"Heartbreaking"

The story is about you, your sister, a potential girlfriend and the people surrounding you. You are a male of varying age as you progress through the game and choose how to spend your time and who to court. With true multiple endings and several interesting minor plot twists it is a nice game before one takes in its impact.

This game takes it story further and touches deeper than any other medium has ever done to me. It makes one laugh, it makes one cry, it gives decent choices and therefore keep you involved with a standard plot told in a wonderful way.

This is rated H, but it doesn't matter much to the plot that it is. It is just the natural way some plot lines take and to tell the story correctly and with feeling it gets a H rating. It would have been a truly wonderful life story without the H elements that were probably a sales pitch more than a story improvement. As long as it improves an already outstanding presentation it is nothing to complain about.

Graphics: 9

The images are totally wonderful, they get a little repetitive/incorrect at a few instances though. Since the game functions as a multi choice novel more than a game the pictures still have a surprising depth. The intro almost had me at tears due to the images, music and what I had read of the plot.

Presentation: 10

This is where this title shines, I've never seen a simple plot presented in such a perfect way before. This titles presentation compared to a normal H games is like comparing a grade schooler with one of the great literature names of all times. The difference to what one is used to is simply staggering, I would probably give this a 12/10 if the voices has the same high quality as all but some sound effects.

Sound: 8

I can't comment on the voices since I played a translated version that sadly had the voices cut out. At least I assume the original Japanese version had voice over. The music was of a generally high quality with some places where one felt a voice should have cut in that lacked sound. There was also one or two loops that were noticeably bad. If one disregards the minor problems with the special effects sound as well one sees what remains. A truly spectacular work of art, the OP song almost had me in tears with a simple company of images fitting the song. Overall the music was as high as you see in the biggest budget games of today.

Game play: 8

The game is a standard Japanese dating sim in layout. You get about 15 or so alternatives while playing through the game that effects the outcome of the story. The difference a choice makes is large as it ought to be in a game of this style. So basically you get 2/3 alternatives at times throughout the game and the rest of the time you read and enjoy the art. A truly wonderful way to play a game. Laying in bed watching the auto scrolling text. The auto scroll option created a small problem when I couldn't see due to tears, but a simple rewind fixed that.

Lasting Appeal: 10

I played the game through for the first time just now and had to get it off my chest somehow, and since I played through the night to finish it I had nobody to talk to, which leads to this review. A true emotional roller coaster that moves any but the most cold hearted.

I give it a total 10 since it moves ones heart to such a great degree for such a long time. It simply is a must have for any Japanese sim dating fan or Bishoujo gamer. For those that like interactive novels this is a nice way to get introduced to the large Japanese market.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/17/06