Info about Aonatsu Line:

Official game description:
《青夏轨迹》是日本美少女游戏资深大厂GIGA/Entergram出品的一部青春题材的视觉小说。本作由在动画与轻小说界均有活跃的知名插画家U35负责原画与角色设计，由大地小猫与冬野胴服联袂担当剧本。由新锐音乐人虾丸咖喱伯爵制作音乐。人气声优小鸟居夕花、夏和小、和实羽优希为本作女主角献声。片头主题歌由超人气歌姬KOTOKO献唱，片尾主题歌由新锐歌姬紫咲萤献唱。  
本作发售后赢得市场普遍赞誉，并荣获萌系游戏大赏年度剧本金奖等诸多奖项。 此后陆续在PlayStation4、PlayStation Vita和Nintendo Switch平台推出家用机版。Steam版本将拥有1920X1080的高清画质。也支持更多额外内容。

Release date: Dec 2, 2022

Categories: Visual Novel, Multiple Heroine Routes, Youthful Romance, School Setting, Summer Vacation Setting, Adult Content, Route-based Storytelling

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 85; verdict: Broken; summary: The game suffers from critical save data corruption that causes black screens, requiring manual deletion of save files. Launch is also unstable, needing multiple restarts, and a specific event triggers an abrupt black screen. These issues make the game frustrating and broken on Steam Deck.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $8.00 - $12.00
  - Reasoning: The community perceives the game as fairly priced around 78 yuan (approximately $11), with discounts making it even more attractive. Prices above 138 yuan (about $20) are considered excessive. Thus, a fair base-game price range in USD is approximately $8 to $12.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides qualitative length descriptions and a specific time to reach a CG, but no explicit total playtime in hours. The 'two days' is a duration without hour conversion, and the 'five hours' refers to a specific point rather than total completion. Therefore, no reliable playtime metric in hours can be extracted, so all metrics are set to null.
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes:
  - Nostalgic Empath (sale)
    - Motivation: To relive and process their own youthful emotions through the characters' journeys.
    - Playstyle: Plays slowly, often at night, focusing on emotional immersion and personal reflection rather than completion.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: 青春伤痛文学爱好者; 旁观者
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Route Completionist (buy)
    - Motivation: To experience all romantic routes and appreciate the character writing and emotional arcs.
    - Playstyle: Plays through all routes systematically, often following recommended order, and compares the game to other visual novels.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: GALGAME玩家; 纯爱党
    - Reference games: 柚子社; MO6; MO8
  - Legacy Collector (buy)
    - Motivation: To experience and commemorate the final work of a legendary studio.
    - Playstyle: Plays with attention to production values, staff credits, and historical context, often sharing insights about the developer's legacy.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: 戏画社粉丝; 老玩家
    - Reference games: 戏画社作品


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:
- Art style appealing (weight 0.37): The art style is described as fresh, colorful, beautiful, and refreshing, with a distinctive anime-like quality. It effectively captures the youthful atmosphere of the game.
- Youthful theme well captured (weight 0.3): The game successfully conveys a strong sense of youth and summer, making players feel warm and nostalgic. The story and art both contribute to this engaging youthful vibe.
- Voice acting excellent (weight 0.26): The voice acting is widely praised for being strong, fitting the characters, and performed by familiar actors. It is considered a top-tier aspect of the game.
- U35 art distinctive (weight 0.22): The art by U35 is specifically praised for its beauty, clean lines, and appealing character designs, contributing to the game's overall visual charm.
- Three heroines well-developed (weight 0.22): The three heroine storylines are well-written, interweave with each other, and each heroine has distinct and appealing personalities, making them memorable and engaging.
- Music and BGM praised (weight 0.18): The music, including the ending song and piano BGM, is praised for being good, fitting, and pleasant, enhancing the overall mood of the game.
- Friendship portrayed beautifully (weight 0.16): The friendship between the main characters is depicted as sincere, beautiful, and shining, with their growth being well-portrayed throughout the story.
- Characters interesting and realistic (weight 0.16): The characters are considered interesting, well-developed, and realistic, with distinct personalities that avoid being pretentious.
- Good value for money (weight 0.12): The game is considered worth buying and trying, offering good value for the price paid, indicating a positive overall experience.
- CG quality appreciated (weight 0.12): The CG artwork is generally praised for being good and beautiful, adding to the visual appeal of the game.
- Best friend character well-written (weight 0.09): The best friend character is highlighted as a good friend and well-written, contributing positively to the story's dynamics.
- Heartwarming narrative (weight 0.09): The narrative is described as heartwarming with a genuine take on young love, evoking the feeling of first love through its story and dialogue.
- Chihiro character appreciated (weight 0.09): The character dynamics, especially the role of Chihiro, are appreciated, with Chihiro being well-developed and surprising.
- Chinese translation good (weight 0.08): The local Chinese translation is praised for being very good, handling puns and memes well, and is considered a high-quality localization.
- Ending scene emotional (weight 0.08): The ending scene is described as emotional and moving, leaving a strong impression on players.
- Kotone route inspirational (weight 0.08): The Kotone route is highlighted as the most inspirational and appealing, resonating with players on a deeper level.
- Player investment encouraged (weight 0.07): Every route allows the player to become invested, and the game encourages pursuing a specific route by consistently choosing that character.

