- Release date: May 28th (PlayStation Vita digital), May 31st (PlayStation 4 & Vita physical), June 11th (PlayStation 4 digital), April 9th 2021 (Nintendo Switch)
- Availability: Worldwide (physical), North America (digital)
- Genre: Visual Novel
- Developer: Novectacle
- Publisher: Limited Run Games & Mighty Rabbit Studios
- Platforms: PlayStation 4 (physical, limited edition, digital) & PlayStation Vita (physical, limited edition, digital) - Digital release is cross-buy -
- File size: PlayStation 4 (4.34GB), PlayStation Vita (2.8GB)
- Price: 40USD (digital), 50USD (physical), 85USD (limited edition)
- Trophy list (PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita)
- Content advisory from Mangagamer (spoilers in the list)
- Content: The House in Fata Morgana (base game), Requiem for Innocence (prequel), Reincarnation (sequel) & 18 Additional Stories
Intro:
Screenshots, Trailers & Gameplay:
Packaging & Limited Edition:
- Reviews Forthcoming -
FAQ (from Pasokon Deacon):
Newcomers to The House in Fata Morgana, read below:
Q: What are the main differences between this release and the PC (Steam/GOG) release?
The House in Fata Morgana for PS4 and Vita runs at HD resolution, with official upscaled or redrawn art to match. In addition to containing the original game and the Requiem for Innocence prequel (released separately on PC), this version also includes Reincarnation (which I refuse to describe because its premise spoils much of the main game), and a number of previously Japan-exclusive short stories now localized in English. Returning players can use the Back Door feature to skip the main game and Requiem by correctly answering three plot-related questions, letting them play Reincarnation.
Q: Can I start with the prequel (Requiem for Innocence) and then play the main game?
I know at least one person who's done that and come out okay, but it's a very inadvisable choice. You'll understand and appreciate Requiem far more by experiencing the main story first, then using that character/plot/thematic knowledge to good use in Requiem and Reincarnation. For instance, one character frequently disliked in The House in Fata Morgana becomes far more sympathetic/empathetic in Requiem, at least for players who paid attention in the main story. The most obvious reason to play The House in Fata Morgana first is that Novectacle developed Requiem afterward, meaning that Requiem shows some differences in the developer's style.
Q: I've heard many different descriptions and opinions about this visual novel. What are the most distinct reasons to try The House in Fata Morgana?
Fata Morgana as a whole differs from most Japanese visual novels through its gothic presentation, tragic story, and complex room for interpretation. Some players have compared it to games in the When They Cry series (particularly Umineko) for superficial and justified reasons, but Fata Morgana specializes in tragedy with mystery coming second. Expect a very sad, frustrating, but ultimately hopeful tale of tales, each of which offer a window into how individuals, relationships, and broken societies work. Also expect some well-planned twists that you absolutely should not get spoiled on! It takes a while to get into Fata Morgana precisely because of the premise described in the intro description, which presents an anthology story that's later re-framed into an ongoing one. Each story works well on its own and in tandem with all others, such that I sometimes have to force myself from over-analyzing this game so much.
Q: Without spoiling too much, are there any content warnings for this game, and is it scary?
The PC localization publisher, MangaGamer, released a content warning alongside the Steam release which you'll find useful. It does spoil some topics/themes the game will tackle; I'll list the non-plot-spoiling bits below:
Fata Morgana contains a few horrific moments that might qualify as scary (one at the end of Door 2 might qualify as a jump scare), but the presentation skews more towards discomforting, foreboding atmosphere. It's certainly not a story you should binge unless you desire deep emotional valleys; I hope you know how much you can tolerate and how to cope with some of the story's most difficult sections.
Incest
Graphic descriptions of violence, torture, and murder
Domestic violence
Racist remarks
Psychological manipulation
Sexist remarks
Suicide
Sexual assault, rape
Homophobic remarks
Transphobic remarks and behavior
Child abuse
Graphic descriptions of violence, torture, and murder
Domestic violence
Racist remarks
Psychological manipulation
Sexist remarks
Suicide
Sexual assault, rape
Homophobic remarks
Transphobic remarks and behavior
Child abuse
Fata Morgana contains a few horrific moments that might qualify as scary (one at the end of Door 2 might qualify as a jump scare), but the presentation skews more towards discomforting, foreboding atmosphere. It's certainly not a story you should binge unless you desire deep emotional valleys; I hope you know how much you can tolerate and how to cope with some of the story's most difficult sections.
Q: Is this game safe to image-search or read about further online?
Absolutely not. This OT gives you more than enough content to get started, arguably too much for some players. Go in blind and enjoy!
Q: If I want to order a physical and/or limited edition, what are my options?
Per LRG: "The physical version of the game will be $49.99 and available exclusively at www.limitedrungames.com on Friday, May 31. There will be two batches of the game; the first batch will go live at 7 AM PDT / 10 AM EDT and the second batch will go live at 3 PM PDT / 6 PM EDT." This includes both standard physical versions and the limited edition boxes which go for $84.99. You're only permitted to purchase up to 2 copies of each version, a countermeasure against scalpers.
Veterans only of The House in Fata Morgana, read below:
Q: What is Reincarnation?
Simply put, the lives of the main cast following the ending of The House in Fata Morgana. You'll see a familiar pair at the start, followed by paired characters from the original's first three Doors. This story also follows from the very last part of Requiem (which you can read either by completing that game's Backstage extra on PC or in this collection). It has unique Japanese-only voice acting for each character, played by actors who contributed to Fata Morgana audio dramas, plus new artwork by a new artist to replace Moyotaro's art while he recovered from disease. This story lasts anywhere from 4-5 hours to around 12, depending on how much you listen to the voice acting.
Q: Does this version contain the Backstage extras found in the PC releases?
So far, unconfirmed. The JP Vita release prior to this one lacks them, but it's possible that Novectacle and LRG re-implemented content for this release. You should still be able to read the very last part of Requiem regardless.
Q: Will Reincarnation and other content in this version ever make it to PC?
The short stories are entirely owned by Novectacle and, theoretically, easy to add into the PC releases, but Reincarnation is more difficult. Novectacle partnered with a co-developed, Dramatic Create, to make Reincarnation and the JP Vita release (mainly to add voice acting and a new engine). Novectacle and/or LRG/Mighty Rabbit will have to either re-negotiate the contract with Dramatic Create, potentially with new expenses, in order to make Reincarnation available on PC. If that's impossible or untenable, then Novectacle can potentially remake Reincarnation for PC, however that would work.
Where it all began:
I want to thank LimitedRunGames for bringing these games to consoles in the West, Novectacle for developing them and working closely with Limited Run Games for all the content we're getting, Nick for kickstarting this whole campaign two years ago, Pasokon Deacon for the subtitle & FAQ and everyone that is either trying this game for the first time or replaying them all over again.
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