Winter Polaris
- December 12, 2019
- stage-nana
Get on Steam"Winter Polaris" is a visual novel consisting of two stories. In "Winter Polaris," a disease causes people to disappear, leading the protagonist to flee to the mountains and later meet a mysterious, supposedly immortal girl in a ruined city. "Sweeper Swimmer" follows Elena, a resident of a small island who works as a sweeper to clean up marine litter, while uncovering secrets about the sea and her past. Gameplay focuses on narrative-driven choices and exploration.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Winter Polaris features a compelling and emotional narrative that explores themes of life, love, and immortality in a post-apocalyptic setting.
- The artwork and music effectively establish the mood, enhancing the overall experience of the visual novel.
- The unique storytelling approach, with two intertwining narratives, offers a fresh perspective and keeps players engaged throughout.
- The writing can feel disjointed and confusing, with abrupt time skips and a lack of character development that detracts from the emotional impact.
- Limited character art and repetitive backgrounds can make the visual experience feel monotonous and less engaging.
- Technical issues, such as small text size and inconsistent voice acting volume, can hinder the overall enjoyment of the game.
- story87 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of "Winter Polaris" is a poignant exploration of life, love, and immortality set against a post-apocalyptic backdrop, intertwining two narratives: the melancholic main story and a lighter side story. While the storytelling is praised for its emotional depth and thematic richness, some reviewers noted issues with pacing and disjointedness, which can detract from character development. Overall, it is regarded as a touching and meaningful visual novel that resonates with contemporary themes, despite its narrative flaws.
“A heavy story about life, love, and the future in a post-apocalyptic world.”
“Winter Polaris tells a touching story that has some fantastic themes of loneliness and existence.”
“The events and how the characters deal with the situations they find themselves in play on themes of what it means to be alive, which had me eagerly progressing through the episodes to learn where their story ends.”
“The story feels too fast, not much is explained, and for the most part it feels kind of lifeless up until the very end.”
“Not only are you constantly flipping back and forth between these two stories and having to juggle all of the characters and events in both, but you're constantly jumping all over the place in each individual story.”
“It made the overall writing feel incredibly disjointed and did not give the characters the growth that they needed in order to have the impact that the story was looking for by the end of it.”
- music12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its beauty and fitting atmosphere, with many players finding it soothing and nostalgic, particularly in relation to the visual novel "Narcissu." However, some reviewers noted the limited variety, mentioning that the same few tracks are repeated throughout the experience, which can lead to a sense of monotony. Overall, while the music enhances the setting, its repetitive nature detracts from the overall enjoyment for some players.
“In regards to the soundtrack, the music is beautiful.”
“I'd say that the music was one of my favorite aspects of this visual novel.”
“By the way, I love the art and music; it is always fitting to the setting I'm presented with.”
“The same can be said for the game's music, of which it felt like I was only hearing the same three or four tracks on repeat for the entire six-hour experience.”
“- limited art and music assets”
“[*][b]limited art and music assets.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartwarming and thought-provoking narrative, which explores profound themes of love, loneliness, and existence. While some players may feel disconnected from the emotional impact, many appreciate the depth and content of the story, especially given its free availability. Overall, the game effectively combines whimsical elements with serious topics, creating a poignant experience.
“I was amazed at how much content and heart-wrenching the story was for it being free.”
“Bringing a well-constructed and heartwarming love story that fills your mind with questions about life and death.”
“Despite seeming zany at first, the game deals with severe and touching topics with added themes of fantasy.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The graphics effectively set the mood with a minimalist approach, featuring letterboxed backgrounds and occasional character CGs, reminiscent of the developer's previous titles like Narcissu and Rain Marginal. This consistent art style enhances the overall atmosphere without overwhelming detail.
“The artwork does a good job of establishing the mood without being overly descriptive.”
“The visuals mostly consist of letterboxed backgrounds with no sprites, with the characters only appearing in the occasional letterboxed CG.”
“WP shares a similar style to the previous works, Narcissu and Rain Marginal, from writing style to art style.”
“As in the dev’s previous work, Narcissu, the visuals mostly consist of letterboxed backgrounds with no sprites, with the characters only showing up in the occasional (also letterboxed) CG.”
“The game shares a similar style to the developer's previous works, Narcissu and Rain Marginal, from writing style to art style.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay of *Winter Polaris* is characterized as a kinetic novel, meaning it lacks interactive choices that influence the story's progression, focusing instead on a linear narrative experience.
“As for the gameplay, 'Winter Polaris' is a kinetic novel, so there are no choices that impact the story's direction.”
“Now that I've gone over the story and gameplay, I'll move onto my critique.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the visual novel is characterized by a quiet, introspective, and somewhat lonely ambiance, as players primarily follow pairs of characters on their solitary journeys.
“The vast majority of the visual novel is spent following the pairs of characters on a journey with no one else around, which creates a quiet, introspective, and perhaps lonely atmosphere.”
“The vast majority of the visual novel is spent following pairs of characters on a journey with no one else around, which creates a quiet, introspective, and perhaps lonely atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere feels empty and lacking in vibrancy, making it hard to immerse myself in the world.”
“Despite the potential for a rich setting, the atmosphere falls flat, leaving me feeling disconnected from the story.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report occasional brief freezes that interrupt animations and cause background music to restart, though these disruptions last only a few seconds.
“These freezes barely lasted a few seconds, but they are noticeable as all animations stop playing during that time, and the music track playing in the background suddenly restarts.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress without losing progress.”
“I experienced constant lag spikes that disrupted gameplay, making it frustrating to enjoy the game.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users praise "Something Winter Polaris" for its strong character development, highlighting how the game effectively portrays the growth and evolution of its characters throughout the narrative.
“Something Winter Polaris conveys well is character development.”
“The depth of character development in this game is truly impressive.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and relatable.”
