Clannad

One of the more celebrated visual novel games is Clannad. This is a very popular game that would go onto spawn sequels, mangas, and even an anime. It is a series that has a legion of fans all over the world and today we are taking a look at where it all started with the original visual novel.

Meet Tomoya

The protagonist of the game is a third-year student by the name of Tomoya and he at the start of the game is kind of unlikable in all honesty. He is often referred to as a delinquent, but to be fair after the death of his mother and the rather aggressive and violent relationship he has with his father you can see why he is the way that he is.

While this is a visual novel game and you will have the chance to romance several young ladies. What I found most engaging about Clannad is the way Tomoya evolved as a character and the way he comes out of his shell and starts to see the world in a different light. The catalyst for this is when he meets a fellow young student and she wants to start back up the drama club and he agrees to help.

Make The Right Choices

If you have played a visual novel game before then you will fit right in with what this game is offering. You have at the start of the game, five different ways that the story can go with another being unlockable once the original ones have been done. You watch most of the story unfold before your eyes, but you do have some choices to make. I was impressed with the number of different paths the story could go and there is a great deal of replay value here if you want to see all the ways that the story can go.

Nice But Rough

Many people feel that a visual novel game lives and dies by its artwork and in that regard what we have here is a bit of a mixed bag. I feel that the background art is fantastic and very, very well done. The character models, on the other hand, are a little bit of a mixed bag some of them look great, but others feel like they did not have as much time spent on them.

I can see why so many people love Clannad. The story has that perfect balance of humor and heartfelt stuff that makes things have a real emotional impact as you are experiencing the story. If you like visual novel games, especially ones that have an impactful and meaningful story I can see you becoming very engrossed in the story that is told here.

Final Score: 8.5/10

Pros:

• The character growth is great
• The choices you make feel like they have consequences
• Plenty of characters to interact with
• Lots of replay value
• Some great twists in the story

Cons:

• The presentation is a little uneven in places
• It will probably get you hooked on the series