Hate Plus
- August 19, 2013
- Love Conquers All Games
- 8h median play time
Get on Steam"Hate Plus" is a visual novel sequel to "Analogue: A Hate Story" where you investigate a generation ship's regressive past with a spunky AI sidekick. Uncover the disturbing political program that caused the ship's Neo-Confucian society to revert to Joseon Dynasty social norms. This game explores themes of transhumanism, cosplay, and the loss of freedoms, allowing both new and returning players to dive in.
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Reviews
- Hate Plus continues the engaging story from Analogue: A Hate Story, providing deeper insights into the characters and the events leading to the societal collapse.
- The writing is exceptional, with well-developed characters and emotional depth that resonates with players, making them care about the narrative.
- The game introduces a unique mechanic of real-time waiting between gameplay sessions, enhancing immersion and allowing players to reflect on the story.
- The game suffers from pacing issues due to the forced 12-hour wait between in-game days, which can disrupt the flow of the narrative.
- Some players find the scrolling through logs to be cumbersome and unresponsive, detracting from the overall experience.
- There is an intentionally unobtainable achievement that frustrates completionists, leading to disappointment for those who aim for 100% completion.
- story850 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story of "Hate Plus," a sequel to "Analogue: A Hate Story," delves into the backstory of the ship Mugunghwa and the societal decline leading to the events of its predecessor. While it offers rich world-building and character development, many reviewers feel it lacks the emotional impact and narrative cohesion of the first game, often presenting a more fragmented experience due to its nonlinear storytelling and the choice to reveal logs in any order. Overall, it is recommended to play "Analogue: A Hate Story" first to fully appreciate the depth and context of "Hate Plus."
“Overall, a brilliant gateway into politics with a fantastic character-driven story and immersive world-building.”
“The story depicts the events leading up to the cultural change that led to the societal issues in the first game, much more of a thriller exploring trauma and how power structures can make themselves fall in on themselves.”
“Christine Love once again proves her mastery of asynchronous storytelling; each step forward is a choice as to what you want to learn more about, and each individual narrative weaves together into such an artful tapestry that the stories and characters within will be with you for a long time afterwards.”
“A prequel to analogue: a hate story that has twice the word count yet doesn’t have much of anything new to say.”
“The story itself, a prequel in the frame of a sequel, isn't very remarkable, and in fact may be inferior to the first one.”
“The storyline pales in comparison and it can be very frustrating to play.”
- gameplay118 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 86 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Hate Plus" is primarily focused on reading logs and making narrative choices, with a significant emphasis on storytelling over traditional gameplay mechanics. While some players appreciate the innovative time-gating mechanic that limits playtime each day, others find it frustrating and unnecessary, leading to a mixed reception regarding its impact on the overall experience. Overall, the game retains a similar structure to its predecessor, but with fewer interactive elements and a heavier reliance on reading, which may not appeal to all players.
“Clever sci-fi world-building and social commentary, presented through innovative storytelling and gameplay techniques.”
“The unique mechanic of being limited to a certain amount of files you can read a day, forcing you to stop, usually when it gets especially juicy, makes it teasing and makes you come back for more.”
“All in all, really cool game/vn with some really cool mechanics going on and really nice immersion.”
“There’s not more than 3 hours of gameplay here, and when I sit down on a Saturday to dedicate a couple of hours to a game, that’s the time I have.”
“Most of the gameplay is picking which email to read next and then reading through it so that you can work out what actually happened in the central catastrophe which is the main subject of the game.”
“For as little gameplay as the original had, Hate Plus has even less.”
- music92 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in "Hate Plus" has been widely praised for its emotive and atmospheric qualities, effectively complementing the game's sci-fi setting and narrative. Many players highlighted specific tracks, such as "vision," for their ability to enhance emotional engagement, while some noted that the soundtrack, though good, may not be as memorable as its predecessor. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong aspect of the game, with recommendations to purchase it alongside the game itself.
“I love the story, I love the characters (*mute especially), and I absolutely love the music.”
“The soundtrack is once again very emotive and beautiful.”
“The music in Hate Plus is awesome, just like the first game.”
“I even felt the music wasn't as good this time around.”
“The music is generally simple and repetitive, but there are several tracks that really do help set the mood as you wade through dozens of old computer logs that range from innocent to scandalous to horrifying.”
“Otherwise, you could get a pretty close experience by sticking on the Mass Effect OST with dual monitors, a wiki plot summary on one screen and a cute anime wallpaper on the other.”
- emotional72 mentions
- 97 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of *hate plus* is described as an intense and multifaceted experience, blending heart-wrenching moments with humor and relatable characters. Players report a powerful emotional rollercoaster that lingers long after gameplay, often leaving them in tears while also providing moments of levity. The narrative's depth and the characters' struggles evoke strong feelings, making it a memorable and impactful journey.
“Heartbreaking and beautiful, this game pulls no punches and will gleefully leave you crying and fearful of the world around you.”
“Oh my god, the emotional rollercoaster that this game sends you on.”
“While there are certainly cute and heartwarming moments, this game hurts, but only because it makes you care.”
“Boring story told without continuity.”
- humor34 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Hate Plus" is a standout feature, blending sharp wit with emotional depth, making players laugh out loud while navigating serious themes. Characters like *hyun-ae provide comedic relief through clever banter and playful references, particularly in harem routes, though some humor may come off as tacky. Overall, the game successfully balances humor with drama, creating memorable moments that resonate with players.
