Hush Hush: Only Your Love Can Save Them
- August 21, 2022
- Sad Panda Studios
- 15h median play time
In "Hush Hush: Only Your Love Can Save Them," players date and impress five girls from the game "Crush Crush," each with their own dangerous secrets. As a visual novel, players must juggle a schedule and navigate through adult interactions and intense relationships to help the girls overcome their perilous fates. The game features mature content and aims to explore complex narratives and interpersonal relationships.
Reviews
- The game features excellent character development and storytelling, making players genuinely care about the characters.
- The voice acting is top-notch, enhancing the emotional impact of the narrative.
- The gameplay combines visual novel elements with time management and skill-building, providing a unique and engaging experience.
- The game can be punishingly difficult, with game overs occurring due to missed events or incorrect choices, leading to frustration.
- There is a lack of guidance on certain choices, making it easy to get stuck in a 'doomed save' situation.
- The 18+ content is behind a paywall, and some players feel it doesn't add enough to justify the cost.
- story524 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story of the game has received widespread acclaim for its depth, emotional resonance, and character development, transforming what many expected to be a simple dating sim into a rich narrative experience. Players have expressed strong connections to the characters, particularly appreciating the intricate backstories and the blend of humor with darker themes, which often lead to emotional moments. Overall, the writing, voice acting, and engaging plot twists have made it a standout title in the visual novel genre, with many players eager for potential expansions or sequels.
“This game is a beautiful story-driven game, with 5 girls you will absolutely fall in love with, and cry for when you learn about their tragic backstories.”
“The story is rich and has a good unique story. The characters are all great in their own way and the story has a lot of room for replayability for different runs.”
“The story had unbelievable depth, dealing with both lighthearted moments and heavy topics, all blended into an authentic and believable narrative, while still retaining the innate comedy and whimsy of the 'protagonist in a dating sim' trope.”
“Now as for Iro... her story made me feel like a side character despite me being the actual main character!”
“The only thing I didn't really like (putting it very lightly) is that you basically have to interact and romance every girl that you need to save, which isn't too bad, especially in a game such as this, but it would be nice to not suffer a game over because you messed up a decision way early in the story.”
“The general story is mediocre and nothing to brag about, but the individual stories of the characters definitely make up for that.”
- emotional109 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game has been widely praised, with many players reporting intense feelings ranging from laughter to heartbreak. The character development and storytelling are noted for their depth, often leading players to form strong attachments and experience genuine emotional responses, including tears. Overall, the game is described as a powerful emotional journey that effectively balances humor with poignant moments, making it a standout in the visual novel genre.
“The ending can be especially heart-breaking, dependent on your choices.”
“I actually can't believe I cried.”
“The writing is phenomenal, the voice acting is amazing, and the stories are an emotional rollercoaster.”
- humor79 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing, engaging dialogue, and a mix of lighthearted and dark themes that keep players entertained and emotionally invested. Many reviewers highlight the well-developed characters and their humorous interactions, which often include witty references and self-aware jokes, making the experience both funny and profound. Overall, the game successfully balances comedic elements with deeper storytelling, resulting in a unique and enjoyable visual novel experience.
“Can't emphasize enough how the dialogues are so damn hilarious.”
“The dialogue often made me laugh, emotional, and the overall writing and execution is some of the best I’ve seen in any game, regardless of the genre.”
“It's sharp, funny, witty, and entertaining.”
- graphics66 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and vibrant art style, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning visuals and emotional depth conveyed through the artwork and animations. While some noted inconsistencies in art styles and occasional graphic content, the overall aesthetic and character designs are considered a strong point, contributing to an engaging and immersive experience. The combination of high-quality visuals, a captivating soundtrack, and well-executed voice acting enhances the storytelling, making it a standout in the visual novel genre.
“This is an amazing game with beautiful graphics and a really well put together story.”
“The artwork in the game is beautiful and well done too; there were times when I had to stop and admire some of the CGs.”
“Graphically, Hush Hush is beautiful, capturing moods in gorgeous backdrops.”
