Sword of Asumi

About

"Sword of Asumi" is a visual novel game that follows the story of a skilled ninja assassin, Asumi, on her quest for vengeance. With a blend of action, drama, and romance, players will navigate Asumi's complex relationships and make decisions that affect the outcome of the story. The game features stunning anime-style artwork and a thrilling soundtrack, immersing players in the world of feudal Japan.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 190 reviews

story58 positive mentions

gameplay6 negative mentions

Decent visual novel with good replay value and an enjoyable soundtrack.
Interesting premise of an assassin in a high school setting with multiple endings and romance options.
Characters are well-written and the story, while short, holds together well with engaging choices.

The game is quite short, with some players finishing it in just a couple of hours, leading to a lack of depth.
Many choices feel inconsequential, resulting in a linear experience despite the multiple endings.
The writing suffers from grammatical issues and some scenes feel rushed or unfinished, detracting from the overall experience.

story
196 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
68%
2%
The story of the game is generally considered decent but often criticized for being short, predictable, and lacking depth in character development. While some players appreciated the engaging premise of an assassin navigating a school setting with multiple endings and choices, others found the narrative to be clichéd and rushed, with inconsistencies and a lack of meaningful impact from player decisions. Overall, it offers a straightforward experience that may appeal to visual novel fans, but it may not leave a lasting impression.
- “I personally really enjoyed the story and it definitely has some replay value to see the different ways the story ends.”
- “Whilst it may seem simple, it is incredibly well executed, with some good twists and intrigue behind everything as you slowly uncover more of the story.”
- “A lovely novel with interesting characters, a good story, beautiful artwork and a lot of story affecting choices.”
- “The story is predictable and the characters aren't very interesting.”
- “The writing and story aren't anything to write home about.”
- “Though still, the story is very short, cliche, and rushed in its delivery; it's not very well thought out.”
music
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
40%
4%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising the soundtrack as a standout feature, particularly the opening theme and combat music. While some found the overall music quality to be decent, others expressed disappointment due to high expectations based on soundtrack references. Overall, the soundtrack is often recommended for purchase, highlighting its entertainment value despite some issues with looping and limited variety.
- “One of the main things that I loved about this game though was the soundtrack.”
- “The music is definitely epic.”
- “Kudos, it's an amazing song and overall the game has some really good music that fits the situations nicely.”
- “The music was decent, but I had higher expectations given the soundtrack references.”
- “I started skipping every part after it became obvious that there wasn't going to be any sound other than the music.”
- “A modest visual novel that suffers the same problems as a lot of other Steam VNs - overly simplistic story, limited music, typos, and story inconsistencies due to reusing text for different choices or sequences of choices.”
graphics
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
30%
10%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful artwork and unique art style, while others find the overall graphics to be simple and lacking variation. Many users appreciate the character designs and backgrounds, but note that the static nature of some scenes detracts from the experience. Overall, the graphics are generally considered decent, with a score around 7/10, though improvements like voice acting could enhance the presentation.
- “Great game, amazing artwork, multiple endings and match-ups.”
- “A lovely novel with interesting characters, a good story, beautiful artwork and a lot of story-affecting choices.”
- “I loved the artwork, it was very well done and the music was somewhat enthralling.”
- “I'm not a fan of the art style in the CGs, and this is a big turn off for me.”
- “This is a cute visual novel with very simple artwork.”
- “There is nearly no variation in graphics; in some scenes, there is only one standstill picture, while all the action is only in text.”
gameplay
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
63%
25%
The gameplay of "Sword of Asumi" is characterized as a standard visual novel experience, featuring minimal mechanics and a very short playtime, typically around two to five hours. Players express disappointment over the lack of depth and meaningful content, with many elements feeling scrapped or underdeveloped, leading to a quick and unsatisfying experience. While some appreciate the soundtrack and customization options, the overall consensus is that the gameplay does not offer much value.
- “Also, it makes for a quick gameplay experience for one or two evenings (my first walkthrough took less than 5 hours, and I was reading everything, looking at pictures, and taking my time; it could be done much faster).”
- “Gameplay: Sword of Asumi plays like your regular visual novel where you read and occasionally make decisions that will affect your outcome of the story.”
- “I bought the deluxe version of Sword of Asumi, and while it doesn't affect gameplay, I loved the soundtrack and the fact that you can change what Asumi looks like.”
- “Now my big problem with Sword of Asumi's gameplay is that it is short!”
- “Though I can't really complain about the decisions too much, the amount of gameplay you will be getting is kind of pathetic.”
- “In dating sims, you put in the time for that super sweet ending, and instead all you get is a sentence and a picture you've already seen from gameplay.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The game offers decent replayability, primarily due to multiple endings and the ability to make different choices, such as character interactions and class selections. However, many players note that the overarching story remains largely unchanged regardless of romantic choices, which can limit the overall replay value. While some enjoy revisiting the game for its character dynamics, others feel the replayability is not particularly strong.
- “I personally really enjoyed the story and it definitely has some replay value to see the different ways the story ends.”
- “It's got a lot of replayability behind it.”
- “Also, there are many endings based on your decisions and some great replay value to switch up which classes you take.”
- “The story itself does not change much no matter who you decide to romance, which diminishes replay value; in fact, the canonical ending has you romance no one.”
- “In any case, I enjoyed the interactions between Asumi and the romantic interests; seeing how Asumi interacts with them makes the game replayable even if almost all of the overarching plot remains the same no matter what.”
- “, not much replayability”
character development
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
55%
27%
Overall, the character development in the game is criticized for being superficial and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting that it fails to provide sufficient background or growth for the characters. While the concept is intriguing, the writing does not effectively enhance the characters, leaving players wanting more substantial development.
- “The concept was interesting, but the writing and character development were lacking.”
- “Characters could have had better character development.”
- “There is hardly any kind of character development and some decisions you have to make appear unrealistic.”
- “Character development basically skims the surface on a lot of the characters. While this may be an investigation, I would expect at least more information on the protagonist and some main characters to help develop the story.”
- “Characters could have had some better character development.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely derived from its quirky characters and their interactions, which add levity to an otherwise dark narrative. However, the writing occasionally falters, leading to unintentional comedic moments that some players find amusing while others may see as frustrating. Overall, the humor can be hit or miss, appealing to those who enjoy laughing at both intentional and accidental jokes.
- “Apart from the story itself, the characters were funny and interesting, adding humor to the game's shadowy story.”
- “However, while it's nearly always clear that there's a story in there worth telling, the writing falls really flat every so often, and it's not uncommon for the proofreading to fail in ways both painful and hilarious.”
- “Okay, I will say that I did enjoy this visual novel, but mostly by overlooking most of the negatives, and instead by laughing at what were probably unintentional funny moments.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate that the game avoids traditional grinding mechanics commonly found in dating sims and stat progression, allowing for a more streamlined and enjoyable experience.
- “No dating-sim grinding.”
- “No stats grinding.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "To the Moon" is highlighted as a deeply moving experience that can evoke tears, showcasing its impactful storytelling. However, some users criticize the dialogue as feeling rushed and lacking genuine emotion, suggesting a sense of commercialism that detracts from the overall emotional depth.
- “To the Moon was an emotional tale, and it got me to cry.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is reported to have significant stability issues, with multiple users noting that it is quite buggy.
- “This game is rather buggy.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The overall atmosphere of the game is generally well-received, with users expressing a positive sentiment about its immersive qualities.