Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue

80%
Game Brain Score Based on 737 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • graphics
Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue Game Cover
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.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Android
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station Vita
  • Tablet
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

80%
Audience ScoreBased on 737 reviews
story214 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • Aokana features a captivating story that beautifully blends romance and sports, making it engaging for players.
  • The art style is stunning, with vibrant visuals and expressive character designs that enhance the overall experience.
  • The soundtrack is exceptional, with a variety of tracks that perfectly match the emotional tone of the scenes.
  • Some routes feel less developed than others, leading to an uneven experience across the different character arcs.
  • The pacing can be slow at times, particularly in the common route, which may deter some players from fully engaging with the story.
  • The translation has minor errors and inconsistencies that can disrupt the flow of the narrative.
  • story522 mentions

    The story of "Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue" is a captivating blend of sports, romance, and character development, centered around a fictional sport called flying circus. While the narrative features a variety of engaging routes, with some being more substantial than others, it effectively explores themes of perseverance and personal growth through its well-developed characters. Despite some pacing issues and a predictable plot, the overall experience is enhanced by beautiful visuals, a compelling soundtrack, and emotional storytelling that resonates with players.

    • “With its captivating storyline, stunning artwork, and lovable characters, it offers an immersive and heartwarming experience.”
    • “The story is so good, it feels like you're watching an anime.”
    • “The characters, the story, the visuals, the music, everything is just so good, almost perfect.”
    • “The deeper I go into the story, the more frustrated I get that it's long and nothing significant happens, while characters do not develop quickly and you have nearly zero input in here.”
    • “Even entire story arcs were suspect – and the biggest offender, in my opinion, is in the middle of the common route, when the entire story gets derailed for more than just a couple of scenes to focus on Mashiro and video games.”
    • “I can not in good conscience recommend this one, as the story is so boring, the main character's choice to quit flying before the story even begins making little to no sense either, and seems to be mostly used as a reason because... reasons...”
  • music194 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its emotional depth and ability to enhance the storytelling experience. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's variety, with tracks that range from uplifting to melancholic, effectively complementing the game's visuals and narrative moments. Overall, the music is described as memorable and integral to the game's immersive atmosphere, making it a standout feature.

    • “The soundtrack deserves praise too, as it enhances the emotional impact of the story.”
    • “The vibrant visuals, melodic soundtrack, and well-written dialogue bring the world of aerial sports to life in a way that is both thrilling and emotionally engaging.”
    • “The music is both relaxing and impactful, and there were definitely times in the novel where I teared up just from the songs alone.”
    • “The soundtrack does get repetitive, but it gets the job done of highlighting moments.”
    • “Most of the time, I personally think that their songs are pretty much generic and too similar.”
    • “On one hand, the production quality is truly excellent, with beautiful art, a catchy soundtrack, and a very lovable cast of characters, but at the same time, it focuses so heavily on the flying circus sport that everything else, romance included, kinda gets shoved aside.”
  • graphics89 mentions

    The graphics in the game are widely praised for their vibrant and stunning art style, which beautifully complements the narrative and enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the high-quality modern anime visuals, detailed character designs, and engaging backgrounds, all of which contribute to an immersive atmosphere. The combination of captivating artwork and a memorable soundtrack further elevates the game's appeal, making it a standout in the visual novel genre.

    • “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 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.”
    • “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.”
  • emotional54 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its heartwarming storytelling, captivating characters, and impactful soundtrack, which together create a deeply immersive experience. Players report feeling a strong emotional connection to the characters, with many routes offering a mix of sweetness and poignant moments that resonate personally. Overall, the game is described as a delightful journey that balances humor, romance, and emotional depth, leaving players both touched and invested in the characters' stories.

    • “With its captivating storyline, stunning artwork, and lovable characters, it offers an immersive and heartwarming experience.”
    • “This game will run you through the gambit of emotions as you watch not only the girls run through an emotional roller coaster, but you as the main character as well - perhaps the person with the biggest role to play in what this world represents.”
    • “I'm not great at reviewing story, which is why this is probably the only visual novel I'll review, but I will say that despite what I said earlier, and despite not really being into sports whatsoever and thinking this wouldn't amount to more than my next fix, Aokana was genuinely one of the most heartwarming and thrilling stories I've read in a while, and it had me grinning from ear to ear the entire time.”
  • character development29 mentions

    Character development in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting the depth and natural progression of characters across various routes. While some routes excel in storytelling and character arcs, others may feel less balanced, leading to mixed opinions on individual character growth. Overall, the game offers a rich narrative experience with well-designed characters that resonate with players, enhanced by beautiful art and engaging voice acting.

    • “Misaki's route is excellent, like you read a well-written sports manga with exceptional character development.”
    • “I really enjoyed replaying the story for all four routes with great character development on each of their routes.”
    • “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.”
    • “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, as readers, understand the characters more.”
  • humor28 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as excessive yet effective, often eliciting genuine laughter through well-developed characters and their interactions. While some routes, like Mashiro's, may falter in comedic execution, the overall blend of humor, drama, and romance creates an engaging experience. Characters like Misaki and Madoka stand out for their quirky and funny contributions, making the narrative both entertaining and memorable.

    • “The humor is excessive at times, but will make you smirk sometimes.”
    • “The characters overall are very fleshed out and the humor plays out pretty well sometimes between them; I think the fact that the characters are interesting also makes the matches fun to get into as well.”
    • “How the 'muscle pact' was formed in Misaki's route was a genuinely funny returning joke that never overstayed its welcome.”
  • gameplay23 mentions

    The gameplay of this visual novel is primarily focused on reading, with minimal interactive elements, such as occasional conversation choices. While the story and character development are engaging, those seeking substantial gameplay mechanics or depth in the dating sim aspects may be disappointed. The game features a lengthy playtime of over 50 hours, but the overall experience is heavily narrative-driven rather than action-oriented.

    • “Gameplay is what you expect.”
    • “There are multiple endings and some excellent moments of storytelling within its 30 hours of gameplay.”
    • “One of the best visual novels I played so far, the mechanics were not too shabby, but the graphics and art are totally astonishing.”
    • “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.”
    • “The characters are charming (if overly sexualized and put in awful situations) and the writing is top quality, but if you’re looking for anything resembling gameplay here you’ve come to the wrong place.”
  • atmosphere11 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 significantly enhances the storytelling and emotional impact.

    • “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.”
  • optimization8 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its strong technical performance, running smoothly even at higher refresh rates with minimal drops. While there are occasional lags due to sprite loading, they do not significantly detract from the overall experience. The use of the Unity engine allows for impressive visuals and effects, although it may lack some specialized features typical of traditional visual novels.

    • “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 up 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.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding in games to be a mixed experience; while some enjoy the effort for rewarding content, like character interactions and scenes, others feel certain aspects can become tedious or overly repetitive, as seen in titles like "Bug Farming Simulator."

    • “Most are quite good, but there was one that I found a little tedious.”
    • “Bug farming simulator”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Visual novels like Aokana are intentionally designed for replayability, often requiring multiple playthroughs to fully experience the game's content and storylines.

    • “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 you want to explore every possible scenario.”
    • “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, there isn't much incentive to go back and play through it again.”
  • stability1 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.

  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy effectively utilizes anime as a promotional tool, successfully attracting users despite mixed opinions about the anime itself.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

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Play time

45hMedian play time
40hAverage play time
30-50hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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