The Way We ALL GO

About

The Way We ALL GO is a single player action game. It was developed by ebi-hime and was released on March 24, 2015. It received positive reviews from players.

In this horror visual novel, we follow Atcchan, our protagonist, who left his hometown two years ago. Now he is finally able to return - but only for three days. How will his old friends react to him, and will their relationships be able to stand the test of time? For a person who's always been afraid of change, this is a worrying prospect for our hero... but it's something he will have to overco…

Genres & Tags

Indie

Play Modes

Single-Player

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89%

Audience ScoreBased on 228 reviews

story70 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features a wide variety of endings (21 in total), providing significant replayability and depth to the story.
The writing is engaging and emotional, with well-developed characters that evolve throughout the different routes.
The mix of dark themes and character-driven narratives creates a compelling experience that keeps players invested.

The protagonist is often seen as spineless and annoying, which can detract from the overall enjoyment of the story.
Some dialogues are excessively long and filled with filler, making parts of the game feel tedious.
The artwork and music quality are inconsistent, with some backgrounds and character designs being subpar.

story
248 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
68%
4%
The story of "The Way We All Go" is a captivating visual novel that intertwines a seemingly cute narrative with darker themes, featuring a variety of branching paths and 21 different endings that enhance emotional engagement. While some players found the pacing slow and certain routes predictable, many praised the depth of character development and the impactful storytelling that evokes a range of emotions, from joy to heartbreak. Overall, the game is recommended for those who appreciate rich narratives and character-driven plots, despite some criticisms regarding the protagonist's portrayal and the occasional lack of originality in certain endings.
- “Something that can make me love its story and its characters, make me really happy, smiling from ear to ear and then kill one of the characters and make me cry.”
- “The story and characters are good, and getting the 'true' ending to the game makes dealing with the struggle and heartbreaks worth it.”
- “The characters are relatable and the story is done very well, so well that I found myself actually feeling a strong connection to the characters.”
- “The story is predictable, and at 200k words, a lot of the text just seems to be there to up the word count or make the game longer.”
- “Absolutely boring story with poorly written characters.”
- “21 endings is indeed very ambitious, but it seems clear that Ebi-Hime spread the story too thin between all the endings, weakening the routes themselves.”
music
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
65%
4%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its chill and relaxing nature, often pausing to enjoy it during gameplay. While some noted that the soundtrack consists of royalty-free tracks that can feel generic or repetitive, others found the music fitting and nostalgic, enhancing the overall experience. Despite its stock origins, the music effectively complements the game's atmosphere and storytelling, making it a memorable aspect for many players.
- “Sometimes I would just stop reading and progressing the story just to listen to the music.”
- “I love the music! I often found myself just sitting back and listening to the music in the main menu or in a certain scene. I really enjoyed it and I want to buy it.”
- “The music, though literally stock, was pretty catchy. I've yet to hear these tracks from anything else, so for the sake of memory and nostalgia, they'll always be associated with this game now (in a good way).”
- “The presentation of the visual novel is rather bland, with stock background photos, music, SFX, and UI.”
- “The art isn't great, neither is the music, but with dark twists and many different endings, I think this game is still worth a go.”
- “That being said, the game suffers from subpar artwork (downright horrid in some places), terrible music, and an incredible amount of filler that drags some scenes on for far too long.”
graphics
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
72%
11%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the unique and cute anime art style, while others criticize its inconsistency and amateurish quality. Many note that the artwork, though not a standout feature, complements the storytelling and helps create an engaging atmosphere. Overall, while the visuals may not appeal to everyone, they are deemed acceptable for a visual novel focused more on narrative than graphical excellence.
- “From the beginning, really: all the artwork is stunning!”
- “The artwork is rendered with photo backgrounds and anime characters imposed, featuring a mix of facial expressions complete with sound effects for those funny moments.”
- “Art style is simple, but fantastic, in its own way.”
- “The graphics seem a little amateurish most of the time, with a few scenes that are well made; let's call it unique.”
- “That being said, the game suffers from subpar artwork (downright horrid in some places), terrible music, and an incredible amount of filler that drags some scenes on for far too long.”
- “Many people are put off by this style, preferring to read something with both a reasonable story and reasonable artwork.”
emotional
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
92%
8%
The emotional aspect of the game is highly varied, with players experiencing a wide range of feelings from heartwarming joy to deep sadness, often feeling emotionally drained by the end. The writing effectively captures diverse emotional tones, allowing for both uplifting and disturbing moments that resonate with players. While some found the story engaging and emotionally rich, others criticized it for poor character development, highlighting a mixed reception regarding its emotional impact.
