Season of 12 Colors
- March 14, 2016
- 橘子班
Get on Steam"Season of 12 Colors: Summer - Message on the Paper Plane" is a single-player adventure game with a stellar story, exceptional visuals, and an awesome soundtrack. This healing visual novel, the first of four chapters, tells a partly nonlinear story about childhood memories, where collecting all pieces from different point-of-view reveals the truth. Fans of the developer's previous work, "Gaokao.Love.100Days," can expect the same high-quality experience.
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Reviews
- The game features a beautiful and emotional story that deeply resonates with players, often leaving them in tears.
- The art style and soundtrack are praised for their quality, enhancing the overall atmosphere and experience of the game.
- Despite its short length, the game is engaging and encourages players to read through the 'Decode' story for a fuller understanding of the plot.
- The English translation is often criticized for being poor, with awkward phrasing and grammatical errors that can detract from the experience.
- Some players find the initial story confusing and slow-paced, which may lead to frustration before the deeper elements are revealed.
- The voice acting has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it low quality or not fitting the characters well.
- story206 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story of this visual novel is described as a complex and emotional journey that evolves significantly after the initial chapters, particularly through a "decode" section that enhances understanding and depth. While some players found the beginning confusing or simplistic, many praised the narrative for its heartfelt themes and character development, ultimately leading to a bittersweet and engaging experience. Overall, the combination of beautiful art, music, and a thoughtful storyline makes it a worthwhile experience, especially for those who appreciate deeper storytelling in visual novels.
“I loved the story and can't wait for more from this developer!”
“It's a beautifully crafted, sometimes bittersweet story that I think most people will be very satisfied with.”
“The story is nicely crafted and well thought out, as you are given the perspective of the story from the different characters.”
“The story is badly written, to a bore.”
“The story is quite dull, not that poetic and the plot twist isn't interesting.”
“The main initial story just had me immensely bored, but once I understood the rest it made sense they would be so simple, it's all they could've wanted with their situation.”
- music47 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and fit the story well, while others found certain tracks, particularly the music box theme, repetitive or irritating. Overall, the soundtrack is described as decent to good, contributing positively to the visual experience, though some players noted it could be improved with more variety. The combination of music, art, and voice acting generally creates an engaging experience, despite some criticisms regarding specific musical elements.
“The artwork, writing, voiceovers, and music are all perfect!”
“Great game, a truly amazing soundtrack that really creates the wanted atmosphere and some very nice art.”
“The music fit really nicely with the story and backgrounds; the character art and backgrounds are a delight to look at.”
“Everything else (backgrounds, music, etc.) is bland.”
“The music does not suit this, which is extremely annoying.”
“The music, going from one end of the spectrum to the other, at times, was damn irritating.”
- graphics21 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and cute art style, which enhances the overall experience with beautiful character designs and backgrounds. Players appreciate the combination of visuals, music, and voiceovers, noting that the artwork contributes significantly to the game's emotional depth and immersive storytelling. The game's aesthetic stands out from typical visual novels, offering a refreshing and engaging visual experience.
“The artwork, writing, voiceovers, and music are all perfect!”
“The visual novel has a unique art style, and cute/pretty CGs.”
“In addition, the artwork of the game, as well as the soundtrack, are excellently presented and add meaningful immersion to the story.”
“The graphics are cute though, even when they're only sketches.”
“There is something that feels a bit eerie and divine when playing this game; its visuals, sounds, and the low-res text match to give that feeling, and even though it's a bit creepy, I still think it's great.”
“Graphics.”
- emotional17 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its poetic and touching narrative, which resonates deeply with players, often eliciting strong feelings. While many found the story to be heartwarming and beautifully crafted, some critiques noted a lack of emotional connection with the characters and a reliance on fantasy elements that felt artificial. Overall, the game successfully delivers an emotional experience, though its impact may vary among players.
“It handles the emotional matters with surprising subtlety and nuance, which - coupled with a bittersweet mystery - makes for a winning combination.”
“The end of the main story was when this visual novel really started surpassing my expectations - I'm a sucker for non-chronological time-travel narratives, especially ones that focus on the characters and emotional effects.”
“It's only $3, has a wonderful and emotional story, beautiful art, and voice acting!”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its impressive soundtrack and beautiful paint-style art, which together create a unique and immersive experience. While some users noted a desire for additional atmospheric sounds, the overall combination of music and visuals effectively enhances the storytelling.
“Great game, a truly amazing soundtrack that really creates the desired atmosphere and some very nice art.”
“Lovely paint-style art with subtle animation here and there that enhances the atmosphere.”
“The rest of the music was nice and when combined with the art, created an atmosphere quite different from a lot of other stories.”
“Definitely would've recommended more atmospheric sounds; the music box elements initially gave me some cringes, but it's okay now that I understand the plot.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is noted for its effective use of time mechanics, surpassing similar titles, and while the story is well-constructed within its limited gameplay framework, some users feel it could have been improved. However, it is also criticized for being primarily a visual novel with minimal interactive gameplay elements.
“This game used the time mechanic way better than Tenet.”
“I would say they did a pretty good job piecing together such a story for such a gameplay time frame, but it could have been better.”
“And this is just a visual novel with no gameplay attached to it!”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is rated 7/10, indicating that it is relatively simple and lacks depth, with minimal personality building over the course of 1 to 2 hours. While some players find this acceptable, the overall consensus suggests a desire for more complexity and growth in the characters.
“Character development: 7/10 (very simple, nothing too complex nor much development in 1 to 2 hours)”
“There is very little character development and personality building, and I suppose that is okay.”
“The characters feel one-dimensional and lack any meaningful growth throughout the game.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of depth in the character arcs; they felt static and unengaging.”
