The allusions to mental illnesses were much more interesting than the game's attempt at deconstrucing VNs with all the meta stuff that takes over the second half, which is serviceable, I'd be lying if I said it was poorly done or anything, but maybe I've just grown numb to that kind of twist. The characters by themselves are likeable, but since the game doesn't really do much with them due to its shift in focus, I can't help but feel I would rather get to know them better over what I ended up getting.

There are mods that offer a more character-driven take on DDLC, like Blue Skies, Window to Your Heart and the upcoming Brand New Day, and to be honest I find a handful of those better than the original game, especially since they actually make the protagonist a better chaaracter too. It's interesting in a sense that I know why it ended up getting popular, but at the same time it does feel half-baked.