beatolover
2021
Very cute and cozy game to scratch your old Zelda itch with. You can tell the amount of love and effort that went into this, and it makes for a very comforting ride. I think it shows most through the dialogue, which never failed to make me smile at the very least, as well as the pretty graphics and overall art design, along with the area, city, dungeon and puzzle design. But although i loved the puzzles and the places the game takes you to, i have to admit i sometimes found myself losing my sense of direction and wishing there was something like a general map of each area, or a way to map your surroundings in detail yourself. Another downside is just how prone you are to fall into the water, and it gets frustrating real quick. Aside from that, i never found the game hard in the slightest, but being able to cheese your way through it with no real tension might also be a downside to some. Not to me, so i find the game really delivered a cozy and gratifying little adventure, making up for a great experience.
Really neat mystery/horror VN that condenses a good story into something that never gets boring - yet never rushes things at all-, so the pacing is very solid for its medium (although it already has quite some elements and mechanics outside of the traditional VN format).
In terms of ambience and setting, it's strikingly good. The soundtrack is quite nice and did its job well, and even if I didn't grow too attached to any particular melody or tune, the jazz style the investigation music had going on for the detectives' section got me really enjoying every second of it.
The visuals and aesthetics are very nicely done as well, and are the cherry on top of the whole thing, helping cement the whole "urban legends and the darkness surrounding the streets and people of 80's Japan" setting's vibe.
The artstyle is really good, both cute and horrifing at times. The characters' sprites are very expressive and really got to me, and the game's more unconventional use of angles, camerawork and character positioning managed to make dialogues very dynamic and fresh, effortlessly making not many sprites to be used in a wide arrange of situations without it being too repetitive.
And while the characters may not stand out much at first sight, they end up making their way into your heart in one way or another. Richter may be the best example: even if at first he may look real shady or a pathetic joke character at best, he became my favorite in no time.
This is all thanks to the quality of the writing and the dialogues between characters, which felt very compelling.
The story itself is very nicely put together, and surprisingly for its genre and medium it actually ties everything up in a very solid way. The ties between every little aspect and character of the story had me constantly glued to the screen needing to unravel more.
The only complaint I have is that some times the narrative kind of relied on the reader not having picked up on some twist for quite a while which I had already seen coming, but then kind of throwing you the answer to another which I didn't even have time to dwell on and resolve. But nothing major to undermine the experience.
I feel the horror was very nicely done, adding a modern understanding of gameplay to deliver the scares, which felt clever and not just cheap, loud jumpscares. If anything, its more 'quiet' jumpscares were the most bone-chilling part for me.
Overall it's a very solid game with a lot of neat and clever tidbits and a really good atmosphere that completely sets you in its mood, and is very much worth its time.
In terms of ambience and setting, it's strikingly good. The soundtrack is quite nice and did its job well, and even if I didn't grow too attached to any particular melody or tune, the jazz style the investigation music had going on for the detectives' section got me really enjoying every second of it.
The visuals and aesthetics are very nicely done as well, and are the cherry on top of the whole thing, helping cement the whole "urban legends and the darkness surrounding the streets and people of 80's Japan" setting's vibe.
The artstyle is really good, both cute and horrifing at times. The characters' sprites are very expressive and really got to me, and the game's more unconventional use of angles, camerawork and character positioning managed to make dialogues very dynamic and fresh, effortlessly making not many sprites to be used in a wide arrange of situations without it being too repetitive.
And while the characters may not stand out much at first sight, they end up making their way into your heart in one way or another. Richter may be the best example: even if at first he may look real shady or a pathetic joke character at best, he became my favorite in no time.
This is all thanks to the quality of the writing and the dialogues between characters, which felt very compelling.
The story itself is very nicely put together, and surprisingly for its genre and medium it actually ties everything up in a very solid way. The ties between every little aspect and character of the story had me constantly glued to the screen needing to unravel more.