Common complaints:
- Story and characters are average (weight 0.53): Multiple reviewers found the core story and characters to be mediocre and bland, lacking depth or engagement. This sentiment was expressed across several clusters, indicating a widespread dissatisfaction with the narrative quality.
- Childhood friend route is problematic (weight 0.44): The childhood friend route received heavy criticism for its convoluted plot, unlikable heroine, and frustrating emotional dynamics. Reviewers found the route's twists confusing and the character's behavior off-putting, which detracted from the overall experience.
- Routes are repetitive and filler (weight 0.36): Several routes were considered filler or repetitive, with the childhood friend route being too prominent in other routes and the personal routes being too short or standard. This led to a sense of disconnection and a lack of unique content.
- Hiiro route is the biggest flaw (weight 0.3): The Hiiro route was heavily criticized for its uncomfortable and emotionally painful content, including Hiiro's self-centered behavior and lack of sincere apology. Reviewers found the route to be the weakest part of the game, with some even experiencing PTSD-like reactions.
- Art quality is inconsistent (weight 0.28): The art quality varied across the game, with some CGs and character sprites being less appealing than the standing art. Reviewers noted awkward facial expressions, missing sprites for some characters, and overall inconsistency in visual presentation.
- Bugs and glitches present (weight 0.28): The game suffered from various bugs, including auto-skip skipping unread text, dialogue box disappearing, backlog getting stuck, and saving causing the game to fail to open. These technical issues disrupted the gameplay experience.
- Excessive school sex scenes (weight 0.22): Every route includes school sex scenes that reviewers felt were excessive and unnecessary. This overuse of adult content detracted from the story and made the game feel more like a nukige than a romance visual novel.
- Protagonist is unlikable (weight 0.22): The protagonist's personality was widely disliked, with reviewers describing him as self-deprecating, lacking emotional intelligence, and easily influenced. His behavior in certain scenes was seen as out of character and disrespectful, further diminishing the player's connection to the story.
- Forced youthfulness feels formulaic (weight 0.19): The game's attempt to portray youthfulness came across as forced and formulaic, lacking authenticity. Reviewers noted that the 'youthful pain' genre elements were overdone and did not resonate naturally.
- UI lacks essential features (weight 0.18): The user interface was criticized for missing read-text indicators, chapter numbers, and a voice collection. These omissions made navigation and tracking progress more difficult for players.
- Kaiki route is disgusting (weight 0.17): The Kaiki route was singled out for its heroine's disrespectful behavior towards the protagonist, which was not adequately addressed or forgiven. Reviewers felt the protagonist's submissiveness and the lack of consequences made the route unpleasant to play.
- Route selection is confusing (weight 0.17): The common route's structure with six branch options was found to be confusing, leading to bad endings if choices were inconsistent. Some important scenes were not included in the choice branches, making route selection feel messy and unintuitive.
- Technical issues with patch (weight 0.16): Several reviewers reported technical problems when the patch was installed incorrectly, including black screens, loading freezes, and missing text or CG. These issues hindered the game's playability and were a significant source of frustration.
- Basketball setting is niche (weight 0.14): The excessive focus on basketball was seen as a niche setting that may not resonate with the target audience. Reviewers found the basketball scenes awkward and unrealistic, particularly the three-point shooting accuracy.
- Character development is shallow (weight 0.14): The writing was considered shallow, failing to explore themes deeply. Character changes, such as Kotone's abrupt shift, felt unearned, and the protagonist's inconsistent behavior further weakened character development.
- Lack of post-story epilogue (weight 0.12): The absence of a post-story epilogue left players with a sense of loss and incompleteness. This was a notable omission that affected the overall satisfaction with the game's endings.
- Story is too cryptic and confusing (weight 0.12): The story was criticized for being too cryptic, with characters acting as confusing riddlers for no reason. This made the plot hard to follow and reduced the overall clarity of the narrative.
- Game is too short (weight 0.12): Reviewers felt the game was too short, with personal routes lacking depth and the overall content being insufficient. This contributed to a sense of emptiness and dissatisfaction.
- Translation and audio issues (weight 0.09): The translation added unnecessary embellishments, and audio settings for voice behavior did not save correctly unless specific options were checked together. These issues affected the overall polish of the game.

