Shanghai Summer is an adventure game developed by FUTU Studio and published by Astrolabe Games. Set in the millennium, our protagonist, Baichuan, goes through a series of “anomalies” over the length of twelve days. In his pursuit of the truth, he found that his hopes and regrets from the past finally seem to converge. Will he be able to “fix” it for good?
Game Details
- Genre: Adventure | Exploration | Mystery
- Developer & Publisher: FUTU Studio & Astrolabe Games
- Price: $12.99
- Where to Play: Nintendo Switch | Playstation | Steam
- Similar Games: When the Past Was Around | A Space for the Unbound | The Space Between
Story
Shanghai, 2003
Suddenly, Baichuan senses something is not right with his life – sometimes, he feels he can see his memories, so real yet so unfamiliar. It seems that this all begins with an unexpected invitation from Baichuan’s ex-girlfriend, Qiuyu, who has been away for many years.
Twelve summer days, just like twelve lucid dreams…
“The time seems to be working anomalously on you.”
Through the ‘Topics’ and ‘Clues’ gathered from everyday life, dive deep into the hearts and minds of your dearest friends.
To be comforted by them; To be inspired by them; To turn all the little things that happened in your life into your own strength, and eventually, at the finale of the twelfth night ——— To ” fix” the shattered dream.
Classrooms, Bookstore “One-in-a-Thousand”, Neighborhood Cafe…
Much of every boy and girl’s life revolves around such a mundane city scene. And it is precisely within the mundanity that some new possibilities exist. The key to turning one’s fate around may very much be held in the hand of someone passing by among the crowds on the streets…
Shanghai Summer Demo Review – An Intriguing Mystery Adventure Visual Novel
A Summer’s Tale About “Regret” and “Redemption” Shanghai Summer is an adventure game developed by FUTU Studio and published by Astrolabe Games. Set in the millennium, our protagonist, Baichuan, goes through a series of “anomalies” over the length of twelve days. In his pursuit of the truth,…
Keep readingShanghai Summer Game Review
Set in 2003 in Shanghai, Shanghai Summer follows Baichuan, a young man who discovers that life as he knows it is not quite as it seems: the reality he currently exists in is in fact a parallel of the “real world”. While similar to the world he knows, there are slight differences that don’t quite fit with things as he knows them to be.
As his memories of the past and reality blur, he finds himself trying to uncover the truth behind a series of strange anomalies—including the fact that he can’t remember his high school ex-girlfriend, Ji Qiuyu, who left to study abroad years prior. On his journey, Baichuan is accompanied by a talking cat who offers to help him sort through his hazy memories.
A Summer’s Tale About “Regret” and “Redemption” perfectly sums up this short emotional journey. Traverse between the past and present alongside Baichuan as he attempts to move forward from the regrets of his past. Parse through dreamlike memories and strange anomalies that send Baichuan slipping between timelines. At the center of these strange goings on is Baichuan’s former girlfriend, Qiuyu. An incident from their past has shaped their present in irreversible ways and it’s up to Baichuan to piece together the clues from his journey to get to the truth.
The timeline hopping, while exciting is not really the point of Shanghai Summer, rather it’s how Baichuan is shaped by his experiences. Will he let his past hold him back or is his past the key helping him move on to a brighter future? The choice is 100% yours.
Keen eyed gamers will notice similarities between Shanghai Summer and Mojiken’s A Space for the Unbound. Both blur the lines between reality and fantasy, creating a unique experience that pushes the limits of our imaginations. But, despite the fantastical elements of the game still manage to tell a grounded emotionally impactful character driven story.
Is Shanghai Summer as well executed as A Space for the Unbound? No. It’s messy in some places and a bit confusing in others. Not every plot thread connects seamlessly, but, there is merit in the messier story. It seems kind of fitting. Baichuan’s whole life is a mess, he’s wishy washy and prone to backtracking, especially when it comes to the women in his life.
While this isn’t strictly a romance, Baichuan has somehow managed to attract the attention of two women: Jingxian and Quiyu. How, he pulled the two baddest babes in the game is beyond me, but who am I to question the insanity that is love. Just know that for all his growth in the story, both women could do better than Tu Baichuan. That boy has some GROWING to do.
The road ahead is not an easy one and Baichuan has to face himself and his choices if he truly going to move on. His choices shape not just the story, but his relationships sometimes for the better and others… not so much. It’s fun to see how your choices effect the story and the various endings and outcomes are each interesting in their own right. In fact, some of the other outcomes are more satisfying than the “true end”. Which is cool, because it gives the sense that all of the outcomes are valid.
There are no simple choices in Shanghai Summer. What seems like a good choice in the moment can lead to devastating outcomes later on, not just for Baichuan, but for those closest to him. Of course the game gives the player ample opportunities to revisit past events and change outcomes through the interactive flow chart.
There are a lot of moving parts in Shanghai Summer. Part visual novel, part adventure game, every detail is painstakingly curated to facilitate the whole experience. Gorgeous visuals reminiscent of Vanillaware works like 13 Sentinels highlight the everyday beauty of the Shanghai setting. From the quiet sunset lit rustic backstreets to the lived in feel of the mom and pop shops that line Bitter Love Road. Cozy, is the best way to describe this game. Every location conveys a sense of warmth and comfort.
Shanghai Summer is more of an interactive experience. I played Shanghai Summer on the Switch and the the demo on Steam, of the two, I prefer the Switch version. Moving the characters from place to place and interacting with other characters and items is infinitely more fluid with a controller (keyboard and mouse was a nightmare). But, even on the Switch, it there were some control issues, but not enough to fully detract from the overall experience.
The UI is designed in the likeness of a journal, with collected clues appearing as notes and written entries. Collected clues are used during Inquiries, that are reminiscent of the Ace Attorney Psylock mechanic. Select phrases to help Baichuan parse through the various conflicting timelines.
There’s also this fun side quest where you collect octopus themed character cards, which gives you something to do while exploring the various locations.
Overall, Shanghai Summer isn’t perfect, but that’s the point. This is a story about embracing your mess and learning to move on from it. Baichuan is flawed and that makes his journey so relatable, we all have regrets, things from our past that we wish we could fix—rarely do we get that chance. But, in Shanghai Summer we get the chance to experience a bit of that wish fulfillment, for better or worse.
Shanghai Summer is a relatively quick play taking about a day (or two if you really drag it out) to complete. Everything comes together to create a emotional and impactful story that you won’t soon forget.
