Info about Omoide Ni Kawaru Kimi Memories Off:

Official game description:
\*This game is only available in Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese.  
「メモリーズオフ」シリーズ３作目  
2002年に登場した恋愛アドベンチャーゲーム「想い出にかわる君～メモリーズオフ～」をフルＨＤ移植。  
ストーリーを読み進め、選択肢を選んでいくシンプルなアドベンチャーゲーム方式を採用。  
選択肢でストーリーが分岐。複数のエンディングへと進んでいきます。  
収録シナリオ  
「本編」  
「AfterStory」  
Introduction  
けがえのない想い…そして、また  
なんとなく大学生になった主人公、「加賀正午」。  
それなりに一人暮らしの大学生活を楽しんでいる一方で、彼は漠然とした憂鬱さを感じていた。  
その原因は数年前、理由も告げず突然消えた恋人、「黒須カナタ」だった。  
カナタとの唐突な別れは彼の心に大きな傷をつけていたのだ……。  
それから数年後──  
偶然にもカフェで再会するカナタと正午。  
失ったと思っていたカナタとの再会で彼の心は乱れてしまう。  
さらにカフェを訪れる女の子との出会いが重なり、再会と新しい出会いの狭間で心が揺れ動き始める。  
また、夏が始まる。  
STAFF  
キャラクターデザイン：松尾ゆきひろ、輿水隆之  
シナリオ：緑犬ふう  
キャスト：  
黒須カナタ：福井裕佳梨  
荷嶋音緒：清水愛  
荷嶋深歩：白鳥百合  
鳴海沙子：川澄綾子  
寿々奈鷹乃：千葉紗子  
北原那由多：高橋美佳子  
児玉響：浅野真澄  
百瀬環：沢城みゆき  
白河静流：菊池志穂  
霧島小夜子：浅野るり  
稲穂信：間島淳司  
テンチョー：岩田光央  
マグロー：宮田幸季  
トビー：志倉千代丸

Release date: Jan 31, 2024

Categories: Visual Novel, Dating Simulation, Multiple Endings, Branching Story, Romance, Single-player Story, Anime Art Style

