If My Heart Had Wings

About

In "If My Heart Had Wings," players follow Aoi Kyouno, a former high-jumper who returns to his childhood town after an injury. There, he reunites with old friends and discovers the " abandoned school atop the hill." Together, they work to restore the school's flight club and pilot a glider they name "Icarus." The visual novel explores themes of love, friendship, and pursuing dreams.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,588 reviews

story1.5k positive mentions

grinding24 negative mentions

The game features a stunning and beautiful story with well-developed characters that evoke strong emotions.
The production quality is top tier, with excellent graphics, animations, and a powerful soundtrack that enhances the experience.
The game offers a long playtime with multiple routes, providing a rich and immersive experience for players.

The translation quality is poor, with numerous grammatical errors and awkward phrasing that detracts from the overall experience.
The pacing can be slow, especially in the common route, leading to moments of boredom for players.
Some routes feel underdeveloped or forced, particularly Ageha's route, which has been criticized for its lack of coherence.

story
3,546 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
54%
3%
The story of "If My Heart Had Wings" is widely praised for its emotional depth and character development, focusing on themes of friendship, dreams, and overcoming personal challenges, particularly through the lens of a high school glider club. While the narrative is engaging and often heartwarming, some players note that it can feel lengthy and slow-paced, with a significant amount of dialogue that may detract from the overall experience. Additionally, the translation quality has been criticized, with many recommending a restoration patch to enhance the storytelling and restore content that was altered or removed in the localized version.
- “Stunning & beautiful story, wonderful characters, and an unforgettable experience, especially the powerful OST.”
- “The story is so beautifully written and the soundtrack is amazing.”
- “If my heart had wings is a very good visual novel game with a beautiful story.”
- “However, the story is very boring.”
- “Drags on and on, could cut easily 50%+ and it would be a better story.”
- “I think the characters are too generic, the story is being told way too slowly, and after 6 hours I've still not made any choices which I thought is the USP of a visual novel.”
music
1,004 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
39%
3%
The music in this visual novel is widely praised for its emotional depth and ability to enhance the storytelling experience, with many reviewers highlighting its calming and soothing qualities. While some noted that the soundtrack can be repetitive, the overall composition is considered beautiful and fitting for the game's themes, making it a standout feature. Many players enjoyed the inclusion of vocal tracks and expressed a desire to purchase the soundtrack separately, indicating its significant impact on their enjoyment of the game.
- “The writing and soundtrack in this game is marvelous, as a visual novel reader, this game is in my top collection, everything about it is (almost) perfect.”
- “The music fits the setting and the theme of the game like a glove, and the performance is stable, no bugs or glitches to complain about.”
- “The soundtrack is beautiful and calming.”
- “The music is very repetitive if you ask me, and I turned it off eventually.”
- “There aren't any songs I would consider listening to even inside the game, much less outside it.”
- “I did buy the OST pack and I'm not really pumped about it; yeah sure the music was great in the game, literally every scene has music that fits them, but listening to the music on its own is not that great.”
emotional
542 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "If My Heart Had Wings" is widely praised, with many players expressing that the game evokes a strong range of feelings, from joy to deep sadness. Reviewers highlight its heartwarming storytelling, relatable characters, and impactful moments that resonate with personal struggles, often leading to tears. While some mention issues with translation and certain scenes, the overall consensus is that the game offers a touching and immersive emotional experience, making it a standout in the visual novel genre.
- “I cried so much, and as someone who is still going through horrible mental health issues, this gave me such hope and... I don't know the proper words... the horrible sadness I feel from this experience being over speaks volumes.”
- “This game really got a touching story, that will make you excited, laugh, and even cry.”
- “If my heart had wings is an incredibly emotional visual novel featuring both soaring highs and plummeting lows.”
graphics
478 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
41%
3%
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their stunning quality, with many reviewers highlighting the beautiful artwork, detailed character designs, and immersive backgrounds that enhance the storytelling experience. While some critiques mention that certain animations may feel basic or dated, the overall visual presentation is considered top-tier for the visual novel genre, making it a standout feature of the game. The combination of vibrant visuals and a fitting soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's emotional impact and overall enjoyment.
