Get on Steam"Kanon" is a visual novel from Key, known for their emotional storytelling in games like "Clannad" and "Little Busters". This version features HD visuals, retouched CG coloring, and full Japanese voice acting. The story follows the protagonist in a northern town, experiencing small miracles and building relationships with those around him. Languages include Japanese, English, and Simplified Chinese.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- Kanon features a beautifully crafted story that intertwines lighthearted moments with deep emotional themes, making it a memorable experience for players.
- The remastered version enhances the original visuals and soundtrack, providing a nostalgic yet modernized experience that appeals to both new and returning fans.
- The game offers multiple routes with unique character backstories, allowing for a rich exploration of relationships and emotional depth.
- Some players have noted pacing issues, particularly in the early parts of the game, which can make the experience feel slow at times.
- The translation has been criticized for lacking accuracy and omitting certain cultural references, which may detract from the original narrative's intent.
- The absence of adult content in the all-ages version has disappointed some fans who were familiar with the original eroge release.
- story55 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of "Kanon" is a bittersweet and emotionally charged narrative that explores themes of love, memory, and the fragility of life, centered around the protagonist Yuichi Aizawa's return to a town filled with forgotten connections. While the game features multiple character routes with unique backstories, some players note pacing issues and a need for deeper exploration in certain arcs. Overall, "Kanon" is praised for its memorable characters, nostalgic soundtrack, and significant impact on the visual novel genre, making it a must-play for fans.
“Kanon is an incredible story, and it's amazing that it's finally available in English.”
“Heart-wrenching story: follow Yuichi Aizawa as he reconnects with forgotten memories and unfulfilled promises in a town covered in snow.”
“Kanon is a story about the fragility and strength of miracles, love, time, and life.”
“While full of tropes and occasionally dumb story moments, the story is genuinely entertaining and gripping.”
“Pacing can feel inconsistent with regards to routes, especially towards the ending of routes, but I think that's okay since having time skips helps to move the story along.”
“I felt like Sayuri's route was more tacked on, and I would have loved for more exposition in regards to Sayuri's backstory.”
- music15 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its nostalgic and emotional depth, enhancing the overall atmosphere and storytelling. Reviewers highlight the beautiful soundtrack and voice acting, which effectively convey the game's bittersweet narrative and connect players to the characters. The remastered audio elevates key moments, making it a standout feature that resonates with fans of the genre.
“Even if you as a reader have the foresight to predict these events, the emotional delivery of the voice acting combined with the perfect musical choice for each important scene will be more than enough to elicit an emotional reaction through a newfound feeling of connectivity with the characters.”
“Enhanced soundtrack: the remastered soundtracks and voice acting elevate the emotional depth of every scene.”
“The music has amazing audio, as expected of Key's other releases, which really sets the mood for the game's snowy landscapes and effectively portrays a scene, whether it's fooling around or a tense moment.”
- emotional15 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Kanon" is highly praised, particularly in the routes of Ayu and Shiori, which deliver powerful narratives enhanced by exceptional voice acting and music. While some routes may have convoluted elements, they still manage to evoke strong emotional responses, showcasing themes of acceptance, connection, and personal growth. Overall, "Kanon" is recognized for setting a high standard in emotionally charged storytelling within visual novels, leaving a lasting impact on players.
“Even if you as a reader have the foresight to predict these events, the emotional delivery of the voice acting combined with the perfect musical choice for each important scene will be more than enough to elicit an emotional reaction through a newfound feeling of connectivity with the characters.”
“Ayu: 8/10 - an emotional rollercoaster; even though I predicted the events in her route, the emotional back and forth along with the delivery of those said emotions was just stellar.”
“Heart-wrenching story: follow Yuichi Aizawa as he reconnects with forgotten memories and unfulfilled promises in a town covered in snow.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Kanon" have been praised for their nostalgic charm, with the remastered version enhancing the original's visuals to stunning HD quality while retaining its aesthetic appeal. The detailed background artwork and updated character designs breathe new life into the game, making it more accessible to modern audiences despite some potential jarring elements in character design. Overall, the remaster successfully modernizes the classic visual novel while preserving its essence, appealing to both longtime fans and newcomers.
