Cerulean Days

Either written with AI or the dev has never talked to a women before. Dialogue is cringe and feels like you are reading a reddit thread. Since it's too late for a refund i shall keep playing. Partly to see if it gets better so this review isn't unjustly written, but mostly to feed cringe screenshots to twitter Oomfies

I have some mixed feelings about this VN. Cerulean Days is a strange visual novel. It’s set on the isolated island of Inre, which becomes even more isolated after a terrorist attacked organised via the internet results in the government banning the internet on the island altogether. After the internet goes down, life changes for the residents of Inre. This VN showcases how the lives of the main characters shift after this huge upheaval, for better or for worse, and how their interpersonal bonds alter now they can no longer seek anonymous solace on the world wide web… At least, that’s what this VN is supposed to be about, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Cerulean Days is actually about the main character, Michael: a fairly generic VN protag who likes books and women with big boobies, befriending the haughty, sadistic, wealthy pastry chef, Séverine, who proceeds to spend most of the story engaging in light S&M roleplay with him. Huge swathes of text are devoted to Séverine calling Michael her ‘dog’, asking him if he’ll wear a collar, and telling him he disgusts her in various ways. Occasionally, Cerulean Days remembers it’s actually supposed to be about a governmental conspiracy, but these occasions are brief and fleeting, and it soon reverts back to being the Michael and Séverine two person comedy show. I felt compelled to read this visual novel because the first review said it read like AI had written it, and I was curious to see if that was the case… and I don’t think that’s true. On a technical level, I think the writing in Cerulean Days actually pretty good. The sentence structure is varied, the vocab used is rather evocative at parts, and there’s a playful undertone to all of Michael and Séverine’s interactions. Some of the slice of life does drag on a bit, but I did find the comedy genuinely entertaining (for the most part). The government conspiracy plot line, by contrast, feels pretty under-baked. We’re given some backstory at the beginning of the VN about why the internet was banned in Inre, but it’s all very vague. Michael and Séverine later apply to work in the government themselves, to help rehabilitate people whose lives have gone off the rails after the internet’s abolishment, but this is also glossed over. The readers don’t get any insight into the actual test Michael and Séverine have to pass to get this job, which removes any emotional impact from Michael’s failure, because there’s no real sense that he tried on this test at all. The nature of the job is also glossed over, and we only see Michael and Séverine help three people in the common route: one of them being the secondary love interest Rose. Rose was a popular streamer back when Inre still had internet access, and she loses her will to live once the internet is shut down. Without a regular income stream or an adoring fanbase, she becomes a shut-in who doesn’t want to interact with anybody. Fortunately, Séverine is able to take Rose around into rejoining society by… saying she wants to be her friend once and giving her a can of instant coffee. After this gesture, Rose is completely recovered: her depression after her life having been upended healed. Séverine is an angel and she has saved the day with her immense kindness! Yippee! \o/ …So, yes, this VN has some pacing problems. The supposed crux of the plot (how do we live without the internet after being so dependent upon it?) isn't given much screen time when compared with all the Funny Jokes About Masochism, and the fact the story keeps going between the two so much in the common route feels disorienting. While the writing is technically accomplished, I feel like the plotting could have used some work. Either the slice of life should have been pared down to give the conspiracy plot more breathing room, or the government conspiracy angle should have been cut altogether and it should have been a fully-fledged comedy/fanservice VN. I’m not big into fanservice stories, but I actually think going all-in on the wacky antics would have been to this VN’s benefit. I found Michael and Séverine’s banter the most entertaining part of this VN, even if it does drag on a bit, and I don’t think it really ‘works’ when framed against such a serious backdrop. If the story took itself less seriously, its sillier aspects would have been even more entertaining. I’ll give the VN a thumbs up because there is some good content here, and it’s obvious the creator put a lot of work and passion into the story, but it wasn’t wholly to my tastes. Also: I feel like Rose is a completely superfluous character. She’s so forgettable the dev even forgot to code her expressions at numerous points in the VN, so there’s a fair few scenes where she’s described as blushing, pouting, or looking sad, while her sprite remains fixed doing a :D face throughout. Actually, there’s a few other things in this VN which bother me, like the use of the stock Ren’py UI for certain screens, the character sprites fading out completely before fading back in when they swap between different poses, the secondary poses of the characters barely being utilised, and the author himself interrupting the story to tell you how visual novels work and that your choices can result in different endings midway through the story… But this review is getting quite long, so I’ll leave it at that!!! If you think Séverine is pretty (I know I do; the art in this VN is really nice) and you want her to verbally abuse you, then you should check this out! If you’re a filthy pig masochist all of her banter will undoubtedly be very enjoyable. Otherwise, you might want to read something else.

