The Way We ALL GO
Gameplay 9
Graphics 5
Sound 8

Anyone looking for a well written visual novel where the focus is actually on the story and not any fan service will enjoy The Way We All Go. It offers a great combination of slice of life drama and horror which makes for quite a compelling experience. With more than 20 different endings the replay value is also very high considering the price tag. As long as you can look past the visuals there is plenty to enjoy about The Way We All Go.

Gameplay: The story starts off rather slow, but remains compelling and definitely ends with a bang.

Graphics: Decent, but a far cry from the best that the genre has to offer.

Sound: Good music and sound effects

Summary 7.3 Great
Gameplay 0
Graphics 0
Sound 0
Summary rating from user's marks. You can set own marks for this article - just click on stars above and press "Accept".
Accept
Summary 0.0 Terrible

The Way We ALL GO

Developer: ebi-hime | Publisher: Sekai Project |Release Date: 2015 | Genre: Indie / Visual Novel | Website: Official Website | Format: Digital Download

Two years after moving to the big city with his parents, a young boy named Atcchan returns to the small Japanese village where he grew up. Atcchan took the seven hour journey by train to visit his grandparents, but he actually also has some unfinished business to attend to. Although Atcchan kept in touch with one of his childhood friends after leaving the village he neglected to even tell the other one about the move. Since his stay will only last three days, Atcchan has to decide who he wants to spend time with and whether or not to make amends before returning to the city.

The Way We All Go is a visual novel where you get to choose how and with who Atcchan spends his available time in the village. His one friend Amu is a loud and boisterous girl who takes please in embarrassing and teasing the rather timid protagonist, but there is also the shy and reserved Noelle who might be upset over him leaving without saying goodbye. The majority of the story is a slice of life tale where you are given plenty of choices about who Atcchan hangs out with and how he responds to what they say or ask. Despite the fact that the first part of the game deals with rather mundane things the writing is very good, which kept me engaged. Since there are plenty of choices to make it also ensures that the story remains interesting. However, although the tale is realistic things take a rather dark turn towards the end and things become very disturbing very fast. The first time it happened it caught me completely by surprise and I could only shake my head in disbelief about what transpired.

Unlike most visual or kinetic novels, The Way We All Go doesn’t just feature a couple of different endings, but there are a whopping 21 possible outcomes to the story. After most of the endings I reached involved murder, double murders, gruesome accidents and even suicides I started losing hope of anything remotely happy occurring, but thankfully there were a few outcomes that didn’t involve bloodshed. This gives the game plenty of replay value and it is definitely worth the effort of seeking out all the endings. You can skip text that you have already seen which speeds up the process, but even after completing the game multiple times I still discovered new paths that suddenly put a whole new spin on things. In fact, I even encountered paths that introduced brand new characters and scenarios which is really neat.

While the writing is excellent the visuals of The Way We All Go definitely shows that the developers didn’t have a very large budget to work with. There are only a couple of different character sprites and all the backgrounds look like simple photographs with filters applied to make them look painted. Although not bad, compared to the polished visuals of other titles published by Sekai Project the art in The Way We All Go definitely looks a bit amateurish. This is especially noticeable in the CG scenes where characters look different from their normal sprites and some of the characters look like they were drawn in a completely different style. There are no options for the visuals beyond opting to play in full screen or windowed mode either, with the former resulting in black bars on the sides of the screen. The Way We All Go doesn’t have any sexual content, although there is a bit of fan service depending on certain choices you make. The text can be rather descriptive regarding the gorier elements, but visually the depiction of violence is rather mild.

The game does not feature any voice acting, but there are plenty of music tracks. Judging by the in-game music player, most of the tracks are free stock music, but this definitely doesn’t mean they are bad. Some of the tunes fit the atmosphere of the game to a T, especially the title track, Gone Beyond by Kevin Mcleod. With almost 30 tunes to listen to there are at least plenty of variety. The game also features a whole host of sound effects which is always great.

It would be easy to dismiss The Way We All Go because of the visuals, but I think that all fans of the genre should definitely check it out for the story. It shares some similarities with titles such as Higurashi, When They Cry, but without the mystery elements. Thanks to the low price tag and the numerous endings it is easy to recommend the game to anyone with an interest in the genre or who simply wants to read a good story. I would have liked to see better Steam integration, such as achievements for the different endings and maybe even trading cards, but as it is the game is still worth the asking price. Best of all it has a demo available, so you can check it out and decide for yourself.

