Gaokao.Love.100Days
- May 30, 2015
- 高考恋爱委员会
- 32h median play time
"Gaokao.Love.100Days" is a single-player Drama RPG with an intriguing story centered around a Chinese student's final 100 days of high school before the National College Entrance Exam. Balance romantic relationships with classmates and studying, as your choices lead to over 50 different endings. This wholesome and hilarious game brings back memories of high school and is worth playing repeatedly.
Reviews
- The game offers a unique blend of visual novel and gameplay mechanics, requiring players to balance studying and relationship management.
- It effectively captures the stress and pressure of preparing for the Gaokao exam, resonating with players who have experienced similar academic challenges.
- The art style and character designs are appealing, and the game features a significant number of endings, providing high replayability.
- The English translation is often poor, with numerous grammatical errors that can detract from the overall experience.
- The game can feel repetitive, especially in the latter stages, with filler dialogue and limited player agency in certain parts.
- Some players may find the strict requirements for unlocking routes and endings frustrating, often necessitating the use of guides.
- story166 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its emotional depth, character development, and the variety of endings available, which encourage multiple playthroughs. However, some critiques highlight issues with translation quality that can hinder understanding, as well as a narrative focus that may feel repetitive or narrow at times. Overall, while the storytelling is engaging and impactful, it is marred by dialogue that can be excessive and not always relevant to the plot progression.
“The storytelling and the sheer amount of content is stellar.”
“This is a deeply emotional and story-rich game.”
“The storyline in the game is absolutely amazing, and so is the character development of Muxin and Xiaohan.”
“So imagine my surprise when on day 65, the story takes away all player action and I suffer through 50 days of straight, terrible dialogue.”
“It's needless and forcing a story to be told in a very narrow way, which is great for books and films, but not for video games (especially for a visual novel).”
“Because of the story's focus not shifting to prioritize other characters, they felt wasted as they were never the focus for long.”
- music76 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and emotional resonance, with many players noting that it enhances the overall experience and atmosphere. While the soundtrack features a mix of repetitive and unique compositions, it is generally described as calming and fitting for the game's themes, though some find it less memorable outside of the context. Overall, the music is considered one of the standout elements, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“The music accompanies me through my high school days, encouraging me to think about my future, be less stressed, and gather my confidence to face obstacles in my way.”
“Awesome soundtrack which fits the situation in the game and is also great to listen to while working.”
“The atmosphere of spring and upcoming important exams is delivered well, the soundtrack is beautiful and pretty much makes half of the atmosphere.”
“For approximately 75% of the novel, the same songs are used in most situations.”
“The music feels like the kind of music you would listen to while studying: slow, calm and inoffensive to the ears, but not catchy enough to be memorable.”
“The music is by no means bad, but compared to higher-profile visual novels, it can't really work outside the context of the game.”
- graphics62 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received high praise for their excellent artwork, particularly the character designs, which are described as solid, professional, and aesthetically pleasing. While some users expressed a desire for a different artistic style, such as a more "Chinese" influence, the overall consensus is that the visuals are impressive and well-executed, with many reviewers rating them highly.
“The artwork is solid and professional, and is definitely up to par for a respectable visual novel.”
“The art style is a great fit and appealing to the eyes.”
“Graphics: 9/10”
“Actually, I really want some kind of artwork that is more 'Chinese', like the artwork in a game named 'Blade Fury', for example.”
“I have a mindset rule to look over anything with manga-ish females plus big eyes graphic style as bottomless plonker trap pits.”
“The graphic is decent, Japanese anime style.”
- gameplay32 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this visual novel is notable for its integration of choices and stat management, offering a more interactive experience compared to typical titles in the genre. While some players appreciate the challenge and depth, others criticize the translation issues and confusing mechanics, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite mixed opinions, many agree that the unique gameplay elements and the variety of endings contribute to its appeal for visual novel enthusiasts.
“It stands out from other visual novels I’ve played in that this one has choices and actual gameplay—it's not just reading and a few branching choices.”
“There is also a stat management mechanic, which makes this game a bit challenging but at the same time very fun!”
“It's a Chinese anime visual novel with a unique game mechanic that requires you to balance the protagonist's workload and time with school-related things and different characters in order to determine your route.”
“It's not a couple of typos or some silly translation errors - the whole translation was done without an in-depth knowledge of English, and it affects both the story and gameplay.”
“For story, it is sometimes hard to understand conversations the characters are having - though I usually can piece it together after several lines - and for gameplay, the game will tell you when your stats raise or lower... but the stat names in the text box are different than in the UI.”
“The gameplay is terrible.”