I wanted to push through this novel before I wrote a review, but I just couldn't. I didn't mind the 'reddit tier dialogue' so much, these are people who were apparently terminally online, so it makes sense that dialogue is awkward in that sort of sense. I didn't mind the grammatical mistakes either- what I did mind is that the narration and dialogue meanders. It meanders a lot. The main character will waffle on and on. He'll waffle about how the waffle exploded in a burst of rainbows, electrifying his brain, his spine, his mouth, the sensation caused by the waffle creeping slowly though his body. Waffle. It is the only thing that now exists in his world, and he's addicted to it like a drug, needing more and more of it. He'll need to keep going on and on about the waffle, adding absolutely no extra detail whatsoever. When all you needed was just to say 'It was incredibly dry monotonous waffle, which you could only extract the tiniest drop of meaningful exposition'. This is an exaggerated example, but there's a lot of it, at least in the first two chapters. Even worse, waffle that could've been used to say- detail a tense argument between two characters, is instead shortened to - 'They yelled a lot, exchanged a lot of emotions, then made up'. There could've been an opportunity to develop either the main character or lead, with their opinions, thoughts, reactions or actions based on what the other two characters were saying- alas all we have is waffle. Show don't tell isn't really being used here, and sometimes there are scenes which I struggled to find the point of- i.e. the main character and secondary lead go hiking, get sweaty, then go to a spa. Thinking about it now, maybe there was meant to be something like an 18+ scene, but then it got removed? On doing the research, there was apparently an 18+ version floating around somewhere on kickstarter, but there doesn't appear to be any 18+ content for the steam version. So definitely don't buy this if you're looking to [b]*ahem*[/b] [i]coom[/i]. Music is fine, nothing ear grating, nothing particularly memorable. Art is serviceable too, nothing particularly amazing or off model. There's better VN's out there, that's for sure.

