Komorebi
- July 27, 2023
- Klace
- 27h median play time
Get on Steam"Komorebi is a single-player simulation game with a fully voice-acted, intriguing story set in 2041 Toronto. Players will form bonds, romances, and participate in social revolt while being immersed in phenomenal music. Experience a wholesome journey of equality and a brighter future."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The story is masterfully crafted, with deep emotional engagement and unexpected twists that keep players invested.
- The characters feel real and relatable, with well-developed backstories that evoke genuine feelings of attachment and concern.
- The voice acting is phenomenal, enhancing the overall experience and bringing the characters to life.
- The game suffers from a lack of meaningful player choices, making the protagonist feel more like a passive observer than an active participant in the story.
- Several plot threads remain unresolved, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction and leaving players with unanswered questions.
- The pacing can feel disjointed due to the fragmented narrative structure, which may confuse players and detract from the overall flow of the story.
- story374 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story of the game is widely praised for its depth, emotional engagement, and intricate character development, with many players noting its ability to evoke strong feelings and provoke thought. However, some critiques highlight issues with pacing, predictability, and a lack of meaningful player choices, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the combination of compelling voice acting and a unique narrative structure has left a lasting impression on many players, making it a recommended title for those seeking a rich visual novel experience.
“The story is masterfully crafted and stirs up deep emotions.”
“I rarely have ever had a story make me think enough, and put me off guard enough that it completely breaks my mind the way this game did, my schedule was ruined by this game and I can't begin to express how wonderful this is, this should've gotten Game of the Year awards, this outclasses any game story made in the past ten years easily, book series even.”
“The story, the wonderful, wonderful story was so well-written, so in-depth, and I absolutely cry every time I see this in my library because it was that good, the twists, the characters felt so real as well.”
“It's kind of hard to focus on bonding with these boys when I'm bombarded with poorly paced mounds of plot that kind of stops making sense halfway through.”
“The story is very linear, and the characters are very flat and one-note, having incredibly similar backstories besides their preferences in careers and hobbies.”
“The climax starts and ends very quickly with no real stakes involved, and so many mysteries and plot threads that were mentioned throughout the game go completely unanswered and/or unused.”
- music82 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, featuring a standout soundtrack that includes both vocal and non-vocal tracks, although the vocal soundtrack is currently unavailable due to developer issues. Players have praised the emotional depth of the compositions, particularly those by the developer Klace, highlighting their ability to enhance the storytelling and overall experience. While some noted a lack of memorable motifs, the ambient music and original songs were generally described as beautiful and fitting, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere.
“The voice acting was amazing and the songs were awesome as well.”
“But it'd also be criminal of me to not mention the Klace songs, so I'll sum them up in only a few words: emotion-filled masterpieces.”
“A wonderful soundtrack for a wonderful game.”
“The vocal one, however, due to developer drama, has been scrubbed from the internet, and even though the links to it are still up, they all lead to 404s, leaving no legitimate way to acquire the vocal soundtrack (which really sucks because I like it).”
“The music is okay, I guess; after 5 hours, I turned it off, but I tend to do that to every visual novel I play.”
“Well crafted in terms of game design, music, and art, especially for a visual novel, but certain writing choices make it lag behind other better visual novels that have the opposite issue (worse game design but better writing).”
- emotional40 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised, with many players noting its ability to evoke strong feelings, from laughter to tears, through its heartwarming story and impactful voice acting. While some critiques mention that certain emotional arcs feel one-dimensional or that the narrative shifts focus too abruptly, the overall experience is described as an emotional rollercoaster that resonates deeply with players, making it a memorable and thought-provoking visual novel.
“Such an amazing and heartwarming story, I love how this game added voices and stories to the owner of the characters.”
“The game made me laugh, kept me at the edge of my seat, put me through a great deal emotionally, and overall was an out-of-this-world experience.”
“Winds of Change actually made me feel things.”
- humor14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is highlighted by its phenomenal voice acting and well-developed characters, each bringing a distinct comedic flair that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the blend of absurdity and emotional depth, often finding themselves laughing with the game rather than at it. The lively expressions and unique speech patterns of the characters contribute to a rich, humorous atmosphere that keeps players engaged throughout.
“The game made me laugh, kept me at the edge of my seat, put me through a great deal emotionally, and overall was an out-of-this-world experience.”
