Summer Memories
- June 14, 2020
- Dojin Otome
- 13h median play time
"Summer Memories" is a narrative-driven game where players visit their family in a quiet mountain village for the summer. The game is filled with various mysteries and social intrigues to uncover, such as cousins' worries, a social media sensation, a mermaid's treasure hunt, and a gacha mask-wearing weirdo. Interacting with the village's inhabitants and exploring various locations will help players unravel the town's secrets.
Reviews
- story122 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some praising its depth and character development, while others criticize it for being absurd or lacking coherence. Many players appreciate the engaging side quests and character interactions that enhance the narrative, though some feel the adult themes overshadow the plot. Overall, while the story may not be the main draw for everyone, it offers a blend of humor, romance, and interactive elements that can be enjoyable for those seeking a casual experience.
“This is a game with a very good story.”
“The story was enjoyable.”
“The overall story of this game is beautiful; it has made me cry countless times, in fact, I'm still crying.”
“The story is so stupid!”
“The pure absurdity and stupidity of the story and gameplay just turns me off completely and makes me keep laughing at the story and saying 'of course that happens.'”
“If you were coming to this game for any kind of complex or meaningful story, then I'm sorry to disappoint you.”
- gameplay87 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of engaging mechanics and time management challenges, with players navigating through various locations and interacting with characters in an isometric view. While some find the mechanics simple and enjoyable, others criticize the limited time frame and lack of clear explanations, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the game offers a blend of adult content and diverse gameplay elements, making it appealing for those seeking both narrative depth and replayability.
“The gameplay itself consists of moving through several locations where you see an isometric view of a room or place. In these views, you can interact with characters or perform certain actions such as taking a nap, using a computer, or taking a bath.”
“What makes this game so fun are the gameplay elements, characters, amazingly done animations, and lots of little things that make the entire game so unique.”
“The mechanics, controls, and UI are very simple and intuitive, promoting one-handed play.”
“You're forced to do everything in 15 short in-game days, which is not nearly enough time to figure out all the mechanics of the game in time to make real progress.”
“The gameplay is simple and frustrating at the same time.”
“Navigation is slideshow based... it's like 10 generations behind peeping dorm manager in engine and gameplay.”
- graphics52 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a mix of charming pixel art and anime-style visuals, which some players find appealing despite the low resolution and occasional blurriness when enlarged. While the art style and animations are praised, technical issues such as jagged lines and a lack of video configuration detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are considered simple yet effective, with a nostalgic aesthetic that resonates well with fans of pixel art games.
“The art style and graphics of this game are quite interesting for these kinds of games. This game uses an anime-style pixel art, including the big character graphics and some CG during special encounters/events, while the environment is presented as semi-isometric pixel art.”
“The graphics and animations in the game are top-notch.”
“The aesthetic and gameplay are nostalgic while the game is pleasing to the eyes.”
“The resolution is low and there's no video configuration, but I guess the pixel art works... it just, when it is enlarged, some graphics get blurry even if the element looks pixel art, perhaps not having enough pixels.”
“Graphical quality is way lower than implied by the screenshots.”
“The graphics and resolution are terrible.”
- emotional31 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of heartwarming experiences and family bonding, often evoking feelings of nostalgia and warmth. While many players appreciate the wholesome moments and the potential for deep connections, some express disappointment over the game's shift towards explicit content, which detracts from the initially intended emotional narrative. Overall, the game is seen as a mix of cozy family interactions and more adult themes, leading to a varied emotional response among players.
“It's just a super cozy and heartwarming experience to play this game.”
“Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
“The overall story of this game is beautiful, it has made me cry countless times, in fact I'm still crying.”
- replayability16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its high replayability, offering various endings, secrets, and engaging mechanics that encourage multiple playthroughs. Players appreciate the depth of content, including different character routes and the ability to explore new strategies, although some note that replay value may diminish as players become familiar with the mechanics. Overall, it provides a fun and enjoyable experience with ample opportunities for exploration and discovery.
“Overall, it is a fun and enjoyable game with plenty to do, lots of replayability, lots of secrets, and some interesting mechanics.”
“The game offers a wholesome amount of replayability, so it's really up to you to have enough dedication to experience everything about it.”
“Original gameplay mechanics, good main story, entertaining side-stories, and total replayability to get all endings.”
“Granted, the replay value suffers as you become set up to break the game mechanics and economy.”
“Replayability of this game actually exists to get different endings.”
“Original gameplay mechanics, good main story, entertaining side-stories, the pixel sprite animations are great, the isometric perspective is refreshing, total replayability to get all endings.”
