summoned isn’t quite so happy with the circumstances behind their contract…
What follows at first is a dark, bleak story of loss and loneliness, with one girl and her devil seemingly against the world. As the chapters continue, it morphs into something far more – a story of resolve, justice, family, and friendship. I was surprised at just how lively the story became and loved how much I came to support different characters along the way. With lots of twists and turns, Noel’s story is an exciting one, backed by a cast of characters with distinctly unique personalities. This particular game also features a bonus season where Noel and Caron take a small vacation in the slums of Lhaplus, using their time on mini-games, shops, and exploring.
The game design is sleek, rotating between cute pixel-art during regular gameplay and stylish character art during dialogue and introductions.
As far as gameplay, I would consider this more of a visual novel with walking and simple mechanics mixed in. Combat – when it happens – is based around moving characters to dodge attacks, and hitting enemies by running into them. There are also portions that require stealth, exploration, directional mechanics, dialogue options, and even blackjack. At the beginning I wasn’t quite sold on the combat itself, but as the game’s mechanics became more and more varied, I found it easier to enjoy these sections. None of the gameplay is particularly difficult, and the player is offered plenty of chances to save – it’s simple and engaging, and you likely won’t have to worry about getting stuck.
Because I played on Switch, I do have to comment that the controls were a little odd sometimes – the game is definitely meant for keyboard, which means that using the joystick on the switch can be awkward. The characters move a little too quickly and it’s easy to overshoot your targets or mess up precision sections. Other than that detail (which is only problematic at a few points requiring very precise movement), this is definitely the most intricate and well-made rpgmaker game I’ve played so far.
If you’re looking for something a little different and enjoy a good story, Noel the Mortal Fate is an easy game to recommend. The cost will depend on what copy you’re getting (on the Switch it costs $24.99, while you can get it on Steam for $15, for example). No matter where you pick it up, you’ll get a good 8-10 hours of an exciting storyline and some pretty interesting world lore, which I think is well worth the expense.
Pick it up on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Windows, PS4, Xbox Series X, or PS5!