One of the worst visual novels could be those with extremely poor writing. For example, if the story is full of plot holes and inconsistent character development. Another aspect that makes a visual novel bad is when the art style is unappealing and does not match the tone of the story. Also, if the gameplay mechanics, like decision - making options, are too simplistic or don't lead to meaningful consequences, it can be considered a bad visual novel.
One of the worst could be 'School Days'. It has a very controversial plot that involves a lot of immoral and unethical relationships. The story development is often criticized for being too extreme and not in line with normal moral values, which makes many players uncomfortable.
Some of the worst rated visual novels might be those with poor writing, like having inconsistent plots or flat characters. For example, if a visual novel has a story that doesn't make sense and the dialogue is dull, it will likely get bad ratings. Also, ones with bad art styles that don't match the mood or theme can be among the worst. Technical issues such as glitches during gameplay or long loading times can also contribute to a low rating.
Lack of originality is a big factor. When a visual novel just copies other popular ones without adding anything new, it feels stale. It's like reading the same story over and over again but with different character names. This lack of creativity makes it fall into the category of the worst visual novels.
One reason is bad storytelling. If the plot is full of holes or just plain boring, it'll get a bad rating. For example, if a story jumps around without any clear direction. Another is the art quality. If it looks like it was made in a hurry or is just not appealing, that's a problem. Also, if the game mechanics, like the choices you make, don't seem to matter or are too confusing, it won't be well - liked.
There's also 'Novel Y' which had a really bad translation. The English version was full of grammar mistakes and the cultural references were completely lost in translation. This made it very difficult for non - native speakers of the original language to understand the story, and even native speakers found it hard to enjoy due to the clumsy translation.
Some visual novels on Steam that are considered bad are the ones that lack innovation. They just recycle the same old clichéd stories over and over again. For instance, the typical 'love at first sight' story with no real depth or development. Also, those with a lot of glitches and technical problems can be among the worst. Imagine constantly having the game freeze or crash while you're trying to read through the story.
In a romantic visual novel, a really bad end could be when the protagonist's love turns into obsessive hatred. Maybe due to misunderstandings and wrong actions, the person they once loved becomes their worst enemy and ends up ruining their life. Another example is in a survival - themed visual novel where the character fails to find food and water in time and slowly starves to death. It's a very harrowing bad end as you see the character's hope fade away.
They add a sense of realism. Just like in real life, not all stories have a happy ending. So, these bad ends make the visual novel world seem more believable. For example, if a visual novel is about a war, the bad ends where soldiers die brutally show the harshness of war.
Bad localization can be a big factor. If the translation is full of errors or the cultural references are completely off, it ruins the experience. For example, some Japanese - made visual novels translated poorly into English on Steam. Another reason could be the lack of replayability. A good visual novel should have different paths and endings that make you want to play it again, but the worst ones don't offer that.