- humor15 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdity and outlandish dialogue, often leading to hilariously nonsensical scenarios that players find amusing. While some dialogues may be overly silly or bland, the overall comedic tone is appreciated, with players enjoying the unexpected humor in mundane tasks and the outrageous plot twists. Despite its flaws, many reviewers find the humor to be a standout feature, contributing to an entertaining experience.
“It's hilariously bad.”
“The story here is full of completely unbelievable scenarios, tons of character tropes, and really strange, but sometimes humorous, dialogue.”
“The plot was frickin hilarious and didn't make any sense.”
- music15 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally appreciated for its relaxing qualities and thematic fit, with some tracks evoking a nostalgic RPG vibe reminiscent of titles like Stardew Valley. However, many users note that the soundtrack is limited, often recycling a small number of songs, which can detract from the overall experience. While the sound effects can be distracting at times, the music is still considered a highlight, contributing to the game's atmosphere.
“I love the music, characters, their moments, and of course its theme; it's sometimes relaxing, sometimes just like Stardew Valley.”
“Some RPG-inspired classic bangers - the fishing song being one of the harder tracks, in my honest opinion.”
“Good to play with music for relaxing.”
“Music is fitting but not memorable.”
“The game has like maybe 5 or so songs that it recycles over and over throughout it.”
“The sound effects, much like the music, can often be very distracting while playing and sometimes don't even loop properly, leading to weird silences and then a sudden startup again.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and boring, often requiring excessive repetition of scenes and tasks to progress. While some acknowledge that it can occupy time, the overall sentiment leans towards frustration with the grindy gameplay mechanics.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Gameplay is infuriatingly boring and tedious.”
“Mostly replaying scenes and grinding for cash because I get bored in between work.”
- stability7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and loading errors that hinder gameplay. Many players recommend frequent saving due to occasional semi-crashes, where the screen freezes while audio and controls remain functional. Overall, the game's stability issues detract significantly from the experience, leading to frustration among users.
“I don't even know how this game is very positive, it's a buggy mess and I wasted 20 dollars on it because I listened to the good reviews.”
“The game is buggy; I got a loading error where an image wouldn't show up, so I can't even make progress.”
“Save often; the game semi-crashes (audio and control still work but the screen freezes) randomly, but thankfully it doesn't happen that often.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally stable, with few performance issues reported; however, players have noted occasional stuttering during large number countdowns, which appears to be a bug rather than a systemic performance problem. Additionally, there are concerns about potential performance degradation over extended play sessions, a common issue with RPG Maker titles.
“The game is made (I believe) by RPG Maker; it will suffer a performance degradation over a long period of playtime, and it's not exclusive to this game.”
“I have had very few performance-related issues with it, though I have noticed it will sometimes stutter when counting down/up large numbers.”
“This seems to be completely arbitrary, and I have no idea why this is. While not a performance issue, it does seem to be a bug.”
- character development3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The character development in "summer memories" is highlighted by its meticulous design and dynamic art style, effectively capturing the essence of a Japanese summer. While the character designs are visually stunning and serve the game's purpose, there is a noted desire for greater diversity in body types. Overall, the game promises engaging gameplay that keeps players entertained.
“Summer Memories boasts meticulous attention to detail, from the intricacies of character design to the stunning backdrop of the Japanese summer.”
“The gameplay and art style are well made and dynamic; the character design is gorgeous and definitely shows the purpose of the game.”
“I do wish the character designs had more diversity in figure, but maybe it's something in the water or the food out there.”
“I do wish the character designs had more diversity in figure; it feels like there's a lack of variety in the characters.”
“The character development feels shallow and one-dimensional, making it hard to connect with them.”
“I expected more depth in the characters' backstories, but they all seem to follow the same predictable arcs.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is deeply immersive, effectively conveying emotions through detailed visuals and creating a captivating world filled with oppressive, souls-like elements. Players experience a blend of exploration and survival mechanics, complemented by a simple yet appealing art style that enhances the overall ambiance.
“Details and drawing reliably convey emotions and create an atmosphere, immersing the player in a fascinating world.”
“28 days, 3 actions per day, skill trees, stamina consumption, heating, motivation, unlocking new abilities, jumping atop of a mountain, learning how to survive, fishing, cleaning, exploration, menacing enemies at every corner (of the house), the atmosphere is oppressive and very souls-like.”
“The game atmosphere and scenarios are also decent and the art, although simple, is very good.”