Melancholy Love
- January 29, 2021
- White Dew Games
"Melancholy Love" is a visual novel game that explores the complexities of love and relationships. The player follows the story of a young man as he navigates through his complicated feelings for the women in his life. With multiple endings and a unique art style, this game offers a deep and introspective look into the human heart.
Reviews
- The game features beautiful artwork and a charming soundtrack that enhances the emotional experience.
- Character development is well-executed, with relatable dynamics and engaging interactions between the protagonists.
- The story, while slow-paced, offers a touching exploration of love and self-discovery, appealing to fans of the yuri genre.
- The plot can feel melodramatic and repetitive at times, with excessive misunderstandings that may frustrate players.
- Technical issues, such as the game not remembering settings and poor voice volume balance, detract from the overall experience.
- Some players found the pacing slow, particularly when trying to skip through dialogue to explore different endings.
- story87 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of this visual novel has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it charming and beautifully written, while others felt it lacked depth and originality. Many praised the character development and emotional moments, particularly in the context of a yuri romance, though some noted issues with pacing and dialogue that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, it is described as a touching, albeit simple, love story that explores themes of self-discovery and emotional growth among its characters.
“This game truly is amazing; it's a beautiful yet complex story that I found myself spending all my free time on recently and that I can't help but gush about.”
“A story that keeps tugging at your heart when it dips into the tragedies of deceit and misunderstandings, lifts your spirit with the sweetness of affectionate yuri romance, and makes you laugh at the antics of the characters.”
“The story is not only focused on one girl; rather, you get to experience what multiple girls think and feel to get a better understanding of the relationships between them.”
“The story put me really off.”
“It got to a point where I just couldn't see a way for the story to redeem itself, and I quit.”
“There’s not really much to say about the plot, with it pretty much being a classic enemies-to-lovers story.”
- music28 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in this visual novel is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the emotional experience, featuring a calming piano and violin soundtrack that complements the story's romantic and sometimes melancholic tone. Reviewers appreciate the fully voiced Mandarin performances and the memorable original soundtrack, which adds depth to character dynamics and scene transitions. Overall, the combination of engaging music and stunning artwork contributes significantly to the game's charm and atmosphere.
“The music and the visuals truly shine in this visual novel.”
“The soundtrack was also very good and beautiful.”
“The vocals and background music were done well, fitting the scenes and emotions perfectly.”
“And even though there's a lot of fun banter between friends, the tone is still too one-note, which I think mostly comes from constant melancholic music with little variation.”
“And despite the title, there is ultimately a happy ending, and the melancholy tone (emphasized by the piano-heavy soundtrack) never feels too overwhelming.”
“The visual novel is fully voiced in Mandarin (Chinese) with a calm piano music background accompanying us through the story.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their beautiful and unique art style, contributing significantly to the overall experience. While some users noted minor distractions, such as character design choices, the visuals are considered stunning and a highlight of the game, complemented by engaging music and voice acting. Overall, the combination of artwork and audio enhances the immersion and enjoyment of the narrative.
“The music and the visuals truly shine in this visual novel.”
“Beautiful artwork and music plus an engaging story of a relationship that has to overcome quite a few bumps on the road to (hopefully) a happy ending.”
“Graphic-wise, 'Melancholy Love' was stunning.”
“The music and the visuals truly shine in this VN.”
“I really quite like the art style as well, even if there aren't as many different CGs; the ones that exist are all quite lovely.”
“At the end, let us also talk about the artwork and music a bit.”
- emotional9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game delivers a powerful emotional experience, featuring well-crafted character development that fosters deep investment in the story. Players report a range of feelings, from joy to heartbreak, with many moments eliciting tears through its poignant themes of love and vulnerability. Overall, it offers a compelling emotional journey that resonates strongly with players.
“It was riveting, sweet, hilarious, and heartbreaking-- I was brought to tears a few times, especially by the end.”
“Great emotional ride; tears of joy and sadness were shed.”
“I cried like a little girl, and my very soul ached for the fox and the bunny.”
- character development6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is praised for being well-written and emotionally engaging, especially given the short length of the story. Players appreciate the depth of characters, particularly Qianxu, and find the relationships compelling, making it a standout aspect of the visual novel. Additionally, the attractive character design enhances the overall experience.
“Incredible character development and if you are in it for the relationship bit, this is a visual novel for you.”
“For such a short novel, it offers some plausible character development and makes you emotionally invested.”
“There are however quite a lot of touching moments in the game and the character development is well written considering the length of the story.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some find it cliché and unfunny, others appreciate the charming and unexpected wit in the dialogue, as well as the clever references and puns. Many players highlight moments of genuine hilarity intertwined with emotional depth, making the overall experience both sweet and poignant.
“I haven't finished it yet, so I can't speak about the ending, but the background music is great and the writing is at times funny, which alone probably places this above most other visual novels.”
“It was riveting, sweet, hilarious, and heartbreaking-- I was brought to tears a few times, especially by the end.”
“Also, the dialogue here can be pretty hilarious or at least charming, which was unexpected to me coming in.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is characterized by a melancholic and flowery ambiance, enhanced by soft piano and music-box melodies, as well as Chinese voice acting. While Yuri fans may particularly appreciate this setting, its appeal largely depends on individual sensitivity to its emotional depth and musical elements. The plot's intriguing twists further enrich the overall atmosphere.
“The atmosphere reminded me a lot of the Flowers series, with lovely piano and violin music at all times, plus Chinese voice acting for all the girls.”
“The plot had several really interesting points and twists, which made the overall melancholic atmosphere even richer.”
“Yuri fans will love this; for all the others, it'll depend on how well you soak in this melancholic, flowery atmosphere.”
“I like soft piano and music-box-like tunes a lot, and for me, they created just the right atmosphere.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with significant time spent waiting for text to skip, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite this, the compelling story and dual perspectives keep some players engaged enough to push through the grind for a satisfying conclusion.
“It took me about 12 hours to fully complete the game, and nearly a third of that was just spent waiting for the text to skip, a process so tedious that I almost gave up before seeing the best ending.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is limited, as it features a short visual novel with only three endings that provide minimal variation, primarily consisting of a few different lines at the conclusion. Players may find replaying the game dependent on their desire to experience the same content again.
“The game offers multiple endings that encourage players to explore different choices, enhancing its replayability.”
“With various paths and character interactions, each playthrough feels unique, making you want to dive back in for more.”
“The branching storylines and hidden content provide a strong incentive to replay the game and discover all it has to offer.”
“It's a short visual novel; the three endings do not offer anything more than a few different lines at the end of the game, so replayability will depend on whether you want to read the same content all over again.”
“Once you've experienced the story, there isn't much incentive to replay it since the choices don't significantly alter the overall narrative.”
“The game lacks meaningful variations in gameplay or story, making multiple playthroughs feel redundant and unfulfilling.”