I think that every now and then, high expectations towards entertainment can be detrimental to your experience, and A Sky Full of Stars (ASFOS) was another unfortunate victim of this reality. I had read the VN that shares similar inspirational goals (same dev), If my Heart had Wings (IFMHH), and thought it was pretty good, but once comparisons began, ASFOS kept a steady losing streak. It's not like this is bad VN, it's more like the intended effect never occurred, unlike its predecessor.
Positive:
- Production values - In particular the more "restrained" art style and visuals, but also the OST and voice acting. A visual novel cannot be just good writing, because books already exist. ASFOS is a good combination of visual, sound, and effective writing (at least in terms of correctness).
- Characters likability (individually) - As a group it's a different story, but to exemplify: Having the energetic, red headed, childhood friend, main heroine being appealing, is actually impressive, given how saturated with those archetypes, the medium is. Bottom line is you spend so much time with the heroines, that you begin to like them, and notice their good points.
- "Comfy read" - What i mean by that, is a piece of entertainment that does wonders for your mood, even if you just read it for a few minutes, after a long day. The VNs duration is working against it, but it still fits that classification, and works as a stress reliever, or a useful "pick me up".
Neutral:
- Astronomy and stargazing trivia - It's up to you, and how much interest you have in the names of the constellations, or the types of telescopes, and associated knowledge.
- Inspirational value - "The grand scale of things and the unknown, finding purpose and beauty in the mystery of the unreachable". I get it, but i found it to be too abstract, and meant for people with a higher degree of sensitivity (dreamers/romantics, if you will). More logical, grounded folk will not be able to empathise, with this sort of inspirational material.
Negative:
- Pacing of the "common route" is abysmal (so much back and forth); Technical issues (textbox); H-scenes (more below); Support cast is weak (poorly used); Not enough comedy or light hearted moments; Instances of terrible slice of life; No real sense of purpose (limited story) in heroine routes; Romance has no flair and little drama (events to shake things up); Over explaining simple events multiple times, is wasting the reader's time; No teacher route (it's in the fan disk).
Score: A Sky Full of Stars is a 7/10 and a good VN, but i had to take a few steps back, and really look at this objectively, to come up with this score. Personally, this is one of the biggest disappointments, i ever had with a VN, and i felt like my time was wasted. That doesn't have to be you however, try thinking about the title's message, and what kind of person you are, before making a decision, on whether to read this or not.
(H-scenes are not MTL, they are unintelligible MTL, and extremely long, to a point where you might forget what was going on before. Placement in the story is another problem, and it was a chore to watch them.)
(The first fandisc - named Fine days - is also here, and features 7 heroines and routes. The teacher would be my recommendation, plus your favorite heroine in the original. H-scenes are still ridiculously long.)
Positive:
- Production values - In particular the more "restrained" art style and visuals, but also the OST and voice acting. A visual novel cannot be just good writing, because books already exist. ASFOS is a good combination of visual, sound, and effective writing (at least in terms of correctness).
- Characters likability (individually) - As a group it's a different story, but to exemplify: Having the energetic, red headed, childhood friend, main heroine being appealing, is actually impressive, given how saturated with those archetypes, the medium is. Bottom line is you spend so much time with the heroines, that you begin to like them, and notice their good points.
- "Comfy read" - What i mean by that, is a piece of entertainment that does wonders for your mood, even if you just read it for a few minutes, after a long day. The VNs duration is working against it, but it still fits that classification, and works as a stress reliever, or a useful "pick me up".
Neutral:
- Astronomy and stargazing trivia - It's up to you, and how much interest you have in the names of the constellations, or the types of telescopes, and associated knowledge.
- Inspirational value - "The grand scale of things and the unknown, finding purpose and beauty in the mystery of the unreachable". I get it, but i found it to be too abstract, and meant for people with a higher degree of sensitivity (dreamers/romantics, if you will). More logical, grounded folk will not be able to empathise, with this sort of inspirational material.
Negative:
- Pacing of the "common route" is abysmal (so much back and forth); Technical issues (textbox); H-scenes (more below); Support cast is weak (poorly used); Not enough comedy or light hearted moments; Instances of terrible slice of life; No real sense of purpose (limited story) in heroine routes; Romance has no flair and little drama (events to shake things up); Over explaining simple events multiple times, is wasting the reader's time; No teacher route (it's in the fan disk).
Score: A Sky Full of Stars is a 7/10 and a good VN, but i had to take a few steps back, and really look at this objectively, to come up with this score. Personally, this is one of the biggest disappointments, i ever had with a VN, and i felt like my time was wasted. That doesn't have to be you however, try thinking about the title's message, and what kind of person you are, before making a decision, on whether to read this or not.
(H-scenes are not MTL, they are unintelligible MTL, and extremely long, to a point where you might forget what was going on before. Placement in the story is another problem, and it was a chore to watch them.)
(The first fandisc - named Fine days - is also here, and features 7 heroines and routes. The teacher would be my recommendation, plus your favorite heroine in the original. H-scenes are still ridiculously long.)