VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action Reviews

One of the best looking and sounding visual novels I've had the pleasure to play. It does a great job at setting up this colorful cast of silly little characters and, while the sci-fi dystopian background is interesting, the story itself is decisively character driven. Overall its main appeal is still the massive amount of style the game oozes from every pore. So if you like what you see/hear in the trailer, I'd say just buy it for any price and get ready for an extremely comfy and relaxing ride in VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action.

An extremely interesting novel, I really liked that there is no obvious choice from the ready-made options. A great gaming experience with interesting characters. If only working behind the bar was as easy as playing this game.

Chill bartender simulator about serving drinks to various types of customers and slowly unraveling the dystopian cyberpunk setting the game takes place in. The gameplay's simple, a customer comes in, makes a drink request, you add the necessary components, mix and serve but it's in the dialogue and writing that the real "meat" of the game, per se, lies in, instead of expositing the story and the characters in a mundane and dull fashion, you come to learn about both by offhand comments and dialogue between Jill (the protagonist) and the customers she finds herself serving. The dialogue and the characters are very well designed and in every interaction I found myself connecting with their struggles and the various facets of their lives, funny stories, regrets, routines, etc. The game also features a splendid presentation, the pixel art looks nice, the tracks available to play while you're serving customers are easily one of the best parts of the whole experience and small details like mouth movement animations accompanied by appropriate sound effects make the experience much more immersive. If I had to discuss what I didn't like about the game, I'd say my main pet peeves are that, for one, the game doesn't tell you of some additional controls typical of visual novels (i. e. Tab or mouse scroll shows you the transcript of previous dialogue, CTRL skips dialogue and V disables / enables dialogue sfx) and that, although mentioned in the store page, different drinks don't affect the story in all that of a grandiose manner, certain drinks to certain characters may unlock new endings and you can also get characters drunk faster via a certain meachanic, as the game mentions in the tutorial, but it only unlocks some additional dialogue from the few NPCs that it works on. Additionally, while not really a problem or issue with the game, it should be mentioned that, as the +18 rating may indicate, there is quite a bit of dialogue surrounding sexual relations, sex jokes, innuendos, prostitution, etc. so if that's not your cup of tea it may be a good idea to skip this one. VA-11 Hall-A doesn't have a story that will blow your mind nor super iconic characters but it's a good game for those looking to sit back, relax and partake in a much more laidback experience with a few standout moments here and there.

Absolutely worth the price, on or off sale. Phenomenal writing for the setting and characters. The setting was easy to understand, the characters were easy to love(some sooner than others). They felt relatable and all had pretty realistic stories, which made getting attached to them much easier. Writing was really nice too. It contains mature themes which were handled well, which was a huge plus. 10/10 game, got me emotional, and will recommend.

Highly recommended it super vibe and alot of story really touching and meaningfull really enjoying it : D !

This game found me in a very rough and stressful period, and while I'm still stressed, it's both helped me feel way more comfortable about my life as well as having a brighter outlook on the future. This decade old game really feels like one of its kind, and I truly treasure and cherish it for that.

I really wish I could turn back time, or manually perform selective amnesia on myself. I want to experience this game again, from the very beginning, blind But, I'd leave a note for my amnesiac self first, saying "Don't worry about the endings. Just play normally" Luckily, I DID play this game blind. I discovered this game because of a streamer, but I merely checked it out for a few seconds and then dipped, afraid of spoilers. I do not regret that decision. I LOVE this game. I would do a lot of things just to experience this game for the first time again A really good story. It changed my outlook for my life's future. I guess Jill really mixed some drinks and changed my life, as corny as that sounds I REALLY wish there was more though. I'm DESPERATE for more I want to be clever and end this review with Jill's iconic quote, but I'm not smart enough for that. "Time to mix some drinks and change lives"

Really good vibes, really good characters, really interesting setting. Can't wait for N1RV Ann-A, .45 PARABELLUM BLOODHOUND, and all other Sukeban Games projects.

If you enjoy narrative-driven games but often find visual novels too cheesy or overly focused on high school settings, you’ll love this game. It has mature, engaging, and well-written stories with a diverse and eclectic cast of characters. Also Jill, your main character, doesn’t just stand by and listen. Rather she actively engages with others, forms relationships, and delivers witty remarks and opinions. And she's a great character herself. The worldbuilding is immersive and believable. The OST is outstanding, perfectly complementing the game’s stylish and classy visuals. If you’re drawn to a melancholic cyberpunk aesthetic mixed with outrun and vaporwave music, this is the game for you. The bartending gameplay is relaxing and serves as a natural extension of the storytelling. You’ll mix drinks, remember customers’ favorite orders, and interact with them like a real bartender would. Having played many narrative games, I can say this one feels special. It’s the kind of game where you can feel the love and effort poured into it by its small development team. There aren’t many games quite like it.

I've had a strange relationship with this game. I bought it back in Nov 2020 and have only now, 4 years later, finished it. Why did it take me so long? Well first off I played it in real time, one in-game night for every irl night. And of course I had to always have a drink. Because of that it morphed into a ritual game that I had to be in a very specific mood for. As time went on and I got more attached to the characters and the world I took longer breaks between playing, until there were months between sessions. Eventually it became so rare and special for me to play it that I feared it ending, that I'd have to move on. So I neglected it for like 2 years, forgot the plot and had a excuse to restart after completing 3/5ths of the game. I have so many screenshots of lines from this game, I've listened to Garoad's OST thousands of times, this game is a massive reason I worked at a hole in the wall cocktail bar when I moved to London; I went through severe anxiety and PTSD incidents and this game was one of the few things that just got me when I needed it most. It's had such a comforting, cathartic and reassuring impact on me during the formative years of my young adulthood. And I couldn't have asked for a better source of all that. Now that I've finally finished it, it feels like I've grown up. I can let the story end and a new one begin. Overall, it's not a perfect game but it's a amazing one nonetheless. Play it, learn from it, laugh with it. Mix drinks and change lives