- “The graphics are amazing, easily some of the most detailed and bright in the medium and really fit the setting.”
- “The artwork and background CGs are top-tier as far as visual novels go, with dozens of aesthetically pleasing locations drawn to detail.”
- “This game does an amazing job with immersing you in romantic visuals and deep developments in the people you choose to pursue.”
- “The art style is fine - it is pretty basic, probably the weakest aspect of the game to be honest.”
- “Very slow start, bad visuals, poorly made animations, no character development, and the music is not all that great either.”
- “The 2D graphic world looks amazing, until the shitty PSP 3D world turns its ugly head and shows some rather interesting artwork...”
character development
160 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
58%
3%
Character development in this visual novel is generally praised for its depth and emotional resonance, particularly highlighting the unique portrayal of a wheelchair user as a central character. While the initial hours showcase significant growth among characters, some reviews note a slowdown in development as the story shifts focus mid-game. Overall, players appreciate the well-crafted arcs and the ability to connect with the characters, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “By far one of the best novels that I ever played, great character development and also a story you can get attached to.”
- “The character development in the game is incredible!”
- “Character development for the main characters (and even some side characters) is done beautifully.”
- “However, as the story progresses towards the mid-section of the game, character development almost stalls, as the focus is now placed on the activities within the soaring club.”
- “Very slow start, bad visuals, poorly made animations, no character development, and the music is not all that great either.”
- “Character development stoops way low after....”
humor
158 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in this visual novel is a standout feature, with many players noting its ability to blend comedic moments with emotional depth, resulting in a rollercoaster of feelings. While some found certain funny scenes unnecessary or overly wordy, the overall consensus is that the game successfully delivers a mix of lightheartedness and relatable humor through its engaging characters and dialogue. The humor ranges from cute and charming to more adult-oriented jokes, making it a memorable aspect of the experience.
- “This visual novel is pretty long at around 50 hours after every route but it doesn't feel that way because for the most part the game is a blast with great characters, good humor, solid character development, and engaging plots related to the glider club.”
- “An astonishing blend of emotional ride and sparkling humor, gotta give it a try!”
- “The characters are absolutely amazing, they're rather realistic almost scarily so, all the characters in some form are relatable, and all of them have a deep backstory which makes the player more involved and interested in the story and who the character actually is, and to some form you actually come to care for the characters, be it laughing with them, at them, crying when something sad happens, being happy for them, sad, etc. All of the main major feelings tend to be dragged from the player as you proceed to play.”
gameplay
150 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
79%
4%
The gameplay of this visual novel is characterized by minimal interactivity, with many players noting a lack of meaningful choices and a heavy reliance on text and story. While some appreciate the extensive narrative and character development, others find the pacing slow and the gameplay experience tedious, leading to mixed feelings about its overall engagement. Despite these criticisms, the game offers a lengthy playtime, with some routes exceeding 30 hours, appealing to those who prioritize story over gameplay mechanics.
- “This visual novel has it all: great story, beautiful artwork, extremely likable and interesting characters, various choices and routes to go through, slick interface, tens of hours of gameplay, etc. Among visual novels, I have a feeling this one will always hold a special place in my heart.”
- “In conclusion, 'If My Heart Had Wings' is not just a visual novel; it's an experience that is both rich and rewarding. I would recommend this game to those who are both new and already familiar with visual novels as it provides good value (over 30 hours of gameplay with scene skipping) and a rewarding experience that you won't soon forget.”
- “This game easily has over 30 hours of gameplay value.”
- “No choices, no gameplay.”
- “In the end I dropped the idea as after 1 hour of 'gameplay' there still were no choices to be made.”
- “No gameplay what-so-ever, just loads and loads of meaningless dialogue.”
atmosphere
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
41%
7%
The game successfully creates a captivating atmosphere that immerses players in its story and characters, enhanced by a beautiful soundtrack that complements the visuals and setting. While not groundbreaking, the combination of music, art, and character design effectively conveys a tranquil and engaging experience, making it a relaxing choice for players. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its ability to evoke emotions and draw players into the narrative, despite some critiques regarding predictability in the story.