Feature scans:
- Proton/Linux: score 10; verdict: Works Well on SteamOS / Proton; summary: The available Linux and SteamOS evidence is positive: the game runs successfully on SteamOS with default graphics settings, and Steam Deck compatibility is officially Playable. No Proton tweaks, launch problems, crashes, anti-cheat blockers, or Linux-specific defects are reported. The Playable rather than Verified label is a rating nuance, not evidence of compatibility friction.
- Steam Deck: score 45; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: Steam Deck feedback shows a playable but not fully seamless experience: the game runs well on SteamOS with default graphics, and its console-style controls are praised, but users note small interface text, mismatched keyboard/mouse/controller prompts, incomplete default controller coverage, and occasional need for touchscreen, community layouts, or the virtual keyboard. The official Playable rating matches this mixed picture. No launcher, Proton, crash, or launch-blocking evidence appears.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 45.0h
  - Story completion: 22.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: One reviewer reports a total playtime of about 20–24 hours, supporting a story/main completion estimate near 22 hours. Another reviewer explicitly reports 45 hours for full completion, supporting gameCompletion around 45 hours for all routes. There is no reliable evidence for average session length or endgame-specific playtime, so those metrics are null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The reports frame the game as a narrative-heavy galgame that rarely becomes fun: occasional good moments and choice or achievement incentives do not outweigh headaches, route-level annoyances, and a self-indulgent slog. Enjoyment depends heavily on tolerating minimal gameplay and liking the story and characters.
  - Stance: Never clicks
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Music that causes head pain; Annoying characters in some routes; Little conventional gameplay outside choices; Self-indulgent pacing and slog; Developer focus on realism or art over galgame conventions
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: Enjoying narrative progression and character development; Tolerance for minimal conventional gameplay; Completionist interest in achievements and multiple endings; Tolerance for annoying route-specific characters
- Player Archetypes:
  - Franchise Loyalist Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: Completing and revisiting the Memories Off franchise while comparing each entry.
    - Playstyle: Plays all series entries, replays them on Steam, and judges each game against franchise history.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: MO series iron fan; series fan
    - Reference games: Memories Off 4
  - Curious Series Newcomer (sale)
    - Motivation: Testing an older, controversial series entry from a fresh-player perspective.
    - Playstyle: Plays through routes with newcomer curiosity, often checking guidance because of route locks.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: newcomer; entry newcomer
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Traditional Sweet-Romance Escapist (no buy)
    - Motivation: Getting sweet, idealized romance and avoiding heavy social realism.
    - Playstyle: Chooses favorite romance routes and rejects melodrama or social-commentary shifts.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: CL
  - Route Completionist Guide Follower (sale)
    - Motivation: Unlocking every heroine route and ending without missing content.
    - Playstyle: Uses route orders and guides to manage choices, route locks, and multiple endings.
    - 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:
- Kanata praised as true heroine (weight 0.54): Kanata is widely praised as a captivating and well-developed true heroine with a willful personality, and her route is considered the most brilliant part of the game. Her dynamic with the protagonist and her ethereal quality make her memorable.
- Realistic university life portrayal (weight 0.48): The game realistically depicts love, relationships, and social issues in a university setting, offering a profound story that feels grounded in reality. This realism is a standout compared to other visual novels.
- Deep and engaging story (weight 0.43): The story is profound, realistic, and contains considerable depth, often focusing on mature themes and life philosophy. Many reviewers find it engaging and thought-provoking, especially in its later parts.
- Nostalgic and atmospheric BGM (weight 0.37): The background music is frequently described as nostalgic, emotionally impactful, and atmospheric, enhancing the overall mood of the game. Takeshi Abo's compositions are consistently praised.
- Branching romances and replayability (weight 0.34): The game features multiple branching romances and endings, including seven heroines with complex relationships, which adds significant replayability. Different routes offer varied and engaging experiences.
- Character depth and realism (weight 0.31): Characters are three-dimensional, lifelike, and have distinct flaws that make them feel realistic and relatable. Their emotional portrayals are delicate and adequate, contributing to the game's mature tone.
- Strong character relationships and conflicts (weight 0.29): The complex relationships and thematic conflicts between the seven heroines, including jealousy and rivalry, create strong immersion and emotional engagement. The love triangle premise is particularly gripping.
- High-quality HD port (weight 0.28): The Full HD port improves usability on modern monitors, with no font issues on Steam, convenient controller support, and optimized UI. The port includes modern visual novel features.
- Memorable music and songs (weight 0.27): The music, including the opening song 'Replay Machine' and character songs, is very likeable and fitting for the series. The soundtrack includes tracks by Takeshi Abo and is considered a standout part of the production.
- Excellent voice acting (weight 0.27): The voice acting, including performances by Ayako Kawasumi and Fukui Yukari, is exceptional and brings characters to life. The dream voice cast enhances the overall experience.
- Emotional and thought-provoking (weight 0.23): The story handles mature themes realistically, provoking thought about life, death, values, and human relationships. The emotional scenes are immersive and leave a lasting impact.
- After Story adds completeness (weight 0.22): The AfterStory content beyond the main scenario makes the whole work more complete and elevated, revealing the game's true core value. After Story events are even more exciting than the main story.
- Innovative series entry (weight 0.22): The game is unique and memorable, attempting to innovate the series with a university student protagonist and more mature themes. Its distinct atmosphere is often compared to a trendy drama.
- Returning characters enhance continuity (weight 0.2): Returning characters like Shin, Yue, Sakuya, and Shizuru appear in grown-up forms, providing continuity and pleasing series fans. Their roles add depth to the story.
- Nayuta's route highly praised (weight 0.18): Nayuta Kitahara's route is considered the most complete from a romance perspective, with a seamless light-to-dark transition and excellent pacing. Her sunny personality and smile are charming.
- Hibiki's route standout (weight 0.18): Hibiki's route is often cited as the most outstanding among non-true routes, showing a gold-digger's growth and a pure love story. Her quirky communication style becomes endearing.
- Foreshadowing and structural depth (weight 0.18): Foreshadowing is cleverly placed throughout the story, and the careful structural obsession in building ideal pairs is interesting. The true route closes foreshadowing and brings worldlines together satisfyingly.
- Sako's route heavy and excellent (weight 0.16): Sako's route contains heavy and excellent dialogue that makes up for its short length, and her character is considered relatively well-rounded with existentialist thoughts.
- Male characters well-written (weight 0.13): Male supporting characters are well done and interesting, adding depth to the common route. Some reviewers find them more interestingly written than the female characters.

