This review contains spoilers
The step up in quality and focus from chapter 2 to 3 is mindblowing. I don't know what the reasoning was behind it aside from chapter 3 (presumably) being more important in the overarching story, but the music, CG’s and even plot as a whole were impressively better.
It being introduced as a Satoko chapter was the most anticipated I had been due to her lack of development outside of the club. And while the chapter delivered that tenfold, this wasn't Satoko's chapter. This was a veil that eventually revealed itself as a chapter about Keiichi and his psyche. The 3 part act where he decides to kill Satoko's uncle, goes through with it, and then gets rid of the evidence is the peak of the VN so far. While the VN is sometimes lacking in the music department, it really knows how to set a scene. The rain, lack of music and the dumb shovel sound effects all worked to enhance the scene of burying the body. And then after the VN shows its teeth, has Keiichi commit the act and has the reader believe it could be over. Until whatever the fuck happens and he isn't dead. the following chapters were almost just as good as the murder plot. Culminating in literally every 1200 members of the town dying. This chapter (and chapter 2) i feel will only get infinitely better with context from later chapters. While the demon stuff with Mion dampened the ending of Chapter 2 slightly, I feel like Chapter 3 already learnt from that, and went balls to the wall throughout.
I'll admit the supernatural stuff being all but fully admitted is disappointing, but that for the story to work, it couldn't solely be people killing other people. Though I'll also admit the curse and it's uses were much better in chapter 3.
Chapter 3 also did something new in showing a body, chapter 1,2 and 99% of 3 led its scenes of brutality and gore with black screens and explanations. And it worked. Until the end of chapter 3 where you see Rika's body being eaten by crows (albeit still no gore, just some blood running from her eyes). This chapter showing a corpse is a culmination of how I have no fucking clue what is going on anymore. the remaining FIVE chapters could pull anything out and I anticipate that essentially anything can happen.
Another surprise was the abundance of CG's in chapter 3. There was double what chapter 1 and 2 had combined. I'm sure this applies to everyone, but CG's just work so well in describing how a scene truly is. I'll never forget the best ones from chapter 1&2, and 3's highlights will also last in my brain for a while.
It being introduced as a Satoko chapter was the most anticipated I had been due to her lack of development outside of the club. And while the chapter delivered that tenfold, this wasn't Satoko's chapter. This was a veil that eventually revealed itself as a chapter about Keiichi and his psyche. The 3 part act where he decides to kill Satoko's uncle, goes through with it, and then gets rid of the evidence is the peak of the VN so far. While the VN is sometimes lacking in the music department, it really knows how to set a scene. The rain, lack of music and the dumb shovel sound effects all worked to enhance the scene of burying the body. And then after the VN shows its teeth, has Keiichi commit the act and has the reader believe it could be over. Until whatever the fuck happens and he isn't dead. the following chapters were almost just as good as the murder plot. Culminating in literally every 1200 members of the town dying. This chapter (and chapter 2) i feel will only get infinitely better with context from later chapters. While the demon stuff with Mion dampened the ending of Chapter 2 slightly, I feel like Chapter 3 already learnt from that, and went balls to the wall throughout.
I'll admit the supernatural stuff being all but fully admitted is disappointing, but that for the story to work, it couldn't solely be people killing other people. Though I'll also admit the curse and it's uses were much better in chapter 3.
Chapter 3 also did something new in showing a body, chapter 1,2 and 99% of 3 led its scenes of brutality and gore with black screens and explanations. And it worked. Until the end of chapter 3 where you see Rika's body being eaten by crows (albeit still no gore, just some blood running from her eyes). This chapter showing a corpse is a culmination of how I have no fucking clue what is going on anymore. the remaining FIVE chapters could pull anything out and I anticipate that essentially anything can happen.
Another surprise was the abundance of CG's in chapter 3. There was double what chapter 1 and 2 had combined. I'm sure this applies to everyone, but CG's just work so well in describing how a scene truly is. I'll never forget the best ones from chapter 1&2, and 3's highlights will also last in my brain for a while.