Highway Blossoms
| Highway Blossoms | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Studio Élan[n 1] |
| Publisher(s) | Sekai Project Studio Élan |
| Director(s) | Syon Santeria |
| Producer(s) | Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 665: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Designer(s) | Myuto Shiyun |
| Programmer(s) | Kevin Turner |
| Artist(s) | Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 665: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Writer(s) | Josh Kaplan Syon Santeria |
| Composer(s) | Able Kirby BAGman Jake Abernathie Smoke Thief |
| Series | Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 665: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | June 17, 2016 |
| Genre(s) | Visual novel |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
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| Sound | Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 665: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
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Highway Blossoms is a 2016 yuri romance visual novel developed by Studio Élan and published by Sekai Project and Élan.
Set in the American Southwest, the game follows Amber and Marina on their search for a hidden treasure. The game received positive reception from video game writers, with many highlighting it as among the best LGBT-related visual novels.
Plot[edit]
Highway Blossoms is set in the American Southwest and follows Amber and Marina after the former picks up the latter.[2] The game begins in New Mexico where Amber, en route to California, comes across Marina, who just had her car run out of gas in the middle of the desert.[3] Marina had been in search of a recently-hidden treasure that attracted many other travelers; Amber had been unaware of this situation until the two are told about it at a gas station.[1][3]
Marina shares with Amber that she had set out from nearby Carlsbad in search of the treasure. Skeptical about the situation, Amber chooses to help Marina in her search. The two come across a trio of treasure hunters who seek to find the treasure before Amber and Marina.[1]
Development[edit]
A few years out of high school, the game's writer Josh Kaplan sought more yuri games in the indie game space, and as a result went on to co-write Highway Blossoms.[4] Kaplan stated "In 2016, there weren't a whole lot of yuri visual novels available in English, especially on Steam."[4]
Designed as a "short, linear visual novel with humor and sincerity," the game was developed as a Steam Greenlight project.[2] Highway Blossoms was initially released without any voice acting and its sound was limited to an acoustic soundtrack.[1] An adult patch adding nudity in some sections of the game was made freely available.[1][5] The developer later released a remastered version of the game featuring voice-overs for the characters.[6]
A second game, Highway Blossoms: Next Exit was made available as DLC in a 2020 update for the game.[7]
Reception[edit]
Receiving positive reviews from video game journalists, who praised the game's visuals, story, and soundtrack, Highway Blossoms became an "acclaimed romantic drama" and "popular queer adult visual novel".[8][9] Video game media outlets recognized the game as among the "best" visual novels, particularly those regarding LGBTQ+ stories.[10][11] Kaplan also noted that the game "ended up being unexpectedly successful," stating that "it found an audience of primarily LGBT readers who appreciated what they felt was a more realistic approach to same-sex relationships."[4] Due to the game's success, Kaplan went on to found Studio Élan.[4]
Writing for Hardcore Gamer, Marcus Estrada opined that "Backdrops of national landmarks and parks manage to evoke some of the awe that they command. It also leads to a lot of unique background CGs to keep players entertained visually." Estrada further praised character sprites, but noted that "there were multiple artists working on the CGs," resulting in the game's visuals not feeling "entirely cohesive." In regards to the game's writing, Estrada stated "there is very little to criticize," praising Amber and Marina's character development throughout the narrative.[1] Mitch Jay Lineham of PCGamesN called Highway Blossoms "one of the finest yuri – and romance – visual novels on Steam", praising its "heartwarming story" and "stunning, atmospheric soundtrack."[12] Jade King of TheGamer wrote that "Highway Blossoms is so soft and sweet, its narrative outfitted with minimal stakes as it hopes to take us on a journey that is equally warm and mysterious." King went on to praise the small cast, which allowed the writers to develop each character "with appropriate nuance and just the right amount of attention."[3]
Tyler Terese of GameRevolution included Highway Blossoms on his list of "15 PC visual novels that every game should play," writing that "While the backdrop is plenty interesting, the main draw is the relationship between the two main characters, Amber and Marina. The duo has an undeniable chemistry, and it becomes hard to stop playing as the game's story continues on."[10]
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Estrada, Marcus (June 30, 2016). "Review: Highway Blossoms". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Estrada, Marcus (February 17, 2016). "Take a Yuri Road Trip with Highway Blossoms". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 King, Jade (June 29, 2022). "Pride Month Picks: Studio Elan Is The Master Of Sapphic Visual Novels". TheGamer. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Rowe, Willa (February 21, 2023). "Studio Élan on Doing Romance Right in Video Games: "Fans Want Nuanced, In-Depth Stories"". Inverse. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- ↑ Tarason, Dominic (September 17, 2018). "Steam's first sexually explicit Adult Only games are out now, but not in every region". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- ↑ Manente, Kristina (March 26, 2019). "Nerdy Jobs: The voices behind dating sims and visual novels". Syfy. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- ↑ Estrada, Marcus (September 25, 2020). "Highway Blossoms: Next Exit Now Available for PC". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ↑ Jones, Rebecca; Gremillion, Mexi (January 1, 2023). "The 10 best visual novels on PC in 2023". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- ↑ Valens, Ana (May 20, 2021). "Eroge, visual novels, and hentai: Your guide to adult visual novels". The Daily Dot. Retrieved April 9, 2023. Unknown parameter
|orig-date=ignored (help) - ↑ 10.0 10.1 Terese, Tyler (May 22, 2018). "15 PC Visual Novels That Every Gamer Should Play". GameRevolution. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- ↑ Ahlbrand, Maddison (February 9, 2023). "9 Best LGBTQ+ Visual Novel Games". TheGamer. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- ↑ Lineham, Mitch Jay (March 8, 2018). "Best visual novels on Steam". PCGamesN. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
Further reading[edit]
- Chan, Harriette (January 23, 2021). "The history of LGBTQ+ visual novels". Tech Radar. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
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