- “The game manages to create a unique atmosphere that pulls players into the story and makes them invested in the characters' lives.”
- “Wonderful game with breathtaking story and atmosphere.”
- “The visuals are refreshing and beautiful, the soundtracks are absolutely stunning and do a good job of building atmosphere and tension.”
- “This is a big problem as in visual novels (which lack descriptions) music is supposed to convey atmosphere.”
- “Although this game is acceptable as it is being very PG with the atmosphere it sets up, I do feel as if they went a little too far to keep its innocent facade at some points.”
- “Its basically a slice of life anime and has a very tranquil atmosphere that I can't express in any regard.”
replayability
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
60%
11%
The game offers significant replayability due to its multiple story routes and relationship options, allowing players to experience different perspectives and deepen their understanding of the characters. With five distinct paths to explore, players often find new content and insights upon replaying. However, some users noted that certain routes are locked until others are completed, which can limit immediate replay options.
- “It has a proper story, with multiple routes for replayability and allows you to get more intimate with the different female characters.”
- “There are different relationship options for you to choose in the game, 5 in total; and each one provides a different take on the story and changes the scenes, so there is good replay value as sometimes you see things you did not see before and other times it adds to the depth of the story.”
- “Other than that, the only problems I had with the game was that it is not very good for replayability and a lot of routes are locked until you have completed others. This isn't uncommon for visual novels, but since it focuses a lot on the glider, every route is extremely similar other than the few dates and bonding moments on routes.”
- “However, I've now completed three of the six storyline variants, and I can say with certainty that this game is not only an excellent and rewarding story of friendship and dream-chasing, but also has tremendous replay value.”
- “Not only is it very long, but it has multiple paths, so replay value is high, especially with such well-done characters (though some are better than others, such as Kotori).”
grinding
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious, with players noting long build-ups and slow pacing that can detract from the overall enjoyment. While some routes offer rewarding conclusions, the repetitive nature of the narrative and lengthy dialogue can lead to frustration, especially if played consecutively. Overall, players suggest that those who are patient may find value in the different storylines, but many feel the experience is marred by its drawn-out moments.
- “But only if you don't mind a long build-up and very tedious pacing.”
- “Sorry, I just wish I could like this one but it's tediously long.”
- “It all feels very tedious and when you accidentally miss a bit of dialogue, you end up just not caring because you are trying to make it all over as soon as possible.”
stability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game is highly variable, with some users reporting a stable performance free of bugs, while others experience frequent crashes, long loading times, and various glitches, particularly when using patches. The uncensored patch is noted to introduce additional issues, making it less reliable. Overall, players are divided, with some enjoying the story despite the technical problems, while others strongly advise against playing due to the instability.
- “Ok well where do I begin, the game freezes and crashes frequently, or at the least takes a long time (sometimes up to 5 min.) to load from scene to scene on occasion.”
- “If you can put up with a game crashing a lot, and are in the mood for a good story, or like visual novels then this may be a good choice for you; if you don't, stay well away from this one as the glitches will annoy and confound.”
- “Be warned, the patch does introduce some sprite glitches that were never resolved.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
50%
10%
Overall, the game is well-optimized, delivering a stable and smooth performance with no significant bugs or glitches reported. While it may start off slowly, once the gameplay picks up, it runs seamlessly even on low-powered laptops, making it accessible for a wide range of systems.
- “Performance: smooth and buttery.”
- “[*] The game is well optimized and runs well.”
- “The game is a bit slow on getting the beginning settled but once it has begun it will run smoothly.”
- “PC optimization: it's a visual novel, they don't need it (runs on a f*** laptop, with no power)”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization model includes a restoration option that adds significant content, which players recommend purchasing for a more complete gaming experience.

Buy If My Heart Had Wings

If My Heart Had Wings
$14.99
See offer on Steam

28h Median play time

33h Average play time

15-40h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 66 analyzed playthroughs

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