It's funny the way things work out sometimes.

Just a few days ago, I had written out a review for the visual novel Ribbon of Green, in which I pointed out that its central flaw was trying to pack a huge emotional punch into what was, essentially, 10-15 minutes of playing time. While I found it very well-written and technically sound, the ultimate failure of this punch to find its target ended up being a major flaw for me.

Leave it to April was a Fool to reply to that review with a one-two punch: the first one, delivering that emotional impact in, essentially, 15 minutes of playing time, and the second one knocking me out by showing me how it could be done.

Now, having picked myself off the mat and put a steak to my black eye, it's time to sing the praises of April was a Fool.

Story and writing: (4.5 out of 5)
The storyline of April was a Fool is, at first blush, neither original nor particularly interesting, involving a rag-tag bunch of heroes setting out on a quest to defeat the imaginatively-named Evil, an arch-villain that anyone who's played early Final Fantasy games would recognize. However, while it is possible to take such a storyline and use it to induce boredom, apathy and sleep in the player (cough*Elementa Bellator*cough), or to play it completely straight and come up with a great game (Luxaren Allure), April was a Fool handles it very cleverly by constantly veering between an actual fantasy story and a parody or deconstruction of the same. The result is something that is fresh, funny and thought-provoking while avoiding the completely ridiculous. Those aspiring to creating a fresh take on the traditional "band of heroes take on the Ultimate Evil Overlord" story would do well to learn their lessons from April.

Characters: (5+ out of 5)
Even more than the storyline, this is where April shines. Each of the characters - Erwin, Blake, Kent, Gabby and Gunn - while borrowing generously from otome tropes and archetypes - has enough originality and conflict to make every alternate path in this game memorable. (Yes, it's one of those games. Think of it as Hatoful Boyfriend with RPG stock characters instead of birds.) And while the characters themselves are brilliant (and brilliantly screwed up, creating the main theme for each "route"), the interactions between the five of them, or between them and our heroine (her default name is May, but I named her June, just because I'm a wise guy) are what elevates this game above the usual members of the "visual novel / dating sim" club. (If I had to pick a favourite, it would be Gunn, because I see many people like him in my own line of work: while his macabre dialogue may be shocking at first blush, it's not too different from the black humour that many medical professionals use as a way of coping with the nature of their job. However, if I had to award points for cuteness, Blake wins hands down. You just want to give the guy a hug. ^_^)

Gameplay: (4 out of 5)
Nothing new here, but nothing bad or broken either. It's the usual visual novel "make choices and build affection points" mechanic, but played interestingly in that your choices also determine May's character class, further underlining the game's links to the traditional RPG dynamic. And with multiple routes - each featuring a good and a bad ending - and custom graphics to be unlocked, this game has high replay value.

Music: (4.5 out of 5)
Like RE: Alistair++ (another great otome game that isn't quite what it seems), April was a Fool has terrific music. Special mention must go to the tunes that play during the "boss battle" in Erwin's and Gunn's routes, which are both outstanding. The rest of the melodies do a great job of establishing the atmosphere and general "RPG spirit" of the game.

Graphics: (4.5 out of 5)
Instead of painfully detailed Nomura-like "RPG fan art" sprites, April was a Fool opts for the "cartoon character" approach to its character art, which works because each sprite does a great job of defining a character or conveying emotion. We have a winner here.

If I were to write any more, this review would probably be longer than a single playthrough of April was a Fool, which would be kind of silly. Whether you love RPGs, visual novels or both, this is a terrific game that fully deserves the accolades it won from the RPG Maker community.

Highly recommended.