“All the characters have a distinct manner of speech that sets them apart despite a shared lingo; add the aforementioned voice cast on top of that, and you can most definitely tell who is talking without looking at the screen (although then you would be missing out on the lively, occasionally humorous facial expressions).”
“I wouldn't exactly know how to put it, but this game has a lot of absurdity that had me questioning whether or not I laughed with the game, or at the game, and it took me a while before I came to the conclusion that I was actually laughing with the game.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily text-based, characteristic of a visual novel, featuring nearly 30 hours of content with fully voiced characters and romance options. While the story is engaging and explores themes of agency, it lacks interactive elements and cinematic cutscenes, which may not appeal to all players. Overall, it offers a sweet narrative experience, though it has some shortcomings in gameplay interactivity and unresolved plotlines.
“Very sweet story with an interesting way of exploring agency in the mechanics.”
“The game offers nearly 30 hours of gameplay, fully voiced characters, and the option to romance with them.”
“Nonetheless, it possesses certain shortcomings, particularly in terms of interactive gameplay and unresolved plotlines.”
“It's a visual novel, so the gameplay is largely you sitting there reading on-screen text (and in this case listening to the stellar voice cast); if that's not your cup of tea, this review isn't likely to change your mind.”
“It doesn't have cinematic cutscenes or revolutionary gameplay, but that was never what it is supposed to be.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Komorebi" are highly praised for their beauty, particularly the character and background art, which enhance the overall immersive experience of the visual novel. The artwork is complemented by an excellent vocal cast and a well-crafted soundtrack, contributing to a rich and engaging atmosphere. However, some players noted a repetitive design in character types, specifically the prevalence of canine characters.
“The graphics are really beautiful for a visual novel, especially the background and character art, along with an extremely talented voice cast immersing you in this game. Some parts of the story leave you craving answers, and it delivers answers, even if it isn't immediate, and if moments are slightly confusing.”
“Komorebi is well put together; it has excellent music, voice acting, writing, and artwork.”
“There is great artwork, great music including a couple of bangers, from a whole album of music created for the game.”
“As for the visuals, just about my only complaint is the rampant canine characters; only Taylor, the hare streamer, breaks that monotony.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is limited due to a lack of meaningful dialogue choices and a short playtime, making it easy to complete in just a few hours. However, the option to view slice-of-life vignettes in any order does provide some incentive for multiple playthroughs, particularly if players choose to experience them differently.
“The first fourth of the game acquaints you with the principal cast rather well through the use of slice-of-life-style vignettes -- which, by the way, can be viewed in any order you wish; while I would recommend doing them all chronologically (left-to-right) on your first playthrough, being able to switch up the order will greatly improve replayability.”
“The dialogue choices are extremely few and far between in this entry, removing any replay value.”
“You can quickly finish the visual novel in a few hours, and replayability is low.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is highly praised for its realism and depth, making players feel genuinely integrated into the group rather than just a passive protagonist. The gradual development of characters enhances the immersive experience, complemented by effective music, although some narrative questions remain unanswered. Overall, the atmosphere significantly contributes to the game's emotional impact and engagement.
“It sends a good message, though it's slightly worsened by questions that the story doesn't bother answering, and it has good music and atmosphere.”
“Because they feel so real, and the atmosphere in their group is so well researched and rendered, that I really feel part of the group, and not like the normal protagonist of a story who just happens to be there for reasons.”
“Words can hardly capture the atmosphere of playing Komorebi and how it gradually brings characters to life as you get to know them.”
- character development4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for its lack of variety among candidates, with most designs being described as palatable but inconsistent. The reliance on community-owned characters has resulted in a mixed reception, with some designs resonating well while others fall flat.
“Most of the character designs are palatable, but there's no variety in the candidates.”
“The character designs are hit or miss; apparently, they were community-owned characters again.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with some users noting that while the story and voice performances are commendable, there are concerns regarding overall performance and efficiency.
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious due to a significant lack of quality-of-life features, such as autoplay, skip, or fast forward options, which makes replaying content feel burdensome.
“The quality of life in the game is severely lacking—most notably, there is no autoplay, skip, or fast forward button, making replaying this game very, very tedious.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users have reported significant stability issues, particularly concerning glitches that cause the appearance of shadowy figures, which detracts from the overall experience. These glitches raise questions about the game's reliability and immersion.
“And why do some of the glitches make shadowy figures appear if they weren't actually real and present?”
