Your Smile Beyond Twilight:黄昏下的月台上
Gameplay 8
Graphics 8
Sound 8

The protagonist of Your Smile Beyond Twilight, Yunshan, returns to his small hometown for the first time in six years. A lot has happened in the meantime, but Yunshan still has some unresolved issues from his past that he has to deal with. However, upon arrival with his girlfriend Jingxuan in tow, Yunshan encounters a mysterious maiden who only he can see. This short kinetic novel can be completed in very little time, but the story is good enough to leave a lasting impact.

Gameplay: The story is short but well-written and engaging.

Graphics: There are only a few sprites and backgrounds, but they are all beautiful.

Sounds: The audio consists of Chinese voice acting and a beautiful soundtrack

Summary 8.0 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

Your Smile Beyond Twilight:黄昏下的月台上

Developer: Lingtan Studio | Publisher: Lingtan Studio | Release Date: 2017 | Genre: Visual Novel / Adventure / Indie | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

Visual novels cover a variety of sub-genres, but a particular section appears to be written solely to make players cry. Your Smile Beyond Twilight, a short kinetic novel by Lingtan Studio, doesn’t quite fit into this category, but it comes very close. It is the story of a young man named Yunshan, who returns to his small hometown for the first time after six years. Accompanying him on the trip is his girlfriend Jingxuan, who appears to love him deeply despite how much of a jerk he used to be in the past. Your Smile Beyond Twilight opens with Yunshan and Jingxuan stepping off the train and accompanying Yunshan’s mother back to his childhood home.

When we said that Your Smile Beyond Twilight is short, we weren’t kidding; the entire story can be completed in about an hour. Since it is a kinetic novel, there are no choices to be made, which means that the replay value is also non-existent. However, while the story is short, it doesn’t feel rushed and somehow manages to make quite an emotional impact. On the surface, Yunshan is a very smart man with a beautiful girlfriend, but during the story, it is revealed that he was very arrogant while growing up. This led to conflict with his peers, who felt he was always looking down on them. As soon as Yunshan finished school, he immediately left town to make it big in the big city, but even there, his arrogance cost him some opportunities. The presence of Jingxuan in his life appears to have made Yunshan reevaluate his personality, so he carries a lot of regret with him.

Initially, Your Smile Beyond Twilight seems to be a slice-of-life visual novel with Yunshan revisiting his hometown and observing his girlfriend win over his mother. However, shortly after his arrival, things take a somewhat supernatural turn as Yunshan begins to see a young girl who seemingly knows him. Not only does Yunshan have no clue who she is, but it also appears he is the only one who can see her. The encounters with this girl trigger memories of Yunshan’s past, and he soon realizes that there are some things that he has seemingly forgotten. We won’t spoil anything by further elaborating on the story, but it is a bit of a tearjerker.

Your Smile Beyond Twilight was clearly not made with a huge budget, but it does an admirable job with what it has. The character designs are beautiful, even if there are only sprites for Jingxuan and the mysterious maiden. The backgrounds are also quite limited, but the ones in the game are vibrant and detailed. Your Smile Beyond Twilight only features three CGs, but again, these are well done. The user interface is also clean and functional, with our only gripe being that the story text is sometimes too much for the text box and ends up over the options menu at the bottom of the screen. Graphical options are limited to playing the game in windowed or full-screen modes.

Surprisingly, for such a small title, the game does feature voice acting for the two female characters. However, everything is in Chinese, so we cannot comment on the quality of the voiceovers. The game features three different language options for the text, including Chinese, and the translation isn’t too shabby. The six music tracks featured in the game are all very soothing, with just the right amount of melancholy for some songs. Players can also adjust the music, sound, and voice levels to their liking.

These types of smaller visual novels often rely on fan service or outright nudity to draw players in, but not Your Smile Beyond Twilight. Instead, it tells a short but compelling story that manages to be moving, even if it is a little predictable. The game has a few lighthearted moments, especially in the banter between Jingxuan and Yunshan’s mother, but the overall mood is rather somber. It also doesn’t feature a conventional “happy” ending, even though the story wraps up satisfyingly enough. Overall, Your Smile Beyond Twilight is not a game for players looking for something cheerful, wacky, or upbeat, but anyone who can appreciate a heartfelt story should experience this one. Even though the game is concise, it doesn’t have a very high asking price, so it’s worth checking out.

