If I were harsher I'd probably give this game two stars. It's a game that I respect a lot more then I actually enjoyed playing.

Saying "This game isn't for everyone" isn't the most helpful thing to say, but this comes off as a game that will either completely alienate you or be right up your alley with no in between. It forgoes a lot of traditional game design that'd get in the way of its message and themes which is admirable but is also head scratching for those use to more conventional games. As you can tell, I wasn't into it personally. I like the concept of it a lot and would like a game that is similar to it, but any changes that I would make to it would make it no longer 'The friends of Ringo Ishikawa' and it'd become something else entirely. It's one of those frustrating things where you go "I get why you did this and to a certain extent I agree, but at the end of the day I just can't get into it".

Despite all that I don't regret playing it. It was way out my comfort zone but people should sometimes try games they aren't 100% sure about. It can help explore what makes a game for you work or not.