Virtue and a Sledgehammer looks like a satisfying game. There is perhaps no more wonderfully chunky and impact frame friendly a weapon than the reliable sledgehammer, and when put into a game with a description like, “Most people resort to therapy. But you chose the brave option. A sledgehammer,” then of course I have to give it a look. Unfortunately, I still have to wait a week to check out the full thing. Fortunately, a prologue to the game just dropped for free that offers a tantalising, and quite different, experience.

Where Virtue and a Sledgehammer is something of an action game, Virtue: Prologue (note the lack of sledgehammer) goes all in on just vibes as a visual novel. It’s described thusly: “Virtue: Prologue is an experimental visual novella and companion piece to the violent catharsis of Virtue and a Sledgehammer. Navigate the complex feelings of your first love: a hot, rich boy from Barcelona. Sneak into the graveyard at night with your sister, or climb a tree for high-stakes conversations.”

First of all, is this the first time someone has used the term “visual novella”? I’ve certainly seen plenty enough short visual novels, but can’t recall any of them being referred to as a visual novella. Please, visual novel writers, take this up if only because I think it’s very cute. Second of all, Virtue: Prologue certainly has the juice. I’ve had a quick glance at it myself and it’s a clever use of some of the assets you’ll find in the full game, with some striking use of text and a clever way of using your left mouse button.

As a word of warning, you should probably skip this one if you suffer from photosensitive epilepsy. The game is not shy about using flashing images, and as far as I can tell there’s no way to reduce that effect, so might be worth coming back to if such a thing is rectified. You’ll have to keep an eye on that yourself though, as the game is only available through Pantaloon’s Playbill website, which you’ll also need to sign up for with your email. Still, a neat little introduction to the game, and something to tide you over for the next few days.