How hard would you study if a good GPA can take you to an erotic paradise? Kazushi Haruma and his friends are fed up with their terrible grades and even more boring school life. Just as their youthful passions were about to burst, they found out about an exchange program that promises to send the best and brightest to an all-girls school located on a remote island. For the first time in their lives, Kazushi and his friends were excited. Utilizing their barely legal, "The Cunning" strategy, they managed to earn the ticket to their dreams and manly glory. Ambition and lust begins to fill their hearts and crotches. Lying in wait for Kazushi and his friends was an unimaginable environment and a garden of woman hotter than they could imagine!
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This review contains spoilers
Starting off, the art holds up pretty well for its time – not groundbreaking, but it definitely gives you that nostalgic feel. The visuals might not blow you away today, but they're like a familiar face from the past that you're happy to see again.Pacing is where Edelweiss takes a nosedive. It's like the game has an attention deficit, careening from scene to scene with little regard for coherence. The common route, in particular, is a disjointed mess, leaving you wondering if there's a narrative thread somewhere that got lost in the chaos. It's not an invigorating sense of speed; it's more like a narrative whiplash.
Now characters. Most of the cast in this game is pretty interesting and entertaining (in particular I loved Panchuu-Senpai). There is one character, however, who I feel ruined a lot of the routes. Oh, Grandma Hisae. She's the prime example of inconsistency, and not in a good way.Her inconsistencies are glaring, and it often feels like the game just flips a switch to make her the villain when it needs some plot spice. It's like they wanted drama, so they turned the lady into a mustache-twirling baddie without much rhyme or reason.
And then there are the routes. Brace yourself because they can feel contrived, like someone desperately trying to pull at your heartstrings. It's like the game is waving a big sign saying, "Feel something, please!" It's not the subtle emotional journey you'd hope for; it's more like an emotional ambush. Interestingly, Overdrive's later games like Kira Kira and Deardrops managed to weave emotions into their narratives with finesse, creating a more authentic connection with the players.
Now, let's talk about humor. Edelweiss tries its hand at being funny, but more often than not, the jokes fall flat.The humor feels forced, and I found myself cringing more than chuckling. Comedy is subjective, sure, but Edelweiss might have missed the mark for a lot of players.
In a nutshell, Edelweiss is a time capsule with some artistic charm from its era, but it stumbles in the pacing department, has a character inconsistency issue (looking at you, Grandma Hisae), and the routes might make you feel like you're on an emotional rollercoaster with a questionable operator. If you're in it for the nostalgia and can overlook these quirks, give it a shot. But if you're after a smoother ride, Overdrive's later titles might be more up your alley.