Where It All Began

Dive into Ocean’s Visual Novel Epic of Romance and Intrigue

Ever wondered where your next obsession begins? ‘Where It All Began’ by Ocean pulls you into a gripping visual novel world of reconnection, steamy romances, and shadowy empire-building. Picture this: years after life pulled you apart from family like Dylan, Helen, Katie, and Leia Zane, a surprise call drags you back into their chaos-filled lives. As the protagonist, your choices weave through forgiveness, passion, and high-stakes decisions—think Miru Maeda’s tempting offers or Zoey Holgerson’s wild ambitions. I remember my first playthrough; one wrong choice led to unexpected alliances that hooked me for hours. Ready to uncover the origins of this addictive saga? Let’s explore every twist.

What Makes Where It All Began a Must-Play Visual Novel?

I’ll be honest, I almost scrolled right past it on Steam. 🕶️ Another visual novel in a sea of them, right? But something about the title, “Where It All Began”, made me pause. The artwork was stunning—gritty, emotional, and full of secrets waiting to be spilled. I downloaded it on a whim, and a few hours later, I was completely lost. The worldbuilding didn’t just pull me in; it wrapped me up in a blanket of drama, dark humor, and characters who felt unnervingly real. This wasn’t just a game; it was the first, massive piece of a puzzle Ocean was building. I had stumbled upon the true Oceanverse beginning.

So, what is it about this Ocean visual novel that hooks you so deeply? Let’s break down exactly why Where It All Began is an unmissable experience for any fan of narrative-driven games.

How Does the Story Hook You from Chapter 1?

The Where It All Began story doesn’t ease you in gently—it grabs you by the collar and demands your attention. You play as a protagonist returning to his hometown after years away, haunted by a past tragedy and armed with a simmering desire for… something. Revenge? Redemption? Closure? That’s your first big choice. 🎭

You’re immediately thrown back into the messy world of the influential Zane family. There’s Helen, the seemingly warm matriarch, her ambitious son Dylan, and his sisters—the complex Katie and the fiery Leia. The tension is palpable from the first conversation. You’re not just reconnecting; you’re navigating a minefield of old wounds, unspoken regrets, and the glaring fact that you’re the “adopted” sibling who left. Then you meet the wider circle: the enigmatic artist Miru Maeda, the fiercely loyal Zoey Holgerson, and figures like Katerina and Scarlet, who hint at the darker, criminal underbelly of this world.

Chapter 1 masterfully sets the stage by making you ask questions. 🤔 Why does the Williams family harbor such hatred? What really happened in the past? The writing blends a sharp, often dark humor with moments of genuine vulnerability, making every interaction compelling. It establishes the core themes of the entire interactive visual novel: the weight of family, the poison of secrets, and the fragile nature of mental health. You’re not just observing a drama; you’re placed squarely in the middle of it, and your first decisions begin to shape the protagonist’s path from a broken man to… whatever he will become.

Pro Tip: Your attitude in these early moments is crucial. Choosing between bitterness, ambivalence, or a desire to mend fences will subtly influence how characters like Dylan or Leia perceive you for chapters to come.

Here are a few key early choices that showcase the game’s depth:

• Your First Night Back: Do you wallow in isolation, or seek out a connection? Seeking out Miru can open an early, intimate scene that establishes a potential path of comfort and artistic understanding, but it may close off other opportunities.
• Confronting Dylan: Your tone when dealing with your competitive, suspicious step-brother sets the stage for a rivalry that could be professionally combative or personally venomous.
• Handling Leia’s Attitude: The fiery sister tests you immediately. Do you challenge her head-on, try to disarm her with kindness, or dismiss her? This shapes one of the game’s most volatile and fascinating relationships.
• The Williams Family Name: How you react when the hated Williams family is mentioned is a direct window into your character’s buried trauma and current motivations.
• Zoey’s Loyalty: Your interactions with Zoey Holgerson define a friendship that could become a bedrock of support or a complicated entanglement as she gets drawn into your rising world.

Why Are the Choices So Game-Changing?

