Fureraba ~Friend to Lover~
- May 4, 2018
- Smee
Get on Steam"Fureraba ~Friend to Lover~" is a visual novel that follows the story of Aoba Kyousuke, who realizes he wants a girlfriend in his second year of high school. With a focus on pure love and dedication, players will engage in dating sim elements, interacting with various heroines through dialogues to conquer their hearts, all while enjoying its beautiful art style.
PC
Windows
PlayStation
Playstation Vita
Reviews
- Fureraba ~Friend to Lover~ features engaging and humorous dialogue, making it one of the funniest visual novels players have experienced.
- The game offers a sweet and heartwarming romance with well-developed characters, each with unique stories and personalities.
- The art style and soundtrack are well-executed, enhancing the overall experience and enjoyment of the game.
- The protagonist can be overly hyper and annoying at times, which may detract from the enjoyment for some players.
- The story lacks depth and dramatic elements, focusing primarily on lighthearted romance, which may not appeal to those seeking a more serious narrative.
- Some players found the pacing slow, particularly in the common route, leading to a repetitive experience during multiple playthroughs.
- story91 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of "Fureraba" is characterized by its lighthearted and simple narrative, focusing primarily on the relationships between the main character and four distinct heroines, each with their own unique backstories. While the plot lacks depth and dramatic elements, players appreciate the charming character development and comedic interactions that create an enjoyable experience. Overall, the game is praised for its cute and engaging storytelling, making it a delightful choice for fans of romantic visual novels.
“With its lovable characters, engaging storyline, and charming artwork, it's a delightful experience from start to finish.”
“The four heroines were all delightful and very distinctive with their respective story beats, while the supporting cast really fleshed out the day-to-day interactions with their quips and various antics.”
“The love story in this game is really pure and also funny, which makes me touched and laugh.”
“Fureraba is a smee novel in the truest sense, focusing on the relationship of the characters above all else, to the point where there is little to no plot that ties the story together.”
“The story is rather simple; don't expect mind-blowing situations.”
“Nope, this doesn't have any plot at all, not even a hint of something happening; it's just you and the girls and how you get to know them and form a relationship.”
- humor42 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- -5 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The humor in this visual novel is widely praised, with many players finding it both hilarious and charming, often leading to genuine laughter throughout the gameplay. The dialogue is noted for its comedic timing and relatable characters, contributing to a lighthearted and enjoyable experience, despite some critiques about the translation of humor. Overall, the game successfully blends funny scenarios with sweet romance, making it a standout in the genre for its comedic elements.
“I quickly found myself laughing out loud at his jokes and eagerly waiting to see what he would do next.”
“This game is utterly hilarious, like fall-out-of-your-chair with tears in your eyes hilarious.”
“The dialogue has made me laugh out loud; three interactions with the main character's classmates got me every time.”
“In the second part of the game, you choose subjects for dialogue, but the options are often absurd or intended to be funny, which makes them feel like poor choices.”
“The humor in the game falls flat, with many jokes feeling forced and lacking genuine wit.”
“I found the comedic elements to be more annoying than amusing, as the attempts at humor often detracted from the overall experience.”
- music29 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many players praising its cheerful and emotional compositions that enhance the overall experience. While some users noted a few shortcomings, such as a limited number of opening and ending songs, the soundtrack is generally described as beautiful, fitting well with the game's themes and characters. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and emotional depth.
“The music is great, especially the more important tracks like the opening or ending songs.”
“The game is well voiced, musically bright, and drawn beautifully creating a light, bubbly experience that amplifies the experiences felt by you and the characters.”
“Beautiful soundtrack coupled with beautiful artwork, Fureraba is a visual novel that captivated me to play with its unique dating sim playstyle and characters.”
“Best girl is obviously Yuzuyu, worst OST definitely Souzoushii Hibi. I had to take off my headset, then plug in my earphones to check if my headset was broken, then put it on speaker to check if my earphones were broken, then play it on my iPad to check if my computer was broken. What the heck is this ticking sound in this OST?!?!?!?”
“Sadly, they just have 1 opening (Quantum Jump) and 1 ending song (Futari no Album).”
“I honestly like the game’s soundtrack, but in the end, that’s really my opinion. If I compared it to other visual novels and their soundtracks, I’d say this one is average.”
- emotional17 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "fureraba ~friend to lover~" is characterized by its heartwarming and wholesome storytelling, which evokes a range of feelings from laughter to tears. While it may not be the most impactful visual novel, its charming characters and natural writing create a soothing experience that resonates with players, often leading to moments of genuine emotional connection. Overall, it offers a delightful blend of comedy and touching moments, making it a feel-good journey for fans of the genre.