“Was this game worth the wait? No, because the game is behind a few years in terms of jokes and art style. A few scenes could have had better line art and coloring to match the rest of the game.”
“There's two different art styles used for the animations, which kind of ruin the mood. If you're not interested in that kind of stuff, then it shouldn't affect how you feel about it.”
“So to sum it up, is Hush Hush a good game? Yes, but with some major problems that need fixing, like bugs, graphic glitches, flag triggers, balancing, and first and foremost, the adult content which is just not satisfying enough.”
- music61 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers noting that it perfectly fits the various scenes and moods throughout the narrative. The soundtrack is described as immersive, calming, and engaging, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and emotional impact. Overall, players appreciate the thoughtful composition and variety of musical themes, which elevate the storytelling and gameplay.
“This visual novel is absolutely amazing in my opinion, there's a decent motivation, banging soundtrack, stunning visuals, beautiful girls, a gender-neutral point of view, time management, and job and skill requirements all keep this game fresh even after multiple playthroughs.”
“The soundtrack fits perfectly into the game and fits every scene, causing immersion like I've never experienced in a visual novel, and that's without mentioning the parts of the game where the music becomes tense!”
“The music is amazing and I love listening to the soundtrack.”
“The choices you make often left me wondering if I was doing the right thing, and would leave me nervous afterwards, especially with the tense music.”
“The sound fit the settings perfectly, and the title screen music is 'haunting', for lack of a better word.”
“I'm not gonna talk about the game much but my experience with it and though the game is amazing my experience was absolute crap, I played through the game got to like day 20 or 21 or whatever then receive my first (real) game over problem was I didn't save before the point of no return so I had to replay the whole game, I got back to my save and I saved a lot maybe too much cause I had so many later saves I started saving over my old saves causing me to not go back to get stuff like money or Elle's fifth secret, and in the end I missed 1 secret cause I over saved, so the game is great I like it, I would love it but when I under save and over save and there's no 'go to date you f'd up on' button I have a crap time, also sometimes the audio was way too low I had to turn down my music and it was still low, the acting is great everything's fantastic but my experience was crap I personally hate this game for the reasons stated above.”
- gameplay58 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this visual novel is generally praised for its engaging mechanics, combining traditional choice-based elements with RPG-like scheduling and resource management, which enhances immersion and replayability. While some players find the mechanics straightforward or lacking in complexity, many appreciate the balance between narrative flow and interactive decision-making, making it a standout experience in the genre. Overall, the gameplay is described as fun, interesting, and well-integrated with the story, though some minor issues were noted.
“This one has good gameplay for a visual novel and mostly good writing.”
“The story and gameplay are really impressive and immersive.”
“The gameplay was fun and interactive, making you worry about stats and choices rather than just clicking a dialogue option and moving on.”
“Meanwhile, most NSFW games with mediocre gameplay solely rely on being NSFW to sell, and are generally awful.”
“As far as mechanics are concerned, there is nothing to speak of really, which I can appreciate as I feel that having to play gaudy 'match 4' puzzles and remember trivial nonsense for the approval of 12+ suitors is tedious at best and deleterious at worst in the face of how wonderfully the narrative flows.”
“Look, my point is: don't pick Elle if you want your gameplay experience to feel natural.”
- replayability25 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag among players; many appreciate the multiple endings, branching paths, and varying difficulty settings that encourage exploration and different play styles. However, some players feel that once the story is completed, there isn't much incentive to replay, citing a lack of compelling content to revisit. Overall, while there are significant elements that enhance replayability, individual experiences vary widely.
“Well done art direction and gameplay, the small differences in starting on hard vs easy really make a difference and there is a ton of replayability.”
“Multiple endings with branching paths for great replayability.”
“Beautiful production value, terrific writing, choices that are frequent and matter, high replayability with difficulty settings.”
“Honestly mixed feelings, I loved Mio and Eli and surprisingly Cassie, but the game didn't have any replayability to me. I finished my first run and felt that the storylines were just okay and I didn't really need to explore further.”
