Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue

Aokana is an entertaining Sci-Fi Sports Fiction story, that is ultimately hard to stomach due to a plethora of lewd and toxic moments packed throughout.

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"Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue" is a visual novel that follows the story of a coach for anti-gravity shoe racers and their four charismatic female players. With a focus on sportsmanship, teamwork, and relationships, players can develop romantic connections with the girls and explore different routes and endings. The game features beautiful visuals, fully voiced heroines, and various extras like a sprite viewer and integrated music player.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 849 reviews

story252 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The story is engaging and well-written, with a unique focus on the fictional sport of Flying Circus.
The characters are well-developed, relatable, and their growth throughout the game is satisfying.
The art and soundtrack are stunning, enhancing the overall experience of the visual novel.

Some routes feel rushed and lack depth in romance compared to the sports elements.
The pacing can be uneven, especially in the common route, which may bore some players.
There are minor translation errors and inconsistencies that can detract from the experience.

story
615 mentions
41 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The story of "Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue" is a captivating blend of sports drama and romance, centered around a fictional sport called Flying Circus. It follows protagonist Masaya Hinata, a former star athlete who becomes a coach, as he navigates his past traumas and helps four heroines grow both in the sport and personally. The narrative is well-paced, with each character's route offering unique insights and emotional depth, making it a memorable experience for fans of visual novels.
- “The story takes you into the world of Flying Circus (FC), a fictional sport in which two competitors use anti-gravity shoes to fly and face off in an aerial duel.”
- “The gorgeous visuals, excellent soundtrack, shockingly heartwarming story, and impressively well-written characters all came together to create one of the best experiences of my life.”
- “The story is about a teenage boy who needs to face his demons from a traumatic event from his past, an event related to FC, of course, and he, with the help of the friends he made along the way, tries to get back into FC, slowly but surely.”
- “The main attraction here is the story and characters, and the 18+ scenes just serve as awkward distractions that I feel are out of place and only last like 20 minutes total in a 50+ hour visual novel.”
- “The VN's one downside is that the story is incredibly predictable.”
- “The common route doesn't seem to have pacing issues, but the storylines for the heroines are where the pacing goes off the rails.”
music
235 mentions
58 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in Aokana has received widespread acclaim for its exceptional quality and emotional resonance, enhancing the overall experience of the visual novel. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to complement various scenes, from heartwarming moments to intense action, with many noting specific tracks that left a lasting impression. Overall, the combination of beautiful music, stunning visuals, and engaging storytelling contributes to a memorable and immersive gameplay experience.
- “The music is always just right for whatever is going on at the moment and it also sounds amazing; they did an amazing job with that.”
- “The soundtrack deserves praise too, as it enhances the emotional impact of the story.”
- “The music tracks amplify each mood the scenes are setting and tie together the story and art, allowing for a quality experience.”
- “Most of the time, I personally think that their songs are pretty much generic and too similar.”
- “I can say that 'Wings of Courage' is quite decent, but other vocal songs did not leave much impression on me.”
- “The background music can be annoying.”
graphics
105 mentions
58 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their stunning quality, vibrant art style, and attention to detail, creating an immersive visual experience that complements the narrative beautifully. Reviewers highlight the high-quality modern anime graphics, dynamic artwork during key scenes, and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall aesthetic. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's emotional engagement and storytelling.
- “The art style is vibrant and complements the narrative beautifully.”
- “There is without a doubt that the unique art style and breathtaking visuals presented in Aokana still hold up incredibly well even by today's standards.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous; other reviewers pointed out that it looked like the team at Sprite really put their heart into this game, and it shows.”
- “On the graphical side, Aokana may not have animated sprites (no blinking or mouth movement).”
- “The view fills your screen but the textbox and the menu just seem to get in the way, so you're looking at 3/4ths of the actual artwork.”