Gameplay feedback:
- Multiple heroine routes (weight 0.97): The game is structured with a common route and multiple heroine-specific routes, typically three, each with distinct themes and endings. Route selection is based on choices and time progression.
- Youthful romance visual novel (weight 0.7): The game is consistently described as a youth-themed visual novel focusing on romance and school life, often set during summer vacation. It features a childhood friend route and a classic campus romance narrative.
- Three heroines with distinct stories (weight 0.34): The three heroines are a childhood friend (Kai), a rich girl (Yui), and a kouhai (Koto-ne), each with unique backstories and route narratives. Their routes explore themes like fear of change, transfer student dynamics, and personal growth.
- Classic Japanese galgame (weight 0.34): The game is described as a pure Japanese galgame with route-based storytelling, music, and voice acting. It features full Japanese voice acting and art by U35.
- Route selection mechanics (weight 0.25): The game has a common route with six branch options that lead to individual character routes. Choices affect which route is entered, and being indecisive leads to a single route.
- Summer vacation setting (weight 0.22): The story is set during a summer vacation, with typical youth themes like deciding what to do and which girl to pursue. The setting is in Shonan, a coastal area, and includes a basketball subplot.
- Adult content patch available (weight 0.19): The game includes an R18 patch and HCG content, indicating it is an adult visual novel. It features three H scenes per character and is an 18+ title.
- Childhood friend route focus (weight 0.17): The childhood friend route is considered the main story, focusing on the protagonist's true feelings and fear of change in friendship and romance. It is not finished but the character appears in other routes.
- Detailed emotional writing (weight 0.13): The game is praised for its detailed emotional writing and story-driven narrative. It focuses on the inner psychology of characters through perspective switching.
- Character group of five (weight 0.13): The story follows a five-person group including the protagonist, childhood friend, friend, a rich girl, and a kouhai. The narrative is told from three perspectives, revealing inner psychology.
- System with back-jump and option-jump (weight 0.12): The game has a system with back-jump and option-jump for navigation, and adjustable settings. The UI is hidden and appears on mouse movement.
- Setting in Nine Hills and Shonan (weight 0.11): The game is set in a place called Nine Hills and also in Shonan, providing a specific geographic context. The protagonist is named Tatsuya Oikawa.
- Single route ending (weight 0.09): The single route ending shows that staying home does not lead to a girlfriend, emphasizing the importance of making choices. Each route has a single ending.
- Event mode and save slots (weight 0.09): The game has an event mode for reviewing the story and 60 pages of save slots with auto save and quick save. This enhances replayability and convenience.
- Game features HCG content (weight 0.05): The game includes HCG content, which is typical for adult visual novels. This is part of the R18 patch and adds to the mature nature of the game.
- Sweet endings (weight 0.05): The routes have sweet endings, typical of romance visual novels. This provides a satisfying conclusion for players.
- Post-game epilogue (weight 0.05): A post-game epilogue shows character introductions before the summer plan, providing additional context. This adds to the overall narrative experience.
- Pre-story included (weight 0.05): The game includes a pre-story that takes place before the main events, setting up the narrative. This is part of the story structure.
- Separate route with friend (weight 0.05): There is a separate route about wasting summer with a friend, offering a different perspective. This adds variety to the gameplay.
- Natural hair colors for heroines (weight 0.04): The three heroines have natural hair colors, which is a design choice that may appeal to players seeking realism. This is a minor detail but noted in reviews.

