Beauties and the Stranded Review

Inadequate depth and weak attention-to-detail are its core problems, making it less than its unique setting deserved. Fortunately, BATS is buoyed by its characters and humor.

In a poorly defined post-apocalyptic world, Beastkin are animal-human hybrids that pose a risk to society. While hunting these Beastkin, you get injured and wake up in a bunker housing five strange women. Each seems to have supernatural abilities, indicating they might be the very thing you seek. But they’re all nice and let you stay, so maybe your hunting days are over?

While the bunker setting is initially cool, it is mostly just a warehouse with some furniture, wire fences, and plastic sheeting. Having a contained area to spend time in is both good and bad; it maintains focus but the game was begging for expeditions, like supply runs or night patrols. The only place you visit is a cool abandoned theme park. But even this is underused as you merely have a brief party there, and meet your chosen love interest there in the finale.

Each of the five love interests has unique traits, making them more than a blank slate but not quite enough for them to really dig their claws in. Soseo likes cooking, is kind, and has the best romantic moments. Joy has sensitive ears and psychotic tendencies, but is super likable. Nana is the animated pervert who likes sniffing clothes. Dayeon is strong and bossy. And Jini is a pack rat that is also erratic.

Between chapters you can suspect any one of being a Beastkin. But all this does is unlock additional ending videos, most of which are just performative modelling shoots. There is no accusation risk, nor is there any suspense when trying to find out more.

While the actresses are good, each character was crying out for more depth. Some justification for their affection would not have gone astray either. Jini acts cold at first then immediately starts bringing you food and acting love-struck, like scenes were deleted. Dayeon is domineering, like in Summer’s Heartbeat, but her connection lacks fangs. The story needed more heart-to-heart conversations, portrayals of strengths and weaknesses, and further unpredictability.

Like Storytaco’s other games, it uses ADR and, while the sound team have put in the effort, the player-character’s inner thoughts match his speaking voice, which is confusing. It takes about 1.8 hrs to finish and 4.5 hrs to clear all scenes, so it’s short but at least the choices fracture enough.

BATS is not Storytaco’s worst but it should have been stronger because of their monstrous experience and success with Don’t Fool Me Beauties. Despite the neat concept, the end result is more bark than bite.