I’m in no way a VN expert, so don’t expect anything in-depth. To me, it’s one of those games that you come across randomly, and then it ends up in your cart before you’re even done reading through the store description.

Because it looks that good.

Oh boy, it really does. A Summer’s End must be one of the few games that capture the ’80s Asian aesthetics right without reducing it to yet another flimsy retrowave diorama. There are some traits of the latter, especially in the soundtrack, but the overall experience is way more authentic and never feels overblown. As a city pop addict, I was extremely pleased with the stylistic choices made in the game. It’s just the right kind of nostalgic, flashy, and neon.

The plot is... Well, quoting one of the heroines, it’s not bad. The main cast is likeable enough to make the story of an unexpected relationship engaging from the get-go, and there’s a small bunch of supporting characters to keep things fresh both visually and narratively all the way through. While it never reaches the highest emotional heights and some dialogues walk dangerously close to the fan-fiction territory *cough* Adult Patch *cough*, I found myself enjoying most of it. There’s something appealing in how simple the story is, with its relaxed pacing and occasional clever nods to the decade’s culture.

My only real gripe would be the lack of ambient sounds. With every scenery change, it becomes more and more apparent that the in-game Hong Kong is a surprisingly silent place. There are no people talking on the streets, no cars stuck in the traffic, no humming from the office air conditioner — nothing at all. Of course, the music is always there to set the right mood, but it just doesn’t cut it. Thanks to the outstanding art, every location is a character of its own, and adding some background noise here and there could have really helped bring them to life.

All in all, A Summer’s End is a nice little journey worth taking. Beautiful and romantic, it hits enough right notes in terms of presentation and basic storytelling to give you a smooth ride for an evening or two. Chances are you’ll forget all about its shortfalls by the time it’s over — and savor the bittersweet feeling the epilogue leaves you with. Much like when summer actually ends.

Give it a try.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2145836643

1. I am not much of a VN fan.
2. I am not a lesbian.
3. The aesthetic was aimed in my direction.
4. I like a good love story.
5. I like good stories with morals.

I was not disappointed.

Amazing, but short story. It stands on its own without the patch, so players can decide for themselves the kind of experience they want. Really great artworks and impressive soundtrack which draws inspiration from artists and music trends that were popular in Hong Kong at the time. Just enjoyable game, 11/10

I'm gay.

It makes a grown man feel like a lesbian in love

i love being a lesbian

If you're reading this review, chances are that "A Summer's End - Hong Kong 1986" got your attention thanks to its peculiar art style, craftily displayed in the screenshots on the game's store page. Well, let me start by assuring you, on this aspect, the game does not fail to deliver—the art is just wonderful with its 80's aesthetic that is colorful and yet very delicate.

The story is actually much deeper than I expected and it's interesting on many different levels—it's a romance story, that's pretty clear, and it's narrated with a very respectful and intimate touch, giving importance to the characters' inner contrasts; it's also a coming-of-age story, as we see our character trying to find and affirm her true self in a society that has some very precise and clear-cut expectations about what her role should be; it's a love letter to Hong Kong, here represented on the eve of the handover, an event whose effects still resonate to this date, and its cultural peculiarities as a city between two worlds.

The adult patch is not really needed to enjoy all of the above and it adds some mild sexual content (I've honestly seen much, much more explicit scenes in mainstream media). This particular content is, as the rest of the game, very tastefully made and it has the value of adding some more depth to the romance between the two main characters.

A Summer's End - Hong Kong 1986 is a VN I'd recommend to those who enjoy a well-made romance or coming-of-age story and to those who have a particular affinity with (or would like to know more about) Hong Kong.

LGBT friendly

I spent my nights playing this game while i ate ice cream and crying.

As a Chinese lesbian who speaks Cantonese and had engaged with a lot of Hong Kong media during my teenage years, A Summer’s End — Hong Kong 1986 is the lesbian story that I relate to and feel represented the most.

I relate to both the protagonists, Michelle and Sam, as their characters represent different parts of my life as a Chinese lesbian. I also relate to the story’s theme of hoping for the future of our homeland despite the political uncertainties.

My standards for lesbian representation in media has also become much higher because of this visual novel, since A Summer’s End is also a perfect example of how some of the best representations of minority groups are actually found in media made by indie creators, especially those who are part of those minority groups, so we shouldn’t rely on mainstream media for representation especially when big name media companies are going to just give us scraps.

If you ask me to list just one piece of queer art that means everything to me, that gives me comfort, inspiration, and strength the most, A Summer’s End would be it.

I seriously cannot recommend A Summer’s End enough, especially for Asian sapphic women.