Info about 枝江往事:

Official game description:
_本作品为A-SOUL的二次创作同人作品。_
游戏内容
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本游戏是一个拥有完整剧情的视觉小说游戏，剧情是关于A-SOUL五个女孩的经历  
本游戏中可以通过阅读各章，体悟剧情，通过你的选项推动剧情发展，帮助她们走到结局。  
本游戏具有多个剧情分支和多个结局。  
在游戏中你，可以解锁音乐、CG，体验不同结局。  
跌宕起伏长达十万字的剧情故事，等待着你的探索  
动人心弦的BGM和专属OP，会有你所爱  
隐藏在图片和文字中的众多细节，耐心寻找，总有惊喜。
简介
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在这座繁华的枝江市里  
拉垮的紫色钻头  
严格的舞担队长  
可爱的小吃货  
神秘的大姐姐  
帅气的小狼王  
五个女孩子的相互嬉戏打闹的美好时光  
仍有些微寒的料峭初春，正是充满希望的季节  
调皮古怪的羊驼阿草  
将和五人一起  
演出一场盛大的偶像演出  
**注意：本故事纯属虚构，游戏中出现的世界属于架空世界，与现实世界的任何人物，组合和事件无关，如有雷同，纯属巧合。**
角色
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_立绘基于MMD模型制作，MMD模型素材来源A-SOUL_  
**嘉然**  
这里是嘉然！别看我小小的，我超能吃超可爱还超瘦的哦~  
**贝拉**  
元气满满的A-SOUL舞担参上~目标TOP IDOL，一起加油！  
**珈乐**  
嘘，请听我为你歌唱……  
**乃琳**  
喜欢听你说，开心和不开心的，都告诉我吧~  
**向晚**  
没有氪金解决不了的游戏问题，如果有，那就氪爆！
声明
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本作品遵守A-SOUL二次创作条约。

Release date: Jun 11, 2021

Categories: Visual Novel, Multiple Endings, Choice-based Narrative, Single-player Story, Fan Culture Integration, Bullet-hell, Time Travel Mechanics


