Making*Lovers
- April 3, 2020
- Smee
- 17h median play time
Get on Steam"Making Lovers" is a visual novel that focuses on a romantic pure love story. With a beautiful art style, players will experience a first-person perspective while pursuing five different heroines. The game features dating sim elements, where players can plan and go on dates with their chosen heroine, making choices that will affect the outcome of the story. The game encourages the player to uncover the deep inner feelings of the heroines and develop meaningful relationships with them.
Reviews
- The game features a unique structure with adult characters, providing a refreshing take on the visual novel genre.
- The writing is humorous and engaging, with well-developed characters that evoke a range of emotions.
- The art and voice acting are high quality, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
- The protagonist's personality can be off-putting, often relying on crass humor that may detract from the romantic elements.
- Some routes feel rushed, lacking depth in character development and resolution.
- There are occasional bugs and errors that disrupt the reading experience.
- story150 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story of the game is characterized by its light-hearted, comedic approach to romance, focusing on character relationships rather than a complex overarching plot. Each heroine has her own unique storyline, with a blend of humor and sweetness that appeals to fans of slice-of-life narratives, though some players noted a lack of depth in certain routes. Overall, it offers a fun and engaging experience, particularly for those who enjoy character-driven visual novels without heavy drama or realism.
“A heartwarming love story for the socially impaired.”
“The story and how the characters improve their relationship with each other is amazing.”
“The actual story itself is quite funny and entertaining.”
“If you want a mature and realistic story, look elsewhere.”
“The story is kind of bland for me.”
“There's no grandiose storyline, plot twist, or anything like that.”
- humor94 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Making Lovers" is widely praised for its crass, unhinged writing and well-timed jokes, often resulting in laugh-out-loud moments throughout the gameplay. Players appreciate the balance of humor with heartfelt storytelling, particularly in character interactions and routes, with many noting that the comedic elements enhance the overall enjoyment of the visual novel. While some jokes may not resonate with everyone, the game's lighthearted and entertaining approach to romance and humor has left a positive impression on many players.
“I like how unhingedly crass the writing is; it's usually funny, and, failing that, quite entertaining.”
“The humor always feels refreshing and the characters talk and joke around just how people their age would.”
“The vn's sharp and humorous writing and solid grasp of its characters combined with its propensity for oozing wholesomeness at every corner, even during 'boing time', comes together to create a heartwarming, endearing, hilarious experience that has me loving the time I spent and will spend with its characters.”
- emotional38 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its heartwarming and wholesome storytelling, filled with comedic moments and touching relationships. Players appreciate the blend of humor and sentimentality, often finding themselves moved to tears by the characters' journeys, particularly in routes like Karen's, which stand out for their depth. Overall, the game is celebrated as a delightful emotional experience that resonates with players, offering a comforting escape into love and laughter.
“Making lovers was, and is a wholesome experience for me in many ways; just listening to the beautiful soundtrack reminds me of the good moments, the tender moments, and even the funny moments in that game.”
“The visual novel's sharp and humorous writing, combined with its solid grasp of its characters and its propensity for oozing wholesomeness at every corner, creates a heartwarming, endearing, and hilarious experience that has me loving the time I spent and will spend with its characters.”
“I definitely recommend this visual novel to others; even if you don't enable the 18+ patch, it is still an enjoyable and emotional roller coaster, especially with Kitaooji Karen's route, which was the only one to make me cry upon finishing it and during it.”
- music35 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its impressive variety and ability to enhance the overall experience, with standout opening and ending songs that many players enjoy listening to outside of the game. While the soundtrack is well-composed and fits the game's tone, some players noted moments of repetitiveness and a few instances of poorly chosen tracks that detracted from immersion. Overall, the music is considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing positively to its atmosphere and emotional moments.
“The music is also very good with an impressive set of genres and styles!”
“Making lovers was, and is a wholesome experience for me in many ways; only by listening to the beautiful soundtrack makes me remember the good moments, the tender moments, and even funny moments in that game.”
“The music is wonderful and the funny moments are so hilarious that I wanted to make a collection of screenshots with the best moments.”
“The only bad thing I could say is the first 30 minutes... the music choice is really bad... like completely unimmersive... there's just hardcore action-packed background music while the characters are just talking casually... but the rest of the music selection was well chosen for like 95% of the route I took.”
“The art, voice work, and music is on par or better for the average VN, but it just doesn't do anything interesting.”
“The OST is a bit on the weaker side, but that's not a huge problem for me.”
