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A Summer's End: Hong Kong 1986

97%Game Brain Score
story, music
gameplay, replayability
99% User Score Based on 867 reviews
Critic Score 90%Based on 1 reviews

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About

"A Summer's End: Hong Kong 1986" is a narrative-driven Austronesian-inspired visual novel. The game follows the story of a young woman, May, who returns to her childhood home in Hong Kong and must confront her troubled past. As May uncovers old family secrets and navigates complex relationships, players will make choices that impact the outcome of the story. The game features stunning hand-painted art and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack.

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A Summer's End: Hong Kong 1986 screenshot
A Summer's End: Hong Kong 1986 screenshot
A Summer's End: Hong Kong 1986 screenshot
A Summer's End: Hong Kong 1986 screenshot
A Summer's End: Hong Kong 1986 screenshot
A Summer's End: Hong Kong 1986 screenshot
A Summer's End: Hong Kong 1986 screenshot
A Summer's End: Hong Kong 1986 screenshot
A Summer's End: Hong Kong 1986 screenshot
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99%
Audience ScoreBased on 867 reviews
story329 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • Visually stunning with a vibrant 80s aesthetic and beautiful artwork.
  • Engaging and heartfelt storyline that resonates with LGBTQ+ themes and personal struggles.
  • Incredible soundtrack that enhances the overall experience and atmosphere of the game.
  • The story is relatively short, leaving players wanting more depth and exploration of character relationships.
  • Some dialogue can feel stilted or overly verbose, detracting from the natural flow of conversation.
  • Limited choices that don't significantly impact the story, making it feel more linear than interactive.
  • story
    853 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "A Summer's End - Hong Kong 1986" is a heartfelt and engaging narrative centered around the romantic relationship between two women, Michelle and Sam, set against the backdrop of 1980s Hong Kong. Reviewers praise its authentic portrayal of LGBTQ+ themes, emotional depth, and relatable characters, while also highlighting the game's stunning visuals and evocative soundtrack. Although some found the story's pacing a bit rushed and the choices limited, many felt it delivered a meaningful exploration of love, identity, and societal pressures, making it a standout in the visual novel genre.

    • “The story is deeply engaging and handled with care.”
    • “The characters were not empty and boring, or insufferable stereotypes, they were authentic and relatable with layers that are gradually unpacked throughout the story.”
    • “With its rich storytelling and nostalgic atmosphere, 'A Summer's End - Hong Kong 1986' offers a poignant and memorable gaming experience.”
    • “The story is a little too short and simple with a few characters, and there's not a lot to interact with.”
    • “The story felt really lacking.”
    • “The story is complete even without the DLC, but there will be empty spots in the collection gallery so it's better to have it - it's for free!”
  • music
    469 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "A Summer's End - Hong Kong 1986" has received widespread acclaim for its captivating 80s-inspired soundtrack, which enhances the game's nostalgic atmosphere and emotional storytelling. Players appreciate the blend of original and licensed tracks that perfectly complement the visuals and narrative, creating an immersive experience that resonates deeply. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and emotional impact.

    • “The music, the backgrounds, the art, the story, everything is so impeccable that I'm actually surprised more people haven't played it yet.”
    • “The soundtrack is literally so calming my friend whole ass fell asleep.”
    • “The music was a delight too, a very fitting mix of original and licensed tracks that improved every scene, moving from ambiance to more intense scenes very well.”
    • “The music is much less successful at evoking the era and the place.”
    • “Most of the tracks just sound like your typical corny VN background music with some faux-retro tape stretch effects applied on top.”
    • “Considering that the description of the game really puts a focus on the soundtrack, I have to say that I am a little disappointed with it, as most of the music is rather generic and nothing really special.”
  • graphics
    347 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "A Summer's End - Hong Kong 1986" are widely praised for their stunning, vibrant art style that beautifully captures the nostalgic 80s aesthetic, complemented by a fitting soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the attention to detail in character designs and backgrounds, creating an immersive atmosphere that resonates with the game's themes and setting. Overall, the visuals are described as breathtaking and a significant draw for players, making the game a standout in the visual novel genre.

    • “The art style is stunning, with a warm, nostalgic color palette that makes every frame look like a memory frozen in time.”
    • “Set amidst the vibrant streets of the city, the game beautifully captures the essence of the era through its stunning artwork and evocative soundtrack.”
    • “The visuals are absolutely stunning and my jaw dropped whenever the characters appeared in a new outfit.”
    • “Trivial matters and endless monologues and dialogues about absolutely nothing were only occasionally interrupted by admittedly very pretty graphics.”
    • “The speed to get to the next dialogue is seriously slow even though I put it to the max. I ended up putting it on auto mode to have to stop pressing enter to get to the next line already, but then gave up because it was just like a wall of text and like I said, very little graphics and interaction so ended up pressing enter for a bit before it got a bit tiring to do so.”
    • “Aside from the retro graphics, bumpin' music, and an adult patch it really doesn't have much.”
  • emotional
    136 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of "A Summer's End - Hong Kong 1986" is widely praised for its heartfelt storytelling, relatable characters, and beautiful art and music that evoke nostalgia and deep feelings. Players report experiencing a range of emotions, from joy to sadness, often leading to tears as they connect with the characters' journeys of love, self-discovery, and societal challenges. The game is celebrated for its authentic representation of queer relationships and the emotional depth it brings to the narrative, making it a memorable and impactful experience.