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 4.1h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: 0.5h
  - Reasoning: The quote '4.1 hours, three playthroughs, all achievements' directly provides the total time for full game completion, including all endings and achievements. The quote 'Three playthroughs took me about 3.5 hours' corroborates the multi-playthrough time, and the additional half hour for the bullet hell achievement indicates endgame content time. No direct evidence exists for a single story playthrough duration or typical session length, so those metrics are set to null.
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes:
  - A-Soul Devoted Fan (buy)
    - Motivation: Emotional connection to A-Soul members and supporting the fan community
    - Playstyle: Plays through all endings, focuses on character storylines, and engages with fan references
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: One Soul Spirit; Iron-blooded Dingwanren
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Curious Outsider (sale)
    - Motivation: Curiosity about the game's quality and story, not the IP
    - Playstyle: Plays through as a visual novel, may explore multiple endings, focuses on narrative and production values
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: Outsider; Pure passerby
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Newly Inducted Fan (buy)
    - Motivation: Discovering A-Soul and its history through the game
    - Playstyle: Plays through the story to learn about the characters and events, may seek out more content after
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: New soul
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Quality Critic (sale)
    - Motivation: Evaluating the game's narrative, production, and design quality
    - Playstyle: Analyzes story structure, character development, and technical aspects, may compare to other visual novels
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Story is well-crafted and deep (weight 0.97): Multiple reviews praise the story for its depth, emotional impact, and meaningful themes. The narrative is described as substantial, touching, and well-conceived, with strong emotional payoff and memorable moments.
- High-quality production and effort (weight 0.7): Reviewers consistently note the high production quality, including original CG, BGM, and overall polish, especially for a fan-made work. The dedication of the production team is appreciated, with over 100 CGs and 40 music tracks.
- Music enhances atmosphere (weight 0.64): The soundtrack is repeatedly highlighted as fitting the story and scenes, with classical, ethnic, and minimalist elements that add emotional depth. Many reviews mention beautiful and high-quality music tracks.
- Art and visuals are commendable (weight 0.61): The art style, including CG, character art, and backgrounds, is consistently praised for its quality and refinement. The watercolor and pixel art styles create immersive and nostalgic atmospheres.
- Excellent character development (weight 0.59): Characters are praised for being well-developed, emotionally resonant, and true to their original portrayals. They are described as brave, cute, hardworking, and distinct, with strong emotional connections to the player.
- Strong fan work quality (weight 0.57): The game is considered an excellent fan work, made with love and passion by fans. It is praised for being competent, heartfelt, and better than most visual novels, with high production values for a fan project.
- Good gameplay and features (weight 0.45): The game is fun to play with smooth UI, a fast-forward feature, and simple gameplay that offers freedom of choice with consequences. Multiple endings and hidden achievements add replay value.
- Emotional and moving experience (weight 0.43): The game evokes strong emotions, with several reviewers reporting tears during key moments, especially character reunions and battles. The story's emotional impact is a recurring theme, making it a memorable experience.
- Strong emotional payoff and endings (weight 0.39): The true ending is warm and lives up to expectations, providing a satisfying conclusion. The final chapters offer sudden realizations and emotional payoffs that resonate with players.
- Meaningful themes and reflection (weight 0.35): The story explores deep themes such as family ties, traditions, duty versus feelings, and the relationship between idols and fans. It offers reflection on the meaning of idols to fans and mutual understanding.
- Well-written and polished text (weight 0.35): The writing is praised for being readable, polished, and of rare quality for a free work. The text volume is substantial, and the story is immersive, playing like a novel.
- Community and fan culture integration (weight 0.34): The game cleverly incorporates fan community memes and references, and the community collaboration in development is interesting and passionate. It conveys the love of fans for the characters and the A-SOUL community.
- Enjoyable for non-fans (weight 0.31): Even players unfamiliar with the source material find the game enjoyable and accessible. The story and gameplay are engaging enough to appeal to outsiders, despite some inside jokes being hard to understand.
- Unique and memorable experience (weight 0.28): The game is described as a unique and memorable experience, with a story inspired by real events and personalities. It conveys passion and leaves a lasting impression on players.
- Story improves and becomes exciting (weight 0.27): The story starts well and improves as it progresses, becoming exciting at the end of the first playthrough. The second playthrough fully reveals the story, and the final chapters provide a sudden realization.
- Engaging fight scenes (weight 0.24): The fight scenes are described as exciting and impressive, even in text form. The final battle and character confrontations are particularly highlighted as thrilling moments.
- Nostalgic and atmospheric (weight 0.23): The game creates a nostalgic and melancholic atmosphere through its art and music, evoking a sense of longing and emotional depth. The traditional Chinese motifs and watercolor graphics enhance immersion.
- Easy achievements and extras (weight 0.2): The game includes easy-to-get achievements, a QR code easter egg, and a hidden achievement, adding to the overall enjoyment and replayability.

