Official Score
Overall - 60%
60%
From Head to Toe does a fair job at setting up an intimate atmosphere, but the lack of context in its script and unpolished design somewhat take away from the title.
Set during a snowy night, Party for Introverts’ new title From Head to Toe creates an intimate walk between two people. Should players dive into this visual novel, or is this stroll not worth taking?
From Head to Toe Review
Players are thrown right into the thick of the story in this visual novel. Betty is walking home with Quentin on a snowy night, and the two reminisce about times gone by and how one handles their thoughts. It’s not exactly a deep tale – there’s no threat or overarching plot – but there doesn’t have to be. Rather, the main MO of this title is to set the atmosphere between these two.
Does it work? In practice, it proves to be hit and miss. Though the dialog regarding former townsfolk and past love might be touching, it lacks context. Players don’t know what Betty means when she talks about rehearsals, and not knowing Mary, Simon, and Erik from Adam gives players little chance to care about these different denizens. The same goes with the past relationship between these two – players can tell that they still hold a flame for each other, but it comes out through the odd bit of conversation. There just needed to be a bit of worldbuilding before diving into the heart of the matter.
Despite this, the music and tone does create an intimate atmosphere. Betty and Quentin are the only two characters in the title, with everybody else in their homes watching television and sleeping off-screen. When it works, it accomplishes what it sets out to achieve, but get ready to wade through some awkward moments to get.
Just be warned that the level of polish is a bit on the voice side. Voice acting is solid (though there is a cheesy British accent for Quentin), but lips don’t move and artwork looks cheap. In addition, the walk cycle looks like two ragdolls in motion, and comes off as jarring for most of the title.
Throughout the game, there are a number of button prompts that one can follow to do actions. Throwing snowballs and swinging on a swing set might seem frivolous, but it does add to the title overall. Everything is done with the mouse, and there is no fail state – these actions just add a level of activity that complements the experience. Just be warned that alternating the mouse buttons to walk comes across as stilted.
Just be warned that this title is a bit on the short side. From start to finish, players can see the entirety of the game in around 15 minutes. There are no alternate paths, meaning that everybody who plays the game will have the same experience. With no achievements, this is a “one and done” type of title.
From Head to Toe does a fair job at setting up an intimate atmosphere, but the lack of context in its script and unpolished design somewhat take away from the title.
