Until Then Review

Whether your teenage years are long gone or you’re the same age as Until Then's protagonist, Mark Borja, the beginning scenes of Polychroma Games’ side-scrolling visual novel will feel very familiar. Rushing to cram out a group project that you had more than enough time to finish? Yep, done that. Nervously presented a book report to a class of less-than-interested peers? Why, of course. Stalked social media photos of new, cute students transferring to your school? Totally did that (though it was Myspace back in my day). It’s been a while since I played a slice-of-life title like this, one where I could ground myself into nearly every conversation and situation this lovely cast of characters find themselves in. They’ll fall in love, run away from their problems, join school clubs, reach for their dreams, fail tests, hide secrets, drift apart — the kind of stuff we all do or have done. Even when events start getting strange and otherworldly, Until Then always stays true to telling a heartfelt coming-of-age tale, so if you love down-to-earth, narrative-rich adventures, you’ll find a lot to enjoy here.

Set in the Philippines, Until Then evokes a strong sense of place that pulled me into Mark’s world immediately. Whether you’re walking past food stands on the sidewalk or looking for something to wear at the mall, Polychroma’s environmental art and storytelling make this setting come to life, representing Filipino culture in such a beautiful way. The setting is abundant with thoughtfully placed details — balikbayan boxes in the hallway of Mark’s home, an Angryme fast-food spot that looks very much like the iconic Jollibee food chain, large wooden forks and spoons hanging on the walls of a principal’s office, just to name a few. As a mixed-race gal with a Filipino mom whose adobo is just unmatched, I really felt the ache of home whenever food came into the picture — not to mention how hungry the mere mention of sisig makes me. Even if you don’t have a personal connection to Filipino culture, I’m certain this lovingly crafted world will still draw you in, as its presentation is intentional and the pixel-art design is absolutely gorgeous.

Characters and story beats are also executed with care, weaving in layers and complexity throughout. There are a few things we learn about Mark right off the bat: he’s a bit of a slacker, he has a tight-knit group of friends, and he lives alone, as his parents work overseas. Across the VN’s five chapters, Polychroma has done a great job ensuring no scene goes wasted in terms of developing Mark. Mundane and emotionally intense moments all work towards revealing more of his character and showcasing his growth across the narrative in organic, satisfying ways. Much of the story has you making connections with a lively, diverse cast of characters as well — Ridel, Cath, Louise, Nicole, and more. What’s great is that none of them fall flat, as they all have unique and complex personalities and backgrounds. Even those included for mostly comedic purposes feel dynamic. With this cast, it’s easy to root for their goals, cry alongside them, and laugh at their sass and wit. The more time I spent with them, the more I realised Until Then walks the tightrope of being heartwarming and heart-wrenching with the kind of balance that had me smiling through tears more than once.

While the narrative takes us through themes of love, loss, and friendship, we’ll also be exploring things like memory and fate, as much of the plot is driven by Mark’s strange instances of déjà vu. These aren’t just passing moments of, “Oh hey, I feel like this happened before,” as they take on a weird vibe, distorting the sound and environment into a blur of reality. Mark will have to figure out why certain people and situations feel familiar, and when things take a spookier supernatural turn, the stakes get even higher. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I won’t go into too much detail, but I will say the mystery of it all kept me glued to my desk chair, especially as the déjà vu sequences became more frequent and intense.

That said, it does take time for the story to pick up speed. The beginning was a bit of a struggle for me because there’d be instances of those weird déjà vu moments, but we’d slip right back into more mundane situations almost immediately, and while those are done quite well, they did have a tendency to drag on a bit long. I’ve come to appreciate its slow start, though, now that I’ve finished my first playthrough, as it really allowed me to get settled into the world and characters, developing a level of familiarity and attachment that pays off later on. But if slow burns aren’t your thing, that’s definitely something to consider before playing.

Until Then’s gameplay will feel familiar to anyone who’s played a visual novel, as you’ll have opportunities to choose from dialogue options, shaping how Mark interacts with other characters. Polychroma takes an expanded approach to this, as you’ll have in-person conversations as well as group texts and emails where you get to select what messages to send. With this being a linear tale, however, your choices won’t make or break the larger moving parts of the narrative and you’ll still find yourself experiencing quite an emotional ending. It’s a lot of dialogue and reading of course, which did make the lack of some standard VN features pretty apparent, such as a conversation history/journal or a button to skip already-seen text, but that didn’t make or break the experience overall.

More interactivity comes in the form of controlling Mark and moving him around the 2.5D environments and investigating details, like colourful school bulletin boards or a lonely piano in a spare room. You can also scroll through a Facebook-like social media app where you can like, comment, and share posts from your peers. I thought it was cool that characters would mention if you interacted with their stuff the next time you talked to them, but this became more of a forgotten feature as the game went on. Articles with information about politics and natural disasters also pop up, giving you more details about the ongoings of the world. Best of all, you get to engage in a ton of varied and fun mini-games, such as whack-a-mole, darts, and balloon popping. From what I can tell, your performance in the mini-games doesn’t heavily change the story either, similar to the aforementioned dialogue options, which I honestly am kind of grateful for, as I did terribly on more than a few.

In the 15 hours that it took to finish my first playthrough Until Then gave me so many moments that made me laugh, left me in awe, and made me cry. From anime-style close-ups of angry characters to heartfelt flashbacks of simpler times, this game will take you through an emotional, unforgettable experience. And even in the end, it surprised me, leading me to play a second playthrough that feels both familiar and very different, and now I’m experiencing a bit of my own déjà vu.