 You would think that a yuri-themed visual novel that focuses on a mixed-raced couple in the US that also involves an overlying theme of country music is an odd mix. It is, but if you're willing to give something new a try, you'll find that "Love, Guitars, and the Nashville Skyline" is a very unique visual novel!
Love, Guitars, and the Nashville Skyline is brought to Steam by Cosmillica and is published by Sekai Project. It's an interesting game and unlike the other visual novel I have played in recent memory. When I came across this one I thought it was a Western-developed game due to its setting and subject matter. After doing some research into the game itself I realized I was wrong and was so intrigued by it that I had to play it. The game puts you into the shoes of Amanda Etheridge, a hardworking New Yorker who is in dire need of a vacation. Thanks to some prodding from her boss the overworked Amanda takes a two week leave from work and heads off to Nashville for some much deserved rest and relaxation. When she gets there she finds herself in a random bar where she witnesses Juliet Sutherland (Usually referred to as "Julie" throughout the game) performing. Whether it's the alcohol or not, she wakes up in bed with her with little recollection of what happened the night before. Needless to say that night involved more than sex, it also involved Amanda losing the means for her to get back to New York. Left penniless, the story takes a somewhat expected twist: The pair decide to head towards New York together. This game documents that 800 mile journey.
There is so much I want to say about this game that is positive, but first let's get some of the negatives out of the way. The art style here isn't bad, but it had a very generic feel most of the time. To say that the designs were uninspired might be a little harsh, but that's what I felt at various times. Also there were a LOT of reused character models with only different overlays for outfits. I know you can say that this is standard in games like this, and while I agree that it is there was pretty much just one pose for each character throughout and there were only four characters seen on screen through this entire game. This made for some very limited visuals. The backgrounds are really well-done and feature what appear to be real pictures with simple touch ups. In many cases recognizable logos have been blurred, but I can't help but wonder if they were left uncensored in the Japanese version as some of the obvious brands (like "Subway" being changed to "Subwich" in the text) remain in the spoken dialogue. Some may say that the use of photos as backgrounds is cheap or lazy, but I think it adds to a game like this where the setting is most likely foreign to the game's creators and where working off pure art might prove to be inaccurate. Their presence also grounded the characters in a real setting, and because they were pictures and not drawings, there were many more backgrounds than one usually sees in a visual novel of this size. The full screen art was great too, but there wasn't a lot in this version. More on the talk of "versions" later.
Music is another point where this game falters a little. What music there is isn't really bad, it just fades into the background and is highly forgettable. There were no tracks here that I could remember after they played and they only sometimes helped set the mood of the scene. There are also open and ending themes in this game and these, on the other hand, I can say are very well done. Remembering that this is an independently developed game I still wish that there were some insert songs here and there. This is a game that focuses on music and the nightly performances of Juliet so I don't think it would be a stretch to include another song for the sake of these scenes. Or they could have just taken the songs already present in the opening and endings and made those into Juliet's performance pieces. This is a minor complaint, but something that I think would have added to this game's presentation. Voice acting is well-done here and this is one of the few games that I've played recently that is fully voiced. The four on-screen characters all have voices and even the unnamed side characters who get no illustrations are given voices as well. Where the sound falls short in music, it makes up in its voice talent and quality.
The story is where any visual novel shines though and that is especially true here. I mentioned earlier that this game has only four on-screen characters. The other two I haven't mentioned so far are Stella, a lesbian mechanic/used car salesperson and Emmy, a young girl who joins them on their journey. Both characters are very important to this story's growth, though I'll only touch upon them for the sake of keeping this review relatively spoiler-free. There is a lot to be said about the relationship of Amanda and Juliet though. Since the cast is so small we get to learn a lot about each of the characters and what motivates them to act the way they do. We learn about both Juliet and Amanda's past and we discover that unlike many other yuri visual novels, these two women are lesbians who realized this very early on. As a matter of fact that is one of the things I enjoyed most about this game, the maturity with which it deals with the idea of a lesbian love story. There are actually a lot of other mature themes that are glanced upon at various points also like war, acceptance of gay people in certain areas, and even kidnapping of children as well as emotional abuse in the household. The love story between Amanda and Juliet may happen suddenly and come off a little too strong at first, but eventually it grows into something natural and touching at times. Elsewhere the story of Stella, and even that of Emmy, come off not only as touching, but also serve to make the main characters examine themselves more. Because of the Western setting though there were some plot elements that I felt were a little off, most likely due to the fact being developed by a Japanese team. These are slight, but worth mentioning.
Now, let me back up for a minute and reiterate that this is in fact a yuri game and let me get this point out of the way real fast: The version of Love, Guitars, and the Nashville Skyline available on Steam is actually a censored all-ages version. Going to the Cosmillica website you can see some of the art that is in the full version of the game. There are clearly some sex scenes here and there, but what I found most interesting is that the main art graphic is a lot more explicit with Juliet topless (albeit with a cleverly placed guitar) and Amanda with an exposed bra. This version of the main art can also be seen on the Sekai Project website. I usually am against all-ages versions when an adult one exists, but in this case I think that I prefer the presentation on the Steam version. I feel that the added sex scenes would most likely detract from the overall experience and the maturity of the love story being told. Many of the deepest moments of this game come after Amanda and Juliet have sex and are lying naked in bed. Without the sex these scenes are very thought provoking and poignant. I can only imagine that their impact would be diminished if we actually witnessed graphic sex before them. Usually in cases like this I'll play the uncensored version for comparisons sake and that brings me to another complaint: The lack of a patch for the Steam version. In the past games released by Sekai Project would have patches available either free or for an additional charge. In the case of Love, Guitars, and the Nashville Skyline there is no other way to play the adult version except to purchase it again. I already stated my views on this matter though and while I feel that this point is worth mentioning to those looking to pick up the game for this sort of content, I still feel that these scenes aren't necessary and I won't let their omission detract from my rating of the game itself. It is worth noting that the art in these cut scenes is actually very well done.
Okay, now back to the story. Perhaps due to the lack of sexual content the game clocks in at roughly 2-4 hours depending on reading speed and play style. This game is also a visual novel in the truest sense of the word. There are no choices and no branching paths at all and there is only one ending. That one ending though is a really powerful one and I urge you to keep playing past the credits in case you have the urge to simply close the game once you've reached them. If someone had told me prior to going into this game that it was as short as it was and that it somehow still manages to tell a full story that never seems rushed I wouldn't believe them, but I assure you that this is the case here. Also, due to its relative short length, there is practically no padding in it and it never feels like it drags. Everything reaches its conclusion nicely and there are no story elements left unresolved or lacking by the conclusion. My one wish is that it actually had more padding just so that we could stay with these characters just a little longer. I almost hope to see these characters in other games. Perhaps a game from Juliet's point of view and her travels or an epilogue of events that followed this game's ending. It's always a sign of good writing that readers are left wanting more of the characters they've grown to love and this game delivers on that. There you have it, some presentation issues aside, Love, Guitars, and the Nashville Skyline is one of the best visual novels to come out this year for Steam and I fear that its setting, art style, and focus will drive many from it. If you look past these somewhat unusual elements and decide to pick it up, I guarantee you that you will not be disappointed! You can check out Love, Guitars, and the Nashville Skyline now on Steam at the link below: http://store.steampowered.com/app/555650/ -Manuel (alavic_222) Graphics: GOOD+ Sound: GOOD+ Gameplay/Story: PERFECT Value: AMAZING OVERALL: AMAZING FULL DISCLOSURE: This game was provided to A-To-J Connections free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of review. Love, Guitars, and the Nashville Skyline Trailer  |
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