Natsuki Chronicles

About

"Natsuki Chronicles is a single-player Science Fiction Shooter game with a good plot, pretty visuals, and an outstanding soundtrack. The game offers a story mode that follows protagonist Natsuki's past and present over 10+ stages, and an arcade mode for quick action with online leaderboards. It also includes customization watch three weapon types, a wide variety of equipment, and a 'Bullet Trajectory Display' function for added strategy."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 95 reviews

story10 positive mentions

grinding10 negative mentions

Natsuki Chronicles features excellent graphics and a smooth framerate, providing a visually appealing experience on both large and small screens.
The game offers a rewarding progression system with unlockable weapons and shields, allowing players to customize their loadouts and improve their skills over time.
The inclusion of both Story Mode and Arcade Mode caters to different playstyles, making it accessible for newcomers while still providing a challenge for veterans.

The game can be excessively grindy, requiring players to replay levels multiple times to unlock weapons and upgrades, which may frustrate some players.
Difficulty spikes throughout the game can feel inconsistent, making certain stages disproportionately challenging compared to others.
The story and character development are often criticized as being lackluster and unengaging, detracting from the overall experience.

story
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
76%
6%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the cohesive world-building and engaging narratives enhanced by original Japanese voice acting, while others criticize it as abysmal or overly simplistic. The story mode offers a structured approach to gameplay with RPG elements, allowing players to tackle stages individually and unlock upgrades, but many find the plot to be light and difficult to follow amidst the action. Overall, while the story serves as a backdrop for the gameplay, it may not satisfy those seeking a deep or compelling narrative.
- “The world building of the game is cohesive, and the storylines are engaging with tons of original Japanese voice acting, translated with subtitles.”
- “Story mode has a very interesting storytelling, and the upgrade paths to the weapons make it even more worthwhile to try different weapon combinations to perfect a stage.”
- “Each mission is a story element with some flashback missions of the protagonist's time in flight school, which also serve as a bit of a tutorial for some of the game's mechanics.”
- “The story is abysmal instead of cheesy, the stages have lost the unique personalities that made them stand out, and the difficulty is all over the place.”
- “If there’s any downsides to this game, the overall storyline is a type of shonen anime plot that’s trying too hard at best and incomplete at worst.”
- “Don't expect a particularly thrilling story, it's fairly barebones, and in my opinion while the core lives system is great, the ex shield system is a little clumsy for story mode.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
41%
14%
The graphics of the game have received largely positive feedback, with many praising their clarity, modern aesthetic, and vibrant presentation that effectively utilizes 3D technology. While some reviewers noted a simplistic or generic art style, the overall visual experience is described as stunning, especially on larger screens, with solid framerates and impressive stage designs. However, a few critiques mention that the visuals can feel unappealing or lack depth in certain areas.
- “Graphics look great on a big or small screen, and as others have noted, the framerate is rock solid throughout.”
- “The presentation has seen an upgrade from 2013's Ginga Force, as this new game was developed and released around 2020, taking advantage of the latest technology to output the best graphics they could possibly craft.”
- “The game looks stunning and is likely the single most beautiful shoot 'em up I have seen, especially with 3D graphics.”
- “Grindy, aesthetically unappealing, not casual friendly.”
- “Only downside is that the art style feels a bit generic.”
- “It's fantastic in every way except for the visuals, which are a big weak point in my opinion.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
27%
14%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the soundtrack as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience. Composed by Yosuke Yasui, the OST is described as phenomenal, featuring catchy tracks that resonate with players long after gameplay. Overall, the music is characterized as vibrant, engaging, and a significant contributor to the game's appeal, particularly in the shmup genre.
- “First and foremost, the soundtrack is a complete banger and really carries the game.”
- “The music is phenomenal, I'm a huge fan of Yousuke Yasui's tracks.”
- “With nonstop action, cool bosses, a ridiculously epic final boss, and an awesome soundtrack (complete with a sweet remix of Gallant Gunshot, the best music in Ginga Force), this is without a doubt, the best shmup released on Steam this year.”
- “The soundtrack is okay, but you may want to roll your own.”
- “The OST is fine though.”
- “The music was the only high point of this game for me--very Mega Man X.”
gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
47%
18%
The gameplay is praised for its engaging and frantic nature, featuring a well-structured leveling system and smooth controls that enhance the experience. Players appreciate the blend of arcade and story modes, along with innovative mechanics like bullet trajectory and sidekick support, which add depth without overwhelming the core gameplay. Overall, the game is described as visually vibrant and refreshingly designed for console/PC, making it both exciting and accessible for players.
- “The gameplay is frantic, yet satisfyingly challenging, has a great leveling system and controls, a difficulty curve that’s mostly correct and a good number of options to choose from.”
- “A very brisk, eye-catching horizontal shooter that is equal parts engaging and innovative with the variation seen in the stages and the unique gameplay systems such as the bullet tracer patterns.”
- “Do expect very interesting stage design, the smoothest controls, a robust arcade mode, very interesting special weapon mechanics, amazing OST, and fantastic visuals.”
- “I was surprised by how good the story was, though it was hard to follow the subtitles during the frantic gameplay.”
- “Is that really beginner-friendly mechanics?”
- “Overall, the gameplay delivers, but I'd like to see Qute's next game step up the presentation.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game has received largely negative feedback, with players finding it tedious, overly time-consuming, and aesthetically unappealing. Many reviewers express frustration with the necessity to grind for upgrades and achievements, often feeling that the rewards do not justify the effort. While some appreciate the leveling system as a way to ease new players into the genre, the overall sentiment leans towards grinding being a burdensome and unenjoyable experience.
- “Way too grindy, boring and aesthetically unappealing.”
- “The grind for all achievements (includes buying every weapon) is just beyond absurd because there are just so many levels for each weapon, and the money awards (outside of grinding the ending boss on hard or extreme) is pitiful.”
- “It looks more polished, but feels so tedious!”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers significant replayability due to its engaging side-scrolling mechanics, extensive leveling and upgrade systems, and the added challenge of an extreme difficulty mode, encouraging players to return for new experiences.
- “A very good side-scrolling shmup with lots of replay value.”
- “Plenty of replay value with the leveling up, a lot of upgrades, and a crazy challenge in the extreme difficulty mode.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Overall, users find the game's stability commendable, noting that it runs smoothly at higher framerates despite its simple visuals, which remain clear and readable.
- “The visuals are a little simple, but they work for me; everything is readable and runs great at higher framerates.”
- “I appreciate how stable the game feels; there are no crashes or major bugs, which makes for a smooth experience.”
- “The performance is consistently solid, allowing me to enjoy the game without worrying about technical issues.”