- graphics26 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their beauty and quality, with many users highlighting the charming artwork and character designs. The art style is described as well-balanced and simplistic, enhancing the overall experience without overwhelming the player. Overall, the visuals, along with the music and voice acting, contribute significantly to the game's enjoyable atmosphere, earning it high marks from reviewers.
“The graphics are beautiful, the character development is well done, the voice acting and most of the humor is spot on, especially in Mashiro’s route, and the overall enjoyment is beyond satisfying throughout.”
“The artwork and character reactions are charming and adorable, and even though I spent roughly 20 hours to complete all five routes, I did not feel the time go by at all.”
“The game boasts itself with claiming to have a beautiful art style, and I wouldn't say that this claim is far-fetched.”
“It's still your average 720p visual novel, but the art style itself is much better.”
“For some reason, I find the art style used for characters of most other visual novels off-putting.”
“Compared to its predecessor (on Steam at least), Making Lovers steps up the artwork department notably.”
- character development9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally praised for its depth, particularly in the heroine routes, where players appreciate the focus on individual stories and relationships. However, some reviewers express a desire for more variability and depth in character arcs, especially for the main character, suggesting that the game could benefit from additional dialogue options and longer routes to enhance character growth. Overall, while the character development is well-received, there is a consensus that it could be further improved to provide a more satisfying experience.
“The graphics are beautiful, the character development is well done, the voice acting and most of the humor is spot on, especially in Mashiro’s route, and the overall enjoyment is beyond satisfying throughout.”
“Story - 8/10. As I said before, the game has pretty much no definite story; it focuses mainly on the character and the heroine whose route you are following. Still, more focus has been given to the heroine rather than the main character, which is a wise choice, as it allows for different character development experiences depending on your route.”
“I wish each relationship had a more variable character development and storylines based on additional dialogue options.”
“And because of that, the main character doesn't have any time for character development.”
“There's a lot of potential for character development and it just doesn't happen.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as a fun romance simulation with lovable heroines, though it features a weak mechanic for choosing date locations. While the linear and methodical structure may limit the dating sim experience, the strong romantic elements help to compensate for these shortcomings. Some players find the protagonist's perverse nature off-putting, but others appreciate his insights during critical moments.
“Overall, amazing read, great gameplay, super lovable heroines.”
“It's a fun romance sim with a great mechanic of choosing your date spots.”
“The actual process of choosing date locations is super weak, unfortunately, so don't go into this expecting a huge amount of dating sim gameplay, but the romance is strong enough to carry it on its own.”
“As for gameplay, I hate how the protagonist is so damn perverted, but I'll let that slide; sometimes the protagonist had a good point too when the heroine was in a pinch or anything.”
“The game's structure and mechanics are quite linear and methodical.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is limited due to the brevity of scenes and routes, with players noting that while there is some value in revisiting different choices, the main enjoyment comes from experiencing the story again rather than significant variations in gameplay. Each heroine route lasts about 5-7 hours, offering minimal replay incentive beyond exploring alternative date options.
“It means it's more replayable.”
“It feels like it really doesn't matter much what you pick, and the scenes are so short that it doesn't add much replay value to the game.”
“However, the dates are quite short compared to the main story, so don't expect too much replayability value from a route apart from just enjoying the story again.”
“The heroine routes are about 5-7 hours each (it really depends on your reading speed), but there is some replay value, such as going back and choosing different date options.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that grinding is largely absent in some games, allowing for a more natural progression of character relationships, akin to a dating simulator. However, some players feel that grinding is excessive in other titles, suggesting a need for significant time investment to progress.
“The characters feel alive, albeit on the funny side of goofy. The relationships progress naturally, and there's no grinding, no stats, and no need to 'work' or motivate yourself to go through this game.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“It felt like I was going through a dating simulator without grinding.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a mix of simple yet charming art and a goofy soundtrack, which together create a lighthearted vibe. While the backgrounds vary and contribute to distinct settings, the engaging story compensates for any initial reservations about the visuals.
“The illustrations of the girls are cute and charming at the same time; the backgrounds and places don't feel the same and give you a different atmosphere each time.”
“I had little expectation of what the game could offer me as the art and CGs are simply drawn, but the background music creates an overall goofy atmosphere that complements the story.”
“I had little expectation of what the game could offer me as the art and character designs are simply drawn, and the background music creates an overall goofy atmosphere. However, the story makes up for these negative points in my heart.”
“The illustrations of the girls are cute and charming, but the backgrounds and locations don't feel cohesive and provide a different atmosphere each time.”