System Requirements

  • OS: Win XP+
  • Processor: 1Ghz
  • Memory: 512 MB RAM
  • Graphics: DirectX or OpenGL compatible card
  • DirectX: Version 9.0c
  • Hard Drive: 400 MB available space
  • Sound Card: Integrated
  • OS: 10.6
  • Processor: 1Ghz
  • Memory: 512 MB RAM
  • Graphics: DirectX or OpenGL compatible card
  • Hard Drive: 400 MB available space
  • OS: x86/x86_64
  • Processor: 1Ghz
  • Memory: 512 MB RAM
  • Graphics: DirectX or OpenGL compatible card
  • Hard Drive: 400 MB available space

Related posts

CARRION

CARRION

CARRION is a great, although brief game that gives players the chance to go wild in a research facility as a flesh-eating tentacle monster. The game is extremely bloody, but between all the mayhem there are also plenty of puzzles to solve. Your creature can unlock a ton of new abilities, which opens up new areas to explore, but the lack of a map could frustrate some players. Despite some repetition and a few small niggles we thoroughly enjoyed our time with CARRION and the game comes highly recommended. Gameplay: Plays like a very violent Metroidvania, except without the platforming elements. Graphics: The pixel art looks great and the animations are smooth, but more unique locations would have been a big plus. Sound: Atmospheric music and great sound effects.

KickBeat Steam Edition

KickBeat Steam Edition

I have played many Rhythm action games over the years and KickBeat is definitely one that is as entertaining to watch as it is to play. Defeating opponents to the beat of the music is exhilarating stuff and it is made even better by the smooth animations. If you tire of the included music you can also import your own giving this game a lot of replay value. Gameplay: A unique take on the Rhythm action genre. Graphics: The visuals have been enhanced for the Steam release and look better than ever. Sound: Six new tracks boost the complete list to a total of 24 tunes.

Guilty Gear X

Guilty Gear X

It is a pleasant surprise to see the Guilty Gear series appear on PC and with the right setup this game is a blast to play. Gameplay is solid although the last boss is one of the cheapest I've seen in a while. The lack of a story mode is also a downside but if you like your fighting games deep and don't mind getting your ass kicked then this is the game for you. 2D fighting games doesn't get much better than this on PC. Gameplay: More accessible than the last game but also has a lot of depth if you stick with it. Graphics: It would have been nice if the resolution could be increased but the game still looks good. Sound: Good music but muddy sound effects.

Bullet Soul Infinite Burst

Bullet Soul Infinite Burst

Bullet Soul: Infinite Burst is an upgrade of the original game that adds a couple of new features to an already enjoyable title. The Combination Burst mode really does open up a whole new style of play and even the existing modes have been re-balanced and improved with new enemy patterns. While it is not going to change the minds of those who are not fans of the genre, Infinite Burst is surprisingly newcomer friendly and offers an enjoyable experience with plenty of game modes. Gameplay: No new levels compared to the original Bullet Soul, but the new modes are definitely worthwhile. Graphics: Showing its age, but still looks decent enough for the genre. Sound: The soundtrack is great, but the sound effects are a little feeble.

Pinball FX3

Pinball FX3

Pinball FX 3 is not just a small update compared to Pinball FX 2, but feels like a brand new game. It comes with a range of new features that are aimed at drawing in newcomers as well as keeping veterans busy for longer. Not only does the older tables look better than ever before, but the brand new challenges and cross-platform features provide added incentives to return to them. It is a pity that not all the Pinball FX 2 tables could make the transition to the new game, it is a relief that the majority can be imported to the new game without having to pay for them again. Pinball FX 3 is without a doubt one of the best pinball games available on the market and definitely doesn’t disappoint if you are a fan of the genre. Gameplay: Plenty of new features that make it worth moving over from Pinball FX 2. Graphics: Thanks to real-time lighting and shadow projection the tables look better than ever. Sound: The guide can become a little annoying, but fortunately the game features plenty of audio options to customize your experience.

Vampire Legends: The True Story of Kisilova

Vampire Legends: The True Story of Kisilova

Exploring an 18th century town hot on the heels of a vampire makes for an interesting hidden object game and the abundance of mini-games are also very entertaining. The story is fairly straightforward, but the locations are varied and managed to keep us hooked right to the end. The bonus chapter is also an unexpected highlight and definitely adds value for money. Gameplay: The main story is a little short, but remains fun throughout and the bonus chapter is a big plus. Graphics: Nice artwork and plenty of great locations. Sound: Good overall, but the sound effects really stand out as great.

Leave a comment

5 + sixteen =