Info about Shining Song Starnova:

Official game description:
Take the stage in Shining Song Starnova! The girls of STARNOVA signed on to become idols thinking they will become the shining stars of their dreams. Instead, they found themselves trapped in a cutthroat business where only the strongest could survive. Along their path to becoming top idols, they're forced to come face-to-face with the harsh reality that being a star isn't as perfect as it seems on TV...  
YOU are Mr. Producer - it's your job to make these girls' dreams come true! Will you and the girls successfully navigate the industry and become the greatest idols in the nation? Shining Song Starnova is a dramatic and gripping story about the path to stardom. Just remember: Even though it may seem dark, the light at the end is always shining!  
This visual novel features seven different heroines to choose from, and is partially voiced by popular Japanese voice talents!

Release date: Sep 13, 2018

Categories: Visual Novel, Character-driven Narrative, Adult Content, Idol Simulation, Story-driven Gameplay, Multiple Endings, Character Interaction, Dialogue-based Gameplay


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $30.00 - $50.00
  - Reasoning: The reviews consistently mention that the game is worth its full price due to its high production values, extensive content, and enjoyable gameplay. The term 'full price' is repeatedly used to indicate that the game's quality justifies its cost, suggesting that the community finds the current base game price fair. Additionally, the mention of the game being 'quite cheap' further supports that the price is reasonable and offers good value for money.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 45.0h
  - Story completion: 8.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provided includes several direct statements from users about the total playtime required to complete the game. For example, one user mentions expecting around 40 hours of playtime, while others report specific playtimes such as 45 hours and slightly over 60 hours. These quotes provide a clear indication of the typical total time to finish the game. Additionally, the mention of multiple routes and the encouragement of multiple playthroughs suggest that the game has significant content that contributes to these longer playtimes.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game initially feels repetitive and boring but becomes engaging and fun as players progress into individual character routes and side events.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Progressing into main character's individual stories
  - Time to anchor: 1h 0m
  - Friction: Repetitive backgrounds; Boring common routes; Repetitive music
  - Unlock drivers: Main character's individual stories; Specific character routes; Side events
  - Conditions: Good pacing; Engaging drama; Variety in presentations
- Player Archetypes:
  - Newcomer Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of a new genre and accessible storytelling.
    - Playstyle: Engages with the game's story and art, appreciates the genre introduction.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: newcomer; VN beginner
    - Reference games: Love Live
  - Adult Content Seeker (sale)
    - Motivation: Interest in adult themes and additional content.
    - Playstyle: Seeks out and engages with adult content, values additional mature themes.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: adult content fan; mature player
    - Reference games: 50 Shades
  - Genre Fan (buy)
    - Motivation: Appreciation for visual novels and Japanese idol culture.
    - Playstyle: Engages deeply with the story and cultural themes, values high-quality writing.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: VN fan; idol fan; Japanese culture enthusiast
    - Reference games: Sunrider


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:
- Engaging and well-written plot (weight 0.56): The game features an interesting and well-researched plot with excellent storytelling. Players appreciate the unique and engaging storyline, which includes dramatic and complex elements.
- Likeable characters and development (weight 0.42): Characters in the game are highly likeable and well-developed, with unique backgrounds and traits. Players appreciate the depth and memorability of the characters.
- Unique and substantial routes (weight 0.4): Each route in the game offers a different and substantial story, with unique themes and well-written content. Players find all routes worth exploring due to their diversity and engaging narratives.
- Realistic portrayal of idol industry (weight 0.33): The game provides a realistic and dramatic exploration of the Japanese idol industry, including its dark aspects. This setting is both engaging and insightful, offering players a deeper understanding of the industry.
- Highly recommended visual novel (weight 0.2): The game is considered one of the best visual novels by reviewers, who highly recommend it for its engaging story and high-quality elements.
- High-quality visuals and music (weight 0.19): The game is praised for its high-quality visuals, sound, and music, which enhance the overall experience.
- High-quality character design (weight 0.14): The game features detailed and high-quality character designs, which are visually appealing and well-crafted.
- Worth the investment (weight 0.14): Players find the game to be a worthy investment of both time and money, considering it brilliant and worth the full price.
- Long gameplay duration (weight 0.14): The game offers a long gameplay experience, ranging from 20 to 40 hours of content, providing players with substantial playtime.
- Well-done voice acting (weight 0.11): The voice acting in the game is of high quality and well-done, adding to the immersion and enjoyment of the story.
- Heartwarming and humorous moments (weight 0.11): The game includes many heartwarming and funny moments, providing a balance of emotions and adding to the overall enjoyment.
- Lovely artwork (weight 0.11): The artwork in the game is well-drawn and visually appealing, contributing to the overall high-quality presentation.