After playing it for almost 100hrs,I have some feelings which I am eager to express.(the playing time statistics went wrong and Steam has decreased it) 玩了快一百个小时，我有一点点感想了，嗯，而且我也想说出来（其实这是我的英文寒假作业 真的）然后这个steam的游玩时间统计不知道干啥出了问题，但是问题不大 First of all,Creulean Days has a quite lengthen text,I think.Add to I have use extra time to translate English into Chinese,which made it harder to digest. 首先是这个游戏文本量很大，而且没有汉化导致我只能一边用翻译软件一边翻着字典查看有没有奇特的语境意，不然还是挺难懂的（尤其是开头大概是男主内心描写？也可能是旁白那一段） The story background is unique.Due to this,the story was made to be more "real"(for we can find somewhere similar to it).It’s set on the isolated island of Inre.For some extent,geographic features resulted in its isolation.While on the other hand,it got even more isolated after the state goveronment cut the Internet connection on the island for the state were trying to elimate the negative effects caused by a terrorist attack.(according to the story only)(which might refers to the Coronavirus?) 游戏背景比较独特。大概正是因为这个独特的背景才让这个故事变得更加真实（这个互联网全断是不是有点像现实生活中的一个国家呢）故事发生在一个叫做Inre的小岛上（孤岛但是很现代化）地理特征和互联网断掉导致了它看起来很孤独，而互联网被切断则是奇怪的政府做了奇怪的决斗，说是为了消除游戏内一个恐怖袭击的恶性影响（结合时间等特征感觉有点像新冠，啊吧啊吧） The sudden Internet cut off has impacted on citizens of Inre,which opened the story.Cerulean Days shows how Michael,Séverine,Grace and Rose adjusted the life, and how S and M(mainly they two)helped those who have difficulties in gettting used to the new life without Internet. 互联网突然断掉很大程度上影响了住在Inre上的人们的生活，这也就是这个故事的开端。游戏展示了M,S,G,R四个人如何适应断网的新生活，以及S 和M 两个人怎么劝导其他无法从物联网突然切断中走出来的人的事情 As I haven't finished even one line of this game,I can't irresponsibly express my guess on the story. 虽然啊这个时间紧任务重，我年初一应该是？买了游戏之后没有打通任意一条he的线我就在这讲话了（但是这个作业我真的是不得不做...嗯）我实在是不能不负责任地传达我的猜测，所以如下主要讲讲我看到的和我理解的（不要攻击我我只是做个作业，真的，真的，仅代表个人立场） Back on the characterizations of those four major roles,they are just not so completed.(Maybe it's because I can't understand and speculate their dialogues as native speakers) The shifts of their emotions or things behind the dialogue which is got by the characters sometimes make me confused.But according to what I have actually understood,there're some points I can overview. 个人感觉这个游戏对于四个人的形象塑造上差点意思，感觉不够立体（也有可能是我没办法向理解母语那样理解这个游戏里面的对话）他们情感的转变和对话中含有的东西（主要还是情感吧？）有的时候就让我感觉很迷，但是就我理解而言还是有些东西是可以改属一下的 Séverine,quite sadistic beneath her well educated and fair countenances,which may make those who resist S&M and sadistic ones feel sick.Besides this hobby,she is a quite perfect girl.Never fails,seldom gets ill,good in learning and she is even a pastry chef.What's more she was born and grow in a wealthy merchant family.There's a tiny thing which the production team didn't describe a lot——she loves foreign S&M games(Let's only think it's a love game with some S&M elements)Additionly she always consider Michael as her dog,and experss this concept to not only Michael himself but also many other characters in a great variety of ways.This desire went obvious as the days went on. Séverine,抖S大姐姐，嗯，然后看起来呢就是很高雅的样子而且一看就是在富裕家庭长大而且受过良好教育（就是如游戏简介所言确实有一点点苛刻就是了），这个抖S的成分对于不接受SM的人和S的人来说可能比较难以接受吧（我猜的，绝对不是因为我有一点M）除了这个抖S的事情之外呢，这个人简直完美只能说。考试从来不挂，四年没有感冒（本人最高纪录高一上半学期发烧4次历历在目）而且学习顶呱呱的好（就，不只是不挂科而已，是人家均分不及格她顶分那种）而且还是一个超级厉害的糕点师。而且啊而且还是富姐姐（你知道我要说什么的，我劝Michael不要不识好歹，老老实实做Séverine的狗少走二三十年弯路算了（？））然后还有一点就是制作组并没有花费大量笔墨去描写的，就是Séverine这个人很喜欢玩一些国外来的SM游戏（咱也不敢说咱也不敢问，姑且就当是有SM成分的乙游先）而且吧她还把Michael当她的狗，这一点在剧情中反反复复无数次以令人眼花缭乱的方式进入了你我玩家以及剧情中其他角色的头脑。而且这种欲望随着剧情的推进显得更甚 On the contary to Séverine,Michael,the visual angle,has slightly masochistic tendencies.His character is the most detailed,I think.There're many normal teenage boys' qualities exists.In brief,he seems to have a fantasy to women with attractive figures(well,this is true,undoubtedly true for his sight always concentrate on mostly Grace's specific areas.)But he is not average.He loves reading very much,or we can describe it more clearly,he has enormous "Home attributes".Unlike us,he doesn't always focus on cell phones or PCs or other hi-tech entertaining methods like the most of us,instead,he is additicted in books.