If you love visual novels, otome games, or the Code:Realize anime, then Wintertide Miracles should be a must-play for you. As the third installment in this romantic visual novel series, Code:Realize ~Wintertide Miracles~ does have heavy romantic notes, but there's still a story to tell and a side story featuring a new heroine: Cantarella.
If this is your first time with Cardia and her boys, we recommend playing Guardian of Rebirth and Future Blessings first (or Bouquet of Rainbows, that contains both games but is only available in English for PS4) and get all caught up on the story, or else a few things will be amiss. We're talking of text-heavy visual novels, though, so be forewarned if you hate reading!
With all that being said, let’s see how worthwhile Code:Realize ~Wintertide Miracles~ is!
Warm Up, It's Winter Season
Just like in the previous Code:Realize games, Wintertide Miracles allows you to dive right into your route of choice without forcing you to finish the same main story over and over again to unlock new endings or branching storylines. For instance, you can either continue the storyline from Future Blessings or go on a two-on-one date with your favorite bachelors. If that's not enough, you can also discover other stories that have yet to be told. Who exactly will hold the key to your heart in this visual novel? You’ll have to play to find out!
In Wintertide Miracles, we continue to follow the adventures of Cardia Beckford, a girl whose skin is extremely poisonous and lacks a human heart but has plenty of love to give. With the arrival of the winter season, Cardia is in for more adventure as crime and excitement are afoot in the steel city of London. From dates with someone from the cast to finding trouble with her new friend Cantarella, there is no end to the type of fun that's in store for Cardia this season.
When Just One Handsome Man is Not Enough
If you have never played a visual novel before, as we said earlier, you need to be prepared for text-heavy gameplay. On the plus side, unlike other visual novels, in Wintertide Miracles you get to contribute to the story by making choices that can raise your affection level with your intended bachelor.
As we mentioned in the previous segment, one of your options is to go on triangle dates with bachelors from the main cast. Just mix and match your favorite heroes and then a different scenario will play out. Regardless of your choice, these two-on-one dates are cute and fun for anyone who wants to see the characters fighting over them.
Welcome, Cantarella
The other routes let you continue the story with one of the five main characters: Lupin, Van Helsing, Impey, Saint-Germain, or Victor. You just choose your bachelor and continue on from where you left off in Future Blessings, with adorable stories that show both sides of the romance between Cardia and whoever you pick.
On top of those, you can also further the narratives of Herlock Sholmes and Finis, and there’s an additional side story featuring a new character named Cantarella, which was a treat. We actually greatly enjoyed Cantarella’s part, including her CGs, and appreciated how it added to the plot without feeling like it was forced into the main story.
Final Thoughts
In case you're wondering, all your favorite seiyuu are back, and the character designs are as beautiful as ever with the winter motif. Wintertide Miracles is the latest addition to the Code:Realize series, and a nice addition to the Switch's catalog, with lots of romance and new side stories for Cardia.
If you missed it on PlayStation 4, now's your chance to get it on the Switch!
Author: Rod Locksley