Nicole

About

"Nicole" is a single-player Anime Role Playing game with a good soundtrack and lots of grinding. You play as Nicole, a college student trying to balance classes, part-time jobs, and extra-curricular activities while also trying to uncover the mystery behind a series of disappearances on campus. With a simple interface, improve Nicole's skills and relationships with various characters, some of whom may be potential love interests or even the renovated culprit.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 105 reviews

story21 positive mentions

gameplay5 negative mentions

The art and graphics are visually appealing, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
The characters are well-developed and relatable, with interesting personalities that add depth to the story.
The writing is engaging and humorous, making the dialogue enjoyable despite some clichés.

The gameplay can be tedious and repetitive, with a heavy reliance on stat-raising mechanics that may frustrate players.
The mystery aspect is predictable and lacks depth, making it less engaging for players looking for a compelling plot.
Some characters, particularly the protagonist, exhibit illogical behavior that can detract from the overall immersion in the story.

story
87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
72%
3%
The story in this visual novel is generally seen as decent but lacking depth, with many reviewers noting its predictability and reliance on clichés. While some appreciated the balance between romance and mystery, others felt that the gameplay mechanics, particularly stat-raising, detracted from the narrative experience. Overall, the writing is considered enjoyable, but the story could benefit from more complexity and character development to enhance engagement.
- “Amazing writing: I like the flow of the story; there were quite a few comedic moments which I enjoyed.”
- “The story was gripping; both the dating side and the mystery side were well balanced and intriguing.”
- “The story is rather simple and not surprising, but it's written so well and lightly that I found myself really captivated.”
- “My main complaint is the story and its structure.”
- “I tried my best to play it, but the cringe and boring story makes it impossible for me.”
- “The story is incredibly shallow and so are the characters.”
music
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
41%
11%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its atmospheric quality and suitability for different moods, while others find it repetitive and lacking in variety. There are complaints about the absence of music in certain scenes, which can disrupt immersion, but the overall sentiment leans towards the soundtrack being pleasant and well-executed, particularly the title song. Despite some criticisms, many players still recommend the game for its art and music, even if the soundtrack doesn't always stand out.
- “The OST and art are good, especially the title song.”
- “The music and sound effects all add to the atmosphere of the game.”
- “The soundtrack is so good I even downloaded it onto my phone and hum it when I least expect it.”
- “Sometimes there was no music in some scenes, which I didn’t like.”
- “- sometimes there is no music or background noise for such a long time that it breaks the player’s immersion in the game.”
- “- I find some of the music to be annoying, but only for certain places like the gym and club.”
gameplay
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
62%
24%
The gameplay has been widely criticized for its monotonous and tedious nature, with many players finding it unengaging and repetitive. The mechanics often feel disconnected from the narrative, leading to a frustrating experience where players spend excessive time on stat-raising activities rather than meaningful interactions. While some appreciate the art style and character interactions, the overall consensus is that the gameplay detracts significantly from the enjoyment of the story.
- “However, for those willing to power through those mechanics...”
- “The mechanics can be a little challenging at first, only because it doesn't clearly explain that in order to get the best 'true' endings, you have to really balance the order in which you max your stats by a certain time frame, and not before, or the game won't give you the 'true' ending, much to my chagrin.”
- “Like most winter wolves games, the simulation part of the title is the majority of the gameplay and can really quite interfere with the story flow.”
- “Terrible writing aside, the gameplay is monotonous and lengthy.”
- “Much of the gameplay is spent clicking on activities to randomly raise stat points, and the 'investigating the mystery' portion is simply raising a 'clues' stat to 900 before the game ends.”
- “With tedious gameplay that is neither engaging nor interesting and a predictable storyline riddled with clichés and unbelievable situations, you'd think I'd have played an hour or two and tossed it in the 'file and forget' bin of my library.”
grinding
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often resorting to multitasking to alleviate the boredom. While some appreciate the stat-raising mechanics and the rewards they bring, many express frustration with the slow pace and lack of engaging content, leading to a feeling of monotony during gameplay. Overall, the grinding can detract from the experience, making it feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable challenge.
