Sunday, January 7, 2024
Genre – Slice of Life, Romance Play Time – 50 hours Developer – FAVORITE Steam VNDB
A Boy And His Shinigami
If
the plot of Hoshizora no Memoria were described to you in its most
abstract and literal form then you might be forgiven for thinking of
it as another run of the mill slice of life/ romance visual novel. In
many ways that opinion is not entirely wrong, but what sets Hoshizora
apart from its peer is how it uses its execution of plot elements to
elevate the material. It is the poster child of how a distinctive and
continuos theming and iconography have a profound effect on the
reception of a work. For Hoshizora this manifests as its love for
stars and the cosmos and this can be felt from how they influence the
fates of the cast to the constant stream of star related images
showcased over the course of the game. This pillar being so strong
allows the game to maintain an audience despite the rather uneven use
of its supernatural elements and ineffective employment of its characters.
Let’s dive into the sea of stars and find out if this one trick is
really enough to hold up an entire game.
Revealed Under Moonlight – Narrative and Themes
From
a narrative perspective the biggest success of Hoshizora is the way
it ties the emotionally resonant character routes the genre is known for with the ever present majesty of the
cosmos. How this effect is achieve is cleverly varied over the course
of the game and the only constant and stable reminder is the
activities of the Astronomy club. Here the cast regularly find wonder
and solace in the stars above as they look up at them and remember
how they came together over this shared passion. Individually the
character’s conflicts somehow relate to the cosmos, whether that be
directly through their nature as a magical creature, as it is with
Mare, or merely an extension of a more grounded struggle such as the
construction of a planetarium. This provides a feeling of continuity
to what are, for the most part, disconnected personal conflicts and it
allows the game to circumvent the impression of being several stories
stitched together that many other titles in the genre suffer from
since it can present a recognisable set of ideas to the player. Once
establish in their mind a route can use it as a short hand for the
themes which have become associate with it and spend less time
repeating old ideas and instead focusing on what makes the route unique
without completely losing the player with the shift. There is a
subtle balancing act going on throughout since the risk in this
approach is the feeling of repetition it might cause in the player so
it has be kept just behind the main meat for the route.
 |
| Yep, that about sums her up. |
Helping
along the cosmos motif is the gradual build up to the final route.
Initially this is through quiet hints to the past of our protagonist
and the mystery surrounding Mare, but they escalate into new
additions to the common route showing glimpses of what is to come.
Keeping the player engaged is the key reason for this gradual
approach to the final route rather than simply unlocking it once a
set of conditions have been met. In doing this Hoshizora can build
this finale as a culmination of the themes and ideas of the work as a
whole and make the player excited to find out the truth about all of
the supernatural elements which have been rearing their heads over
the play time. By sprinking in additional cosmos related ideas it can
tie this escalation back into the ongoing character narratives. The
only issue with this method is how the pay off for Mare is lacking
with her only being given a short time to tie up her character’s
loose ends. Such an omission does create a hole within the narrative
which leaves the player with the feeling of something being missing
from the experience. The fan disc, Eternal Heart, does rectify the
mistake through an expanded route for Mare, but it was something that
should have been in the base game in the first place leaving a sour
taste in the mouth.
 |
| Given Mare's importance the game's handling of her is odd. |
Within
the narrative there is a sizeable use of supernatural forces relating
to the cosmos as the core drives behind what is happening in this
small town and Mare’s odd existence. When they are the main focus
of events of a route they are handled well and provide some nice
spice to help heighten the sense of danger and emotion. However,
Hoshizora is inconsistent with their inclusion and this results in
them feeling like an element the game is not quite sure what to do
with. There can be long stretches of the title where everything is
entirely grounded and this often includes the heroine routes which
makes the return of the supernatural come across as a jarring shift
in the tone of the work since the player had become accustomed to their
absence. On the flip-side there are important routes and sections
where the supernatural features prominently, these are often the more
relevant sections to the overall narrative and world building and this
provides them with a sense of significance and grandeur that the more
mundane routes lack. What these two extreme create is a sense of story
being unbalanced and the grounded sections being filler rather than
an equal to the supernatural. There is a distinct lack of effort made
to cleanly merge these disparate halves and while they are
individually strong, they rub up against each other far more than
they would if handled properly.
Fallen Stars – Characters
Behind
the cosmic theming is a central cast of characters who act to keep
the story firmly in the realm of the relatable. Core to their appeal
is the lively way they bounce off each other and highlight their
personalities in a way that is both natural and endearing. No dynamic
between two characters is the same as one between a different pair in
order to keep things memorable and prevent the extensive reliance on
their conversations to support the narrative from growing repetitive.
