having finally completed this game after a long period, I've come to realize how magical and unbelievably beautiful it really is. sure it's incredibly slow, entirely text-driven and lacks any real "game," but that's exactly what I love about it. the charm and uniqueness throughout each of the 5 acts/interludes captured me in its melancholic and alluring spell, which only became more prominent as I continued onward. learning more and more about the world and those who inhabit it was such an amazing experience for me, and I cherish it so much. some of the scenes are so....so effective and too beautiful to even describe through words. On top of that, the writing throughout this entire game is FANTASTIC. it really elevates my deep love for writing and crafting meaningful and important stories. the way in which this story is told is done perfectly, as the nature of an elaborate play allowed the game to feel more thematic and immersive. I could seriously talk about this game for hours, and I really wish more games were like this. (also the music/sound design and visuals insanely are gorgeous, like wow).

I like surreal things, I like abstract things, I like slow things, I like reading, but there needs to be something for me to hold on to, man, to make it through something like this. Vibes and themes alone aren't enough.

You'll see this compared to Lynch - it bears absolutely no resemblence to his work beyond the superficial. Every single second of anything he has ever done, no matter how surreal, is animated by the most powerful and clear emotional core, and that is the point of the exercise. It's just as easy to tell what his stuff is 'about' as it is with this game, but he communicates it in feelings through image and performance - this game does it through dry, detached, opaque walls of text and deliberate tedium. One of those is a hell of a lot more compelling to me than the other.