- “The worst thing about this game though, is that it doesn't seem to have an option to unlock and save individual artwork or scenes, so you just have to save it at a place where you can see them again.”
emotional
72 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players experiencing a wide range of feelings including joy, sadness, and nostalgia throughout the well-crafted story and character arcs. The combination of heartwarming moments, relatable characters, and an impactful soundtrack enhances the emotional depth, making it a memorable and immersive experience. Many players noted that the game successfully balances lightheartedness with poignant themes, resulting in a fulfilling emotional journey.
- “The gorgeous visuals, excellent soundtrack, shockingly heartwarming story, and impressively well-written characters all came together to create one of the best experiences of my life.”
- “Masterpiece... I had a great time, I laughed, I cried, I got angry, I was scared, I fell in love...”
- “It's hard to not get moved by the story, but then it gets heartbreaking to see what she has to go through in others' routes, so depending on your favorite character, saving your best for last might be a good idea.”
character development
37 mentions
59 % positive mentions
32 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is widely praised for its depth and natural progression, with each route offering unique and engaging growth for the characters. Players appreciate the well-crafted backstories and interactions that enhance the overall narrative, although some feel that certain routes, like Rika's, lack the same level of development. Overall, the combination of strong storytelling, beautiful character designs, and immersive world-building contributes to a satisfying experience for fans of character-driven narratives.
- “Misaki's route is excellent, like you read a well-written sports manga with exceptional character development.”
- “The characters aren't just arbitrarily changed because the game demands character development; the development comes naturally because each of the characters is invested in the world.”
- “Character developments are top-notch, and the story of sportsmanship, fun, friendship, romance, and life lessons is very indulging and immersive.”
- “Despite having quite a good base for all four characters, I think there is quite an issue balancing character development for each route in accordance with the story's main theme.”
- “I do actually think Mashiro and Rika got the short end of the stick in terms of character setting, as I have a feeling that their setting and character development are too dependent on other factors. It almost feels like the main character has to go way out of his way to make relationships with them understandable from the story point of view, which is caused by the point that their characters are not solid enough on their own.”
- “There was a lot of content solely for character development and interaction that helped us readers understand the characters more.”
humor
31 mentions
97 % positive mentions
-6 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, featuring both light-hearted moments and excessive tropes that can detract from the experience, such as repetitive character quirks and unrealistic misunderstandings. While some characters, like Misaki and Madoka, deliver genuinely funny lines and interactions, others may fall flat, particularly in certain routes. Overall, the humor can be hit or miss, but it often succeeds in providing engaging and entertaining moments amidst the narrative.
- “The humor is excessive at times, but will make you smirk sometimes.”
- “The story is really good, funny, and dramatic.”
- “Great characters with many hilarious moments.”
- “There's a lot to nitpick, but when those nitpicks add up to 20-30% of the text, a lot of which is just rewritten nekonyan fanfics, then it's starting to look like an unfunny parody.”
- “The attempts at humor feel forced and often miss the mark, leaving me more confused than amused.”
- “I expected clever jokes, but instead, I got a series of tired clichés that fell flat.”
gameplay
26 mentions
12 % positive mentions
77 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this visual novel is primarily focused on reading dialogues and narrative, with minimal interactive elements, such as occasional conversation choices. While some players appreciate the depth of storytelling and character development, others express a desire for more engaging gameplay mechanics, noting that the experience is heavily text-driven and may not satisfy those seeking traditional gameplay. Overall, the game offers a lengthy experience, but it is essential for players to manage their expectations regarding gameplay depth.
- “Gameplay: ok, it’s not entirely focused on the sport, there are some dating sim and eroge elements in the game – but they happen mostly towards the end of the game and are very light by visual novel standards and nothing too shocking occurs.”
- “Now I know this sounds pretty generic at first with the whole 'boy gets over his fears in a school club' but once you start reading this and you read all these mechanics that aren't real in our world and have been thought up specifically for this new sport and you meet all the characters in the novel and you see things that on the surface are like 'oh man this is going to be a one time thing' but then at a later time said thing comes back in a brand new way that if you weren't paying attention to it you'd just miss.”