This is where Where It All Began truly shines as a visual novel with choices. Your decisions aren’t just about picking a love interest; they’re about defining a moral compass and constructing an empire. 💼⚖️

The game operates on a sophisticated system where major plot branches and relationship points are tracked behind the scenes. A seemingly small, polite conversation with Helen might earn you “Family” points, while a ruthless business maneuver with Scarlet might build “Ambition” or “Underworld” points. These meters influence which Where It All Began chapters become available to you and how characters will interact with you in pivotal moments. Will you try to heal the fractured Zane family, or use them as stepping stones? Will you pursue romance as a solace, or view connections as transactional tools for power?

This choice-based narrative tackles heavy themes like forgiveness and mental health with a surprising nuance. You can guide the protagonist to attend therapy sessions, grapple with his anger in healthier ways, or you can let his trauma fester and turn into a weapon. The “rise of a criminal empire” isn’t a given—it’s a path you choose, decision by decision, each with emotional consequences for everyone around you.

And let’s talk about immersion. Ocean doesn’t just tell you this story; they show it. Chapter 2 alone boasts over 1500 detailed renders and hundreds of fluid animations. A tense conversation is sold by a subtle eye shift. A moment of peace is captured in breathtaking environmental detail. This technical prowess makes every choice feel weighty because you are living in the consequences, not just reading them.

To fully enjoy this visual richness, you’ll want to make sure your system is ready. Here’s a quick guide:

Actionable Advice: If you’ve played Ocean’s other masterpiece, Summer’s Gone, you can actually import your ending! This subtly changes some dialogues and references, beautifully linking the two worlds. It’s a fantastic touch for veterans and highlights how this is the Oceanverse beginning.

What Themes Drive the Emotional Core?

Beneath the gorgeous renders and thrilling plot twists, the Where It All Began game is powered by profound, relatable themes. This isn’t just a story about power and crime; it’s a story about people. 🫂

• Forgiveness vs. Resentment: This is the beating heart of the story. Can you forgive the family you feel abandoned by? Can you forgive yourself for past mistakes? Every interaction with the Zanes is tinted by this central struggle.
• The Facade of Mental Health: The protagonist is clearly wrestling with his psyche. The game lets you explore this through his internal monologue, therapy sessions, and his coping mechanisms—which can be healthy or destructive. Characters like Miru also carry their own quiet burdens, making mental health a pervasive and honest theme.
• Ambition’ Cost: Whether your ambition is for legitimate business power or underworld dominance, the game constantly asks: what are you willing to sacrifice? Relationships? Your morality? Your sanity?
• The Complexity of Love: Romance here is never simple. It’s intertwined with power dynamics, old histories, and personal healing. Pursuing someone like Katie is different from pursuing Scarlet, and each path comments on what the protagonist is truly seeking—comfort, control, or a partner in his ascent.

The dark humor and mature themes of violence and drugs aren’t used for shock value. They are tools that paint the world in stark, realistic strokes, making the moments of genuine connection and tenderness feel earned and precious. 😢💖

This rich thematic soup is why Where It All Began is more than a single game. It’s the foundational stone. The choices you make here, the alliances you form, and the man you build (or break) define the starting conditions for an entire universe of stories. Playing it is understanding the origin point of heroes, villains, and everyone in between in Ocean’s expansive world. You’re not just playing a chapter; you’re witnessing the event that sends ripples through everything that follows. That’s the power of this incredible Ocean visual novel. If you’re ready for a story that challenges you, moves you, and puts the reins firmly in your hands, your journey needs to start right here, where it all began.

From the Zane family’s tangled past to Miru’s bold propositions and the empire’s shadowy rise, ‘Where It All Began’ delivers a raw, choice-driven adventure that lingers long after the credits. My own dives into multiple playthroughs revealed how every decision shapes romances, loyalties, and triumphs—proving Ocean mastered immersive storytelling. Whether you’re chasing forgiveness arcs or steamy encounters, this visual novel sets the stage for epic Oceanverse tales. Grab it on Steam, tweak those controller layouts for Steam Deck, and start your journey today. What’s your first big choice going to be? Dive in and find out where it all leads.