Common complaints:
- Story timeline is confusing (weight 0.65): Multiple reviewers found the narrative order chaotic and contradictory, especially at the start and during the first playthrough. The transition from chapter six to seven was highlighted as particularly confusing.
- First playthrough is messy (weight 0.38): The initial playthrough is described as confusing and messy, with plot points that are hard to follow. This suggests a steep learning curve for players new to the story.
- Character art needs improvement (weight 0.22): Reviewers noted that the character art is imperfect and not exquisite, indicating a lack of polish in visual presentation. This could detract from the overall experience.
- Mini-games are unpolished (weight 0.22): The mini-games are criticized for being not polished compared to most games, and the end mini-game is specifically called unpleasant. This suggests a weak gameplay element.
- Weak as visual novel (weight 0.22): The game is considered lacking when judged as a visual novel, with many flaws. This indicates it fails to meet genre standards in terms of story and presentation.
- Assumes prior world knowledge (weight 0.2): The story assumes the player already knows the world setting, making it unfriendly to newcomers. This can alienate new players and hinder understanding.
- Lack of localization (weight 0.16): The game is mostly in Chinese with no official localization, making it hard for non-Chinese speakers to understand. This severely limits accessibility.
- Story is incomplete (weight 0.15): The story is described as incomplete, with many plot threads left unresolved. This can leave players feeling unsatisfied and frustrated.
- Dialogue and plot sections too long (weight 0.15): Some dialogue and plot sections are overly long, which can slow the pacing and make the game feel tedious. This is a common issue in visual novels.
- Limited gameplay mechanics (weight 0.09): Gameplay is limited to reading and choosing dialogue, with no minigames, puzzles, or alternative story paths. This may be seen as a lack of interactivity.
- Slow narrative pace (weight 0.09): The slow narrative pace with long dialogues and descriptions can be tiring, potentially causing players to lose interest. This is a pacing issue.
- Time-travel mechanic overused (weight 0.08): The time-travel mechanic is seen as overused in visual novels, suggesting a lack of originality. This might reduce the game's appeal to genre veterans.
- Plot twist is predictable (weight 0.08): The plot twist is described as predictable, which can diminish the impact of the narrative. This is a significant flaw for a story-driven game.
- Story is too contrived (weight 0.08): The story is criticized for being too contrived, meaning it feels forced or unnatural. This can break immersion and reduce player engagement.
- Lacking psychological portrayal (weight 0.08): The character psychological portrayal is lacking, which may make characters feel flat. This is important for emotional investment in a visual novel.
- Long time to reach ending (weight 0.08): It takes three weeks to reach an ending, which is a significant time investment. This may deter players who prefer shorter experiences.
- Hints are not obvious (weight 0.08): The hints are not obvious, causing the player to almost miss the main story. This can lead to confusion and frustration.
- Background settings are absurd (weight 0.08): Some background settings are described as absurd, which may undermine the story's credibility. This can detract from immersion.

Gameplay feedback:
- Visual novel genre (weight 0.7): The game is consistently described as a visual novel or interactive novel with choice-based gameplay and over 150,000 words of text. It is more narrative than traditional gameplay.
- A-SOUL fan work (weight 0.64): The game is a fan-oriented work dedicated to the virtual idol group A-SOUL, featuring virtual idol characters and elements of fan culture. It is a derivative fan-made project.
- Story-driven experience (weight 0.54): The game is heavily story-driven, featuring a main storyline with cycles, a true ending, and a fantastical narrative. It is a single-player experience focused on narrative progression.
- Text-based with visuals (weight 0.28): The game is text-based, with CG and backgrounds, emphasizing reading and dialogue choices. It plays like reading a novel.
- Bullet-hell minigame (weight 0.28): The game includes a bullet-hell minigame, particularly in the prologue, adding a unique gameplay element beyond reading. It is a special mini-game.
- Multiple playthroughs required (weight 0.18): Players need multiple playthroughs to see the full story, indicating branching paths or hidden content. The game is designed for replayability.
- Multiple endings and chapters (weight 0.18): The game features multiple endings, multiple chapters, and a final battle, providing a structured narrative with varied conclusions.
- Time-travel mechanic (weight 0.16): The game features a time-travel mechanic, which is part of its complex narrative involving cycles and redemption themes.
- Limited branching choices (weight 0.16): The game has only 3 choice points that do not branch far, and some reviewers note it has only one ending, suggesting limited player agency.
- Achievements and memes (weight 0.13): The game has seven achievements and is full of memes, adding a lighthearted and collectible aspect to the experience.
- Heavy and wise dialogue (weight 0.13): Some parts of the story are heavy, but some dialogue contains wisdom, offering depth and emotional weight.
- Rich thematic elements (weight 0.09): The game includes elements of idol groups, fan culture, martial arts, supernatural forces, sci-fi, spies, and time travel, creating a diverse and complex world.
- Character-focused chapters (weight 0.09): Each character has their own chapter, allowing for deep character development and exploration of individual storylines.
- Auto-save on choices (weight 0.08): The game auto-saves on choices, which is a convenient feature for players to manage their decisions.
- Fast-forward feature (weight 0.08): The game has a fast-forward feature, useful for skipping previously read text during multiple playthroughs.
- Cyberpunk setting (weight 0.08): The story is set in a cyberpunk-like fictional city, providing a distinct atmosphere and world-building.

Performance notes:
- Game frequently freezes (weight 0.11): Players report that the game often freezes, causing interruptions during gameplay. This issue appears to be a common technical problem affecting the overall experience.