“The remastered version, released on Steam on June 20, 2024, is everything we loved about the original, with stunning HD visuals and enhanced sound.”
“Beautifully updated graphics: the remaster breathes new life into the snowy, melancholic setting of 'Kanon' with HD visuals that retain the charm of the original while enhancing the details.”
“I love that there are HD visuals and CG coloring to modernize this classic visual novel.”
“Outdated art style and all.”
“It means more people will be willing to give it a shot instead of dismissing it as purely pornographic garbage like many would for an 18+ visual novel.”
“The full artwork is still available; however, which can be viewed by hitting the 'space' key during certain scenes and by either dragging your mouse on the screen or scrolling with a mouse wheel, so you can still enjoy the full art without any image cutting shenanigans.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay features significant quality-of-life improvements that enhance navigation and interactions, while maintaining the core elements of branching narratives and multiple endings. Players can expect a straightforward visual novel experience with intuitive mechanics, customizable options, and the ability to easily access different story routes based on their choices. Overall, the gameplay is designed to be engaging and user-friendly, allowing for a seamless storytelling experience.
“Improved gameplay: quality-of-life improvements make navigation smoother and interactions more enjoyable, while the core gameplay of branching narratives and multiple endings remains intact.”
“The gameplay and mechanics of the game are fairly straightforward, as expected from a visual novel, featuring a wealth of text lines with accompanying voice lines and character illustrations to convey conversations. The user interface is intuitive, seamless, and easy to navigate, with plenty of options to customize your experience (font type, transparency, individual voice sliders, etc.) and a feature to jump back to previous dialogue, akin to a quick-load option, which is a really great addition!”
“As for the gameplay, I like how you can access any route as long as you make the appropriate choices.”
“The gameplay and mechanics of the game are fairly straightforward and what you would expect of a visual novel, being a heap of text lines with accompanying voice lines and character illustrations to convey the conversations between characters. The user interface is fairly intuitive, seamless, and easy to navigate, with plenty of options to customize your experience (font type, transparency, individual voice sliders, etc.) and a feature to jump back to previous dialogue akin to a quick-load option, which is a really great option!”
“As for the gameplay, [i]kanon[/i] has 6 female romance routes and lots of choices.”
“Now that I've gone over the story and gameplay, I'll move onto my thoughts.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Kanon" is noted for being refreshingly timeless, avoiding the dated tropes common in many visual novels of its era. It features a relatable protagonist navigating humorous interactions with charming female characters, setting the stage for the dramatic elements that follow.
“Many visual novels from this era tend to feel very dated with their humor and characters, but I can gladly say Kanon does not fall into the tired tropes of its time.”
“That aside, Kanon, and other works like it (Clannad, Little Busters, Angel Beats) generally follow the same principle: a relatable guy surrounded by cute girls humorously follows his daily routine until the drama comes barreling in with the force of an F-35 propelled by nuclear fusion.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with standout voice acting and a captivating soundtrack that enhance the overall experience, reminiscent of early key titles known for their immersive qualities.
“The voice acting and soundtrack really shine and create an incredible atmosphere, something early key titles excel at.”
“Incredible atmosphere.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development in the game features detailed background artwork, but the character designs may initially feel jarring to some players, requiring time to adjust to their unique style.
“The character designs can be a bit jarring for some and will likely take time for people to get used to, as seen in the Steam store screenshots.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
“I found the characters to be one-dimensional, with little to no growth throughout the game.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, enhanced by its engaging music and art, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of visual novels. Players appreciate the effort put into the English port, which adds to its value compared to its Japanese counterpart. Overall, it is seen as a fun title that invites multiple playthroughs.
“Overall, the game is a really fun title with great music and art (depending on your taste) with plenty of replay value. I'm really pleased with the effort put into this release, with only minor nitpicks at best. I'm also relieved they've finally ported this game in English for fans of key and visual novels alike to enjoy one of the forefathers of modern visual novel games.”