- “Some of the endings had me smiling a lot while some others almost made me cry.”
- “The writing is incredibly diverse, ranging from emotional to dark themes to light humor depending on the characters involved; I enjoyed the descriptive nature of the writing that allowed the reader to get sucked into the plots, and at times, I wondered how much was creative writing and how much was taken or inspired from experience.”
- “This story lets you ride the emotional highs and lows, from heartwarming happy endings to... well, you see those blood splatters in the game's banner, yes?”
- “Absolutely boring story with poorly written characters.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, featuring moments of genuine laughter alongside a darker, more disturbing narrative. While some characters and situations elicit laughs, particularly through quirky interactions and expressions, the overall comedic impact is undermined by the game's heavy themes and lengthy dialogue. Players who appreciate the blend of cutesy anime art and dark humor may find enjoyment, but the humor may not resonate with everyone.
- “The artwork is rendered with photo backgrounds and the anime characters have a mix of facial expressions complete with sound effects for those funny moments.”
- “Some made me gasp in disbelief and some made me laugh.”
- “Sure there were funny parts like the main character's grandpa loves wearing Hawaiian shirts under his hama and other things I will not spoil.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The atmosphere of the novel is highly praised, with music enhancing the setting and evoking comparisons to "Higurashi." While the zooming effects and character eye changes are noted as unique, some reviewers feel that more varied poses could contribute to a livelier ambiance. Overall, the engaging atmosphere, combined with well-developed characters and drama, creates an entertaining experience, despite some criticisms regarding background visuals and filler content.
- “These endings were incredibly atmospheric and it was very entertaining reading them.”
- “The music really adds to the Higurashi atmosphere.”
- “Kinda reminds me of Higurashi in a way, though more in the sense of the atmosphere of the setting rather than how the story itself plays out.”
- “Zooming in effect was cool and the eye change in some characters are new, but different poses would help create a livelier atmosphere in the novel.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
37%
13%
The game boasts exceptional replayability, highlighted by its 21 diverse endings that range from happy to tragic, making it a compelling experience for players. Many reviewers rate its replay value highly, with some giving it a score of 9/10, emphasizing that the challenge of unlocking different endings enhances the overall enjoyment. However, players should be prepared to invest significant time to fully explore all the possibilities.
- “Replayability: 9/10. Honestly, replayability is the strongest element in a visual novel, and I think this game definitely has it in the bag with 21 endings in total. Some of them, without referring to a guide, can be hard to get, but it makes playing this game all the more worthwhile. Just make sure you have enough time though.”
- “High replay value.”
- “With 21 different endings ranging from happy to tragic, it has a lot of replay value.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
38%
The gameplay primarily consists of reading and making choices, with minimal interactive elements, leading to multiple endings based on player decisions. Players can expect a narrative-driven experience with a focus on story and character interactions rather than traditional gameplay mechanics.
- “The only means of gameplay is reading, selecting choices, and clicking to make the text progress (I personally use the 'return' key).”
- “A lot of reading, cute girls, little to no actual gameplay; if it’s not kinetic, then choices that lead to 3-10 different endings.”
- “I've so far completed ten of the 21 routes in 15 hours of gameplay.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, particularly the repetitive quest to kill 20,000 goblins, which can lead to hours of monotonous gameplay. This grind is compounded by a lack of engaging character development, as the protagonist's inner thoughts and interactions feel tedious and unoriginal. Overall, the grinding detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “Now here is a quest for the next story arc: kill 20,000 goblins. And you run around for the next 20 hours farming goblins.”
- “The grinding is mind-numbing; it feels like I'm just going through the motions without any real engagement.”
- “The repetitive tasks make the game feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game features impressive character development within a brief three-day narrative, with notable growth evident in the "good" endings. The overall quality of character design, writing, music, and translation enhances the experience, making it a recommended title despite some criticisms of character aesthetics.
- “The endings where it could be considered somewhat of a 'good' end all contain remarkable character development for a visual novel that spans three days.”
- “Definitely recommend, despite the quality character designs.”
- “Character design, writing, music, and translation are all solid.”
- “Definitely recommend, despite the 'quality' character designs.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is well-optimized, offering smooth performance and customizable visual novel options without any issues reported by users.
- “The game features the usual visual novel options, and everything runs smoothly. You can customize it as you wish, with no problems at all.”