泡沫冬景
- January 2, 2020
- Nekoday
Get on Steam"泡沫冬景" is a single-player role playing game with a deeply emotional story. The game takes place in Japan, 1988, during the bubble economy. The player follows the stories of Kanna, a high school student who must leave her hometown after a traffic accident, and Jing, a Chinese student who fails his university entrance exams. Both characters cross paths in a small, overlooked corner of the city as they navigate their struggles and experiences.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The story is heartwarming and explores deep themes of communication and miscommunication, making it a touching experience.
- The visual presentation is exceptional, with great attention to detail in animations and scene composition, enhancing the overall storytelling.
- The game successfully avoids typical romance tropes, focusing instead on strong platonic friendships, which is refreshing in the visual novel genre.
- The pacing can be slow at times, particularly in the early parts of the game, which may deter some players.
- There are some plot inconsistencies, particularly regarding character actions that don't align with their established backgrounds or conditions.
- The game lacks an English localization, which limits accessibility for non-Chinese or Japanese speakers, and some players noted issues with translation quality.
- story84 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story is a heartwarming exploration of communication and miscommunication between a Japanese girl and a Chinese boy, set against a backdrop of cultural and linguistic barriers. While it features moments of heaviness, it primarily maintains a light tone, focusing on the development of strong platonic friendships rather than romance. Despite some plot inconsistencies, the narrative is praised for its emotional depth, character development, and polished presentation, making it a touching and engaging experience.
“It is a story that is as soul-crushing and hopeful for its characters as you might expect coming from the writer of Narcissu.”
“This is a heart-warming story that explores how two people (one from Japan, one from China) who do not have a language in common, learn to communicate and understand each other, and better than people who do, about finding happiness, and discovering what happiness is.”
“Despite a setup where one might expect a shoehorned romance, the visual novel resists the temptation and instead shows the development of some strong platonic friendships, which makes for a far better story.”
“There are a few plot oddities, mostly surrounding Emi's illness; she has a heart defect requiring surgery within a few years but ends up doing things strenuous for a normal 8-year-old, let alone an ill one, without comment.”
“It feels a bit like they just wanted it as a plot point and to have her present as a character without putting too much thought into it.”
“Very boring story with some fringe porn.”
- emotional18 mentions
- 89 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the visual novel is highly praised for its heartwarming narrative and beautiful art, effectively conveying deep connections between characters without relying on romance. Reviewers appreciate the touching story of two individuals from different cultures learning to communicate and understand each other, highlighting its authenticity and emotional depth. However, some critiques mention a lack of engagement in the story, suggesting that not all players may find it compelling.
“The story is extremely touching and does it without any romance.”
“I feel like since the beginning many visual novels use romance or sex scenes as an easy and cheap way for readers to build an emotional connection with the characters, and this story does a beautiful job of doing so without any forced romance.”
“This is a heartwarming story that explores how two people (one from Japan, one from China) who do not have a language in common learn to communicate and understand each other, and better than people who do, about finding happiness and discovering what happiness truly is.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics are highly praised for their thoughtful composition and artistic detail, utilizing techniques like blackspace and paneling to enhance visual storytelling. The artwork is described as outstanding, with a focus on meaningful sprite appearances and a deliberate approach to scene presentation, contributing to an overall engaging aesthetic experience.
“It’s something that genuinely cares about its visuals with a deliberation to how each scene is composed.”
“It doesn’t just put sprites against a background and call it a day; it utilizes black space and displays the various graphics in different ways. Among other things, it panels the backgrounds, drawing attention to certain parts, uses close-ups as needed, and shows the sprites sparingly and in different ways, which gives them a bit of meaning when they do appear.”
“The graphics and artwork are really good.”
“It doesn’t just put sprites against a background and call it a day, but it utilizes black space and displays the various graphics in different ways; among other things, it panels the backgrounds, drawing attention to certain parts, uses close-ups as needed, and shows the sprites sparingly and in different ways, which makes them have a bit of meaning when they do appear.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise, with multiple users rating the soundtrack at an impressive 9.8 out of 10, highlighting its quality and effectiveness in enhancing the gaming experience.
“The soundtrack is pretty good too.”
“Music: 9.8 / 10”
