Class of '09: The Flip Side

51%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,434 reviews
  • humor
  • story
  • gameplay
Class of '09: The Flip Side Game Cover
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"Class of '09: The Flip Side" is a voiced visual novel set in a high school from 2007 to 2009, featuring mean teenage girls and real-inspired stories. Join Jecka, Nicole's blonde best friend, as you navigate her traumatic problems and discover 5 new endings. The game keeps its easy-to-play model with sitcom-style storytelling, offering a relatable and engaging experience.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

51%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,434 reviews
humor706 positive mentions
gameplay6 negative mentions
  • The voice acting is top-notch, with Kayli Mills delivering an incredible performance as Jecka.
  • The game provides a unique perspective on the events of the previous games, particularly through Jecka's experiences.
  • The artwork and CGs are significantly improved, adding depth to the storytelling.
  • The game has significantly fewer choices and endings compared to the previous installments, making it feel more like a movie than a game.
  • Many characters feel out of character, particularly Nicole, who is portrayed as more cruel and vindictive.
  • The heavy focus on foot fetish content and dark themes can be uncomfortable and detracts from the humor that characterized the earlier games.
  • humor765 mentions

    The humor in "Class of '09: The Flipside" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant shift towards darker themes compared to its predecessors. While some found moments of genuine hilarity and appreciated the dark humor, others criticized the game for relying heavily on shock value and uncomfortable content, particularly surrounding foot fetishes, which detracted from the overall comedic experience. Overall, the game is seen as less funny and more serious, leaving fans divided on its effectiveness as a conclusion to the trilogy.

    • “It's so funny and the voice acting is beyond amazing.”
    • “I don't care what anyone says, this game is hilarious.”
    • “The humor is still there and the plot lines are still crazy.”
    • “This game is weird and unfunny and nothing like the other two; just watch a playthrough on YouTube instead of spending money on this.”
    • “The writing is not only out of character for everyone in the home start path but also just plain unfunny.”
    • “The game is just not funny; the endings are not the issue, but the dialogue is nowhere near the level of the previous games.”
  • story402 mentions

    The story of "Class of '09: The Flipside" has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the darker themes and character depth, particularly from Jecka's perspective. However, criticism is directed at the game's linearity and lack of meaningful player choices, with only five endings that often feel repetitive or uncomfortable, particularly due to the focus on fetish content. While some find the narrative compelling and emotionally resonant, others feel it lacks the humor and engaging storytelling of its predecessors, leading to a sense of disappointment overall.

    • “If you want an outlook onto Jecka's side of the story, this is a great visual novel to play!”
    • “The shift from Nicole to Jecka as the protagonist does more than just change the storyline—it fundamentally changes our perspective and experience with the game.”
    • “It surprisingly makes an impactful story and puts you in the shoes of someone who has to experience these disgusting things every day, it says something important and profound and really makes you empathize with Jecka who is forced to go through all of this.”
    • “With only five story paths/endings and few choices clocking in at around 3 hours total, it feels a little lazy and underwritten.”
    • “The overall absence of choice makes it hard to feel invested in the story or the characters, diminishing the overall enjoyment.”
    • “The storylines are exaggerated to a point where they're just not relatable anymore, which just leads to the comedic aspects of previous parts completely disappearing.”
  • gameplay71 mentions

    The gameplay of this title has received largely negative feedback, with many users noting its limited choices and short duration, often suggesting that watching a gameplay video on YouTube would be a more worthwhile experience. Players expressed disappointment over the lack of depth, with only five endings and minimal interactivity, leading to a perception that the game feels more like a visual novel or a passive experience rather than an engaging game. Overall, the consensus is that the gameplay is underwhelming and not worth the price, with many recommending potential players to seek out gameplay videos instead.

