WAGAMAMA HIGH SPEC
- July 26, 2017
- madosoft
- 29h median play time
In "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 charming cast of characters with distinct personalities, making interactions enjoyable and humorous.
- Ashe's route stands out as a well-written drama romance, providing emotional depth and character development.
- The art and character designs are visually appealing, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience.
- The story lacks originality and depth, with many routes feeling predictable and underwhelming.
- The protagonist is bland and fails to engage players, making it difficult to connect with the narrative.
- Several routes are criticized for being repetitive and lacking significant character exploration, leading to a less satisfying experience.
- story102 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 54 % 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.”
“The overarching story and main character are easily relatable without being too on the nose; you will find yourself laughing, tearing up, or smiling like a dumb school girl while playing this visual novel.”
“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.”
- humor34 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 relatable moments, resulting in a delightful and humorous visual novel that keeps players engaged.
“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.”
- graphics15 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their quality, featuring a solid art style, appealing character designs, and nice animations. While some players may not personally enjoy the art style, many appreciate the variety and overall visual presentation, noting that the game runs smoothly on the kirikiri engine. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, contributing positively to the gaming experience.
“The artwork is good (both character art and background art), and the character animations are nice.”
“A beautiful story, fantastic characters, amazing art style.”
“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.”
- emotional14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed, with some routes, particularly Ashe's and Kaoruko's, being described as touching and engaging, while others lack depth and heartwarming moments. Players appreciate the wholesome elements and unique character designs, but some express that the overall emotional impact can be inconsistent, with certain narratives leaving them feeling depressed rather than uplifted. Overall, the game offers a blend of cute and emotional experiences, appealing to those who enjoy a calm, relaxing romcom.
“As far as the four possible routes in this game, overall, I found the story very touching.”
“Good character design (love Kaoruko and Mihiro) and fair plots (Ashe's route was the best one: nice progression pace and emotional plot twist).”
“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.”
- music13 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 15 % 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 describe it as enjoyable and well-produced. Overall, the soundtrack is considered decent, with a few memorable pieces, but not compelling enough for players to seek out independently.
“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.”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % 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 the 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.”
“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
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game features strong character development, highlighted by well-designed characters like Kaoruko and Mihiro, and engaging storylines that offer emotional depth and varied perspectives. Players appreciate the pacing and plot twists, particularly in Ashe's route, which enhances the overall experience and allows for a satisfying exploration of each heroine's journey and relationship with the main character. The beautiful art style complements the character arcs, making the emotional rollercoaster even more impactful.
“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 how they evolved throughout the game.”
“While the game attempts to showcase character growth, it ultimately falls flat, as the changes feel forced and unearned.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game suffers from optimization issues, notably running at a native 720p resolution, which can detract from visual quality in close-up scenes. Additionally, players have reported significant performance problems, particularly 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 frustrating frame drops during critical moments.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the atmosphere of the game, highlighting it as a key element that enhances the overall experience, particularly in relation to the engaging story.
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the world.”
“I love how the atmosphere enhances the storytelling experience.”
“The game's atmosphere is hauntingly beautiful, creating a perfect backdrop for the adventure.”