AL･FINE
- November 11, 2016
- CrimsonRabbit
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Al Fine" is a simulation game set in a cooperative town where humans, sprites, and kindred coexist. Players assume the role of Louis, running and managing an item shop. The key to success is buying low and selling high, growing the store to overpower competitors while paying attention to the weather and time to attract more customers.
Reviews
- The game features cute characters and a lighthearted story that many players found enjoyable.
- The shop management mechanics are simple yet fun, allowing players to strategize and compete in commerce battles.
- The game is easy to pick up and play, making it accessible for casual gamers.
- The lack of fullscreen mode and limited graphical options significantly detracts from the overall experience.
- Many players reported numerous bugs, including crashes and texture issues, which can disrupt gameplay.
- The game is often seen as a less complex and inferior clone of Recettear, lacking depth and variety in gameplay.
- story14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The story is generally well-received for its charm and humor, featuring a boy who reopens his parents' shop to repay a pixie's debt, but it lacks depth and character development, with many characters feeling like caricatures. While the narrative provides a lighthearted experience, it is criticized for being too simplistic and for having minimal conflict, with a significant portion of the game feeling repetitive and lacking postgame content. Overall, while some players find joy in the story, others view it as derivative and lacking substance compared to similar titles.
“The story isn't bad; the characters are super cute, and the management part is very simple but quite fun (you need to buy things to resell at the right price or equip/pay adventurers to bring back some things to sell from their quests).”
“But what this game does do right is the story; my word, this story made me smile and laugh on several occasions throughout the several-hour journey.”
“The story is very similar to Recettear as well; both main characters start up their family shops to pay off a debt.”
“The biggest drawback to this is that there's no postgame; the story ends on day 100 with very little variation in it.”
“The story itself is too bland and light for its own good.”
“All of the characters are caricatures that barely get any development, and the only major conflict is a plot to monopolize the town's economy that only takes up 10 days of the 100-day duration.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it lacking in depth compared to similar titles like Recettear, citing simple mechanics and a lack of features. While there are some enjoyable elements, such as the art and character design, many users expressed disappointment over texture bugs and repetitive gameplay, hoping for more content to enhance their experience. Overall, it offers a basic and somewhat charming experience, but may not satisfy those seeking a more complex gameplay structure.
“It's cute, funny, and has some mechanics (food spoiling, for example) that give it an interesting take that makes it different enough from Recettear.”
“An improvement of the business mechanics seen from Recettear.”
“If you're hungry for more selling mechanics, aka Recettear, this might scratch that itch.”
“In summary: I really enjoyed the art and characters, but sadly the gameplay isn't as deep as Recettear.”
“I almost refunded in the first 20 minutes, but decided to keep playing to see if the gameplay had more depth than the brain-dead main character.”
“No real dungeon exploration mechanics.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The graphics have received mixed feedback, with some users appreciating the cute store visuals, while others criticize them as inferior to similar games like Recettear. Additionally, the absence of customizable graphical and sound options, particularly regarding excessively loud audio, has been highlighted as a significant drawback.
“The graphics are incredibly cute and charming, especially in the store design.”
“The visuals are vibrant and engaging, making the overall experience delightful.”
“The lack of graphical and sound options is a big issue, particularly the sound as it is incredibly loud.”
“Like Recettear, except uniformly worse in every respect, whether by gameplay, graphics, or repetitive, unpleasant music.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it repetitive and unpleasant, while others appreciate its pleasantness and suitability within the game. However, the lack of a configuration screen for muting the music has been a notable drawback for those who find it bothersome.
“The music so far is pleasant and it works within the game.”
“There is no configuration screen, which means I can't mute the repetitive music.”
“The music is incredibly repetitive and there's no way to turn it off.”
“I wish there was an option to customize the music, as it gets annoying quickly.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some users criticizing the character design for lacking anatomical accuracy, despite its detailed execution. In contrast, the merchant portraits, illustrated by a different artist, are praised for their superior quality, highlighting inconsistencies in the overall character design.
“Another con would be the character design; the illustrator seems to lack basic anatomy lessons, but in return makes it very detailed.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from numerous glitches, including a significant issue where the language unexpectedly switched to Japanese, leaving players who cannot read kanji confused and frustrated. Overall, stability appears to be a major concern for users.
“So many glitches; at one point, all the English text disappeared and it switched to Japanese. Since I cannot read kanji, I was at a bit of a loss.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized as light and cute, lacking any dramatic or deeply emotional moments.
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized as cute and funny, enhanced by unique mechanics like food spoiling, which provide a fresh twist compared to similar titles like Recettear.
“It's cute, funny, and has some mechanics (like food spoiling) that give it an interesting take, making it different enough from Recettear.”
“The humor is cleverly woven into the gameplay, making every interaction a delightful surprise.”
“I found myself laughing out loud at the quirky dialogue and hilarious character interactions throughout the game.”
