Santa Monica Paradise
- May 29, 2020
- VN House
Get on Steam“Santa Monica Paradise” is a romantic comedy visual novel and dating sim set in sunny Santa Monica. Play as a famous chef visiting California and meeting new people.
Reviews
- The game features a charming and relatable story with well-designed characters that can evoke emotional attachment.
- The character art is visually appealing, and the backgrounds, while mixed, have a hand-painted quality that some players may enjoy.
- At its budget price, the game offers a decent experience for a short visual novel, making it a worthwhile option for fans of the genre.
- The story feels rushed and underdeveloped, with minimal character development and only one sex scene, which may disappoint players expecting more adult content.
- The overall design and menu are lacking, giving a low-quality impression that falls below modern standards, including a lack of options and a gallery feature.
- The pacing is hurried, and the music quality is poor, contributing to a sense of wasted potential in an otherwise charming narrative.
- story14 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The story is generally perceived as brief and underdeveloped, particularly in its romantic elements, which feel more like a prologue than a complete narrative. While some players appreciate the character design and find the story enjoyable, many criticize the lack of character development, static personalities, and insufficient pacing, leading to a desire for a more fleshed-out experience in future installments. Overall, it offers a nice premise but leaves much to be desired in terms of depth and engagement.
“Overall, despite all the criticism above, for the price asked, it is not the worst visual novel in terms of story, art, and music.”
“This game is quite short but has a really lovely story and character design.”
“I love the story.”
“The biggest flaw I can think of, and directly linked to the romantic aspects, is a lack of character development and a more exhaustive backstory.”
“The story of the game is bland and has no interest whatsoever.”
“That all said, the pacing seems hurried, and while the characters all seem to have a decent amount of backstory to them, their personalities are static the whole way through.”
- music4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the background tracks as good, while others criticize the lack of quality and variety, particularly given the presence of a musician character. Despite these shortcomings, the overall experience is considered acceptable for the price, with the story and character art also receiving positive remarks.
“The background music is good, and the character art is well done.”
“The lack of quality and variety of music tracks, especially considering that one of the heroines is a musician, only contributes more to the feeling of wasted potential.”
“Overall, despite all the criticism above, for the price asked, it is not the worst VN in terms of story, art, and music.”
- character development3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while the game features appealing character design and a charming story, it suffers from insufficient character development and backstory, particularly in relation to its romantic elements. Players express a desire for more depth and complexity in character arcs in future installments.
“In future games, I hope to see a lot more character development and story. The foundation is there; it just needs more fleshing out to elevate it further.”
“This game is quite short but has a really lovely story and character design.”
“The biggest flaw I can think of, and directly linked to the romantic aspects, is a lack of character development and a more exhaustive backstory.”
“In future games, I hope to see a lot more character development and story, but the bones are there; it just needs more fleshing out to raise it up a little.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the art style while others found it unengaging. Overall, the visuals may appeal to certain tastes but lack widespread excitement.
“The visuals present here are mixed.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to have several bugs, which can lead to a frustrating experience for players.
“It's a bit buggy, which makes it quite annoying.”
“The game crashes frequently, disrupting the experience.”
“I encountered several glitches that affected gameplay.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players note that the game offers a substantial amount of gameplay hours, providing a rich and engaging experience that keeps them invested over time.
“The gameplay is incredibly engaging, offering hours of immersive fun.”
“I was pleasantly surprised by the depth and variety of gameplay mechanics.”
“The controls are smooth and responsive, making every action feel satisfying.”