    • “A story that becomes so beautiful and emotional in the blend of beautiful music, art, and the storytelling perfectly playing on all this.”
    • “The story tugged at my heartstrings, made me feel a lot of different things intensely, and captured my complete attention.”
    • “It's a heartfelt story and the artwork is amazing!”
  • atmosphere
    48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of "A Summer's End - Hong Kong 1986" is widely praised for its immersive and nostalgic qualities, enhanced by exceptional artwork and a captivating soundtrack that evokes the essence of 1980s Hong Kong. Reviewers highlight how the game's design elements work harmoniously to create a rich, emotional experience that draws players into its narrative and setting. Overall, the combination of detailed visuals, ambient music, and heartfelt storytelling contributes to a memorable and poignant atmosphere that resonates with players.

    • “The soundtrack, a mix of ambient city sounds and soft melodies, adds to the atmosphere, making you feel like you’re truly walking through the streets of Hong Kong during that era.”
    • “With its rich storytelling and nostalgic atmosphere, 'A Summer's End - Hong Kong 1986' offers a poignant and memorable gaming experience.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game is dense, in a good way, and each location has its own personality.”
    • “The atmosphere by far and large is one of the work's strongest points - it feels very atmospheric and immersive.”
    • “Each background is handcrafted to great detail with emphasis on light and color to set the atmosphere and tone.”
    • “The strongest point of this game is the 1980's atmosphere.”
  • character development
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is praised for its strong writing and pacing, allowing players to engage deeply with the characters without feeling overwhelmed by choices. The aesthetic elements, including character designs and 80s-inspired music, enhance the emotional depth and immersion, although some players noted that certain aspects of character growth felt rushed. Overall, the combination of beautiful visuals, detailed character designs, and a captivating soundtrack contributes to a rich and enjoyable character development experience.

    • “Very sweet relationship and character development that feels natural; the translation sometimes comes across as a little stiff, but I will say it suits the POV character as she grows.”
    • “The writing, artwork, character design, fashion and style, facial expressions, music accompaniment, ambiance are all on point and superbly detailed and well-choreographed.”
    • “It's great character development for a visual novel.”
    • “I also highly recommend the adult patch - it's all tasteful and some of the scenes provide additional context and character development that I felt was oddly missing on my first playthrough.”
    • “Some parts of their relationship and Michelle's character development felt rushed.”
    • “Very sweet relationship and character development that feels natural, the translation sometimes comes across as a little stiff, but I will say it suits the POV character as she grows.”
  • gameplay
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of this visual novel is generally considered simple and straightforward, focusing primarily on storytelling with limited interactive elements. While some players appreciate the feminine art style and emotional narrative, others find the lack of diverse paths and short length leads to a somewhat repetitive and boring experience. The presence of invisible mechanics requiring specific dialogue choices to unlock certain endings adds a layer of complexity, but overall, the gameplay is described as average with a strong emphasis on music rather than interactivity.

    • “This visual novel does have an invisible gameplay mechanic where certain endings won't trigger unless the correct dialogue choices are picked.”
    • “The gameplay is simple enough; there are a few options of choice, but for the most part, it's a straightforward storytelling game.”
    • “The story was wonderful, packing so much emotion into just a few hours of gameplay.”
    • “The visual novel gameplay is okay, though compared to even old Japanese ones like Fates, it feels rather bad.”
    • “The downside of this game is the lack of different paths; the length is quite short and the story is pretty straightforward, which makes the gameplay quite simple and a bit boring for repetitive playthroughs.”
    • “The gameplay is simple enough; there are a few options for choice, but for the most part, it's a straightforward storytelling game.”
  • humor
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by personal anecdotes and relatable coincidences, contributing to its lighthearted tone. While it draws comparisons to other works, some reviewers feel it lacks the same comedic impact. Overall, the game successfully elicits a range of emotions, from laughter to deeper reflection.

    • “The game made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me hold my breath, and pause for a minute so I could try to calm down (but to no avail).”
    • “Additionally, my birthday is one day off from Michelle’s and we have the same zodiac animal, so that was a funny coincidence.”
    • “Very gay, very 80s, a lot like Saving Face but less funny.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers strong replayability due to its multiple endings and bonus content, making it a satisfying experience despite its shorter length. Players find it creative and interesting, recommending it for inclusion in any collection.

    • “The game is not very long, but it is very replayable and satisfying.”
    • “Re-playable, creative, and interesting - I would recommend adding it to your collection.”
    • “While there are two endings and some bonus content, the overall experience feels too linear to encourage multiple playthroughs.”
    • “The game lacks significant changes in gameplay or story on subsequent runs, making it hard to justify replaying.”
    • “Despite having multiple endings, the journey to reach them feels repetitive and doesn't offer enough variety to keep me engaged.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, particularly regarding the need to follow a walkthrough to maximize relationship points and unlock certain scenes. This requirement can lead to tedious replaying and skipping through dialogue, detracting from overall enjoyment.

    • “If you don't follow a walkthrough to max out your relationship points with Sam, you'll probably miss out on certain scenes and CGs like I did. I had to replay and tediously skip through the story again just to access extra scenes, which lessened my enjoyment slightly.”
    • “There is no reason to include an alternative ending or tedious dialogue choices.”
  • monetization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for its reliance on flashy advertising and neon visuals that fail to convey any unique elements of the story, leading to disappointment among players.

    • “Despite my hype, nothing in the advertising suggested much of anything unique about its story.”
    • “Hong Kong bathed in neon lights and various colorful advertising billboards are the backgrounds for most of the story.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, users report a high level of stability in the game, noting only minor glitches that do not significantly detract from the overall experience. The technical performance is praised, with many highlighting the quality of editing as above average.

    • “Just some little glitches, not complaining - this won't spoil the whole story and enjoyment.”
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90%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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5h Median play time
5h Average play time
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