Tomoyo After ~It's a Wonderful Life~

Tomoyo After ~It's a Wonderful Life~ is a visual novel adventure game. It was developed by Key, a Japanese team specializing in this genre, known for such productions as Kanon, Air, Summer Pockets or Little Busters!

The game debuted on PC in Japan in 2005 and contained erotic scenes. These were removed in the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Switch ports released in the following years. They did the same with the English-language PC version, which was released on Steam.

Plot

The game is a direct sequel to the hit Clannad. The main protagonist is once again Tomoya Okazaki, and the plot revolves around his relationship with Tomoyo Sakagami, one of Clannad main female characters.

When the action of the game begins, Tomoya has already been leading an adult life as a productive member of Japanese society. The boy is employed in a garbage collection company and earns a living by repairing household equipment. Despite finishing school, he still maintains a close relationship with Tomoya, and as the story progresses, feelings begin to develop between them.

At first Tomoya lives alone, but due to a series of events his half-sister Tomo and younger brother Takafumi move in with his ex-girlfriend Kanako. All this group together with Tomoyo will form an unusual family, and the game's plot focuses on the changing relationships between the characters.

Mechanics

Tomoyo After ~It's a Wonderful Life~ is a visual novel adventure game. Gameplay is about following the plot and regularly making decisions that shape the further development of the story.

Unlike classic VN games, in Tomoyo After ~It's a Wonderful Life~ there is only one main plot path, and the only romantic relationship is the one with Tomoyo. However, the plot itself is heavily non-linear and has several alternate endings. The whole game is constructed in such a way that seeing all the storylines requires completing the game several times.

An additional attraction is the minigame Dungeons & Takafumis, which becomes available after the first completion of the campaign. It is a tactical RPG with turn-based combat system, in which we command a team of characters from the main campaign.

The English-language edition is enriched with the Tomopedia, an encyclopedia that helps players learn about Japanese cultural traditions important to the game's plot.

Game modes

Tomoyo After ~It's a Wonderful Life~ offers a single player mode only.

Technical aspects

Game graphics is typical for the genre. Thus, Tomoyo After ~It's a Wonderful Life~ features 2D graphics made up mainly of static backgrounds and character images, which are only occasionally enhanced by small animations.

A certain surprise is the character design, which strongly differs from the characteristic style known from Clannad. This is due to the fact that the main illustrator this time was not Itaru Hinoue. In Tomoyo After ~It's a Wonderful Life~ she was replaced by Fumio, an artist known for The Fruit of Grisaia, among others.