Clannad

 PC
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Brash Games
    Dec 21, 2015
    70
    My biggest complaint to the CLANNAD visual novel is just how long it is. Having all the different routes and choices is great but it is also very time-consuming.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 92 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 78 out of 92
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 92
  3. Negative: 10 out of 92
  1. Jagger
    Sep 24, 2017
    10
    Story - It's a family drama, with coming-of-age and magical-realism elements. It has some of the most compelling storytelling and writing I'veStory - It's a family drama, with coming-of-age and magical-realism elements. It has some of the most compelling storytelling and writing I've seen in any medium, possibly the best story ever written for a video game, and even comparable to some of the best dramas in film, television, and literature. It packs a powerful emotional punch; at times the comedy can make you laugh, at times the tragedy can be heart-wrenching, and at times the drama can make you shed tears of joy. It's like a roller-coaster that takes you through the whole gamut of emotions. The story is split into two halves, the School Life arc which is about the teenage high school years, and the After Story arc which is about the adult years after graduating. The School Life arc varies from good-to-great depending on the route, but it's the After Story arc that truly elevates Clannad to a narrative masterpiece, with an original story rarely seen in any medium. It's worth noting, however, that it also has one of the longest scripts ever written for any medium, more than a million words, over twice as much text as all the Lord of the Rings novels combined, which means a whole lot of reading.

    Characterization - It quite possibly has the best characterization ever written for a video game. Tomoya Okazaki in particular may very well be the most well-written protagonist ever seen in a video game. He feels real and believable, and over the years, his character grows and changes, in both positive and negative ways. The supporting cast are also very well-written, with each character having their own fleshed-out personality and backstory, and you also see most of them grow and change over the years. Even for some characters who initially come across as anime cliches, you see them eventually grow out of those cliches over time. And if you get too attached to some of the characters, it can be heart-wrenching when tragedy strikes. In the After Story arc, some of the adult characters in the School Life arc get much bigger roles, while several new characters are also introduced, especially one particular new character (who I won't name to avoid spoiling anything) who changes the dynamics of the story and leaves a deep impression.

    Gameplay - It plays like most visual novels, with gameplay that consists almost entirely of reading while making choices along the way. And like most visual novels, the story is highly non-linear. Clannad has many meaningful choices and consequences, over a dozen branching story routes, and 26 different endings. In terms of how much the story can branch out, Clannad (like many visual novels) trumps most RPGs and adventure games in terms of non-linear storytelling. Compared to other visual novels, many of which often have you wait quite long before you get to make a choice, in Clannad the choices come much more frequently, making it a more interactive experience than the average visual novel. It's interesting to explore the different choices you make and seeing the consequences of those choices and how the story plays out. However, Clannad is very long, at least 50 hours or more to play through all the story routes and get all the different endings, so you'd need quite a bit of patience. Also, if you're a more traditional gamer who doesn't play visual novels, then the gameplay (or lack thereof) may take some getting used to.

    Visuals - The background art is very well-drawn. But the character art is a weak-point. The character drawings are decent, but the unusually large eyes look odd. After a while, however, you kind of just get used to it, so it's not a deal-breaker.

    Audio - The Japanese voice acting is great, with performances full of expression and emotion. It lacks an English dub track, however, but that's understandable given the huge amount of dialogues it has, and I generally prefer playing or watching with the original voice tracks anyway. The music is also amazing, with the entire score very well composed. The music suits the scenes, and the soundtrack is great to listen to on its own as well.

    Note - Clannad was adapted into an anime series, which did a great job of adapting the visual novel. But there are a number of key differences. The visual novel has a much longer script, going much more in-depth with the story, dialogues, and Okazaki's thoughts. The visual novel is also non-linear, allowing you to make choices and seeing how the story unfolds differently, whereas the anime is entirely linear. And the ending can be confusing in the anime, but makes much more sense in the visual novel. For those who saw the anime and were confused by the ending, playing the visual novel is the best way to make sense of the ending.

    Overall - This is a must-play for anyone who enjoys visual novels, adventure games, or interactive storytelling. But if you're not a fan of either of these things, it's still worth giving this a try. In conclusion, Clannad is a masterpiece.    … Full Review »
  2. OguriHatshuharu
    Feb 9, 2016
    9
    I am very glad to see Clannad on Steam. I still remember the first time I cry because of an anime- because of a game. And yes they wereI am very glad to see Clannad on Steam. I still remember the first time I cry because of an anime- because of a game. And yes they were Clannad- both the visual novel, translated by the fan, and the anime. I was watching, and playing at the same time.
    Used almost all of my money to buy it. And it worth. I know it will.    … Full Review »
  3. Owlone
    May 14, 2020
    10
    CLANNAD - a wonderful story about friendship and family. Best VN for me ever! Reccomend it for everyone (sorry for bad English).
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