Common complaints:
- Weak story and writing (weight 0.8): The overall narrative is considered bad, with bland plots, forced drama, and unmemorable writing. The after story and true route are often cited as particularly disappointing.
- Poor translation quality (weight 0.78): The localization is riddled with mistranslations, typos, and wrong character names, severely impacting the reading experience. Specific examples include 'Bravo' translated as 'brave' and 'Kyurei virus' as 'cancer cell'.
- Technical and UI problems (weight 0.75): The game suffers from various UI and technical issues, such as poor keyboard controls, missing save previews, and history not being preserved. Fullscreen overlay and resolution problems also detract from the experience.
- Unlikable protagonist (weight 0.7): The male protagonist is criticized as indecisive, cowardly, and scummy, with no believable charm to justify the heroines' affection. His two-timing behavior and obsession with the shop manager make him frustrating.
- Kanata route and true route issues (weight 0.61): Kanata's route suffers from thin content, a nonsensical breakup reason, and excessive melodrama. The true route forces a love triangle, making the protagonist's choices frustrating and other routes feel pointless.
- Short and unsatisfying routes (weight 0.55): Individual heroine routes are very short, often feeling rushed and incomplete, with content that seems cut. This is exacerbated by the long common route and pair route structure.
- Unappealing character designs (weight 0.49): Character art is often described as poor, with disproportionate features like large heads and off-putting expressions. Many find the heroines unattractive and the overall visual quality lower than previous entries.
- Overlong boring common route (weight 0.45): The common route is excessively long and filled with tedious daily life scenes, making it a chore to get through. Many reviewers describe it as torturous and bloated.
- Excessive focus on male characters (weight 0.4): The game spends too much time on male side characters and their banter, especially in the early scenes, which detracts from the heroine interactions and overall pacing.
- Tamaki's route flaws (weight 0.39): Tamaki's route is boring due to her lack of normal communication and zero interactivity, with a bad ending where she dies in the rain. Her good ending is also poor, and her character is bland.
- Repetitive and tedious skip issues (weight 0.33): Skip mode fails to skip many scenes, sounds, and effects, forcing players to repeatedly endure the same content. This makes replaying for endings extremely tedious.
- Unappealing and flawed heroines (weight 0.33): Many heroines are considered unattractive, with harsh or extreme personalities that reduce their appeal. Supporting characters are also seen as useless or annoying.
- Hibiki's route problems (weight 0.3): Hibiki's route is criticized for its denpa dialogue, exaggerated reactions, and forced conflict, including a scam and aggressive pursuit. The route also repeats its one memorable moment with the same CG.
- Tobira is extremely disliked (weight 0.28): The character Tobira is universally disliked for his illogical behavior, incomprehensible motives, and frequent disgusting appearances. His romantic line is also considered a mess.
- Repetitive and tiresome route structure (weight 0.27): Routes follow the same pattern, often involving pair stories and forced drama, making them feel repetitive and fatiguing. The route-locking system further forces players through undesirable paths.
- Confusing choice system (weight 0.25): Choices are numerous and lack hints, making it nearly impossible to navigate without a guide. Many choices are meaningless and only alter a single line of text.
- Sako route is rushed (weight 0.22): Sako's route is extremely short, ends abruptly, and heavily overlaps with Nayuta's route. The sudden shift to pursuing Sako feels forced and undeveloped.
- Nayuta route has filler (weight 0.22): Nayuta's route contains too much filler and many unanswered questions, with constant references to other games that confuse players. It feels like it should be much longer to address its plot points.
- Poor audio quality (weight 0.15): The audio quality is noticeably poor, sounding compressed and lacking clarity, likely due to lost master audio. The BGM and sound effects also feel out of place or noisy.

Gameplay feedback:
- Seven heroines with routes (weight 0.72): The game features seven romanceable heroines, each with individual routes and multiple endings. Five main routes plus two unlockable routes are available.
- Romance visual novel structure (weight 0.65): The game is a visual novel with a common route followed by individual heroine routes. It features a long common route and multiple endings per heroine.
- Choices lead to branching (weight 0.28): Player choices determine which heroine route is taken and can lead to bad endings. Some routes have plot locks requiring certain conditions.
- True route is locked (weight 0.2): The true route for Kanata is locked until all six other heroine routes are completed. This encourages players to explore all routes.
- Bad endings for heroines (weight 0.2): Each character has bad endings, including scenarios where the protagonist dates two heroines simultaneously and is discovered. These lead to failure endings.
- Love triangle theme (weight 0.11): The story includes a love triangle between the protagonist and two heroines, adding dramatic tension to the narrative.
- No skip-to-next-choice (weight 0.11): The game lacks a skip-to-next-choice function, which players find inconvenient when replaying to explore different routes.
- Long text split into parts (weight 0.11): The long script is split into two starting options on the title screen, accommodating the large volume of text.

