England Exchange
- May 5, 2017
- Hanabira
Get on Steam"England Exchange" is a romantic comedy visual novel where you play as a college student from New York, studying abroad in England. You'll live in a student hostel with people from around the world, and have the chance to pursue romances with eight different characters, regardless of gender. The choices you make will determine the outcome of the story.
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Reviews
- The male protagonist's route offers strong chemistry and sweet romances, making it a delightful experience.
- The art style is visually appealing, with well-drawn characters and backgrounds that enhance the storytelling.
- The game features diverse characters and romance options, including same-sex relationships, which adds depth to the narrative.
- The female protagonist's route is poorly executed, with a narrative that feels rushed and less engaging compared to the male route.
- Many characters are unlikable or clichéd, leading to a frustrating experience for players seeking relatable or enjoyable interactions.
- The game lacks meaningful choices, often reducing player agency to simple dialogue selections that do not significantly impact the story.
- story92 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The story of *England Exchange* elicits a mix of emotional responses, with some players appreciating its well-written narrative and character variations, while others criticize it for being bland, lacking depth, and offering limited meaningful choices. Many reviews highlight the slice-of-life nature of the plot, which can feel uneventful, and express disappointment with the pacing and character development, particularly in the endings. Overall, while some find it enjoyable and recommend it to visual novel fans, others feel it falls short of expectations and lacks replay value.
“Each route has a unique story, and I was pleasantly surprised by the small variations I found by picking different options from playthrough to playthrough.”
“The story is well-written and there are an abundance of choices that you have to make over the course of the narrative that can affect the outcome.”
“So overall, a good solid story, likeable but different characters and a decent amount of outcomes.”
“The story is boring, the content is lame, the dialogues are flat and uninspired, the characters are predictable stereotypes, the few choices you actually have to influence the story are plain stupid, and the visual quality is worse than your average Adobe Flash social game from the 90s.”
“I really tried to give this game a chance, but the story is boring and offers no actual choices aside from very few occasions.”
“The playable female character is unlikeable, pacing and story is bland, characters only bring out only emotion from me, the one where I wish I could punch them.”
- music20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The music in the visual novel has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it boring and forgettable due to a limited number of tracks, while others appreciated the soundtrack enough to stick with it instead of substituting their own. Overall, the aural quality is deemed adequate but not memorable, with ambient sound effects present, yet many feel it detracts from the overall experience.
“Oh and the soundtrack is super good.”
“I often swap in my own music for games, but I stuck with the soundtrack for this one.”
“A nice little visual novel if you like the theme 'young university guy learns about other people' and some rock music.”
“The music probably didn't help because there really aren't that many tracks, so with that going in your ear, it tends to make you want to turn it off.”
“The music is a bit... boring.”
“The art is passable, the music is a really poor choice, and the writing is the worst.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their gorgeous art style, featuring well-designed characters and appealing backgrounds that enhance the visual experience. However, some users noted that the limited number of unique character graphics per route leads to a repetitive feel. Overall, while the artwork is appreciated, there are calls for more variety in the character illustrations.
“The art style is truly gorgeous not only for the great looking characters but also the various backgrounds of the many places that you visit as you travel around London.”
“Really nice art style.”
“The artwork of the characters was fine.”
“One CG per route, so the artwork gets a bit repetitive.”
“If you were to buy some untalented 2D artwork collection for half the price of this 'game', and started up your favorite game development tool for utter newbies, you could produce the same trash within one weekend.”
“The artwork feels cheap and lacks creativity, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the hilarious adult options that elicit genuine laughter from players. However, some reviewers feel that the overall pacing of the routes is too rushed, and the lack of intimate text descriptions detracts from the comedic potential. Additionally, the predictable nature of choices, particularly at the beach, adds an amusing twist to the gameplay.
“The adult options are hilarious; I laughed the first time I tried them.”
“I did find it funny that you always went one route for most of the choices at the beach despite their names being there.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for its lack of depth, with many players expressing disappointment over the limited mechanics and the absence of meaningful choices. Users hoped for more interactive elements related to daily activities, such as studying and exercising, to enhance the experience. Overall, the gameplay feels somewhat shallow and underdeveloped.
“In a lot of ways, it felt like there wasn't a lot of gameplay, and that was kind of lame; there were plenty of places where a choice would have been fantastic to have.”
“Choice-only gameplay.”
“Since there was school and a job, I was sort of hoping that there would be more mechanics - study that day, exercise this day, etc.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "England Exchange" is highlighted by its ability to evoke strong, often negative feelings in players, which many reviewers attribute to the quality of the writing and the impactful message of the story. This emotional depth leaves players wanting more, as some endings feel deserving of further exploration.
“England Exchange was quite an emotional ride; it made me experience strong, often negative feelings, but I believe that only means the writing was great. The message of the story didn't leave me indifferent.”
“For sure, and for that reason, some endings made me feel like they deserved a continuation.”
- character development4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Character development in this game is perceived as lacking, primarily because it is part of a sub-brand and not crafted by the main Hanako developers, leading to a setup and character personalities that feel underdeveloped. However, some players express a personal bias towards the developer's style, which may influence their acceptance of the plot twists and character arcs.
“This isn't actually a 'proper' Hanako game; it's part of the sub-brand, so the setup, characters, and personalities aren't what I'd normally expect because they weren't developed by Hanako's devs. All that written, though, I have a natural bias towards enjoying the developer's style and writing, so I'm sure I took some plot twists and character developments with a more mellow acceptance than if it wasn't one of my favorite game authors.”
“This isn't actually a 'proper' Hanako game; it's part of the sub-brand, so the setup, characters, and personalities aren't what I'd normally expect because they weren't developed by Hanako's devs. All that written, I have a natural bias towards enjoying the developer's style and writing, so I'm sure I took some plot twists and character developments with a more mellow acceptance than if it wasn't one of my favorite game authors.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, indicating that it detracts from their overall enjoyment and makes the experience feel tedious. This sentiment highlights a disconnect between the game's design and the fundamental reasons people engage with gaming.
“I've been grinding my teeth, trying to at least get through the game, which is already not a good thing, considering why we play games in the first place.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the replayability of the game appealing due to the opportunity to uncover additional backstories, which enhances their overall experience and encourages multiple playthroughs.
“I look forward to discovering more backstories.”
“I can't wait to dive back in and explore different choices.”
“Each playthrough reveals new secrets and surprises.”