Common complaints:
- Few meaningful choices (weight 0.29): Players have noted a significant reduction in the number of choices available compared to previous games. This limitation affects the gameplay experience and reduces player agency.
- Limited voice acting (weight 0.27): The game has very few fully voiced lines, with most scenes either unvoiced or reusing generic expressions. This lack of complete voice acting detracts from the immersion and overall experience.
- Weak adult content integration (weight 0.26): The adult content in the game is criticized for not being well-integrated into the story and sometimes disrupting emotional moments.
- Repetitive elements (weight 0.22): The game suffers from repetitiveness in various aspects, including static art and dialogue, which can make the experience feel monotonous.
- Disturbing and cringe moments (weight 0.13): Some parts of the game include disturbing moments that can make players cringe, as well as poorly written adult content that feels out of place.
- Lack of language options (weight 0.13): The game lacks multiple voice-over languages and has issues with translation, including untranslated Japanese terms and difficulties with English idioms.
- Unbalanced and mismatched art (weight 0.13): The art style is criticized for being one-dimensional, unbalanced, and sometimes mismatched, particularly in certain modes.
- Technical issues and bugs (weight 0.11): The game is poorly programmed with crashes and bugs, and some patches can cause progression issues, making the game unplayable in certain routes.
- Uneven route development (weight 0.11): Some story routes are weaker and less developed than others, leading to an inconsistent experience depending on the path taken.
- Stereotypical antagonists (weight 0.11): The main antagonists are often seen as cartoonishly evil and stereotypical, which can make the story feel less engaging and more clichéd.
- Immersion-breaking elements (weight 0.1): The game includes real-world references and poorly written adult content that can break immersion and feel out of place.
- Lack of character sprites (weight 0.08): Many secondary characters lack visual representation, which can make the game feel incomplete and less immersive.
- Poor voice acting quality (weight 0.08): The voice acting, particularly for certain characters, is criticized for being poorly executed and sometimes off-putting.
- Harsh and cruel themes (weight 0.07): The game includes harsh realities and cruel events, which can be off-putting and disturbing to some players.
- Poor UI and overall quality (weight 0.07): The user interface could be more elaborate, and the overall quality of the game is considered below average for its price group.
- Rushed and unsatisfying endings (weight 0.04): The endings of the game are criticized for rushing past harsh situations too quickly, leaving players unsatisfied.

Gameplay feedback:
- Engaging visual novel gameplay (weight 0.97): The game is primarily a visual novel with engaging storylines and characters. It includes multiple routes and endings based on player choices.
- Extensive content and routes (weight 0.53): The game offers extensive content with seven different routes and multiple endings. Each route provides unique character arcs and stories.
- Character-driven narrative (weight 0.38): The game focuses on deep character development and storytelling. Players experience character-driven narratives with detailed character sprites and development.
- Choices impact story outcomes (weight 0.36): Player choices significantly influence the story, relationships, and outcomes. Different endings are based on the choices made throughout the game.
- Adult and R-18 content (weight 0.35): The game includes adult content with high-quality animated scenes. An R-18 patch is available for additional content.
- Insight into idol industry (weight 0.24): The story revolves around the idol industry, providing insights and exploring dark themes within it. Players manage an all-girl pop group and deal with industry-specific challenges.
- Limited player choices (weight 0.2): The game has a limited number of choices, with some parts being more linear. Few choices are available, and decisions may have minimal influence on the story.
- Business and management simulation (weight 0.09): The game includes elements of business and management simulation, where players take on the role of a manager of an all-girl pop group.
- Partially voiced and short scenes (weight 0.07): The game features partially voiced content and includes short scenes. Some parts of the game may feel forced or less interactive.