Performance notes:
- System bugs fixed quickly (weight 0.05): Players noted that system bugs were resolved promptly, indicating responsive development. This positive feedback suggests efficient post-launch support.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for youth themes (weight 0.26): The game is particularly recommended for players who appreciate youth drama and youthful romance stories. Reviewers suggest it resonates with those who enjoy themes of youth and campus life.
- Game is highly recommended (weight 0.24): Multiple reviewers strongly recommend the game, describing it as worth buying and experiencing. The positive reception is consistent across several clusters.
- Specific route order suggested (weight 0.17): Reviewers advise playing routes in a specific order, with the childhood friend route last. One suggests heiress first, then childhood friend, then kouhai, while another recommends the Kaiki route last.
- Recommended for relaxation (weight 0.08): The game is recommended for those who need a summer to heal or for older players to relax. It seems to offer a soothing, nostalgic experience.
- For visual novel fans (weight 0.07): The game is recommended for GALGAME players and those who enjoy pure love visual novels, highlighting its appeal to the genre's core audience.
- Install R18 patch (weight 0.06): One reviewer recommends installing the R18 patch to get complete stories, implying the base game may be censored or incomplete without it. This is important for players seeking the full experience.
- Not for sensitive players (weight 0.05): The game is not recommended for those who are sensitive or have had unhappy youth experiences, as it may evoke strong emotions. This warning helps set expectations for potential buyers.
- Use translation tools (weight 0.05): One reviewer suggests the game is worth trying if you are willing to use screen capture translation tools, indicating the game may not be fully localized. This is relevant for non-native speakers.
- Follow patch instructions (weight 0.05): A reviewer advises players to read the official patch installation instructions carefully, suggesting that installation may be tricky. This is a practical tip for avoiding issues.
- Specific route recommendation (weight 0.04): One reviewer personally recommends Kai's route, indicating a standout character or storyline. This can guide players on which route to prioritize.

Other player notes:
- Game developed by GIGA/Entergram (weight 0.4): The game is developed by GIGA/Entergram, with art by U35 and scenario by Daichi Neko and Fuyuno Doufuku. This is the first game from GIGA for some reviewers, and the developer's reputation is a notable point.
- Developer GIGA ceased operations (weight 0.32): Multiple reviews mention that developer GIGA has exited the galge industry and ended all game development and sales activities. This is a significant context for the game, as it is considered the developer's final work.
- Comparisons to other visual novels (weight 0.28): Reviewers compare the game to other titles, noting it is less melodramatic than some, has a more handcrafted feel compared to polished industrial works, and is compared to Yuzusoft's works. These comparisons help contextualize the game's style.
- Published by HIKARI FIELD (weight 0.21): The game is published by HIKARI FIELD (HF), with the publisher also handling the Chinese localization. The game was available on the HIKARI-FIELD official store and had a launch discount.
- R18 patch required for full experience (weight 0.2): Several reviews note that the game has an R18 patch, which is required to experience the complete story. The patch is available on the HIKARI website, though one review mentions it is no longer available on the official website.
- Medium-length visual novel (weight 0.15): The game is described as a medium-length work, with some reviewers noting it is short without the adult content patch. The length is a factor in the overall experience.
- Strong voice cast praised (weight 0.13): Reviewers highlight the game's strong voice cast, including notable voice actresses such as Kotori Yui, Natsu wa Ko, and Minami Yuuki. The voice acting is considered a positive aspect of the game.
- Game won Moe Game Award (weight 0.13): The game won the Scenario Award for the Moe Game Awards 2019, also described as the best annual script. This award recognition is mentioned as a point of distinction for the game.
- Chinese version with 1080p quality (weight 0.12): The game was released in 2022 with an international Chinese version and 1080p quality. The UI is fully localized, and the Chinese version is a notable aspect for reviewers.
- Translation has embellishment issues (weight 0.12): One review notes that the translation has issues with adding unnecessary embellishments, and the official translation has interpretive authority over dialogue meaning. This affects the perceived quality of the localization.
- Game bought as tribute to GIGA (weight 0.09): Some reviewers purchased the game as a tribute to the now-defunct developer GIGA, and one reviewer gave an extra point for the developer. This sentiment reflects the game's significance as a final work.
- Game offers unique youth experience (weight 0.08): One review reflects that the game offers a different experience from typical youth spent studying, focusing on the youth of popular people rather than otaku. This thematic angle is a point of interest.
- Extra content requires achievements (weight 0.07): Full achievements require playing extra content, and UI optimizations are tied to achievement unlocks. This is a specific gameplay mechanic mentioned by one reviewer.
- No English support at review time (weight 0.05): One review notes that the game had no English support as of the review, which is a limitation for non-Chinese or non-Japanese players. This is a niche concern but relevant for accessibility.
- Game worth the price paid (weight 0.04): One review states that the game was worth the price paid, indicating satisfaction with the value proposition. This is a positive but isolated sentiment.
- Demo available for the game (weight 0.04): A demo is available for the game, allowing players to try it before purchase. This is a practical point for potential buyers.
- Game supported via crowdfunding (weight 0.04): The game was supported through crowdfunding, which is a notable aspect of its development and release. This is mentioned by one reviewer.
- Review copy from SteamPY curator (weight 0.04): One review mentions that the game was provided by a SteamPY curator, which is a specific context for that review. This is a niche detail.
- Kotori route live scene criticized (weight 0.04): One review compares the Kotori route's live scene unfavorably to another game's live scene, indicating a specific point of criticism. This is a detailed but isolated comparison.