“Balancing these tropes, however, is a healthy dose of humor and some straight-up, old-fashioned Asian cuteness; Hate Plus is one of the very few video games that made me laugh out loud multiple times.”
“The plot itself, like its predecessor, is seriously messed up stuff interspersed with little rejuvenating isles of humor and heartwarming.”
“I personally enjoyed the harem route because it's hilarious with the AI's bantering between each other even while you're reading a document.”
- character development26 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the depth and intricacies of character arcs, particularly in relation to political themes, others feel that certain characters lack meaningful growth and serve primarily as narrative devices. The game's brevity limits character exploration, but those who engage with the story and its routes often find rewarding development that ties closely to the overarching narrative. Overall, familiarity with previous installments is deemed essential for fully appreciating the character dynamics and their evolution.
“You get the chance to delve deeply into the political machinations that led to the year-0 reset and peculiar dynastic state of the mugunghwa, and even if political machinations and conspiracies and election fraud and rebellion aren't your cup of tea, there's some great character development on each route, and the dialogue in all areas is top-notch.”
“I replayed both in order to finish the various possible endings and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of visual novels, storytelling, and character development.”
“Her inability to comprehend a more 'modern' and 'liberal' way as well as her inability to accept her old self fits perfectly with the narrative and her character development.”
“She just doesn't contribute all that much except being a vehicle for the author to poke fun at the player; she doesn't have anything to do with the story this time around and the game's format doesn't really allow for her to develop a rapport with the player character, so there's not much room for character development.”
“Character development is not a thing.”
“There's not so much on character development (the game is too short) but that's fine, that's not the point.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are praised for their charming art style and clean interface, contributing positively to the overall presentation. However, some users find the artwork inconsistent and generic, despite the inclusion of sepia-photo visuals that add realism. Overall, while the graphics enhance the storytelling experience, there is a desire for more diverse artwork akin to the previous installment.
“In a game like this, presentation is everything, and Hate Plus does not disappoint, with charming graphics for the two AIs, a nice, clean interface serving as the ship's computer console, and an excellent soundtrack by Isaac Schankler, who also composed the music for Analogue.”
“One of the changes in Hate Plus is you now get hyperlinks when people's names are mentioned that give an image (in realistic art style) of the person with a commentary description from the AI.”
“Aesthetically, it's pretty neat too.”
“The artwork is inconsistent (stay anime or not, why stretch my suspension of disbelief even further?).”
“The art style is fairly generic, though the sepia-photo visuals do provide some fresh realism and believability to the story.”
“The art style is fairly generic, though the sepia-photo visuals do provide some fresh realism and believability to the story.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a vibrant sci-fi setting, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack and a futuristic user interface, creating an engaging experience in the adult visual novel genre. Unlike more oppressive sci-fi narratives, this game offers a more relaxed ambiance as players navigate their spacecraft, with a modern societal backdrop that complements the storytelling. Overall, the cohesive elements contribute to a unique and immersive atmosphere.
“Maintaining its sci-fi atmosphere with the music and futuristic UI glues all the pieces together for a great experience in the AVN genre.”
“That being mentioned, the game's soundtrack fits really well with the atmosphere, whether you're reading a whole dark, novel-sized text log or having conversations between you and your AI companion.”
“The atmosphere isn't as oppressive as in analogue, since you're just chilling in your spacecraft during a flight instead of negotiating with strange AIs on a derelict space colony ship that's about to explode.”
“Everything fits, though you have to be prepared that this story offers a quite different atmosphere, since society hasn't regressed yet; it feels a bit more modern.”
“That being mentioned, the game's soundtrack fits really well with the atmosphere, let it be reading a whole dark, novel-sized text log or conversations between you and your AI companion.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the need to play through multiple endings to fully grasp the story, which can feel repetitive in a kinetic narrative. The increased reading requirement and a less intuitive interface contribute to a sense of tedium, although some reviewers believe the effort is ultimately rewarding.
“The story is a lot less impactful, the interface is a step back while being more mouse-driven at the same time, and the whole game feels more tedious.”
“Just as before, you need to play two endings in order to get all of the story pieces, which is tedious in a kinetic story.”
“If you dislike reading, it may become tedious, as it has more reading than the average visual novel; however, I assure you it is well worth the effort!”
- replayability6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the replayability of the games is mixed; while some players find significant replay value in the innovative mechanics and expansions of "Hate Plus," others feel that the lack of changing elements, such as static documents, limits the experience compared to the first game.
“Both games are very innovative and have major replay value, and Hate Plus expands even further on those things in a very cathartic way, especially in a certain path.”
“No real replay value like the first game.”
“Replayability is questionable because the documents never change, no matter what AI you've got.”
“No real replay value like the first game.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is subtly woven into its narrative, using advertising elements to enhance the world-building and societal commentary. This approach not only enriches the player's experience but also reflects on the commercialization of culture and education in a futuristic setting. Overall, it serves as a creative critique of consumerism within the game's universe.
- stability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is reported to be stable and free of bugs, with users expressing confidence in its reliability.
“The game is stable and bug-free as far as I can tell.”
“The game is stable and bug-free as far as I can tell.”
