Visual novels usually are either light-hearted with plenty of hijinx and romance or are serious affairs about the human condition. And then there are those that fall somewhere in-between. Looking at the pitch for Ignis Avis Venatio this third option seems to fit the bill. It takes a very serious dark tone but still sounds like it manages to get some humor and romance in at the same time. Which is frankly the kind of story that I love. But I digress.

Ignis Avis Venatio

What sets Ignis Avis Venatio apart from its brethren? Aside from the usual fare you’ve enrolled in a school for sorcery during a deadly game of essentially Pokemon…or Digimon or pretty much any story involving “battle monsters.” According to the pitch everyone’s fighting for the right to earn the power of the fabled Phoenix, the fire bird of legend that when dies rises from its own ashes to continue the cycle of death and rebirth. The catch? This is a battle to the death.

Ignis Avis Venatio

Just like in the aforementioned series each battle is between two sets of familiars and their “masters”. Instead of cute and cuddly murder minions like Pikachu you’ve got beasts pulled straight from mythology and legend, like the sea monster Leviathan or wolf Fenrir. I’ve more or less grown out of this style of cockfighting but I do love the idea of these pairs fighting to the death for the right to gain what essentially amounts to an ultimate power all Highlander like. While I’ve obviously played games with similar themes this is probably the first time that I’ve seen it tied to a visual novel. Which is why I want to keep an eye on Ignis Avis Venatio.

Trck the progress of the Ignis Avis Venatio Kickstarter in our Campaign Calendar.

About the Author

Serena Nelson

Serena has been a gamer since an early age and was brought up with the classic adventure games by Sierra On-Line, LucasArts, and Infocom. She's been an active member on Kickstarter since early 2012 and has backed a large number of crowdfunded games, mostly adventures. You can also find her writing for Kickstart Ventures and evn.moe.

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