Harmony: The Fall of Reverie is a pretty deconstruction | Kaser Focus

With all the summer gaming excitement, I haven’t had the chance to speak about several of the games I’ve played in the last few weeks. One of those games is Don’t Nod’s new visual novel, Harmony: The Fall of Reverie. And since this has been a relatively quiet week (and a short one, for those us celebrating an American holiday), I’d like to take the time to at least do a mini-review of the title. While my thoughts have not changed much since I played the preview, I think it deserves attention — so that’s what this Kaser Focus is about.

Strangely, what Harmony reminds me of the most is deconstructed food. I’m no avant-garde chef, but my understanding is that deconstructed food is intended to offer familiar ingredients in a new, raw form to give the diner a refreshed experience. That’s the vibe I get from this game: It has all of the familiar elements of a visual novel, but presented in an alternate way. It makes for a game that’s much different from other games in the same oeuvre. Unlike other visual novels, the game presents its choice mechanic (and the entire game is built on the choice mechanic) via a Twine-like choice layout called the Augury.