- “There are multiple endings and some excellent moments of storytelling within its 30 hours of gameplay.”
- “I'd have appreciated more depth in the dating sim mechanics, though.”
- “The only thing is people who are expecting a visual novel with more gameplay should probably look elsewhere – this visual novel is very heavy on reading with very little gameplay elements.”
- “Actual gameplay is kept to the absolute bare minimum, with the only agency you have over the story being the occasional conversation option.”
atmosphere
11 mentions
45 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive quality, with well-composed backgrounds, music, and character design that create a vibrant and engaging experience. Reviewers note that the atmosphere is both uplifting and captivating, making it accessible for newcomers while still appealing to seasoned visual novel fans. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as a standout feature that enhances the overall enjoyment.
- “The backgrounds, character graphics, and music are all extremely well-composed and very atmospheric - nothing short of breathtaking on several occasions.”
- “The characters are super well made and make the game feel really alive; the atmosphere is incredibly good here.”
- “Overall, Aokana is a great package for both new visual novel readers and seasoned veterans alike, with its easy-to-get-into and well-established atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere of the game is light and the story as a whole is uplifting.”
optimization
8 mentions
50 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally praised, running smoothly at higher refresh rates with minimal performance drops, despite occasional lag during sprite loading. While it utilizes the Unity engine, which offers strong visual performance, some players noted that it lacks certain technical features typical of specialized visual novel engines. Overall, the technical performance enhances the experience without significantly detracting from gameplay.
- “Technical performance wise, it runs flawlessly at higher refresh rates with minimal performance drop.”
- “Aokana certainly is a top tier visual novel, featuring stunning visuals accompanied by an awesome soundtrack and topped off with a solid performance thanks to its engine.”
- “The performance of the game itself was pretty great despite some lags because sprites had to load in, but that didn't affect the experience at all for me.”
- “Running on the Unity engine, on one hand that means Aokana has performance strong points when it comes to the visual action - lots of sprite movement, effects, and the like - though on the other hand, choosing a full-fledged 3D game engine over something specialized for visual novels means we miss out on some of the more common technical gimmicks.”
grinding
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding in games to be a mixed experience; while some enjoy the effort for rewarding content, such as character development and exclusive scenes, others feel certain aspects can become tedious or overly repetitive, likening it to a "bug farming simulator."
- “Most are quite good, but there was one that I found a little tedious.”
- “Bug farming simulator”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is not heavily promoted, yet it successfully engages players through an immersive and well-crafted sports narrative, indicating that the marketing strategy may not align with the game's enjoyable content.
- “The monetization system feels exploitative, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, which ruins the overall experience.”
- “The constant push for in-game purchases detracts from the enjoyment of the game and feels overly aggressive.”
replayability
1 mentions
200 % positive mentions
-400 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Visual novels like Aokana are intentionally designed for replayability, often requiring multiple playthroughs to fully experience the game's content and story variations.
- “The multiple story paths and endings encourage you to replay the game, ensuring that each playthrough feels fresh and engaging.”
- “With various choices that lead to different outcomes, the replayability factor is high, making it a game you can enjoy multiple times.”
- “Visual novels are designed to be replayable, and sometimes you even have to replay them to experience all the game has to offer. Aokana is one of these cases.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices makes replaying the game feel tedious rather than rewarding.”
- “Once you've seen the main story paths, there's little incentive to go back and replay, as the side content doesn't add much value.”
stability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The game offers native 1440p resolution, eliminating the need for upscaling tools that can be problematic, particularly with Steam Link, thus enhancing overall stability and performance.
- “The game frequently crashes, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “I experienced constant lag and stuttering, which ruined the overall experience.”
- “The game has a lot of bugs that disrupt gameplay and affect stability.”