Post by gistradagis on Aug 13, 2016 20:09:04 GMT -5
Well, just finished the routes of my favourite 2 (Valerie and Kaori), and I just had to create an account to share and mention a couple things.
Edit: After seeing the twitch stream (when I got home yesterday, from 3 to 5 am derp couldn't stop), it seems like most of the negatives kinda make sense now. It's a pity it couldn't be avoided, but the conclusion remains; it's such a solid game despite having ended up more as a proof of concept and skill than a finished product.
On the negatives, it's mostly what people have already said. The game feels so, so short. There are not real routes, but rather the individual events differ depending on who you choose to spend time with, which also plays negatively with the fact that there's no recognition from other people about your relationship. I didn't mind that there's no proper confession, because the scene where you pretty much get together as a couple were already quite clear what kind of meaning they had, and gave more meaning to the "I love you" that the MC gives towards the end of the game, as he openly recognizes how much the other person means to him.
As an off-note, I'd also say that the game just feels incomplete. Like, it works as a proof of concept, as a stab at the idea of making VNs, but this truly hurts when you've enjoyed the game so much but there's no real game, but rather a "demo." The game ends in a way that if the after-text had said "End of the introduction, get ready for the rest of the game which we'll work on from now on," I would have exclaimed "aaaaaah, now this makes sense!"
Instead, I feel slightly bothered because I'm super charmed by the characters, and the game as a whole leaves a bittersweet taste, seeing how there's no actual conclusion or development to the romantic relationship.
On the positives, I'll immediately mention voice acting and choices. The voice acting staff could teach anime VAs a couple things about embodying your character. The choices were not only funny, but also felt impactful in an immediate sort of way. I also really liked how very... well, normal, they felt. Like, many of those things are stuff I could see myself or anyone saying in those situations. Some choices being coy, others honest, and so on.
These 2 things together made the interactions between the characters really feel like we are seeing young adults, and not pre-teens who can barely say breast without blushing furiously and screaming "b-baka, hentai!"
And among all the stuff I loved... there's 1 thing that's just the best to me. Valerie. Her archetype is one I HATE with a passion in visual novels. They always feel so stupidly gratuitous, flocking to the MC because that's the kind of character they are, flirty cuz the script demands it, in love with the MC because why not, he's the MC.
Valerie, on the other hand, felt extremely natural. She was coquettish and flirty, but you could see and understand why. You could see her curiosity, and later interest, in the MC, and how their interactions brings forth their relationship. It was especially amusing how well done all the flirtatious scenes were done as, again, they felt natural things, and not some crappy dialogue forced by the script. The coming and going between Valerie and the MC, being both flirty was extremely cute to watch, apart from fun.
This VN has single-handedly shown what Japanese VNs can't seem to get right at all about that archetype. A route that I would hate in most VNs ended up being my absolute favourite in ACE Academy.
Anyway, it might feel like I was going 50/50 or smth, but the actual conclusion is that most of those problems are not smth bad, but rather a lack of more good, so ACE Academy gets an easy 7.5/10, only because of the lack of more events, which would have easily pumped it to a 9 and among my favourite VNs ever. Not necessarily for the story, but just for the characters and interactions just being... perfect.
Edit: After seeing the twitch stream (when I got home yesterday, from 3 to 5 am derp couldn't stop), it seems like most of the negatives kinda make sense now. It's a pity it couldn't be avoided, but the conclusion remains; it's such a solid game despite having ended up more as a proof of concept and skill than a finished product.
On the negatives, it's mostly what people have already said. The game feels so, so short. There are not real routes, but rather the individual events differ depending on who you choose to spend time with, which also plays negatively with the fact that there's no recognition from other people about your relationship. I didn't mind that there's no proper confession, because the scene where you pretty much get together as a couple were already quite clear what kind of meaning they had, and gave more meaning to the "I love you" that the MC gives towards the end of the game, as he openly recognizes how much the other person means to him.
As an off-note, I'd also say that the game just feels incomplete. Like, it works as a proof of concept, as a stab at the idea of making VNs, but this truly hurts when you've enjoyed the game so much but there's no real game, but rather a "demo." The game ends in a way that if the after-text had said "End of the introduction, get ready for the rest of the game which we'll work on from now on," I would have exclaimed "aaaaaah, now this makes sense!"
Instead, I feel slightly bothered because I'm super charmed by the characters, and the game as a whole leaves a bittersweet taste, seeing how there's no actual conclusion or development to the romantic relationship.
On the positives, I'll immediately mention voice acting and choices. The voice acting staff could teach anime VAs a couple things about embodying your character. The choices were not only funny, but also felt impactful in an immediate sort of way. I also really liked how very... well, normal, they felt. Like, many of those things are stuff I could see myself or anyone saying in those situations. Some choices being coy, others honest, and so on.
These 2 things together made the interactions between the characters really feel like we are seeing young adults, and not pre-teens who can barely say breast without blushing furiously and screaming "b-baka, hentai!"
And among all the stuff I loved... there's 1 thing that's just the best to me. Valerie. Her archetype is one I HATE with a passion in visual novels. They always feel so stupidly gratuitous, flocking to the MC because that's the kind of character they are, flirty cuz the script demands it, in love with the MC because why not, he's the MC.
Valerie, on the other hand, felt extremely natural. She was coquettish and flirty, but you could see and understand why. You could see her curiosity, and later interest, in the MC, and how their interactions brings forth their relationship. It was especially amusing how well done all the flirtatious scenes were done as, again, they felt natural things, and not some crappy dialogue forced by the script. The coming and going between Valerie and the MC, being both flirty was extremely cute to watch, apart from fun.
This VN has single-handedly shown what Japanese VNs can't seem to get right at all about that archetype. A route that I would hate in most VNs ended up being my absolute favourite in ACE Academy.
Anyway, it might feel like I was going 50/50 or smth, but the actual conclusion is that most of those problems are not smth bad, but rather a lack of more good, so ACE Academy gets an easy 7.5/10, only because of the lack of more events, which would have easily pumped it to a 9 and among my favourite VNs ever. Not necessarily for the story, but just for the characters and interactions just being... perfect.