Gahkthun of the Golden Lightning

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In the steam-powered world of 1908, Marseille Offshore Academia stands out as a massive artificial island and prestigious school, where advanced engine science is cultivated. This unique academia floats in a black sea, home to an unusual creature, and the city's harbor of Marseille, France, strives to coexist with this strange new world. Players will unravel mysteries and engage in battles while navigating the academia's politically-charged environment.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 41 reviews

story15 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

Beautiful artwork and engaging story with a rich steampunk setting.
Strong character development, particularly for the main characters Neon and Tesla, with excellent voice acting.
High production values, including a good soundtrack and unique writing style that enhances the overall experience.

The game suffers from technical issues, including crashes and lag during action scenes, which disrupts gameplay.
The story is linear with limited choices, leading to a lack of depth and engagement for some players.
Some characters are underdeveloped, and the pacing can be slow, making parts of the game feel tedious.

story
68 mentions
22 % positive mentions
74 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story is praised for its engaging and action-packed narrative set in a unique steampunk world, featuring vibrant characters and a blend of romance and supernatural elements. While it follows a linear structure with limited choices that primarily lead to bonus scenes, the storytelling is described as immersive and well-crafted, with each chapter presenting its own mini-plot. However, some readers noted that certain character arcs are resolved too quickly, and not all plot points are thoroughly explained, which may leave some aspects feeling incomplete.
- “The story and the world itself is very interesting.”
- “This has to be one of the best stories on Steam.”
- “Beneath the steam mecha and golden lightning, this is essentially a character-driven story revolving around the academia and the hearts of some of its 100,000 students.”
- “This visual novel has a linear story, few inconsequential choices, and only one ending overall.”
- “There are choices, but they don't influence the story; they only add bonus scenes if you choose correctly.”
- “The latter point also causes contention with some readers, as many major characters are only focused on for a single chapter until their arc is finished, then mostly disappear from the story afterward.”
music
20 mentions
65 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players praise it as a strong and fitting soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere and storytelling, others criticize it for being limited and repetitive, leading to a lack of memorability. Despite these criticisms, many agree that certain tracks are catchy and well-composed, contributing positively to the overall experience. Overall, the music is seen as a highlight for some, but a drawback for others due to its repetitiveness.
- “The music perfectly captures the feel of the setting and the atmosphere of the story in spite of the frequent re-use of many tracks.”
- “Music: yes, this game has good music....no, great music.”
- “Like I said, this game is set in 1900's France, and the music reflects that beautifully.”
- “The music selection is limited, so after listening to the same thing for 26 hours, your ears begin to grate.”
- “Uninspired music: the music, mostly symphonic in nature, is lackluster and fails to enhance the gaming experience.”
- “The soundtrack, while very short for the length of the game, is one of the best in the medium.”
graphics
13 mentions
62 % positive mentions
15 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful artwork and unique art style that stands out from typical visual novels. However, some users criticize the recycled visuals and subpar drawings, which detract from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the game is noted for its stellar artwork and engaging presentation, particularly in its character sprites and backgrounds.
- “Beautiful artwork, engaging and action-packed story, romance, great localization - what's not to like about this one!”
- “+ [i]stellar[/i] artwork, made even more apparent with the storybook-like placement of the character sprites and background images.”
- “The graphics are unique and, for me at least, refreshing compared to all the overly cutesy moe types that seem to make up most of the visual novel selection on Steam.”
- “Poor drawings and recycling: the artwork in the game is subpar and disappointingly recycled throughout the experience, making the visuals tedious.”
- “I personally find it not quite fitting with the aesthetic of the visual novel.”
- “Art style is reminiscent of other Liar Soft games with sharp faces and slim/tall bodies.”
atmosphere
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a vibrant depiction of France during the "belle epoque," offering a refreshing contrast to the darker tones of previous titles. While the soundtrack may not be as memorable as that of earlier games, it effectively complements the setting and narrative, despite some repetitive tracks.
- “If you are familiar with the previous games, it won't be much of a surprise to find out that the game is set in a pseudo-historical context: this time we feast our eyes on the magnificence of France in its utmost splendor of the 'Belle Époque', a fresh break from the pitch-black atmosphere of Sharnoth and Inganock.”
- “Admittedly, I find it less memorable than Sharnoth's soundtrack, but I still find it fitting to the visual novel's overall atmosphere.”
- “The music perfectly captures the feel of the setting and the atmosphere of the story in spite of the frequent reuse of many tracks.”
emotional
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotional depth, evoking a wide range of feelings from joy to heartbreak, and leaving players deeply moved. Many users report being brought to tears, highlighting its beautiful storytelling and engaging episodes that resonate on multiple emotional levels.
- “This game made me cry.”
- “It was beautiful, it was emotional, and I didn't want it to end.”
- “It succeeds at many genres; the episodes can be adorable, heartbreaking, horrifying, etc.”
optimization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized, with users reporting performance glitches, particularly related to Steam compatibility, which necessitates playing directly through the program. Additionally, the character's lack of agency and poor deductive skills contribute to a frustrating experience.
- “Due to a performance glitch with Steam's compatibility for it, I've had to play it directly through the program.”
character development
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Character development is highlighted through vibrant designs set against a bleak backdrop, creating an intriguing contrast. However, the episodic focus on different characters in each chapter limits deeper character exploration, leaving some players wanting more.
- “The vibrant character design and the relative bleakness of the setting may seem like a weird combination at first, but it works.”
- “Each chapter focuses on a different character or characters, which doesn't allow for as much character development as I'd like.”
- “The vibrant character design and the relative bleakness of the setting may seem to be a weird combination at first, but it works.”
gameplay
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players have reported significant technical issues that disrupt the gameplay experience, indicating a need for urgent fixes to enhance overall enjoyment.
- “The technical issues are incredibly disruptive, making the gameplay frustrating.”
- “Gameplay feels sluggish and unresponsive, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- “The mechanics are poorly designed, leading to a lack of engagement during gameplay.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players criticize the grinding aspect of the game for its poor and recycled artwork, which detracts from the overall experience and makes the visuals feel tedious and uninspired.
- “The artwork in the game is subpar and disappointingly recycled throughout the experience, making the visuals tedious.”
- “Grinding feels like an endless chore, with little reward for the time invested.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding quickly becomes monotonous, draining the enjoyment from the gameplay.”
humor
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find the game's humor effective and enjoyable, often noting that it successfully elicited laughter during gameplay.
- “This game made me laugh.”
- “The humor in this game is absolutely top-notch!”
- “I couldn't stop chuckling at the witty dialogue and hilarious situations.”