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Sumireis a blinding visual novel adventure from developer GameTomo that come after in deliver a memorable , compelling experience in spitefulness of its brusk runtime and gameplay - igniter coming . In the tradition ofvisual refreshing form of address , Sumireis almost entirely dialogue - based , with the majority of its gameplay coming in the word form of tale decision , puzzles , and mini - games . Those addition are just enough to support a plot that shines brightest when examining the darker elements of adolescence .
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Sumire’svisual novel storyfeatures a number of dissimilar option that can dramatically bear upon the forward motion of its characters , and in maliciousness of its shortsighted runtime , it supply enough increase through its divergent universes that each one is well worth exploring . The gameplay element of these choices manifest in karma , which can either be improved or worsen based on decisions made by Sumire . defective karma affects her condition among the friends , tough , and acquaintances she ’ll foregather over the course of the story , while positive karma gets Sumire closer to the ideal outcome .
Players will also be given mini - games to help break up the weight ofSumire ’s surprisingly heavy history , extend up card and board game segment to aid diversify the experience . at last , though , Sumireis mostly about the mode its tarradiddle develop , and the fact that it’sreplayable and give numerous goalsfor Sumire to achieve in the dyad of her one - day adventure gives it stay power it might not otherwise have .
Sumireis also supported by its aesthetic ; merely put , the secret plan is a joy to observe on Nintendo Switch , with a mix of pastel lights and moody darks helping to convey the emotion of each view . control do n’t factor in into gameplay much , but operate well on Switch all the same , while the game escape at a unbendable framerate and features no big glitches or bugs to irrigate down the experience .
positive aside , however , Sumiredefinitely is n’t for everyone . Most notably , even with itspuzzles , miniskirt - games , and pick - driven narrative , the biz is most heavy inspired by the visual novel genre , which means those reckon for biz with a bit more action or dynamical motion to them will need to find that elsewhere . Sumire ’s replayability is also test by an inability to skip dialogue on a 2nd playthrough ( and subsequent third ) . While the plot is only hours long , it can still be somewhat annoying to slog through repeatedly , especially in the moments that are n’t really affected by karma or player choice .
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Sumiresuccessfully toes the transmission line between charming tale of overcoming life ’s hurdles and a dark introspection into more distressful aspects of the teen psyche , though , and small issues away , it ’s an telling accomplishment . Its impingement is helped along by an equally arrestingvideo game soundtrack , which ranges from more prominent auditory moment and a elusive few annotation to punctuate a character ’s feelings non - verbally . Those touches cultivate , like much of the plot , to make a whole that ’s large than the sum total of its part .
Sumireis the type of plot that anyone who bed story - telling and visually stunning environment will be drawn in by . It does n’t reinvent any of its inspiration - and in some places , like its puzzles and its replayability , it ’s noticeably less impressive than some of its peers - but the experience as a whole exceeds these case-by-case qualities . GameTomo delivers on the promise of its premise , andSumireis an easy recommendation for those who bask visual novels or memorable narratives .
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Sumireis available now on Nintendo Switch and PC . Screen Rant was provided with a Nintendo Switch code for the purpose of this critique .
