Necrobarista Reviews
A distinct, cel-shaded and anime-inspired style isn't the only thing remarkable about Necrobarista. From its main story to the entertaining text adventures that paint between the lines of its more stylishly presented narrative, Necrobarista is an engaging visual novel from start to finish. Some minor complaints in how it executes unlocking additional text adventures does little to hold back the death-concerned coffee shop adventure.
Necrobarista may have changed since it was first seen, but the end result is still an engrossing visual novel that succeeds thanks to a cast of memorable and fun characters, a stylish and cool presentation, and a well-crafted story that hits all the right notes, providing a terrific tale of having to move on that has room for bits of both laughter and tears in your coffee.
Necrobarista is one of the best visual novels I have ever played and this dark and silky smooth blend of Otaku influenced story telling if worth a few hours of your time.
Experience a visual novel with a Venti-sized portion of snark, melancholy, and style in Route 59's Necrobarista: Final Pour. Excellent writing and cinematography help tell its coffee and death-themed story, but technical flaws leave a slightly bitter taste.
Necrobarista is an eclectic mix of things. It’s a character-driven musing on life and death. It’s a deeply Australian story written by Australians. It’s both funny and sincere. It’s one of those games that will stay with you long after it’s done, and it’s the kind of culturally-relevant artefact that gives it value beyond its scope as an entertainment product (though it’s certainly entertaining too).
Necrobarista as a game embodies many of the qualities you find in the game’s characters. It’s brash, it’s snappy and clever, it’s also more than a little sly, but it’s got an unbreakable emotional core that you can’t forget. If this is the future of visual novels, then pour me another one.
Overall, Necrobarista is something I desperately wanted to enjoy much more than I did. The graphics were great, the animations well done, the soundtrack was lovely, and most of the characters were great, but the story just felt way too choppy, like someone ripped a bunch of pages out of the middle of a book. Yeah, it's still readable, and yes you can still understand what's going on, but it certainly doesn't feel complete. If anything, I'd wait until this goes on sale to pick up, because you'll pretty much be left just wanting more by the end, which isn't something I can justify picking up for a full novel experience. That being said, what was there was excellent, it just needs a bit more...fleshing out (necromancy puns, heh).
Necrobarista is a stylish and engaging journey through a cafe where the living and the dead coexist. The experience is dynamic thanks to the use of 3D and accessible thanks to the use of Portuguese (despite its problems). It is certainly worth checking out for those who like Japanese animations and are interested in the genre.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
As a visual novel, Necrobarista: Final Pour works hard to try to set itself apart from the genre. At times it does a really fantastic job, and even the negative aspects aren’t nearly enough to stop me from recommending the game to visual novel fans. Necrobarista: Final Pour is a unique take on a common theme, as well as a fresh approach to a genre that can feel a tad paint-by-numbers at times. I absolutely enjoyed every second of my time in Melbourne, and the way it made me think about death and my own mortality was truly fascinating.
Necrobarista: Final Pour provides a moving story about death, life, and how to move on. The short first-person chunks between chapters could be better, and I wish the Switch version were more stable, but the story is the reason to buy this one, and it’s excellent. With charming characters and a great sense of style, Necrobarista is worth your time whether you’re living or in the process of moving on.
The best sections of Necrobarista are still present in this new version for consoles. Its characters are fantastic, its calm but surprising story and its music an absolute marvel. Among its best points is that spirit of making the narrative enjoy with the rhythm that we need.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
I realize that more often than not I’m a sort of wet blanket in the area of visual novels, especially those that allow little to no room for player agency...
With a brew this good, you can be sure I'll be back for more.
Necrobarista may not make the player a part of its story, but this visual novel's narrative still hits pretty hard.
Almost anyone smitten by Necrobarista’s style will find more than enough to warrant its asking price, including a rather poignant denouement after three hours of play, but it risks frustrating anyone expecting more of a game and less of a film.
Necrobarista: Final Pour is a going to bring a lot of new fans to the visual novel genre once it's fascinating concept is made known to the mainstream. If this is a first experience, it's a great introduction and one that will set the benchmark for others. The story is engaging and looks great on the Switch, and any chance to explore is rewarded with world building insights that frame the main plot. Don't expect any earth-shattering revelations, but instead cosy up for a very human tale with a relaxing narrative and engaging characters. Except Ashley. She sucks.
Necrobarista is certainly an interesting take on the visual novel genre. The dialogue is amazing and the story is certainly worth experiencing. It could perhaps be priced a bit lower considering how short it is and it does have some minor technical issues. Still, overall I enjoyed it.
Necrobarista is a visual novel, true, but I mean this as a compliment: it made me wish it were something more than that. And the next time I manage to go out for coffee, whenever that may be, I guarantee you I’ll be thinking about Terminal.
If you can get through the crashes and technical hitches, Necrobarista: Final Pour suits the Switch well. It is a beautiful appealing visual novel about one last night before death takes you to pass on. You don’t play the game, you watch the story unfold. The characters are individual with clear meaning within the story. The story has an interesting concept that could be taken in any direction.
Barista in a bar for dead: a dream job. Or maybe not; The last stand of the dead before the unknown "after" is episodic, and Necrobarista: Final Pour attempts to tell a story full of emotions.
Review in Greek | Read full review