Emotions:
- Appreciation (weight 0.18): Players highly value the game's art style by U35, the emotionally rich Kaiki route, and the excellent music, especially 'Blue, Summertime Blue'. The story's bittersweet portrayal of youth, strong character development, and high-quality voice acting and translation also contribute to this appreciation.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.14): The game's summer youth theme and realistic portrayal of high school life evoke strong nostalgic feelings, reminding players of their own youthful days, friendships, and first loves. The bittersweet ending of summer and the story's reflection of common youth experiences deepen this emotional response.
- Frustration (weight 0.08): Players are frustrated by the lack of read-text indicators and other UI shortcomings, as well as the repetitive content across routes that requires fast-forwarding. Technical issues like bugs, audio problems, and the game failing to start also contribute to this frustration.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.08): The game is enjoyed for its heartwarming narrative, genuine take on young love, and sincere friendship portrayal. The appealing art style, summer atmosphere, and engaging character dynamics across the heroine routes make the experience relaxing and enjoyable.
- Disappointment (weight 0.06): Disappointment arises from the lack of a post-story epilogue, the average story and characters, and the perception that only the Kaiki route is complete while others feel like filler. Character assassination and abrupt character changes also contribute to this feeling.
- Sadness (weight 0.06): The game evokes sadness through its themes of the end of precious friendships, the passage of time, and the contrast between the characters' happy youth and the reviewer's own experiences. The Kaiki route's scene about youthful pride and communication breakdown, as well as the childhood friend's disappointment in other routes, are particularly moving.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.03): Players feel satisfied with the game's good system and controls, adjustable settings, and the overall decent experience. The BGM, the Hiiro and Kotone routes, and the engaging story that can be finished in one sitting also contribute to this satisfaction.
- Disgust (weight 0.03): Disgust is triggered by the Kaiki line's heroine belittling the protagonist and saying hurtful things in public, yet being forgiven, and the protagonist betting Kotori in a basketball game without her consent. The forced youthfulness and poorly written adult content patch also cause this reaction.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): The common route is considered boring and full of classic tropes, and the story is bland even with the R18 patch. The Kotori route is also seen as boring and predictable, contributing to the overall boredom.
- Affection (weight 0.02): Players feel affection for specific characters, particularly Jie, Yui, Kotone, and Qinyin, who are described as cute and likable. This attachment to the characters drives the positive emotional response.
- Approval (weight 0.02): The game earns approval for its well-captured youthful feeling, well-written and not exaggerated story, and excellent voice acting. The best friend character is also praised for being a good friend.
- Envy (weight 0.02): Players envy the characters' youth and stories, particularly the childhood friend route, which is seen as enviable. The idealized high school experiences depicted in the game are something the reviewer wishes they had.
- Excitement (weight 0.02): Excitement is generated by the emotionally impactful climax of the childhood friend route, the appealing heroines' designs, and the summer setting. The distinctive art style and anime-like presentation also contribute to this excitement.
- Impressed (weight 0.02): Players are impressed by the high completion level, art, UI, and translation quality. The distinct characters and real, ordinary dialogue, along with the attractive standing art and youthful atmosphere, also leave a strong impression.
- Nostalgic (weight 0.02): The game makes players nostalgic by reflecting their own youth in the characters' stories, and the BGM on the main page after finishing a route enhances this feeling. The story's portrayal of youth and first love also contributes to the nostalgia.
- Warmth (weight 0.01): The game provides a warm feeling through the blend of music, voice acting, and story, and the overall youthful experience. This warmth is a key positive emotional takeaway from the game.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arises from the story being too cryptic and characters acting as riddlers for no reason, particularly in the childhood friend line, which has a twisted plot that is hard to understand.
- Melancholy (weight 0.01): The game depicts the regrets and complex feelings of youth, which makes players reflect on their own youth and current situation, leading to a melancholic mood.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger is caused by the protagonist's disrespectful and out-of-character behavior, as well as his lack of personality and susceptibility to influence, which frustrates players.
- Criticism (weight 0.01): Criticism is directed at the shallow writing and excessive school sex scenes, as well as the unlikable protagonist and formulaic plot, which detract from the game's quality.}