Summer's Gone - Season 1

Season 2 was such a disappointment. Some scenes were dragged out for no reason what so ever. (Looking at student home) 0 story development. Everything we were expecting to happen didn't happen. Going with Amber to the cabin. - Didn't happen. What happened with Summer - Still don't know. "Spicy renders" that suggested we were going to get lewd scenes. - Didn't happen. Going to the school's bar opening. - Didn't happen. Going with Venessa for clothes shopping. - Didn't happen. Warning spoilers: [spoiler] Nojiko and Nick have an open relationship apparently. Nojiko is more handsy now for some reason giving Nika a massage in her underwear. Nami is a Revera and has a sister -- This revelation is treated like we should have known about it since the start? [/spoiler] Some pros: Zara absolutely stole the show and has easily taken best girl spot. Bella content is great. Of course the renders are fantastic. Why am I posting this review on season 1? So you don't waste your money.

Renders are fantastic Charachters personality are interesting BUT There si no sex on this game ????????? Wtf?

The best visual novel game I’ve ever played. It’s my 27th time playing it, and I still absolutely love it. Maybe it’s because I feel a resemblance to it, or maybe it feels like a dream I couldn’t have. Matter of fact, I still choose the same path every time—maybe I am a bit fanatic. Even so, this is my review with my utmost sincerity. My review may not even be seen by anyone, but just know this: it kept me alive, waiting for another season, another episode. I truly wish it could do the same for someone else who might be in a similar situation to me. And to the author… though I almost hate to recommend it because it feels like my own world—somewhere I got to explore myself—I still want more people to support you. You worked so hard, and you deserve that recognition. So, thank you. Truly

Summer's Gone S1 is hands down one of my top 5 AVN games (8.5 of 10 for me), above BADIK (8.0), below Chasing Sunsets (9.0) and on par with Leap of Faith and Artemis (8.5 each). There are no lewd scenes in this game (but there is some nudity). I use the term "AVN" because the subject matter can be dark; not stuff for people who are in a bad place or otherwise dealing with trauma or other mental health concerns. That said, this game has some damn great story telling, and they handle the dark stuff with grace and sensitivity. I don't want to say too much about the story for risk of spoilers, but there's a very solid foundation here. As it's the first season, you will absolutely have tons of unanswered questions by the end, if you choose to play. There's also a very much unexpected revelation in the the final scene, which I really enjoyed because it caught me completely off guard. That said, there are many routes to play based on the love interests and other choices available. I found it really nice to read the story from these multiple perspectives. I definitely have a path that is "canon" to me (for now at least), but I'm very much looking forward to how the story develops along every path in the next season. For pros, the writing, world building and art (both static renders and animations) are very good. As mentioned, I like how the darker topics are handled with thoughtfulness and respect. There's some dry humor as well as some silly ♥♥♥♥ going on. The best example of this is Nami's overall light-hearted and goofy personality vs. her deep-seated feelings of familial love (maybe more?) for the MC. The music is absolutely terrific and I find it perfectly matches the tone of each scene. This is honestly the first game I've played on Steam (of the literal hundreds that I own) for which I want to get the OST. The only real complaint I have is some of the writing translations to English can be spotty. Despite that, it's still 100% understandable and frankly it's a minor nitpick for me to even mention this. So, if you like a deep and heart melting/wrenching story and aren't looking for lewd scenes to make your junk all tingly, you will probably really enjoy this AVN. If all you want is bimbos and sex scenes, you really must go somewhere else.