Performance notes:
- Stable but with crashes (weight 0.08): The game generally maintains technical stability, but there are notable issues with crashes and bugs.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for visual novel fans (weight 0.23): This game is highly recommended for fans of visual novels, particularly those who enjoy emotionally intense and story-heavy games with deep character arcs. It is also suggested for fans of the developer's previous works and those interested in the idol industry.
- Substance with adult content (weight 0.08): The game is recommended for those who want a mix of substance and adult content, including dramatic storylines.
- Recommended for idol fans (weight 0.08): Fans of idols and those interested in adult content and familiar with the idol industry are encouraged to try this game.
- Fun and enjoyable game (weight 0.07): The game is recommended as fun and enjoyable, particularly for those familiar with English.
- Buy on discount (weight 0.04): Some reviewers suggest buying the game on discount.
- Save at choice points (weight 0.04): It is highly recommended to save at choice points and explore different options to fully enjoy the game.
- Recommended for Sunrider fans (weight 0.04): The game is recommended, particularly for those who liked the writing of the Sunrider games.
- +18 patch available (weight 0.04): Reviewers mention the availability of a +18 patch for those looking to enhance their experience.
- Language options suggested (weight 0.04): Reviewers suggest keeping the dialogue to a minimum or having language options for a better experience.
- Watch 'Love Live' first (weight 0.04): Some reviewers recommend watching 'Love Live' before playing the game for a better understanding and enjoyment.

Other player notes:
- Alpaca appearance criticized (weight 0.04): Several reviews found the appearance of the alpaca to be bizarre or unsatisfactory.
- DLC mentioned (weight 0.04): Some reviews mentioned the DLC, but no specific details were provided.
- Specific patch and MOD mentioned (weight 0.04): A review mentioned a specific patch and MOD, but no further details were given.
- Japanese translation mod created (weight 0.04): A reviewer mentioned that they created a Japanese translation mod for the game.

Emotions:
- Enjoyment (weight 0.14): Players are captivated by the engaging and immersive story, along with well-developed and unique characters. The diverse routes, high-quality content, and insightful portrayal of the idol industry also contribute significantly to their enjoyment.
- Appreciation (weight 0.09): Players appreciate the game's realistic portrayal of the idol industry and its exploration of complex themes. The high replayability, well-crafted story, and relatable characters are also highly valued.
- Joy (weight 0.08): The overall positive experience is enhanced by high-quality visuals, enjoyable gameplay, and emotional engagement. The engaging story, well-developed characters, and enjoyable music contribute to the joyful experience.
- Frustration (weight 0.06): Players feel frustrated due to fewer branching paths, repetitive parts, and rushed endings. Annoying dialogue, language difficulties, and clumsy writing also contribute to this frustration.
- Engagement (weight 0.05): The emotionally charged narrative and character development keep players engaged. The story's blend of humor and drama, along with relatable characters, enhances the immersive experience.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.05): Players are enthusiastic about the positive aspects of the game's story, content, art, music, and character development. The overall high quality of these elements drives their enthusiasm.
- Excited (weight 0.05): Players are excited about enjoying the game's storyline and character arcs. The anticipation of completing all routes adds to their excitement.
- Surprise (weight 0.04): Players are surprised by the depth of the characters and their backgrounds, as well as the high-quality scenes. The game exceeding expectations and dark, disturbing moments also contribute to this surprise.
- Satisfied (weight 0.03): Players are satisfied with the high-quality visual novel and its content, including the dramatic storyline and character routes. The enjoyable story and characters add to their satisfaction.
- Disappointed (weight 0.03): Players feel disappointed due to not all character storylines being equally interesting and limited decision-making. Some routes being less developed and adult content not adding to the story also contribute to this disappointment.
- Impressed (weight 0.03): Players are impressed by the high-quality voice acting and emotional depth. The high-quality fan service content and tasteful adult content also contribute to their impression.
- Gratitude (weight 0.03): Players express gratitude for the availability of language MODs and full translations. The efforts of localization MOD creators are highly appreciated.
- Emotional investment (weight 0.03): Players feel emotionally invested due to the story's ability to make them laugh and cry. The moving narrative creates a strong bond with the characters.
- Happy (weight 0.03): Players are happy with the emotional impact of the story and the characters' journeys. The blissful adventure and characters dealing with their demons contribute to their happiness.
- Disappointment (weight 0.02): Players feel disappointed due to limited story branches and lack of visual representation for secondary characters. Initial low points in stories and lack of full voice acting also contribute to this disappointment.
- Interest (weight 0.02): Players are interested in the game's exploration of the Japanese idol industry. The unique perspective into this industry piques their curiosity.
- Sad (weight 0.02): Players feel sad due to the portrayal of abuse and bastardy in the entertainment industry. The dark themes evoke a sense of sadness.
- Reflection (weight 0.01): Players reflect on the themes of failure, dreams, and personal happiness. The game's exploration of these themes prompts introspection.}