Performance notes:
- CG cropped to 16:9 (weight 0.06): The game's natively 4:3 CG content is forced into 16:9 and cropped, cutting off parts of the image. This affects players who expect the original framing to be preserved.
- Distorted scaling below 1080p (weight 0.06): At non-16:9 resolutions below 1920x1080, the image is scaled with distortion rather than proper aspect ratio handling. This degrades visual quality on lower-resolution or unusual display setups.
- Voice volume too quiet (weight 0.06): Voice audio is sometimes too quiet even when the volume is set to maximum. Players may struggle to hear dialogue clearly during scenes.
- BGM ducking not adjustable (weight 0.06): Background music ducking during voice playback is too subtle and cannot be adjusted by the player. This can make dialogue harder to follow over the music.
- Steam overlay mouse misalignment (weight 0.06): In fullscreen mode, the Steam overlay is misaligned with the mouse pointer, making it difficult to click the correct elements. This interferes with using overlay features during gameplay.

Recommendations:
- Prioritize Kanata's route (weight 0.32): Many reviewers highlight Kanata's route as the standout, worth playing even if the rest of the game is a slog. They strongly recommend prioritizing it for the best experience.
- Fans of Memories Off (weight 0.31): The game is best suited for dedicated fans of the Memories Off series who have played and enjoyed earlier entries, as noted by multiple reviewers.
- Not recommended for newcomers (weight 0.2): Reviewers advise against playing this as an entry point due to its connections to previous games and dated mechanics. It is more suitable for returning players or those familiar with the series.
- Dark and realistic themes (weight 0.19): The game features a dark tone and realistic aspects that may not appeal to all players. It is recommended for those with richer life experience and not for those seeking lighthearted romance.
- Use a guide (weight 0.15): Because of route locks and multiple endings, using a guide is recommended to navigate the game efficiently. This helps in experiencing the intended story paths.
- Series order matters (weight 0.11): Playing the games in the correct order enhances enjoyment, with interactions with mob characters and story connections being more meaningful. Starting from the first game is strongly advised.
- Worth completing patiently (weight 0.09): Despite its flaws, some reviewers find the game worth playing patiently to completion, especially for the true ending. The payoff may justify the effort.
- Skip side routes (weight 0.06): Reviewers suggest skipping side routes and focusing on the main story to avoid unnecessary content. The main narrative is considered more worthwhile.
- Language barrier issue (weight 0.06): Players who cannot read Japanese or Chinese will struggle to appreciate the story due to the lack of localization. This limits accessibility for international audiences.
- Not worth full price (weight 0.06): Some reviewers advise against buying the game due to its perceived low value. They recommend caution unless deeply invested in the series.

Other player notes:
- Returning characters from previous games (weight 0.37): Characters from earlier titles in the series, such as Shin and Yue, appear as supporting cast.
- Controversial shift in style and themes (weight 0.35): The game is a controversial entry due to its departure from high school romance, moving to a university setting and exploring mature themes.
- Full HD port of 2002 game (weight 0.32): The game is a Full HD remaster of the third Memories Off title originally released in 2002, handled by MAGES.
- Third entry in Memories Off series (weight 0.32): This is the third main installment in the Memories Off series, released by KID on November 28, 2002.
- Unfavorable comparison to earlier entries (weight 0.28): Reviewers compare the game unfavorably to the first two games and other titles in the series, often calling it the worst.
- Music by Takeshi Abo (weight 0.23): The soundtrack is composed by Takeshi Abo and Hayashikane Hiroshi, with vocal songs performed by notable artists.
- Set in university, not high school (weight 0.23): The story takes place in a university setting, a departure from the high school settings of previous entries, focusing on adult relationships.
- Includes original and after-story content (weight 0.2): The port bundles the original game content along with all after-story scenarios, including Kanata's true ending epilogue.
- Supports controllers and Steam Deck (weight 0.19): The game is fully compatible with controllers and runs well on Steam Deck, with no font issues reported.
- Story set one year after Memories Off 2nd (weight 0.16): The narrative occurs one year after the second game, in Chibigaoka, a neighboring city to Sakuragaoka.
- Low price and short playtime (weight 0.15): The game is priced low and takes about 20-24 hours to complete, or around 45 hours for full completion.
- Marked series decline and sales drop (weight 0.11): The game is seen as a turning point in the series' decline, with a significant sales drop and a shift away from realism in later entries.
- Main theme of reuniting with ex-girlfriend (weight 0.11): The story centers on the protagonist reconnecting with his ex-girlfriend Kanata and attempting to restore their relationship.
- Steam version lacks Cloud support (weight 0.11): The remake does not support Steam Cloud, and it defaults to Japanese when launched from Steam shortcuts unless manually configured.
- Opening theme by Nana Mizuki (weight 0.1): The opening song 'replay machine' is performed by Nana Mizuki, composed by Chiyomaru Shikura.
- More painful than sweet story (weight 0.1): The game is known for its painful and realistic themes, including flawed family backgrounds and troubled personalities.
- Mixed reception and overlooked status (weight 0.1): The game has a mixed reception, often overlooked in series discussions, though a minority consider it underrated.

