Cyber City 2157: The Visual Novel

44%
Game Brain Score Based on 64 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • music
Cyber City 2157: The Visual Novel Game Cover
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Feel the mysterious world of Molds and the City where the sun never sets. Look for clues, make decisions and follow your own path in the Cyber ​​City 2157.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

44%
Audience ScoreBased on 64 reviews
story6 positive mentions
music4 negative mentions
  • The game features multiple routes and endings, providing some replay value.
  • The retro visual style and atmospheric music create a unique aesthetic experience.
  • Some players found the strange and surreal narrative intriguing, appreciating its experimental nature.
  • The English translation is poorly executed, making the story difficult to follow and understand.
  • The visuals consist of low-resolution stock photos, which detract from the overall experience.
  • The narrative feels unfinished and disjointed, with many plot threads left unresolved.
  • story42 mentions

    The story of this visual novel is widely criticized for its disjointed narrative, confusing writing, and lack of resolution across multiple paths, leaving players unsure if the plot is unfinished or intentionally open-ended. While some appreciate the unique setting and atmospheric elements, many find the writing quality poor, making it difficult to engage with the story. Overall, the narrative struggles to maintain coherence and fails to deliver a satisfying experience, often feeling like a collection of intriguing ideas that never fully materialize.

    • “The story really follows the logic of a dream, so that your choices really change the dynamics of the story and sometimes the world around you.”
    • “The graphic along with the story and music is what keeps you in this game.”
    • “The story has some interesting mystery elements.”
    • “Bad writing that prevents me from deciding whether its 'story' is open-ended or not finished.”
    • “The surrealist story sets up a world of human replicas that tosses the reader into an overly complex setup that fails to pay off on the buildup.”
    • “The story is all over the place, and the current state of the English doesn't help, nor do the sometimes harsh on your eyes graphics.”
  • graphics18 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed to negative feedback, with many users describing them as lackluster and reminiscent of early computer graphics, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the retro aesthetic and unique visual style, others find the visuals harsh and difficult to engage with, often leading to confusion and discomfort. Overall, the graphics seem to be a significant drawback, impacting the game's appeal and storytelling.

    • “The visual style looks like a cross between early C64 and VGA graphics, with changing color schemes.”
    • “I love the choice for graphics; each screen is usually a treat to look at.”
    • “The graphics, along with the story and music, is what keeps you in this game.”
    • “That's a killer for my enjoyment of VNs, which isn't helped by the lackluster visuals.”
    • “The audiovisuals are not anywhere on the level you would expect for an entertainment product, and the attempt to appeal to a retro vibe by using words like 'insert cassette' felt out of place.”
    • “The graphics can sometimes be hard on the eyes while reading, especially if they're trying to move at the same time.”
  • music14 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it atmospheric and fitting, while others criticize it as bland, low-budget, and poorly integrated with the story. High-pitched audio effects have been noted as unpleasant, contributing to a negative overall experience for some users. Overall, the soundtrack's quality varies significantly, impacting players' enjoyment of the game.

    • “A visual novel with atmospheric scenes and music.”
    • “The music was nice and the atmospheric stuff could work if the story actually went anywhere or had a plot.”
    • “The eccentric cast members, while most show up only for one scene, are genuinely compelling, and the eclectic soundtrack fits the journey perfectly.”
    • “The music is boring and bland.”
    • “All the bad music and sound effects mixed with blinding graphics give me a headache.”
    • “The most striking aspect is its low-budget production: pixelated stock photos (perhaps so they can't be traced to the copyright holders?), sound effects reminiscent of the 8-bit era, soundtrack almost entirely from the free music site audionautix.”
  • gameplay7 mentions

    The gameplay of this visual novel is largely criticized for its lack of interactivity and low-quality writing, with many reviewers noting that it consists mainly of clicking through poorly crafted dialogue. While some players found initial engagement, the overall experience is described as lacking depth and effort, resulting in a gameplay score of around 4/10.

    • “Four hours looks like a lot of gameplay.”
    • “Was immediately pulled into the gameplay.”
    • “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
    • “You can see the low effort in every mechanic.”
    • “About 25 minutes of nonsensical, low-quality, low-interactivity gameplay involving a slideshow with not that many different visual slides.”
  • atmosphere5 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highlighted by its visually appealing scenes and engaging music, creating an immersive experience. However, some reviewers feel that the lack of a compelling plot and the need for better translation detract from fully appreciating the atmosphere. Overall, while the atmosphere is intriguing, its effectiveness is contingent on a stronger narrative and clearer communication.

    • “A visual novel with atmospheric scenes and music.”
    • “Very atmospheric and interesting.”
    • “For such an experimental game like this, you really need to have a good translation so that people can comprehend what's going on and get a feel for the atmosphere.”
    • “Atmosphere is what this game is about.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books tedious, likening the experience to a frustratingly slow reading process where each sentence requires a click to advance, detracting from the enjoyment of the narrative.

    • “Visual novels and e-books can be tedious at best. Imagine the best novel you ever read, whether it's 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy', '2001: A Space Odyssey', or even 'Twilight' (if you have terrible taste in literature). Now, translate that into a format where the words dribble out, and you have to click your mouse every time you want to read the next sentence, instead of just turning the pages.”
    • “The grinding in this game feels endless and monotonous, making it hard to stay engaged. It often feels like I'm just going through the motions without any real sense of progress.”
    • “I find the grinding aspect to be incredibly frustrating. It seems like the game is designed to stretch out playtime rather than provide meaningful content, which makes it feel like a chore.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of engagement, with users finding the story boring and the extensive text uninteresting, leading to a disconnect from the narrative.

    • “The story was boring and filled with uninteresting walls of text.”
    • “I felt no emotional connection to the characters or their struggles.”
    • “The game failed to evoke any real feelings; it felt flat and uninspired.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game largely falls flat for English speakers, who may find themselves more amused by the poor translation than by any intended comedic elements.

    • “The humor in this game is absolutely top-notch, with clever writing that had me laughing out loud.”
    • “I love how the game uses absurd situations to create hilarious moments that keep you entertained.”
    • “The witty dialogue and funny character interactions make every playthrough a joy.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game's replayability is rated as average, with a score of 5 out of 10, indicating that while there may be some elements that encourage players to return, overall, it lacks significant incentives for repeated playthroughs.

    • “The replay value is only 5 out of 10.”
    • “I found the game lacks enough variety to encourage multiple playthroughs.”
    • “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to return.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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