WAGAMAMA HIGH SPEC
- July 26, 2017
- madosoft
- 29h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Wagamama High Spec," Narumi Kouki, a creator of a racy romantic comedy manga, discovers his illustrator is the Student Council President. Forced to keep his work a secret, he joins the council, leading to comedic misunderstandings and students' requests, all while juggling his manga creation and trying to prevent his secret from being exposed. This romantic visual novel is packed with humor, drama, and romance, featuring beautiful artwork and engaging storylines.
Reviews
- The game features a solid art style with beautiful character designs and well-drawn backgrounds.
- The humor is entertaining, with many funny dialogues and character interactions that keep the experience lighthearted.
- Ashe's route stands out as the best, providing a well-written drama romance that adds depth to the story.
- The story is often predictable and lacks originality, with many routes feeling similar and underwhelming.
- The main character is bland and lacks charm, making it difficult for players to connect with him.
- Some routes, particularly Toa's and Kaoruko's, are considered boring and fail to deliver engaging narratives.
- story93 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally perceived as average, with many reviewers noting its predictability and lack of depth in character development. While some routes, particularly Ashe's, stand out for their emotional engagement and humor, others are criticized for being dull and uninteresting. Overall, the narrative serves primarily as a vehicle for character interactions, with mixed opinions on its execution and pacing.
“Ashe's route is the clear standout, giving enough into her character to drive home how she sees the world and how Kouki fits into it while also having a cohesive enough plot that makes sense.”
“Wagamama High Spec may seem expensive for its price, but it's got an enjoyable story with different levels of dramatic elements per route, excellent voice acting, a good translation, and incredible art by the hands of Utsunomiya Tsumire.”
“But what makes this story unique is that it is able to make me root for the main character when it reaches the climax and hate him when I have to. It allows me to go through a rollercoaster of emotion before I am allowed to reach the ending, which for every one of the heroines tells a different story.”
“The story of the novel gets very boring very fast and at some point I started skipping whole conversations because of the uninteresting and trivial story outbreaks and dialogs.”
“Overall feelings on the game is that it's pretty weak in the story section but makes up for it with cute girls and some rather funny conversations.”
“My only real critique of the story besides the above is that it seems to gloss over way too many events that it gives a build up to.”
- humor32 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its lighthearted and entertaining nature, with many players highlighting the comedic interactions between characters, particularly in the Mihiro route. While some humor leans towards typical fan-service and cringe, the overall dialogue and character dynamics are described as genuinely funny, making players laugh out loud throughout their experience. The game successfully balances absurdity and charm, creating a delightful atmosphere that keeps players engaged despite any narrative weaknesses.
“Mihiro's route is just funny all the way to the epilogue.”
“Delightfully adorable and hilarious at every turn.”
“I spent 29 hours playing this, and of those about 25 involved me laughing out loud or grinning like an idiot.”
- music13 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it forgettable and lacking standout tracks, while others appreciate its ability to reflect the story's environment and enhance the overall experience. Many agree that the soundtrack is decent and enjoyable, with a few standout pieces, but it doesn't leave a lasting impression. Overall, the music is generally considered good but not exceptional, serving its purpose without being particularly memorable.
“I find that the music and OST reflect the environment of the story well.”
“It is fantastically written, the music is nice, and all characters are lovable!”
“The soundtrack is also pretty nice to listen to and doesn't get stale.”
“The music was very forgettable, with me not remembering any part of any single track within a couple of hours of finishing the game in its entirety.”
“Drawings and animations are lacking (few CGs and frequently reused backgrounds), while music tracks are meh.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their quality, featuring a solid art style with appealing character and background designs, as well as smooth animations. While some players may not personally enjoy the art style, many appreciate the high-quality artwork and the variety it offers, with a well-executed engine that enhances the visual experience. Overall, the visuals and accompanying music are considered standout elements in the game, contributing positively to the overall experience.
“The quality of the artwork and the game engine itself screams quality.”
“The artwork is good (both character art and background art), and the character animations are nice.”
“I can't give a decent review about the story at this point in time as I haven't gotten very far yet, but I can say that the visuals and BGM are some of the best I have experienced in a visual novel.”
“The art style is not my liking, but since I bought this game at a huge discount, and I heard a lot of praise for Madosoft, I decided to buy this game.”
“The quality of the artwork and the game engine itself screams quality.”
“Wagamama features a solid art style with high variety, a default romcom soundtrack that isn't too annoying even when listening to the same songs for a long time, with one or two pretty cool tracks in between and a solid engine foundation, running on the Kirikiri engine.”
- emotional13 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is described as a mix of wholesome and touching moments, particularly in certain character routes, while also featuring elements that can evoke deeper feelings, such as sadness and engagement. Some players found the narratives to be heartwarming and relaxing, while others noted that certain routes left them feeling depressed, indicating a complex emotional experience that varies by character. Overall, the game offers a blend of cute and impactful storytelling, appealing to those who appreciate both lighthearted and more profound emotional themes.
“As far as the four possible routes in this game, overall, I found the story very touching.”
“I've only just completed Toa's chapter and the game has without a doubt kept me engaged with not only the wholesome story elements but also a unique cast of characters as well.”
“It's a great visual novel that actually made me feel depressed for the whole day after I finished Kaoruko-senpai's route and again after I finished the whole game.”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay in the visual novel is minimal, primarily consisting of clicking through the story, which some users find does not detract from the experience. However, the lack of depth in characters and an unengaging story leaves much to be desired, making the overall gameplay feel simplistic and straightforward.
“Either way, it doesn't hinder the gameplay in any way.”
“The gameplay was simple and easy, and the options are basically straightforward.”
“In a visual novel, there is no gameplay to speak of other than clicking.”
“The gameplay was simple and easy, and the options are basically straightforward.”
“The story is uninteresting and the characters are terribly thin and lack depth; they're literally nothing but either a romance option or a romance-reinforcing mechanic.”
- character development5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features strong character development, highlighted by well-designed characters like Kaoruko and Mihiro, and engaging storylines that vary for each heroine. Players appreciate the emotional depth and progression of the plots, particularly in Ashe's route, which offers a satisfying blend of revelation and mystery. Overall, the character arcs effectively showcase how each heroine's unique personality influences their relationship with the main character.
“Good character design (love Kaoruko and Mihiro) and fair plots (Ashe route was the best one: nice progression pace and emotional plot twist).”
“It allows me to go through a rollercoaster of emotions before I reach the ending. Each heroine tells a different story, and their personalities provide unique perspectives. The character development really shows how they came to like the main character, ensuring you know everything you need to know while leaving some secrets for you to guess, which leads to an amazing outcome for all the heroines.”
“The art and character designs are very beautiful and well drawn.”
“The character development feels rushed and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists on a meaningful level.”
“I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, leaving me disappointed with their growth throughout the game.”
“While the game attempts to showcase character development, it often falls flat, resulting in one-dimensional characters that fail to evolve.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from optimization issues, featuring a native resolution of only 720p, which can detract from the visual experience, particularly in close-up scenes. Additionally, players have reported significant performance problems with moving images.
“The game sadly only has a native 720p resolution, which can become impactful in some close-up scenes with highly zoomed-in backgrounds or sprites.”
“It has notable performance issues with moving images, which detracts from the overall experience.”
“The optimization feels lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the atmosphere of the game, noting that it complements the engaging story and enhances the overall experience.
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the world.”
“I love how the atmosphere sets the mood for every scene.”
“The game's atmosphere is hauntingly beautiful, making every moment feel significant.”