(According to what he said,to kill time and elimate loneliness.) What's more,he didn't realize he might be a masochistic boy until Séverine teased him over and over. 与Séverine的抖S成分相对的，Michael（也就是我们的男主，主视角吧）稍微有那么一点点的M。个人认为他的人物形象是最为完整饱满的。他身上其实还是有很多普通青春期男孩的特质的，简而言之他似乎对身材饱满的女性有一些幻想（主要是他经常盯着Grace某些地方看）但是他并不普通的。她非常喜欢读书，或者讲的更明白点，他也宅但是他不是宅家玩电脑玩手机玩游戏，人家是宅家看书看书看书看一大堆书把自己埋在书里面（虽然他自己说是打发时间和消除孤独感）除此之外还有一点有点意思，就是说他在Séverine一波又一波的挑逗下终于意识到自己有点M了 Grace was Michael's home teacher during his most desperate days since Michael has lost his parents.Fourtunately Grace saved him.She provided shelter,food,love and many other necessities of life and became his guardian.These originated from the professionalism and compassion of a good teacher.With the days went on,this relationship was shifting to some other affections,though.What is sure that Grace actually loves Michael,at least tiny little bit,but she and both Michael didn't have the courage to make the relationship go further.(Despite the fact that she has witnessed Michael holding her littered on the sofa bra,and beared Michael's bocthed explanation) Grace曾经是Michael的家庭教师，大概就是在他最失落的时候，那时候Michael失去了自己的双亲。好在Grace拯救了他，提供了房子（同居）食物（包养）爱（真包养吧这）以及别的生活中所必须要的事物，最终成为了他的监护人。Grace这些行为大概一开始是处于一名教师的良好素养和同情心啥的。但是日子过去了好几年，这段关系似乎有了一点点的转变，当然他们俩人也不是木头，都或多或少意料到了一点吧。很确定的是他俩之间至少有一点点一点点的爱（恋人之间的爱的那种）但是同时他俩也都没有改变关系的勇气（也许是生活所迫之类的？）（这个情感也没有丧失，尽管Grace目睹了Michael拿着她无意丢在沙发上的bra而且忍下了Michael拙劣的解释（就，说是要拿着回去睡觉，结果感觉不对又开始解释说是要放它到Grace的房间然后回去打盹（注意，此处打盹nap一开始Michael口胡说成fap也就是打胶））） Rose is actually elder than Séverine and Michael,though she is not looked so maure.After the special therapy of Séverine and Michael(later even Grace joined,then),she is a lively girl without the Internet and finally became friend with Séverine,Michael and Grace.She was a stream anchor when Internet still exists on the island.After the Internet cut off,she can't adapt the new life well for her didn't have friends except online ones.That really makes this story real because in our lives,not many people love reading books or being a wealthy gorgeous pastry chef,add to little negative effect after the Internet cut off.Raletively,those like Rose are more common in our daily lifes.This has made the story easier to comprehend.Besides,there're many younger sister elements on her,instead the elder sister like Grace and Séverine,which broadened the game's audience(I think) Rose呢，感觉就是可爱妹系小天使了（真的）虽然说好像她其实比Séverine以及Michael大那么两岁还是一岁的。在得到SM二人组（迫真）的治疗后（甚至最后Grace也加入了对她的心里开导）她还是成为了一个没有互联网也活泼可爱的女孩，并且和Séverine，Michael以及Grace成为了好朋友。她是一个网上小主播吧，再网络没有被禁掉的时候。网络没了之后呢，她非常不适应那样的生活（就是没有朋友，因为朋友都在网上啊，而且人家粉丝还不少的，肯定是投入了大量的精力去经营的结果事业都没了，寄）其实我觉得她的存在让这个故事更加贴近了生活，也就更能够理解了。因为你想啊，我们现实生活中那特别喜欢看书的人，或者是漂亮富姐姐而且还是非常厉害的糕点师，并且这些人对于互联网没了并没有很大的不适应。相对地，那些像是Rose一样互联网没了人快寄了的人似乎在我们生活中更加常见一点呢，对吧？而且，Rose的小天使性格以及外貌特征明显是增添了一些这个游戏比较缺少的妹系特征（你看看Séverine和Grace那不都是妥妥大姐姐了吗尤其Grace比男主大九岁，妥妥年上系大姐姐）从而大概也许可能拓宽了一些这个游戏的受众面？（虽然好像这个游戏冷得不得了就是了...） The main idea is not easy to preceive.For I initially consider Cerelean Days as a simple galgame which can make me happy and cured,so as to get away from my real life.But after really played for hours,things get to change.I naturally start to think about the story not just reading it.The mind of"maybe I should put more time and energy into the real life,not trying to escape from it".Though we have our difficulties in our life,but those characters in the game have,too.They are living as if those bad things never happens,like Rose and many other ones,why I can't?The game just leave it up to us to judge the main idea is,how we feeling when playing may varies. 这个游戏的主旨蛮难理解到的感觉。我一开始想着这个游戏大概就是一个普普通通的少女游戏，能让我开心开心治愈一下的那种，然后就能短暂逃离一下我的真实生活了。但是玩个好几个小时之后我的想法变了就。我开始自然地顺着这个故事去思考，而不是单纯的阅读。然后我的脑中就有了一种想法，“也许可能大概我应该把更多的时间精力丢到现实生活中，而不是放在试图逃离现实生活中。”尽管我们生活中会有我们自己的一些困难，但是这个游戏中的角色呢，诶，他们也有，而且似乎和我们现实生活中的还有点相通。他们也还活得好好的，就像那些坏事没有发生过一样（比如游戏中类似于新冠的一个生物灾难和互联网给你掐了这种的），不论是游戏中看似云淡风轻对应这些事的Séverine，Michael和Grace还是人快寄了但是最终以自身努力为大循环，自身与好友相助双循环相互促进克服困难的Rose他们都遭受过苦难啊，但是他们就是能过的好好的，所以我觉得大概我也可以