I don't often write reviews for games in general, much less AVN's, but this game has managed to frustrate me into writing this. I've been diving much deeper into this genre for the last month or two, and time and time again, this is a title that has turned up in nearly every conversation about high quality games that many regard as among the best available. Bearing that in mind, I went into this title expecting something great, something that would grip me and keep me eager to soak in every scene, every line of dialogue. What I got, however, was a constant stream of good IDEAS... with extremely subpar execution. But before I dive into my critiques, I want to acknowledge the positives, because this game does offer some of those, as well. First and foremost, the renders are fantastic. The characters look great, the lighting is well-done. Every scene feels very pleasing to the eye, which is a massive plus in a genre that almost entirely consists of visuals and story. I have also grown to deeply appreciate a good soundtrack in these titles, and I am happy to say that Summer's Gone does not disappoint in that regard, either. The variety of tracks is slightly limited, but the songs Ocean has chosen are both contextually fitting and generally pleasing to listen to. If you're going to try this game, I strongly recommend leaving the audio on for the full experience. Unfortunately... that is where my strictly positive notes end. The reason I say this game frustrated me so much is that, in theory, I think the core themes and story ideas at play are extremely solid. I love the idea of a story heavily focused on damaged, traumatized individuals who are just trying to find ways to navigate those experiences and find healing in the midst of the ever-evolving stages of their life. I love the seeds that are planted for many of the characters and their personalities, and I felt a strong desire to find attachment to many of them as I began my playthrough. Unfortunately, it became quickly apparent that the details of the writing could not live up to these expectations. Almost immediately, it becomes clear that the writing has a very uneven flow. Sentences flow strangely, and the pacing is extremely inconsistent. I don't know what language this game was originally written for, but I can only assume the english version is a translation because as a native english speaker, there were numerous instances even in the first chapter alone where characters would phrase things in ways that felt very awkward. I was willing to give this a pass based on that assumption, though this issue is consistent through the entire story, which pulls me out of the story very frequently. To make this problem worse, however, the longer I played it became increasingly apparent that scenes had very little flow from moment to moment. Transitions to new locations were jarring, characters come and go with very little fanfare. Conversations would end abruptly before the game would pivot to an entirely new scene, a tendency that once again dampens the feeling of immersion that I feel is incredibly important to secure buy-in from the reader. But the worst offender with respect to the issue of buy-in, is that there are simply too many characters introduced too quickly. I cannot bring myself to care about the vast majority of the cast because, outside of maybe two girls (three if I'm being generous), none are given enough time to make me feel the emotions that the MC is portrayed as feeling. His level of emotional attachment to the characters feels like it is significantly stronger than it should be, given he has quite literally interacted with most of these people 2-3 times before he is having internal dillemmas about his feelings for them. There is one character in particular where MC seems to have developed an extremely strong attachment, yet the journey to reach that point has been almost entirely left out from the reader's perspective. If I am supposed to "be" the MC for the purposes of the story, there should not be this jarring of a disconnect between the way I feel and the way he does. Whenever this happens, I am COMPLETELY pulled from the story, and it makes me simply want to stop playing altogether. Finally, though this last note is not a dealbreaker for me personally, I feel it important to note that I am three chapters in at the time of writing this, and there has not been a single lewd scene. There have barely even been hints of a scene moving in that direction. I don't mind this because I am here for a good story above all else, but I do think that if you are going to do an AVN with a burn that slow, the story had better be damned good. Otherwise, what else do you have when there is no real gameplay to speak of, and no lewds to get excited for (which I can only assume a large number of potential readers are looking at games like these for)? Overall, I cannot recommend this game. I think it could be something great, and visually it is certainly one of the better AVN's I have come across. But when the writing feels this awkward and poorly paced, I am finding myself struggling to find the will to even get through the chapters currently available. That feeling gets even worse when I also understand the glacial pace at which new content comes out for games like these. Am I really going to wait years to see the conclusion to a story that can *barely* convince me to get only partway through? I can't honestly say I will.

This game is a true masterpiece! I’ve played many similar games before, but this is on a completely different level in every aspect. OCEAN, you are a true genius, and I absolutely love your work! Even though Season 2 isn't fully out yet, it’s shaping up to be even better, and I’m already hooked. Of course, WIAB is also a masterpiece, but for me, SG is the PEAK. I wish you much health and continued creativity for the future! I will do everything I can to support your upcoming projects. THANK YOU for this incredible story! 11/10 :3 :3