    • “Imagine my surprise during the first hour or so of gameplay.”
    • “However, it doesn't pad out any of its gameplay and it's quite easy to just go straight into another route to play without having to redo any choices, which is either a like or dislike for some people.”
    • “I could describe this game in two words: funny but tense.”
    • “Instead, I feel like the actually bad part of this game was the fact that there was little to no real gameplay.”
    • “There are only 5 choices you can make and 5 endings; at times I forgot that I was playing the game and genuinely thought I was watching gameplay instead.”
    • “Even by visual novel standards, there is almost 0 gameplay as you only are able to pick from a few provided choices every 30 minutes or so, as opposed to the previous titles where there were a multitude of options that all led you down certain paths.”
  • emotional52 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is described as both powerful and deeply unsettling, with players experiencing a range of feelings from heartbreak to discomfort. The voice acting, particularly that of the character Jecka, is praised for its ability to convey raw emotions, enhancing the impact of dark themes such as abuse and trauma. While some players found the emotional depth and honesty compelling, others felt the game strayed too far into uncomfortable territory, leading to mixed feelings about its overall execution and tone.

    • “Her behavior demands more emotional investment, and this is where the game’s brilliance lies.”
    • “The way Jecka's current emotional situation clashes with Nicole's, and then both of them not being each other's support because of their own baggage... loved it.”
    • “Jecka's voice actress really put her all into it, and I found my heart breaking for Jecka in a lot of the paths.”
  • graphics41 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the artwork, character design, and voice acting as top-notch and visually appealing. However, some players expressed disappointment over the lack of engine improvements and the graphic nature of certain scenes, which they felt detracted from the overall experience. While the visuals are generally well-executed, the thematic choices and their presentation have sparked debate among players regarding their appropriateness and impact on the game's reception.

    • “The graphics, character design, backgrounds, CGs, story, dialogue, humor, and voice acting are all top notch, near perfect.”
    • “The artwork was amazing as usual, and it was great getting to see their world with more detail in every route, and the characters' expressions are hilarious.”
    • “Incredible writing, voice acting, and artwork.”
    • “The game not only has the least amount of choices out of any of the games (only 10 in total) but is also way more vile, like scenes where you watch Jecka sell her body by stepping on people (where we also are given POV artwork of the act) and given descriptions of Jecka's feet in great detail. It doesn't feel like a commentary or a joke about pervs with foot fetishes, but rather the dev playing out his sick fantasies.”
    • “Listen, I really tried to like this game but this is honestly the worst one out of the trilogy. I understand that these games do have shocking themes, but this one just showed too much and it was way too graphic for my liking.”
    • “Not only was most of the content filled with unnecessarily graphic dialogue, this game's humor was seriously lacking.”
  • music14 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the intro and theme music for their emotional impact and catchy melodies, while others criticize the repetitive nature of the soundtrack throughout the gameplay. The vocal performances are noted for their range and ability to enhance the dramatic moments, particularly in connection with the protagonist's struggles. Overall, while the music has its highlights, it often fails to maintain engagement during the game's more monotonous sections.

    • “The highlight of this game is the intro; the music in it slaps and 'this is the flipside' low-key slaps.”
    • “As for the actual content - most range and emotion in the vocal performances yet, Jecka's story is heart-wrenching beyond what I could have imagined, and the use of music, although subtle, elevated the drama to a whole 'nother level.”
    • “Trailer music goes hard though.”
    • “Once the story gets its point across about an abusive character like Jecka's dad, it just keeps repeating the same song and dance of making Jecka miserable for wanting to get through college and not get hit in her home.”
    • “That garbage I've been making, it's not music!”
    • “Only good thing about this game is the voice acting and the music.”
  • optimization13 mentions

    Overall, the optimization of the game is mixed; while the voice acting performances are consistently praised as top-notch and emotionally resonant, there are notable issues with pacing and direction in the narrative, leading to moments of stuttering and repetitiveness. The technical aspects suffer from some game stuttering, which detracts from the otherwise strong vocal performances and engaging character arcs.