《Cerulean Days》是Cascade of Leaves的第三部作品。游戏以四季如春的Inre Island为背景，本应完美、和平的小岛却由于一次生物危机后发生剧变，成为一座漂流海洋的黑暗孤岛。而正由此，三位女主相遇一起，在那个失去朋友和家庭的悲剧阴影中，相互慰藉、共同寻找着当年那个被掩藏的秘密。而事情，真的就那么简单吗？ 暂无中文与汉化~

暂无中文与汉化~

這遊戲沒回想室，喜文樂見的互動事件過少，不建議原價購買

I think the concept, setting, character design and arts are really cool. I wanted to loved this game, but I just couldn't bring myself to love the writing and the presentation for this game. For short, It felt kind of effortless?. I didn't intended to say that the person working behinds it isn't talented or anything but It just felt soulless? Coming from an Indie developer, I expected more love and care putting into more than this but the result is... underwhelming... Weirdly enough, Blue Archive (a mobile gacha game) is my base line for a good presentation in visual novels. When your game doesn't have such thing as the voice acting going on, at least you should consider some sprite animation/reaction or even some sound effects that would makes this game more bearable to me. Even Doki Doki Literature Club had more effort put together more than this. As I said this game had an interesting concept and setting but being written out in the most frustrating boring box of text I've ever seen. Many characters, sentences combined into a large wall of text, many words with a little meaning to them, it just felt really dry, I felt nothing while I'm reading this game. Also If you're going in for an H-Scene, I'm going to say that the CG is indeed beautiful, but again, almost to no variation, only had one per route and it's being too short. What is the purpose of these scenes anyway? No one would be satisfy with this half-baked H-Scenes. I didn't say that it shouldn't have been there, but it should've been got more attention and care to it. Otherwise what the point of it? Overall: If I'm going to be real here, it's not good, Can be improved in many places, at least by putting more effort into smaller details. Which in my experience, it's at most a really dry experience. Not worth 10$.

Garbage.

Another good one from Leaf, if you like his style. This one is the most developed, with a much bigger script. And you can expect a twist at mid-point, Leaf's style. I can't wait for his next project!