Recommendations:
- Niche appeal for fans only (weight 0.5): Multiple reviewers state the game is not recommended for ordinary players or non-fans, but is recommended for obsessive fans and fans of the virtual idol group A-SOUL. The game seems to cater specifically to a dedicated fanbase.
- General positive recommendation (weight 0.37): Several reviewers simply recommend the game without specific caveats, indicating a generally positive reception. This includes strong recommendations and a note that it is worth trying.
- Recommended for specific audiences (weight 0.24): The game is recommended for fans of visual novels, Chinese culture, slow-paced dramatic stories, emotional short stories, and those who value atmosphere, music, and deep meaning. This suggests the game has niche appeal beyond just the idol group fanbase.
- Encouragement to try and experience (weight 0.22): Some reviewers encourage players to try the game, experience the story, and read text carefully rather than skimming. This suggests the game rewards attentive play.
- Potential disappointments for some (weight 0.17): One reviewer notes the game may disappoint due to lack of translation, limited interaction, and slow pacing. Another mentions the first half of the first playthrough is messy, requiring patience.
- Uncertain and mixed recommendations (weight 0.16): One reviewer is uncertain whether to recommend the game, while another does not recommend it. This indicates mixed feelings among some players.
- Fans of specific characters (weight 0.09): The game is recommended especially for fans of the characters 顶碗人 and 嘉心糖, indicating that character attachment is a key factor for enjoyment.
- Manual saving recommended (weight 0.08): One reviewer recommends manually saving because auto-save slots are limited, which is a practical tip for players.

Other player notes:
- Fan-made tribute to A-SOUL (weight 0.8): The game is a fan-made project created out of love for the A-SOUL virtual idol group and its community. It represents the community's spirit and was made by fans for fans.
- Free game with community passion (weight 0.54): The game is free to play and was created entirely by fan passion. It was made by over a hundred people in about a month, showing a significant community effort.
- Emotional connection to fandom (weight 0.52): Reviews describe personal histories with the A-SOUL fandom, including how they discovered the group and their eventual departure. The game provides comfort and discusses the group's impact on fans.
- Story reflects A-SOUL history (weight 0.49): The game's story mirrors real events in A-SOUL's history, including a member leaving and the group's decline. The ending is compared to real-life events involving the group.
- Rapid development in one month (weight 0.45): The game was produced and debugged in one month on a tight schedule. It was rushed but still delivered a complete experience.
- Short visual novel experience (weight 0.3): The game is a short visual novel or Galgame with emotional light novel style and different art styles. It is about 20 minutes long and has only one ending.
- Chinese-only with no localization (weight 0.25): The game is mostly in Chinese with no official English localization. Some reviewers offer translation help for an English version.
- Interactive story in virtual city (weight 0.2): The game is an interactive story set in a virtual city. It is a high-concentration fan-oriented game.
- Large content volume (weight 0.18): Despite the short development time, the game has a large amount of content with over 150,000 words of text. It includes over 100 CG images and over 40 original music tracks.
- Community structure reflected in game (weight 0.17): The game's structure reflects the A-SOUL community's changes over time. It is compared to other community works in terms of theme representation.
- Story is main weakness (weight 0.17): The game's story is considered the main weakness compared to its art and music. Production quality ranks in the upper-middle tier among domestic visual novels.
- Themes of sacrifice and belief (weight 0.17): The game discusses themes of sacrifice and belief. It explores the relationship between idols and fans.
- Low achievement completion rates (weight 0.16): The true ending achievement has a 7.5% completion rate. The game has seven achievements with low completion rates overall.
- Comparisons to other games (weight 0.15): The story is compared to another game, and the reviewer compares the game to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Warcraft III: Reforged.
- Fan culture and internal conflicts (weight 0.15): The review comments on fan culture and internal conflicts within the A-SOUL community. It discusses a May 11 event and the group's decline.
- Released in 2021 (weight 0.13): The game was released in 2021 and has been out for nearly two months according to the review.
- Recognizable development team (weight 0.08): The development team members are recognizable from their fan creations on a video platform. This adds to the community connection.