System Requirements

  • OS: WIN7(Recommended)/WIN8/Vista
  • Processor: 1000MHz
  • Memory: 2 MB RAM
  • Graphics: Memory 1GB
  • DirectX: Version 9.0
  • Storage: 2 GB available space

Related posts

Pale Cachexia

Pale Cachexia

Pale Cachexia is a kinetic novel with Gothic undertones featuring two young women who meet under strange circumstances. One suffers from a life-leeching plague called the Pale Cachexia, while the other lives on her own in the middle of a forgotten forest. Despite the differences in their backgrounds and personalities, the two girls become friends, but there are outside forces that will put their bond to the test. The unique story, setting, and characters make Pale Cachexia an interesting read, and the gorgeous visuals, as well as the haunting soundtrack, certainly don't hurt either. Gameplay: This is a kinetic novel, but the lack of choices doesn't hamper the compelling story. Graphics: The game features beautiful character sprites and CGs, as well as detailed backgrounds. Sound: While there is no voice acting, the soundtrack is excellent.

Mortal Kombat X

Mortal Kombat X

As long as you get your hands on the XL version of Mortal Kombat X you are in for a great time. The game features plenty of characters and enough content to keep solo players or online multi-player fans busy for a long time. The story mode was not quite as compelling this time round and the roster lacked a couple of fan favorites, but the visuals look great and the fighting is as brutal as ever. The gore is also a bit more realistic now compared to the previous game, especially in regards to character injuries during fights, although the occasional goofy fatalities still crop up. All in all, this is a great game for fans of the series and a solid title for all fans of the genre. Gameplay: Fast, bloody and filled with plenty of challenges. Graphics: Plenty of character as well as background detail. Sound: Decent voice acting and some nice tunes.

Omega Pattern

Omega Pattern

Omega Pattern is a visual novel where you follow the story of a young man named Shaiel who is on the run from a ruthless organization called Bioagora. His psychic skills make him an important target for Bioagora, who has a history of turning gifted people into brainwashed agents to do their bidding. The game doesn’t just tell the story of Shaiel in the present, but also features plenty of flashbacks where you actually get to make choices that influences the route you take to the ending. This gives the game some nice replay value and the different routes are actually quite different and not just minor variations. Unfortunately, Omega Pattern is also quite short and since it is only the first part of the full story, it ends in a “To Be Continued,” which might annoy some fans. Gameplay: The story is genuinely intriguing and the choices you get to make actually impacts the story, which is a nice touch. Graphics: Nothing really special, but gets the job done. Sound: No voice acting, but the soundtrack is really solid.

Mech Mechanic Simulator

Mech Mechanic Simulator

Step into the shoes of a mech mechanic and fix giant robots in this science fiction-themed simulation title by PolySlash. Mech Mechanic Simulator features a variety of gigantic iron machines to deconstruct and repair as well as an entire workshop to upgrade and customize. The game might seem daunting at first, but it is actually very accessible and while there's some grind involved it is also quite relaxing. It doesn't stray too far from the confines of the genre, but it is certainly one of the more unique titles in terms of what you get to work on. Gameplay: A little daunting at first, but accessible and relaxing once you get into the swing of things. Graphics: Great mech designs and tons of components to work on. Sound: Decent enough, but the game is best enjoyed with your own playlist or favorite podcast in the background.

Love at First Sight

Love at First Sight

Despite its unique one-eyed love interest, Love At First Sight is not quite as out of the ordinary as you might think. The high school romance story is pretty straightforward, while the visuals are equal parts creepy and cute. Unfortunately, the game is rather short and only features a single route with no choices, but it is still worth checking out if you are a fan of the genre. Gameplay: Short, but quite sweet. Graphics: An interesting mixture of creepy and cute. Sound: Decent tunes, but there are only a few tracks and no voice acting.

House of Caravan

House of Caravan

House of Caravan is a first-person exploration and puzzle game set entirely in a small, deserted mansion. The limited amount of puzzles are disappointing, to say the least, and slowly creeping through the mansion opening every cabinet and drawer grows old very quickly. Thankfully, the game can be completed in less than 90 minutes, provided you manage to avoid the bugs and wonky physics. This game could have done a lot more with the story and setting but ended up falling far short in all areas. Gameplay: Slow, tedious, and boring. Graphics: Decent enough, but very dark. Sound: Stilted voice acting and unmemorable music.

Leave a comment

8 + fifteen =