Dal Segno – Tester’s Corner Vol. 3

Today, we have a tester’s corner for D.S. Dal Segno from Kitty-tama!

Hello everyone, Kitty-tama here yet again with yet another tester’s corner! I’ve beta tested games that range from super hardcore nukige, such as Kuroinu, to super cute all-ages titles like Go Go Nippon! 2016, but Dal Segno is unlike anything I’ve ever beta tested. I say this in the best possible way. I’ve been familiar with Circus eroge for quite some time since getting into visual novels as a hobby, so getting the opportunity to actually beta test one (and one that, effectively, was my first Circus game!) was an extremely exciting opportunity. The girls are cute, there are elements of magic, and the romance is sugary-sweet… it’s the perfect recipe for a good time all around!

Dal Segno seems to be somewhat of a spiritual successor to the Da Capo series; there are little references here and there within the game. Despite this, one could enjoy Dal Segno without knowing anything about the other Circus works, as it is a totally independent story.

Speaking of, while this game doesn’t have a particularly deep or intense story, it does have a very relaxing, fluffy feeling to it. The cuteness of it all had me squealing at a few points, too! It isn’t always sweetness, though; tense moments within the story further expand on the characters you come to know throughout the prologue and fairly long common route, getting you even more attached to them. I won’t lie, there were a few times where Dal Segno brought me near tears with how moving some of the scenes were.

As for the characters, they were all incredibly endearing, and I can’t think of a single character I didn’t like by the end. Of course, given the nature of this eroge, I do have my ranking of best girls. It would probably look something like this: Ame, Himari, Io, Noeri, and finally, Hazuki. I liked all the heroines, but Hazuki left a bit more to be desired. That said, the other heroines are on even level of being my favorite. Even the idiot friend, Yamato, was incredibly likeable and a bit more than just a stereotypical idiot friend; he’s also a good guy who never hesitates to help his friends when they need him the most.

The background music in Dal Segno, while not particularly memorable per se, made the atmosphere of the scenes come to life. From a calming instrumental that greets you on the main menu, not unlike the calming atmosphere of Kazana Island itself, to a tender piano piece used during lovemaking scenes, each tune appropriately fits the moments in which you hear them. It’s also worth mentioning that there are quite a number of vocal songs: Dal Segno has a total of five vocal tracks! In particular, A Trickle of Love really stood out to me as a fantastic song used during the emotional climaxes of the heroine routes. It’s a very effective song, I’ll say that much!

Given this is an eroge, though, how do the H-scenes fare, you might be wondering? If you’re going into this expecting fap central when those scenes appear, you might be disappointed. Rather than focusing on sexiness and eroticism, the scenes focus a lot more on the emotional connection between Atsuya and the respective heroine of your choice. This was one of the first times where I never felt compelled to, uh, take care of business, so to speak, while going through an H-scene. Instead, I felt a lot more of an emotional fulfillment from how tender everything was. It’s worth mentioning that, for most of the heroines, their first H-scenes aren’t even full-on sex; rather, they’re scenes where intimacy take place, and that’s it. It was quite a refreshing approach to see, in all honesty, and I wish more eroge had scenes like this.

I always come to be fond of the titles I beta test, as when I’m beta testing a particular game, I get a deeper connection to the material (after all, it’s my job to ensure it runs smoothly for you all alongside the other testers). It’s expected, then, that I won’t easily forget the games I work on. However, in the case of Dal Segno, it’s not just due to my extensive time working on it (I’d wager that this was the longest beta test I’ve ever partaken in). The game itself is unforgettable, and I’m very pleased that I was given the chance to test Dal Segno. If you love romance, magic with sweetness that hurts your teeth, along with the occasional tear-jerking moment, there’s no need to miss out on this title. I wholeheartedly recommend it. I’d also recommend it if you’re already a fan of Circus works, but that’s kind of an obvious basis for recommending it! I hope you enjoy the world of Kazana Island, where nobody is ever unhappy.


D.S. Dal Segno is now available on MangaGamer.com and Steam today!

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5 Comments

  1. This was very well written and informative.

  2. It’s nice to read a real review here for a change and not just short summaries.

  3. Pingback: Dal Segno – Tester’s Corner Vol. 3 – MangaGamer Staff Blog - Hentai/Otaku Culture Nerd Hub :: CKE18 Official Blog

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