- emotional30 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is described as an emotional rollercoaster that subverts typical dating sim expectations, offering a mix of heartwarming, tragic, and silly endings that resonate deeply with players. Many reviewers noted their strong emotional connections to the story, with some expressing discomfort due to themes of abuse and the intense pressure surrounding the gaokao exam. Overall, it is praised for its rich narrative and ability to evoke genuine feelings, making it a standout visual novel experience.
“The game disguised itself as a cute tokimeki dating sim, then proceeded into a spiral emotional rollercoaster.”
“Still one of the best visual novels I've ever read. I can't help but look back on how much I connected with my first playthrough of the game on an emotional level. It wasn't a very happy ending, but it was an ending that I could relate to so hard, and that's what made my experience with the game that much more appreciated.”
“This game was an emotional rollercoaster, and it's not just an 'anime game'; it's way more than that.”
- humor18 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky and unpredictable moments, particularly through the character of Stom, whose comedic exclamations enhance the narrative. Players appreciate the awkwardness of broken English and the amusing outcomes of certain events, which contribute to a lighthearted and engaging experience. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with its storytelling, making it enjoyable for those with a sense of novelty.
“Suffice it to say this magnificent plan didn't work and he gets caught by the class monitor, giving a great boost to the stress stat, a hilarious unpredictable turn of events that resulted in the exact opposite of what I wanted.”
“Stom's character is hilarious, and his exclamations really add a nice comedic effect to parts of the novel.”
“Although the tutorial was given in-game by his classmate which seems to be a little bit awkward, the fact that it lets the player speak out their name loud in the beginning of the game is quite interesting, especially when you put a funny name in.”
- replayability12 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, featuring over fifty different endings and numerous choices that enhance the experience. While the need for guides to navigate romantic options can be a drawback, the well-timed plot development and high-quality voice acting contribute to its overall value. Many players consider it one of the best in terms of replayability within the visual novel genre.
“I would say the replayability of this visual novel is one of the best, if not the best.”
“After being obsessed with 'If My Heart Had Wings' for a very long time, I've been playing a load of visual novels recently and thought this one was worth a try. The idea of having so many choices gives it a lot of replayability.”
“The plot development and pacing is well-timed; the number of meaningful endings gives this game a lot of replayability, and finally, with the impeccable voice acting, this game is highly underpriced.”
“The plot development and pacing is well timed; the number of meaningful endings gives this game a lot of replayability, and finally, with the impeccable voice acting, this game is highly underpriced.”
“After being obsessed with 'If My Heart Had Wings' for a very long time, I've been playing a load of visual novels recently and thought this one was worth a try, and the idea of having so many choices gives it a lot of replayability.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be quite tedious, especially when aiming for 100% completion, with many noting that it can become overly repetitive and challenging. While some enjoy the grind for achievements, the experience is often marred by poor translations and lengthy, fragmented conversations that require excessive clicking to progress.
“The game is pretty grindy and not easy.”
“Conversations seem fragmented and run on way too long; and this is made more tedious by having to click to advance through them as one does in these kinds of games.”
“It will be super tedious to collect 100%, no way I'm going with that.”
- character development6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features impressive character designs and an engaging storyline, with notable character development for Muxin and Xiaohan, enhancing the overall experience. The combination of strong narrative elements, along with quality artwork and soundtrack, contributes to a rich character-driven journey.
“The storyline in the game is absolutely amazing, and so is the character development of Muxin and Xiaohan.”
“The soundtrack, artwork, and character design are quite good.”
“Great character designs.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game excels in creating a vibrant atmosphere that captures the essence of spring and the tension of impending exams, with stunning backgrounds and well-drawn characters. The beautiful soundtrack significantly enhances the overall experience, contributing to a highly immersive environment that many reviewers rate as a perfect 10/10.
“The atmosphere of spring and upcoming important exams is delivered well (in some cases even amazingly). The backgrounds are great, and the character design is good (still better than Always Remember Me). The soundtrack is beautiful and pretty much makes half of the atmosphere.”
“Atmosphere: 10/10”
“The atmosphere of spring and upcoming important exams is delivered well (in some cases even amazingly). The backgrounds are great, and the character design is good (still better than Always Remember Me). The soundtrack is beautiful and pretty much makes half of the atmosphere.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is marked by occasional engine freezes after extended play sessions, though these do not significantly impact gameplay due to the presence of an auto-save feature. Players may also encounter poor translations and glitches, but those who enjoy grinding for achievements may find these issues manageable.
“Engine freezes after a long time of playing, but it doesn't affect gameplay much since it has auto-save.”
“If you can look past the poor translation and glitches, and genuinely enjoy grinding for achievements like I do, then I say go for it.”