    • “The actual moment-to-moment character writing and vocal performances in the flip side remain entirely consistent with the rest of the series, which is to say it's very fast-paced and funny.”
    • “As for the actual content - most range and emotion in the vocal performances yet, Jecka's story is heart-wrenching beyond what I could have imagined, and the use of music, although subtle, elevated the drama to a whole 'nother level.”
    • “Jecka's plight is depicted with harrowing performances from everyone involved, and the capstone of her only real friend's suicide?”
    • “I found most of the routes to be very directionless—stuttering to a halt midway through, seeming not to develop at all even in dialogue, with characters and conversations seeming to retrace the footsteps of the conversations you just watched them have over and over.”
    • “Technical: there is some game stuttering present.”
    • “There weren't nearly as many laugh-out-loud funny lines, though the script and voice acting is still phenomenal.”
  • character development11 mentions

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its depth and humor, while others criticize a perceived regression in character arcs, particularly for key figures like Nicole and Jecka. While the writing and art are highlighted as strong points, several reviewers feel that the latest installment lacks the nuanced character growth seen in earlier games, leading to disappointment among fans. Overall, the balance between comedic elements and meaningful character development appears to be a contentious issue.

    • “The lines are so well made and the art is on point; the character development is awesome. I am sad to see the series ending because I honestly want to see more from a fan's perspective. I highly recommend this game.”
    • “What I’m saying is, SBN3, you wrote the first and second game's story because you didn’t care about generic social norms, but you cared about character development.”
    • “I don’t expect much, but your biggest strength is when you’re being satirically comedic or making the world hyperbolically comedic to create a more exaggerated response to an already outrageous situation, because by doing this, you have undoubtedly created character development.”
    • “I would expect maybe Nicole and Jecka would have a little character development; it kinda feels like they’ve regressed or maybe the years of Percs and Xanax use have finally taken a toll on their mental psyche and they're now a shell of who they used to be.”
    • “Hardly any character development.”
    • “Not only that, but it throws away all of the character development that Nicole, Jecka, and Emily had in Re-Up.”
  • monetization8 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been widely criticized, with many users feeling it is a blatant cash grab that undermines the quality and integrity of the original titles. Players express disappointment over the perceived exploitation of fans, particularly in light of misleading advertising and the inclusion of inappropriate themes. Overall, the sentiment suggests a strong aversion to future installments if they continue down this monetization path.

    • “School start was slightly better, but honestly it felt like a cash grab and a mockery of the first two games.”
    • “This game had such a cool concept, but when playing it, it just came off as a mean-spirited cash grab.”
    • “Truly disappointing, especially with all the advertising around the game.”
  • replayability7 mentions

    Overall, opinions on replayability are mixed; while some players appreciate the variety of dialogue options that enhance replay value, others feel that the game lacks significant replayability, comparing it unfavorably to previous entries in the series. Some users express disappointment, stating that the game feels more like a linear experience rather than one that encourages multiple playthroughs.

    • “The edgy humor is so creative, and I loved that there are so many different dialogue options towards the same ending path; it gives the game replayability.”
    • “Plenty of content too, very replayable.”
    • “Which is fine, if that's what SB3 wants to charge then whatever, but you'll definitely feel some regret as this is probably the least replayable entry in the series.”
    • “There's not much replayability when the game is more like a movie.”
    • “Nothing in this game has replay value, and it has essentially ruined my love for the series, especially knowing that this game really only exists to torture one of the most beloved characters in the franchise.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is a mixed bag; while it successfully maintains the gritty storytelling and familiar vibes from previous installments, some elements, such as certain video sequences and plot twists, detract from its overall immersion. The fye route, in particular, is noted for its potential to be atmospheric but ultimately falls short due to narrative inconsistencies.

    • “Class of 09: The Flipside is a great follow-up to the first two Class of 09 games, and does its best to be different while bringing along a lot of the same comedy, locations, atmosphere, and characters that we are already familiar with.”
    • “The videos are also detrimental to the game's atmosphere.”
    • “This game keeps with the vibes and atmosphere and gritty storytelling of the previous two.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively time-consuming and tedious, with many expressing that the repetitive nature of the content detracts from the overall enjoyment. The abundance of endings, while initially appealing, ultimately contributes to a sense of monotony.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The series got so popular that the creators kept making more to please fans, but over time, it started to feel... tedious.”
    • “All of the endings are very boring and somewhat tedious to listen to/watch.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
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Play time

3hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
3-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 28 analyzed playthroughs

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