Am I The Only One Who Didn't Think Crescendo Was That Good?

Visual Novel Community Visual Novel Talk
#1

I dunno, what level of high regard are you talking about? I don’t have an up-to-date list but I think it’s probably around my 160th-170th favourite? In any case, I thought the art style was rather interesting/unique and at least above average for when the game came out, the writing quite passable and the scenario and characters reasonably well designed. It’s also a bit of a different kind of story - I couldn’t really point you to anything like it, translated or untranslated.

I don’t see what’s wrong with that - in fact, I thought it was the best ending in the game (although partly due to weaknesses in the other route endings, like you said). Something that carries strong emotional weight is good storytelling whether it’s positive or negative.

The full-voice version rectified this a little, although many of the added scenes felt ‘omake-y’ at best - it still felt a little bit short for the number of routes (although it makes a bit of sense given the short timeframe the game takes place over).
Need to bully JAST into translating it as a free patch for Crescendo.

One thing to consider is that for a number of years around the time the translation was released ‘story-centric’ translated eroge were fairly few in number, and while it pales against a lot of the titles available now, it certainly looks quite good compared to most (all) of the nukige (sexromp) titles translated.

#2

So? I guess the scope of someone who can read Japanese is a bit bigger than that of an average fan who can only read visual novels in English. :slight_smile:

#3

I can’t say I cared for it too much. Don’t get me wrong, though, it has a somewhat moving story and a style all its own, and back in the day it was surely classy. But pit it against a current title like YMK or Princess Waltz and you can bet the latter two would be the ones praised.

#4

Yeah, most of the really glowing reviews of it are from a while back. Most of the current English VN community is split between Type-Moon (Fate/stay night, Tsukihime), 07th Expansion (Umineko), Key (Clannad), and Ever 17. In my biased opinion, I’d say that Crescendo edges out Yume Miru Kusuri and beats Princess Waltz pretty handily, but .

Well, I guess I should also mention Nitroplus, given where I’m posting this, but for whatever reason it wasn’t among the names that popped into my head when I was thinking about that. I guess I just don’t hear it as often at the places I hang out.

#5

i mostly liked crescendo my biggest problem was the length it was a little to short for me

#6

I’d probably disagree with the first, agree with the second, myself

#7

I actually like this game a lot. There are a lot better VN available today like FSN, Clannad and So many other good works.
Overall Crescendo is average for the Japanese audience, but it a good one for the English market. Thats why it is so popular. I hear it didnt do very well in Japan.
The strength of the game is in their charecters not the story (which is quite soap operaish anyways).

#8

I wudnt agree with the last part. Its such a shame games like Kana ,crescendo and YMK wud make great Anime series or even a short manga series.

Hmm… the extra scenes are basically “what if” scenarios, so I don’t think they add any value to the main storyline. Damn, this game feels short.

#9

Crescendo was one of the first eroge games I’ve played, and it’s still special to me, especially Yuka’s route. I’ve played a ton of eroges since then, but to be honest, I’ve never felt the same emotional involvement with any other character. You might say that Yuka was my “first virtual love”, as cheesy as that sounds. :stuck_out_tongue:

As for the shortness of the game, I find it more of an advantage. Sure, long complex tales are probably better on the first playthrough, but personally I find it hard to play through these games again - they’re just too long for repeated playthroughs. Crescendo is the only eroge that I have on my HD at all times, and it takes only a couple of hours to complete a route. In contrast, I barely had the patience to replay Chie’s route in KIRAKIRA, even though I liked it a lot on the first try. Plus, the shortness is consistent with the story, because, y’know, it’s only four days before graduation.

The artist’s drawing style is… peculiar, as it has been noted, but I liked the way Kaori and Yuka were drawn, and Ayame and Miyu were also okay to a certain extent. Kaho and Kyoko, on the other hand, looked quite ugly.

#10

Crescendo was one of my first quality games, preceded by Hitomi (which was a fine intro to the genre, but a pretty average game) and Kana ( which will always be my all time favorite game, though it was so intense the first time through [and the next two] I’m often terrified to go back and try finishing all the endings). For me the game helped set the bar for characterization and mood in B games. Sure YMK and PW are great games, but neither of them touched me on a personal level the way Crescendo did. To this day it is the first game I recommend to people for whom I think Kana would be too intense, but want to make them fall in love with the B game genre.

#11

I liked Crescendo, but understand the weaknesses in the plot / Story. Still my favorite was Kaori’s (The School Nurse’s route), at least her good ending, in the fact that you see how much all of them love the main character and want him to be happy, even if it’s not with them.

#12

I can’t imagine playing Hitomi before Crescendo. I think I would have been traumatized and discouraged from playing other games given the abhorrent way the protagonist treats Hitomi in her route. As for your comments on Kana, I’m much the same way. I haven’t played the game in quite a long time, and still need to go back and get the true ending (the only ending I haven’t gotten).

#13

The important thing was, Hitomi introduced me to a type of game I didn’t really even know existed prior to that. I had heard of H games before that, but had much the same impression most people whom have never tried them do - that they were spank material for lonely nerds. But the choose-your-own-adventure quality of that game sucked me into the genre and opened up a whole new world for me. Because of that I still have a soft spot in my heart for Hitomi. (and now that I think about it, Heart de Roommate might have preceded Crescendo as well - another game I remember fondly)

#14

Hitomi was decent for a dark game, but it’s hardly a game I’d use to convince someone that H-games are more than just creepy porn.

#15

Aww man I remember Hitomi, it kinda depressed me that I played a such a dick protag.

But then I relieved myself and it was all good. lol

#16

Oops, double post. Sorry

#17

i didn’t make it much past the first h-scene in hitomi
because i couldn’t stand the protag

#18

In a word…Yes.

#19

I’ve only played JAST’s localisation of Crescendo (need to get the full voice version at some stage). I’d say the game’s greatest strength is probably the unique concept, and the main weakness is the rather poor handling of Ayame’s route. Overall, I think it’s a good solid eroge that doesn’t do too much wrong, but also one that doesn’t reach any great heights along the way.

As for Hitomi, I thought it was downright awful and generally absurd. The writer certainly had some interesting ideas, but the implementation of most of them was hilariously bad, and made me snigger a lot whilst playing it. It’s the worst full price eroge/third worst non-free eroge I’ve tried.

#20

Tsukai: Possession, Virgin Roster 2, Pick Me Honey 2, Gibo: Stepmother’s Sin, and a few whose names I can’t recall at the moment were all worse in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, I understand Hitomi has its faults, but for a sex romp, especially one with darker overtones, I’d say it’s average rather than awful.