“That and the game does not have much in terms of replayability, which is a big point. The game sports 4 real endings, with you being able to realistically get 2 on each run with some save scumming.”
“This game wants to be replayable, but the only thing it makes me want to do is wait until a guide for the entire thing is out so I can save myself the suffering.”
- character development13 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its exceptional character development, with players highlighting the depth and emotional resonance of characters like Iro, Mio, and Elle. The storytelling intricately weaves backstories that enhance player attachment, making choices feel impactful. Overall, the character development is considered a standout feature, elevating the game's narrative and engagement beyond typical visual novel standards.
“Iro, Mio, and Elle have to be my top three; they have such a diverse background and major character development, it is insane. I don't want to spoil any of it.”
“Oh my god, this game has an amazing story. It's the first and probably only visual novel to get me emotional, and it takes the first five characters from Crush Crush and absolutely gives them amazing backstory and character development.”
“It has very deep character development where all your choices truly matter!”
“It looked pretty underwhelming, but the reviews were glowing and (mostly) weren't just 'lol big bazongas.' People said that, while there, the romance took less precedence than the character development, and they were right.”
“Art and CGs are decent, but in my opinion, they're mostly carried by the character development and writing.”
“Rarely does a demo convince me to buy the actual game; however, the story and character development surprised me in this game.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often feeling that it detracts from the overall experience despite enjoying the narrative and character interactions. Many express dissatisfaction with the mechanics that require repetitive actions and the unforgiving nature of stat allocation, leading to a sense of wasted progress. While some appreciate the depth of character development and achievements, the grind can feel excessive and lead to a lack of enjoyment.
“Been grinding for all the achievements but I've noticed that even after completing what needs to be done, I am not receiving the award.”
“I hate to say this but I found the game quite tedious; all the save-scumming got to me. The voice actors and characters are amazing though, and I loved the idea of being able to get stronger through stats and farm money that way, but the game is simply far too unforgiving. One wrong move and you are out.”
“It can be extremely tedious having to start over from the very beginning because you have to change where you allocated points on day 1, or because you should've gone to this location instead of that one like 10 days ago.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The optimization in the game is intricately tied to the character arcs and choices players must navigate, enhancing the emotional impact of the superb voice performances. While some minor issues may arise, they do not detract from the overall experience, allowing players to enjoy the diverse personalities and strong character portrayals. Overall, the game's optimization contributes positively to its engaging narrative and character development.
“It's these strong characters that really make this game stick out and made me want to figure out how to navigate the unforgiving minefield of choices and optimizations you need to work through in order to see all of their arcs resolve.”
“Each character's personality is reflected perfectly by the voice actor and not a single one of them slacks on their performances.”
“It's these strong characters that really make this game stand out and made me want to figure out how to navigate the unforgiving minefield of choices and optimizations you need to work through in order to see all of their arcs resolve.”
“They aren't the least bit detrimental to the overall performance, but you do notice them when they happen.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with only minor audio glitches reported, such as brief stuttering in voice lines. However, players have noted several significant issues, including bugs, graphic glitches, and balancing problems that need addressing for a smoother experience.
“So to sum it up, Hush Hush is a good game, yes, but with some major problems that need fixing, like the bugs, graphic glitches, flag triggers, balancing, and first and foremost, the adult content which is just not satisfying enough.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game requires an upfront purchase but does not include any additional in-game purchases, which users appreciate as a refreshing change from the prevalent cash grab models in the industry. This approach reflects the developers' commitment to quality and dedication to the gaming experience.
“With this game, although you need to pay for it, there are no more in-game purchases.”
“Hush Hush had a lot of hard work, dedication, and love put into it, which is something I respect considering most games these days are either bad remakes or cash grabs.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its quality, despite some minor issues with scene transitions. Overall, it effectively immerses players in its environment.
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the world with its stunning visuals and haunting sound design.”
“Every corner of the game is filled with detail, creating a rich and captivating atmosphere that keeps you engaged.”
“The combination of music, lighting, and environmental storytelling creates an unforgettable atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”