Hookah Haze, developed by Acquire and published by Aniplex, is a visual novel that I’ve had my eye on since it was first announced at the tail end of 2023. The game has a striking visual style and a unique concept that grabbed my interest, but is there enough substance behind the style to keep it?
Luxe Lounge
Well, let’s spend a little bit more time on the surface before we get into substance. Hookah Haze does deserve praise for its stellar presentation. The game will no doubt attract comparisons to VA-11 Hall-A, which is perhaps a double edged sword given how high that game sets the bar (both overall and in terms of presentation).
Hookah Haze makes use of a soft, narrow color palette made up primarily of purple and blue hues, combined with some neon flare. The shadowy backgrounds of the titular hookah lounge provide an ideal setting for the more vibrant character sprites to stand out, and there are plenty of additional visual elements like cut-in viewports of the lounge’s aquarium and delicious looking illustrations for the variety of hookah flavors you can concoct. The game is a visual delight, with an immense amount of creativity and effort packed into it.
The setting and concept of Hookah Haze contribute greatly to the overall vibe it’s trying to create too. There’s something unfathomably engaging about watching a girl with elaborately decorated, two-toned hair and a keychain earring blowing pillowy clouds of smoke, all set to a relaxing lo-fi soundtrack. At least I think it’s lo-fi. Frankly, I learned more about the intricacies of hookah preparation in the first hour of Hookah Haze than I’ve learned about the basics of music in my lifetime. Regardless, my uncultured ears enjoyed the smooth, soft, slow soundscape of Hookah Haze.
Two Weeks
Unfortunately, we must now get to the substance. Hookah Haze follows the story of Toru Sumiki, the new manager of a hookah lounge in Akihabara, the titular Hookah Haze. They won’t be occupying this role permanently though. Toru becomes the manager of this sleepy, stylish lounge as part of a Make-A-Wish style program that fulfills the dreams of the terminally ill. Toru has just two weeks at the helm of Hookah Haze, which sets up a nice hook and defined timeline for the narrative.
The impending death of the protagonist is indeed a solid hook, but it’s also something of a blunt instrument. On the one hand, you get some straightforward and widely relatable emotional stakes set up early on. On the other hand, you get a more limited narrative scope, especially with such a short timeline. Is two weeks enough time to tell the story Hookah Haze wants to tell? Well, no I don’t think it is.
This is going to be my main criticism of Hookah Haze’s narrative. What is present is engaging, but insubstantial. The narrative across all routes feels condensed. There just isn’t enough time to develop characters and their relationships and then also tell an interesting story. It’s a shame because the characters, the concept, and the writing are all brilliant. The runtime just isn’t long enough to make proper use of these elements.
Friends Till The End
Hookah Haze’s story is heavily character focused. The relationships between Toru and the game’s heroines Amu, Kokoro, and Kurumi define the narrative. The basic structure of Hookah Haze has you mixing a hookah flavor that attracts the heroine(s) you want to interact with for the day. Each day you spend with a heroine progresses her route. I think structure is one of Hookah Haze’s better elements, with the ability to progress multiple routes at once and have the heroines interact with each other keeping each run dynamic and fun.
The heroines are engaging and fun, which is handy for a character driven story. Amu is a bubbly, straightforward girl who works in a maid cafe, and her route deals with her insecurities around her identity and appeal to others. Kokoro is an upbeat, but anxious girl who is struggling in the aftermath of a traumatic event, her route deals with that trauma and also focuses on family. Kurumi, who ended up being my favorite of the three, is a skittish, shy girl whose unusual behavior and social difficulties are stifling her at work, and her route focuses on finding your own way in a world where you don’t quite fit in.
I have high praise for all three heroines and their routes. I appreciate that these are all adult characters dealing with adult issues, and that the story handles those issues in a sensitive, but grounded manner. Across the board, the dialogue writing for the heroines, particularly in their interactions with Toru, is excellent. I loved seeing the girls interact with each other, and I felt that their conflicting dynamics made for some really fun scenes. Each heroine and their route also mixed well with the overarching narrative concerning Toru’s mortality, though I think Kokoro’s route in particular shined in this area.
Undercut
So the heroines and their routes are all great, but there is the issue of time and pacing. Character development, relationship development, and the resolution of significant issues are all condensed into that tight fourteen day window. I didn’t feel that I had enough time to really process each story beat, and it feels to me that some significant emotional weight is missing as major character moments pass by rather quickly.
My criticism isn’t that it’s too short, it’s that the premise and promise is unfulfilled; there is room to do far more and it feels like the themes and characters are underserved by the condensed narrative timeline. Hookah Haze has legs, and it’s trying to do more than its length allows. The game needed more time and resources put behind it, or at least a reorganization of priorities.
Hookah Haze would shine as a linear visual novel, with all three heroines taking part in a longer single route. This is highlighted I think by the true ending (which I can’t discuss much on account of spoilers) that does more in a single route than playing all three routes in multiple configurations can, though it does of course benefit from the attachment I’d built towards the characters already.
Verdict
Hookah Haze is good, despite its shortcomings. Really, my core criticism is that the foundation is so good that it’s a shame that it is sparsely built on. If anything it’s an indication of quality that I want more of these characters and this premise. I do recommend Hookah Haze, especially considering its lower price point, but with the acknowledgement that it’s somewhat insubstantial.
HOOKAH HAZE IS RECOMMENDED
If you are looking for another visual novel, you may enjoy our review of Hana’s Campus Life.
Thank you to Aniplex for providing a PC review code for Hookah Haze.
A man described by critics as “pretty normal” and “memorable in the abstract”. He has committed his life to the consumption of anime and games, against the advice and wishes of his family and friends. Now writing about his passions, hopefully for your enjoyment.
