Where The Stars Brought Us

When a market is as crowded as that of visual novels, coming across good titles in the genre can be almost a miracle. Where The Stars Brought Us isn't aiming to reinvent the wheel, but it also doesn't impress too much with its bare presentation and lackluster plot.

Fans of visual novels will no doubt appreciate the intricate mystery at the heart of the story. However, they might find themselves struggling to become attached to any of the characters. Though the art can be pretty nice, it seems to lack the charm or elegance of other games that fall into the same genre.

Worlds Collide

When Ryo Yung and his family visit Kodachi, they think they're headed toward a relaxing getaway. However, a series of unexpected incidents set their holiday on an entirely new path. Will Ryo be able to find his missing sister before it's too late?

One thing that Where The Stars Brought Us does quite right is how it introduces its gripping mysteries. While the characters – especially Ryo Yung himself – have all the charisma of a piece of wet cardboard, the central mystery itself is cleverly constructed, and a well-constructed mystery makes for a fun visual novel.

Mae, on the other hand, is one of the game's best characters. Her introduction and story arc essentially put her in the role of the main character, even if that spot has been given de facto to Ryo.

Artistic Vision

Most players will confidently say that the right art style can make or break a visual novel: just notice how many people consider Virtue's Last Reward as the superior entry in the Zero Time Dilemma series.

Unfortunately for Where The Stars Brought Us, the art here can be pretty divisive. While the backgrounds can look amazingly pretty, the character models are a whole other matter. Some fans will probably love it, while others will consider it ugly and inconsistent. I would definitely recommend checking out the screenshots on the Steam page to gauge whether you'll be able to enjoy the visual design.

Still, it's not all bad: Ryo and Mae look pretty good, so maybe that's all that matters!

Blast from the Past

Ever wondered what it would have been like to be playing anime visual novels on Windows 95? Well, Where The Stars Brought Us has seemingly answered that question, if only because the UI seems like it was pulled straight from 1994.

The dated presentation might be one of the game's weakest areas, but it's still nowhere near the worst thing about Where The Stars Brought Us. In fact, there's not a lot that's bad about this title; though the plot could definitely use some work, the writing itself is fairly decent, and I enjoyed the way the visual novel unfolds.

Rating 6.5/10

That said, a bit more care could have been put into making the game look a bit more polished. As it is now, the visuals are so rough around the edges that they seriously hurt the overall experience.

Pros

• Great mystery
• Mae is adorable
• The Plot is very easy to follow

Cons

• Lackluster art
• Subpar presentation
• Some rather uninteresting plot twists