PC Critic Reviews

Kinetic visual novels often suffer from the limitations of their provided gameplay. Don’t let that discourage you, though; Be Missed and Remembered: The Letter from Mayoiga is a genuinely great visual novel. Its beautifully executed themes are anchored by the organic, emotional swings of its young protagonists, finding itself only minorly hamstrung by a rather forced execution near the finish line. When you factor in the immaculate full voice acting and a literal armory of gorgeous CGs, it becomes incredibly hard to regret buying this package at full price.

Be Missed and Remembered: The Letter from Mayoiga shines brightest during its opening hours with its rural setting, heartfelt characters, and an intriguing sense of mystery. While its fragmented second half and uneven localization keep it from reaching its full potential, there's still plenty here for fans of thoughtful, emotionally-driven visual novels.

Be Missed and Remembered: The Letter from Mayoiga is a fine visual novel. It has a very strong premise, and while I don't think it fully utilizes it, I still liked the story overall. The pacing has some issues, yet it's alleviated by some great characters I couldn't help but root for. I do find the ending a bit rushed, but overall, I still liked this visual novel, problems and all.

The story is a cute story and reminiscent of simpler times. However, in a time where it feels like visual novels are telling very compelling stories, sometimes sad, sometimes bittersweet, it feels like this one is just, okay.

Be Missed and Remembered delivers an emotionally resonant supernatural tale rooted in Japanese folklore, elevated by strong atmosphere, memorable music, and heartfelt character relationships. While its nostalgic setting and emotional core shine, uneven pacing, inconsistent presentation, and technical shortcomings prevent it from reaching the heights of the genre's best kinetic novels.

Be Missed and Remembered: The Letter from Mayoiga is a game that has very little to say, and says it poorly. It proposes a plot where, after just a couple of hours, it becomes glaringly obvious where everything is headed, needlessly dragging things out where it isn't necessary. It offers absolutely nothing in terms of gameplay, forcing the player to drag themselves to the finish line by repeatedly pressing a single button just to read the massive amount of text on screen - nearly half of which adds nothing to the story. The title deliberately chooses to be bland. In the background, there are themes such as the transformation of Japanese society and its relationship with ancient traditions; if incorporated into the narrative, these could have given it immense depth, but that simply doesn't happen. It is difficult to find anything positive in Be Missed and Remembered: The Letter from Mayoiga. Perhaps the true lesson this game teaches us is that not every idea is destined to become a video game.