- “This isn't a terrible game, but it's certainly tedious and boring, with few fully-drawn cut scenes.”
- “The stat raising becomes really tedious on subsequent playthroughs, which is my only real complaint.”
- “With tedious gameplay that is neither engaging nor interesting and a predictable storyline riddled with clichés and unbelievable situations, you'd think I'd have played an hour or two and tossed it in the 'file and forget' bin of my library.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
23%
23%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the artwork as impressive and visually appealing, particularly for the genre. However, some users note issues with fixed resolution graphics and abrupt transitions that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the visuals are a highlight, they are sometimes undermined by technical flaws and a lack of engaging gameplay.
- “Artworks are really pretty and catch the eye.”
- “On the visual side of things, the artwork is quite impressive for the genre and a highlight of the game.”
- “But this is a small price to pay to have polished and professional looking artwork for the entire game.”
- “A very mediocre visual novel with a bland plot, supplemented by fixed resolution graphics (at least it's widescreen) and sometimes-ok-sometimes-bad artwork.”
- “When images are transitioning or fading out, it often results in an abrupt or fuzzy pixelated look, which degrades the art style and distracts the eye until the frames refocus.”
- “The graphics are underwhelming and do not do justice to the potential of the game's story and characters.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized as cute and sarcastic, with a mix of lame yet endearing jokes. While the dialogue may not be exceptional, it maintains a consistent style and features witty moments, particularly in romantic contexts that blend humor with touching and steamy elements. Overall, players appreciate the comedic aspects, especially in character interactions.
- “I really liked the sense of humor this game had.”
- “The dialogue isn’t too special, though it is stylistically consistent and has its funny moments.”
- “Much of the romantic dialogue and situations were hilarious, other parts touching, and some scenes downright steamy.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The emotional aspect of the visual novel is mixed; while it features moments of suspense and touching scenes, the development of emotional attachment between characters is criticized for being rushed and lacking depth. Some players found the romantic dialogue to be both humorous and steamy, but others felt the overall story was cringe-worthy and boring, detracting from the emotional experience.
- “The truth is boys can be stubborn, emotional, and complicated, which was seen in this visual novel.”
- “Good points of suspense and emotional scenes.”
- “Much of the romantic dialogue and situations were hilarious, other parts touching, and some scenes downright steamy.”
- “I tried my best to play it, but the cringe-worthy and boring story makes it impossible for me.”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
Character development in this game is criticized for prioritizing status raising over narrative depth, a common issue in Winter Wolves titles. However, some players appreciate the character designs, particularly Nicole's sprites, noting that while the designs may lack intricate detail, they are visually appealing and reflect a relatable American college aesthetic. Overall, the story and character development are considered an improvement compared to previous games by the developer.
- “The artwork is pretty and the story and character development is vastly superior to other games by the same developer.”
- “I loved Nicole's sprites.”
- “Like other Winter Wolves games, this one fails because it gives more importance to status raising than story and character development.”
- “The character designs are not particularly detailed or inspired, but they're nicely conceived and pleasant on the eyes.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by its immersive music and sound effects, which are described as both atmospheric and pleasant, contributing significantly to the overall experience.
- “The music and sound effects all add to the atmosphere of the game.”
- “The music is pretty atmospheric and pleasant.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
Overall, the replayability of the game is mixed; while some players feel there is potential for replay value, others believe that the experience diminishes significantly after the initial playthrough, leading to a loss of mystery and excitement.
- “I get the feeling that there is some replay value to be had here!”
- “The replayability value drops and the mystery is gone.”
- “I get the feeling that there is some replay value to be had here, but it's limited.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users have reported experiencing glitches, particularly with game endings, indicating that stability may be an issue in certain scenarios.
- “I encountered several glitches during the game endings that affected my overall experience.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it difficult to progress without losing progress.”
- “There are numerous stability issues that lead to unexpected freezes and crashes.”