Since Memories: Off the Starry Sky

The first Memories: Off game in English, but also the worst.

A new entry in the long-running Memories Off series

SINce Memories: Off the Starry Sky has its good points. The production values haven’t been skimped on, the setting is well-realized, and some of the characters are very interesting to get to know. Sadly, the writing on the whole is very uneven, leading to a lot of routes that don’t pay off properly and a couple really poor characters. There’s some potential here but the game ultimately fails to realize it, despite taking a very long time to get everything into position. It’s an inauspicious Western debut for such a beloved franchise.

To fully appreciate it you’ve got to be comfortable with glacial pacing and an earnest attempt to take something that looks like it should be fanservicey and give you something to think about instead. Calibrate your expectations just right and SINce Memories: Off the Starry Sky may just surprise you.

SINce Memories: Off The Starry Sky is a heartfelt visual novel blending emotional character dynamics with an intriguing mystery. While its standalone accessibility and nostalgic presentation shine, inconsistent heroine routes, localization errors, and awkward voice acting hold it back from true greatness. A solid entry point for newcomers to the Memories Off series.

SINce Memories: Off The Starry Sky is an extremely boring game, with a sloppy localization. Sometimes, we find great games, but that didn't take much care in their localization, or other times, we find average games, but that took a lot of care in their translation.

SINce Memories: Off the Starry Sky stands as the first coming of the Memories Off franchise to the west, but, unfortunately, it leaves something to be desired in a crucial aspect: the English localization, which severely compromises the enjoyment and understanding of the story. Maybe it's not the best way to promote this brand-new content on this side of the globe, but the product is a great recommendation for those who love a more mundane, believable and down-to-earth narrative.

SINce Memories: Off the Starry Sky is an engaging visual nove, with elements of drama and mystery built up slowly as the relationship between the characters develops. While the translation quality may be lacking at times, it is still an easy recommendation for those who like the genre and want to experience this first Western contact with the classic Memories Off franchise.

Given how long the series has been going, I had higher hopes for SINce Memories: Off the Starry Sky than I felt was able to deliver on for the series’s English-language debut. It hits a few of the right notes but doesn’t quite put them together enough to truly strike a chord. It’s well-presented, but presentation alone doesn’t carry it, and the script errors don’t do it any favors either. The cast of characters have their moments, but they’re scattered between lengthy sections of ultimately both predictable and often forgettable story routes that at times feel like inorganic drama was put in for the sake of it. The end result is a fairly cookie-cutter and by-the-books romance visual novel that doesn’t truly shine in any particular area.