Emotions:
- Sadness (weight 0.09): The game evokes sadness because it memorializes the real-life disbandment of the A-SOUL group, contrasting the game's happy ending with reality. The opening song and the characters' emotional journeys also trigger a strong emotional response, especially given the group's decline and the inability of the virtual city to replace real experiences.
- Disappointment (weight 0.07): Disappointment stems from the game's narrative and technical shortcomings, including a boring story, overused time-travel mechanics, lack of translation, and slow pacing. The unresolved plot threads, focus on a specific pairing, and low true ending completion rate further contributed to the letdown, along with the game's failure to maintain emotional coherence.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.07): Nostalgia is driven by the opening song and the game's role as a memorial for the disbanded A-SOUL group, reminding players of their youth and early vtuber fandom. The minimalist pixel art and music evoke memories of a beautiful summer and childhood cartoons, reinforcing the sentimental connection.
- Moved (weight 0.07): Players felt moved by the developers' evident love for A-SOUL members and the emotional story, which includes both sweet and sad moments. The final chapter's character appearance and scenes of characters fighting for each other brought tears, especially after a recent birthday stream.
- Appreciation (weight 0.05): Appreciation arises from the game's atmospheric style, deep narrative, and authentic soundtrack, which provide emotional payoff across multiple playthroughs. The polished writing and the fact that it was made in over a month as a fan work with great care and love for the community are also highly valued.
- Admiration (weight 0.05): Admiration is inspired by the game being created by hundreds of fans in about 100 days for free, showcasing impressive scale and passion. The production team's skill in weaving together technology, martial arts, religion, conspiracy, and reincarnation elements is particularly admired, making it an excellent and heartfelt AVG.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Excitement comes from the thrilling fight scenes, even in text form, and the passionate story and characters. The game also sparked excitement by introducing players to the A-SOUL group, with the story becoming especially exciting at the end of the first playthrough.
- Frustration (weight 0.04): Frustration is caused by the story being incomplete, confusing, and unfriendly to newcomers, with unclear hints and contradictory writing. The bullet-hell challenge of getting hit less than 3 times and the painful later chapters also contributed to the frustration.
- Gratitude (weight 0.04): Gratitude is expressed for the game being part of the reviewer's memories and for the fans' passion and production team's effort. The fan community's support and the development team's work are deeply appreciated, with reviewers thanking them for their contribution.
- Confusion (weight 0.04): Confusion arises from the player's inability to distinguish real from fake experiences and the true ending becoming a fan support scene. The story is hard to follow due to sudden plot twists and mixed elements, especially the confusing first playthrough and the chapter six to seven transition.
- Melancholy (weight 0.03): Melancholy is evoked by the visual style and the game's themes of separation and the passage of time. The fandom's eventual parting and the virtual city not replacing reality contribute to a wistful, melancholic atmosphere.
- Interest (weight 0.02): Interest is sparked by the game's story and characters, which made the reviewer want to learn more about the A-SOUL group. The game successfully piqued curiosity about the group's background and content.
- Emotional (weight 0.02): The emotional response is driven by the story's cycle and redemption theme, combined with the heavy atmosphere created by the story and BGM. These elements together evoke a strong emotional reaction.
- Regret (weight 0.02): Regret is tied to the May 11 event involving a member leaving, which made the ending unable to be emotionally resonant after the painful experience. The real-world event overshadowed the game's narrative.
- Disgust (weight 0.02): Disgust is triggered by people attacking the girls' privacy and personal lives, which is seen as unacceptable. Additionally, the mini-game at the end was unpleasant, adding to the negative feeling.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.02): Enjoyment comes from the game's good quality and interesting story, which plays like reading a novel with strong immersion. The engaging narrative and gameplay provide a satisfying experience.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger is directed at a company, likely related to the real-world events affecting the group, and the prologue bullet-hell segment, which was frustrating. These factors combined to provoke anger.
- Happiness (weight 0.02): Happiness is derived from the jokes in the game and watching the group's content, which brought joy. The lighthearted moments and the group's presence contributed to a positive emotional state.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.02): Satisfaction is achieved because the true ending did not disappoint, and the game's graphics, music, and story are all satisfying. The overall experience met or exceeded expectations.
- Impressed (weight 0.02): Impression is made by the game's CG, backgrounds, writing, and story depth, which are of high quality. The characters are well-written and stay in character, further impressing the reviewer.}