Take the relationship between the protagonist, You, and his little
sister, Chinami, they have an obvious familial closeness in the way
they throw playful insults around but genuinely care about what the
other has to say. Compare this to how You gets along with his
neighbour, Aoi, with their initially chilly interactions giving way
to a somewhat awkward acceptance and the contrast and variety of cast
relationships could not be clearer. When a heroine becomes the focus of the
narrative upon entering their route the strong foundations provided
through these interaction and slowly and subtly more texture is added
to the dynamic in order to help sell the transition from their
current relationship into a more romantic one. It also works well to
supplement the central conflict by offering a convincing reason for
the actions of the characters involved and why the player should care
about the outcomes.
 |
| Aoi is nothing is not awkward. |
It
is a shame then that Hoshizora inconsistently uses its cast beyond the
focal characters of a route. There is a tendency to fixate on a few cast members to the point at which you could be forgiven for
forgetting there where ever any other people involved. Even when it
makes sense for characters to be active in events, they are only
brought in for the bare minium amount of time before being shoved off
stage. There appear to be fear that any character intruding upon the
romance will cause the player to lose interest in the main driving
force of the route and turn their attention to the intruding
character. However, the result is a feeling of the story being
disconnected from everything which came before and somewhat uneven.
The secondary cast fair even worse as the game treats them like
simple plot devices dropping them in and out whenever it likes and
giving them no chance to develop a sense of humanity. Having intimacy
be so important to the functioning of the central narrative makes
these choices to omit the very builders of that feeling and the use
of them in an almost mechanical fashion an odd choice due to the
obvious damage it causes to a players immersion.
Painted In The Glittering Cosmos – Visuals, Audio and Technical
Just
as the cosmos and stars motif is the core of the narrative
presentation so too is it for the visual side of Hoshizora. At every
possible opportunity the game showcases the darkened sky and the
lights that inhabit it and this covers all kinds of scenes from quiet
contemplation to dramatic confrontations. Beyond the time of day the
motif extends to objects and environments such as the planetarium or
Mare’s crescent moon scythe in order to make sure the idea of the
cosmos is omnipresent. What this results in an immediately
identifiable set of imagery that is recognisable even when taken in
isolation, it gives the game a consistent tone whenever it is on
screen and helps set the player’s expectations for what to expect
from a scene. This is important in a title so invested in emotional
resonance in order to maintain long term interest, since being able to invoke
specific feelings lends the narrative a lot more freedom to shape
events knowing it can always rely on the motif to tie things
together. It also helps draw people into the game in the first place
as it presents a strong artistic direction to capture the attention of a
someone looking for a visual novel to play and maintain that hold
with the sense wonder it embodies.
 |
| Controlling the camera's focus is surprisingly powerful. |
Favorite
have always had an understanding of the power controlling the camera
has on a scene and they bring it out in Hoshizora to brilliant
effect. Through making the backgrounds appear out of focus attention is drawn to the character portraits as they are still clear and
it ensure the player will not miss any subtle changes in their emotion.
Providing a much needed intimacy is also key to its strength with it
lending a feeling of nothing else existing in the world but the two
of you. A liberal use of the zoom function can be found supporting
this as the game move in and out of objects or people in order to
provide a sense of kinetic movement and make it feel as if what is
being presented is truly just the point of view of the protagonist.
There is more general sense of motion throughout Hoshizora through
the use of transitions that support this idea of immediacy which aims
to enhance the power of emotional moments by bring them closer to the
player.
Conclusion
As you look up in wonder at the star tonight remember the power this feeling has and consider how deftly Hoshizora no Memoria pushes on that emotional button to create engagement. This motif runs through everything from the words on screen to visuals and audio in order to create a thematic and continuous experience to matter where the player looks. Supporting the game’s identity is a strong overarching narrative pull and lovable characters who struggle to achieve their dreams. Even if it does have some issues of lacking proper pay off and understanding of how to use it characters. The result is a good core package elevated through the use of an immediately recognisable motif.
Verdict –
The poster child for the power of consistent imagery and theming
and how they can elevate what would otherwise be just another title
in its genre.
Pros -
+
A strong cosmic and stars narrative motif permeates everything and
gives it a distinct identity.
+
Overarching narrative is well built up and provides a sense of
intrigue and forward momentum.
+
Character dynamics are varied and used to great effect in emotional
moments.
+
Has a visual and audio design that makes it immediately recognisable
with clean camera tricks.
Cons -
-
Supernatural elements are used inconsistently and often rub up
against the grounded parts of the narrative.
-
Cast is often underutilised and drop in and out of the story in a
jarring way.
-
The pay off for the finale is a mixed bag with Mare getting less time
than she deserved given her importance.