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.36): Players are disappointed by underdeveloped and rushed routes, particularly Hibiki's, Tamaki's, and Sako's, with many feeling content was cut. The story fails to deliver a satisfying romantic experience due to shallow writing, poor execution, and controversial changes, despite high expectations.
- Frustration (weight 0.33): The game's tedious story lock requiring all heroine routes to unlock the true ending forces players through a long, verbose common route. Skip mode is ineffective, technical bugs exist, and the protagonist's indecisiveness exacerbates the annoyance.
- Appreciation (weight 0.15): Players appreciate the deep story and rich character development, especially Kanata's character and voice acting. The BGM and atmosphere enhance the mood, and the realistic writing and connections to previous games add value.
- Admiration (weight 0.08): Admiration is directed at Kanata's mysterious and free-spirited personality, as well as the realistic and profound depiction of love and life. The opening and its reuse at the true ending, along with the quality of dialogue, also earn praise.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.08): Nostalgia arises from connections to previous games, such as Kanata appearing in Memories Off 4, and the theme of forgotten memories and past loves. Hearing the BGM and seeing the slope again evokes memories of playing the series in childhood.
- Boredom (weight 0.08): Boredom stems from the long, repetitive common route filled with filler, tedious daily life descriptions, and forced comedy. The plot is bland and slow-paced, making the game overall uninteresting for many players.
- Annoyance (weight 0.07): Annoyance is caused by unskippable long sound effects, numerous translation typos, and mob characters talking too much. The protagonist inheriting bad traits from earlier protagonists and the same over-the-top humor across characters also irritate players.
- Disgust (weight 0.07): Disgust is primarily directed at the protagonist's scummy behavior and fantasies, as well as unlikable characters like Tobita Tobira and Marukuro. The garbage story and useless male side characters further repulse players.
- Relief (weight 0.06): Relief comes from finishing the game after forcing through it, especially after the true route's high quality and foreshadowing resolution. Setting the game aside after a bad ending or simply completing all routes also brings relief.
- Anger (weight 0.06): Anger is fueled by the terrible Chinese translation with numerous errors and the annoying route lock requiring all six heroine routes. Meaningless scenes at an infuriating frequency and unsatisfying endings with forced choices also provoke anger.
- Sadness (weight 0.05): Sadness stems from Neo being written out of the story and the true ending being soured, as well as the sad atmosphere as the truth is revealed. The harsh and realistic portrayal of relationships and characters, and missing Hibiki's quirky communication, contribute to this emotion.
- Confusion (weight 0.05): Confusion arises from initial difficulty finding the language setting, not being able to tell who the main heroine is, and the game being confusing and hard to understand. The story initially not following conventional plot structures adds to the bewilderment.
- Amusement (weight 0.03): Amusement is provided by Kanata's catchphrases 'hi' and 'bye', the protagonist's time-management antics in the true route, and unconventional and funny heroine introductions.
- Regret (weight 0.03): Regret is felt due to the game's market positioning failure and lost popularity, as well as the decline in presentation and art quality compared to earlier games. Feeling that not leaving a review after finishing all endings would be a pity also contributes.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.02): Satisfaction comes from the high completion level and the quality of Kanata and Nao's routes and the after story. The exciting and well-written true ending, and experiencing the story of Masahiro and Hikata, also satisfy players.
- Exhaustion (weight 0.02): Exhaustion is caused by the long common route and the need to complete all routes for the true route, as well as too many useless scenes and slow pacing near the end.
- Reluctance (weight 0.02): Reluctance is felt about having to play Tamaki's route and the ex-girlfriend return premise, with players not wanting to pursue such a relationship.
- Affection (weight 0.02): Affection is directed at Fuho, who turns out to be very cute after her bad ending, and the Kanata and Neo chapter, Neo true chapter, and After Story.
- Dislike (weight 0.02): Dislike is aimed at the main heroine's personality and the excessive pain in the story, as well as the character Tobira and Hibiki's behavior and personality.
- Oppression (weight 0.02): Oppression is felt due to the heavy and realistic tone of the story and the heavy and bitter themes explored.}