“Whether you're a fan of the genre or new to visual novels, Fureraba ~Friend to Lover~ is a heartwarming journey that will leave you with a smile on your face.”
“Seriously, it's such a 'cuteness overload' type of game that sometimes I just randomly teared up and started smiling like an idiot despite nothing emotional happening.”
“Fureraba is a rather decent moege; most of the game is comedy, but there are some surprisingly emotional and heartwarming moments.”
- graphics15 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, with many praising the charming artwork and crisp visuals that enhance the overall experience. While some reviewers note that the art style is "okay" and not particularly groundbreaking, the unique character designs and engaging aesthetic contribute positively to the game's appeal. Overall, the combination of delightful visuals and a beautiful soundtrack creates an enjoyable atmosphere for players.
“With its lovable characters, engaging storyline, and charming artwork, it's a delightful experience from start to finish.”
“Beautiful soundtrack coupled with beautiful artwork, Fureraba is a visual novel that captivated me to play with its unique dating sim playstyle and characters.”
“Refreshing artwork with unique main heroines.”
“The art style and quality are okay, nothing too fancy but with enough love to be enjoyable once you get used to it.”
“Same 'okay' art style, though nothing to say 'I'd rather want mosaics...'.”
“Fureraba ~friend to lover~ is a visual novel with comedic dialogue, anime-like graphics, and romance that stirs emotions of excitement, sadness, and downright confusion.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Fureraba" revolves around choice-based interactions that allow players to navigate the protagonist's school life and build relationships with female characters through pre-scripted scenarios and dialogue options. While the mechanics are simple and lack depth post-confession, the game offers a lighthearted and comedic slice-of-life experience, emphasizing character development and storytelling over grinding. Overall, it provides a unique approach to dating mechanics, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
“The gameplay is choice-based and does not require grinding.”
“There is an interesting dating mechanic in this game where you have to have everyday conversations with characters to become close to them and eventually graduate to lover status.”
“You can choose your dialogue options in what is essentially a 'create a conversation,' and they function mechanically simply, but they add quite a bit of personality and color to this game, especially in how much laughter they bring.”
“The story is a simple tale of a teenage high school protagonist looking for love; however, the mechanical progression of the game, along with the resulting relationships, lacks any real meaning, which really holds me back from wholeheartedly recommending Fureraba.”
“Admittedly, the gameplay after the confession is non-existent, but the storytelling is the most beautiful I have ever had the pleasure of reading within this genre.”
“The gameplay for the first half of the game explores the main character's school life through various pre-scripted scenarios and multiple choice conversations with his female friends and acquaintances; however, as the story progresses, the interactions feel repetitive and lack depth.”
- character development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game features four well-designed heroines with varying degrees of character development, particularly highlighted by Yuzuyu's significant transformation. However, while the dating and conversation-choice system is engaging, the impact of player choices on character growth appears limited, reflecting a common trend in visual novels where character development often relies on generic tropes.
“There are 4 cute heroines, with good character development.”
“They do have some character development as well, some more than others, like Yuzuyu, who becomes a completely different person by the end.”
“In other visual novels, I also notice a lack of character development besides the generic tropes: tsundere, yandere, deredere, etc.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate that the gameplay is choice-based and does not involve grinding, which is a positive aspect. However, the visual novel is criticized for its lack of originality and memorable content, with romance routes feeling tedious and overly similar, leading to a loss of character depth.
“I can't find a reason to recommend this visual novel; it has nothing different or memorable. The joking tone is excessive, the common route is nice, but the romance routes are very similar and tedious to read, with all four girls losing most of their initial personality and becoming overly attached housewives.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers notable replayability due to the abundance of conversation topics, allowing players to explore different dialogues and deepen relationships beyond the minimum requirements for completion.
“There are more conversation topics available than you need to finish building a relationship, so there's a bit of replayability there if you want to explore all the conversations.”
“The game offers multiple endings and choices that significantly alter the story, encouraging players to replay it to experience everything.”
“With various character paths and side quests, each playthrough feels unique, making you want to dive back in for a different experience.”
“There are more conversation topics available than you need to finish building a relationship, so there's a bit of replayability there if you want to listen to all the conversations.”
“The game lacks significant changes in outcomes, making multiple playthroughs feel repetitive and uninteresting.”
“Once you've experienced the main story, there's little incentive to replay, as the choices don't lead to drastically different endings.”
