Unravelling the dark secrets of the idol world
As something of an aspiring idol myself, the rise in media delving into the dark side of this inspiring and usually so cheerful industry has been fascinating. VN Heaven’s debut title, Whispers of the Luminaries, promises immersion into a blend of daily life and detective investigations, looking to unravel the dark mysteries hidden behind the shining façade of idol life. And so, with this intriguing premise in mind, I jumped into the 2 hour demo of Whispers of the Luminaries.
Whispers of the Luminaries follows the titular idol group the “Luminaries”, consisting of four high school girls with a passion for music. As newcomers in the idol scene, they work hard, preparing for a concert that is fast approaching. The demo focuses on May Ayano, a keytarist who is described as beloved by all, and her friend Miyuki Fujikawa, a kind girl with a desire to inspire others.
It seems like finally, they are on the way to fame. But maybe, it’s too good to be true.
One day, after May and Miyuki meet after school to rescue an injured bird, Miyuki gets a phone call. It’s May’s parents – the young girl has not made it home yet. A desperate race against the clock begins as the members of the Luminaries, May’s parents, and Taichi, the young detective hired to assist in the search, all try to find the missing May. However, she seems to have vanished – there are no eyewitnesses, no signs of struggle, and hopes of new leads are becoming increasingly small.
While you follow the story, you also have to keep an eye on Taichi’s stats, such as his stress and health. You get to make several decisions on which lead to follow next or how to spend your free time. I am really keen to see how those different choices will progress the intrigue and how they will influence the ending. The game also includes mechanics such as small puzzles in the form of needing to present the correct evidence at the right time and makes sure to keep the player thinking and involved.
Whispers of the Luminaries does an amazing job of painting a glamorous world with something more sinister lurking behind the illusion.
In the 2 hours I spent with this demo, it did an amazing job of conveying tension and mounting dread in a way only visual novels manage for me. With a mixture of good pacing, tense music, beautiful visuals that stand in stark juxtaposition with some of its darker imagery, and polished writing, Whispers of the Luminaries steadily builds up to the climax of this demo. There is something particularly haunting about being so immersed in an experience, getting to control the speed at which you discover what happened. Still, without the power to change anything, and that serves this title really well. And so, by the end of the demo, I was left with this lingering anxiety and the question: What happened to May?
In a title focused on the idol industry, there will always be a focus on the soundtrack and sound design.
The demo for Whispers of the Luminaries definitely delivers on this. With several great background tracks ranging from your typical light-hearted, cheery tune to incredibly tension-filled pieces accompanying some of the more dramatic moments, Martin Johansson and TAM Music Factory deliver a great performance. Several tracks sound like they could be the titular group’s songs, which are completed by a great vocal performance by Chiisa, whose vocal tone matches what I imagine Miyuki would sound like very nicely.
The art style is also a great fit, with various backgrounds and cute but elegant character sprites that fit the idol genre very well. I loved how this beautiful art style contrasted with the darker themes the game tries to tackle, such as the incredibly difficult lifestyle idols lead, the tough competition, and the constant pressure from the public.
I played the demo of Whispers of the Luminaries, which is available to download via Steam, a few days ago, and it has remained on my mind since, wondering just how deep this intrigue goes and how this mystery will unravel. Lovers of mystery-themed visual novels or anyone with an interest in the dark side of the idol industry should definitely consider picking up this short demo and discovering the story of the Luminaries. In the meantime, while there is no release date listed, I will be waiting impatiently for the full release.