Summer’s Gone surprised me more than I expected. On the surface it looks like a typical adult visual novel, but it ends up being a lot more focused on mood, character writing, and slow emotional progression than anything else. The MC is probably what stands out the most. He doesn’t come off as some overconfident “player” type you usually see in these games. Instead, he’s pretty withdrawn, kind of broken socially, and clearly dealing with stuff he doesn’t fully talk about. It actually makes the story feel more grounded, because his reactions and awkwardness feel intentional rather than just writing convenience. Bella is easily one of the strongest parts of the game. She’s calm, observant, and doesn’t push herself into the MC’s life in a forced way. Their interactions feel very natural, almost quiet in a way, and that’s what makes them interesting. It’s not instant chemistry or exaggerated romance—it builds slowly through small conversations and moments. Visually, the game is really solid. The lighting and character renders do a lot of heavy lifting, especially in night scenes or more emotional moments. Combined with the soundtrack, it creates a pretty specific atmosphere that sticks with you after you close the game—kind of lonely, but not empty in a bad way. The pacing is definitely slow, and if you’re expecting constant choices or dramatic shifts, it might feel like not much is happening at times. But that’s also kind of the point—the game leans more into character development and atmosphere than plot twists. Overall, it’s more of a slow emotional experience than a traditional VN. The MC and Bella’s dynamic alone makes it worth paying attention to, especially if you’re into more grounded storytelling.

Summer’s Gone - Season 1 — это тот редкий случай, когда визуальная новелла цепляет не только красивыми персонажами, а в первую очередь атмосферой, внутренней болью героя и ощущением настоящей, живой истории. Игра медленно, но уверенно затягивает в свой мир: здесь есть меланхолия, юмор, романтика, психологическая драма и персонажи, к которым начинаешь привязываться сильнее, чем ожидал. Особенно хочется отметить постановку сцен, музыку, визуал и то, как аккуратно раскрываются эмоции главного героя. Это не просто история про отношения — это история про потерю, попытку снова почувствовать жизнь и людей, которые постепенно помогают выбраться из внутренней пустоты. Отдельный плюс — персонажи. У каждой девушки есть свой характер, своя энергия и своя загадка. Никто не ощущается случайным фоном: даже короткие сцены оставляют послевкусие и желание узнать больше. Диалоги часто спокойные, но именно в этой сдержанности и кроется сила игры. Она не торопится, не давит, а постепенно собирает эмоциональную связь с игроком. И, конечно, особенная любовь — это Белла. Просто ван лав. Персонаж, ради которого многие сцены хочется пересматривать отдельно: харизма, холодная загадочность, внутренняя глубина и та самая химия, из-за которой невозможно остаться равнодушным. Да, Season 1 ощущается как начало большого пути, и после финала хочется только одного — продолжения. Очень хочется увидеть, куда дальше пойдёт история, как раскроются персонажи и какие решения действительно повлияют на отношения и судьбу героя. Summer’s Gone - Season 1 оставляет сильное впечатление и надолго остаётся в голове. Это красивая, эмоциональная и очень атмосферная работа, после которой искренне ждёшь Season 2. Однозначно рекомендую всем, кто любит визуальные новеллы с душой, драмой, медленным развитием отношений и персонажами, которых не хочется отпускать.

No sex or ability to impregnate as many women as possible!!

Очень хорошо проработан сюжет, много персонажей, особенно впечатлило, как тонко и деликатно проработаны персонажи. У каждого своя история, травмы и мотивы. Взаимоотношения между героями сложные, неоднозначные. Персонажи чувствуются живыми, многогранными, вызывают искреннюю симпатию и сопереживание. Можно выбирать разные пути отношений, и сюжет будет меняться: некоторые сцены появятся только в одном прохождении, а в другом их не будет вовсе. Визуальная часть игры - это отдельный повод для восхищения. Рендеры персонажей выполнены на высочайшем уровне: детализация, игра света, эмоции. Синиматики хоть их и немого добавляют драматизма и погружают в атмосферу. Музыкальное сопровождение идеально дополняет происходящее на экране. Игра не подойдёт тем, кто ищет лёгкое развлечение или эротический контент. Но если вы цените глубокие сюжеты, живых персонажей и атмосферные визуальные новеллы, то обязательно дайте ей шанс. Из минусов можно заведомо добавить продолжение, игра долго делалась и судя по странице 2 сезона выйдет в раннем доступе и будит выходить поэтапно... Что же будем ждать и кто знает возможно не забудется и я дождусь продолжения. 8 из 10