The only complaint I have is that some times the narrative kind of relied on the reader not having picked up on some twist for quite a while which I had already seen coming, but then kind of throwing you the answer to another which I didn't even have time to dwell on and resolve. But nothing major to undermine the experience.
I feel the horror was very nicely done, adding a modern understanding of gameplay to deliver the scares, which felt clever and not just cheap, loud jumpscares. If anything, its more 'quiet' jumpscares were the most bone-chilling part for me.
Overall it's a very solid game with a lot of neat and clever tidbits and a really good atmosphere that completely sets you in its mood, and is very much worth its time.
This review contains spoilers
I'm not exactly sure what to make of this game since I have mixed feelings about it, so this is going to be quite long.
First I'll explain the downsides that kept me from fully liking the game, then moving onto its more positive aspects.
I feel my experience was greatly undermined by the fact that it actually ran quite poorly? Even though in theory I have way better memory, space, processors etc. than the minimum requirements specify, I still persistently got major audio and graphical delays, specially with scripted events. Several times did something happen and it didn't graphically load until several seconds later, in which whatever asset was to appear was placeholded by an eye-jarring box with [EVENT] written on it, highly taking away the experience, and moreso, the intended effect and scare.
Beyond that, I feel the game overall was pretty....slow. Not only were the menus, scenes and loading times slow for a relatively simple RPGMaker game, but I missed some way of skipping though scripted scenes/events and dialogue, which I wasn't getting anything out of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th time over.
It took me about 20 hours to get all the endings, just from having to start the game all over from having missed one regalia at the very start. Which is fine, since you need to be on NG+ to unlock the new one anyways, but with the game playing so slow I wasn't particularly happy about it.
The story is kind of the middle ground for me. It didn't pique my interest as much as I'd wanted because I felt there wasn't enough for me to hook on. It's not horrible nor badly told at all, but feels kinda underexplained. Not just directly, but also with how little clues I consider there are up to you to read into. Even having read and mulled over every bit of dialogue, letters, text and rest of bits of the story and exposition, I still couldn't pierce the story together beyond the family falling apart because "wow! DID!--i mean... insanity and dementia!" (which is what the protag is actually diagnosed with) and that somehow probably the pact the mother did with the demon caused it?? But nothing is ever explained further than that, and there's not much more to go on for much longer on your own, either. We get close to no answers beyond that. What exactly was that pact? How come we know nothing of it if it's so vital, triggering everything in the story? The way I see it, maybe the price for the pact was either the protag splintering/losing her identity or for the demon to "own" the protag -something he repeats a few times- and upon learning that her family had basically sold her to him she developed DID? even though it doesn't work like that at all? And how are the brother and the strange boy/demon related exactly? Are they supposed to be the same person since their design is obviously similar? But why and how would they be? The entity the pact was made with was implied to be an outsider from the family, encountered in the woods, and the brother was only known to be able to see demons and the like, not be one. But maybe it's just me not getting it from being exhausted having to replay the game so many times over to get all the endings in hope of some final exposition (which doesn't happen).
I'm not saying a game has to completely spoon-feed you its story for it to be any good, but I'm not a fan of having to look up "X story explained" after scrutinizing the whole game, trying hard to pierce it for myself and not getting anywhere.
Besides that, and moving onto its more positive aspects, I felt each character's roles as alters was pretty realistic, which was the reason I first figured out that was what was going on. I actually really like all of them except for maybe Fleta. The symbolism for each of them was also good and fitting, which is why I don't have many complaints in that regard.
Going though each character's parts was greatly enjoyable, as they all had very distinct and strong personalities and the way it was reflected in their sections made for great ambiental storytelling. The diferent areas are really stellar, not only in setting and ambience, but also in the graphical and audio departments. The art and its direction is absolutely gorgeous, and the music is incredibly good as well. It really helps cement the whole "mysterious wonderland of whimsical dream spaces" setting and feel, and each area had its own particular charm and executed well its role, be it cutesy fancy parties and gardens, run-down yet romantic old mansions, creepy and abandoned underwater circuses, mystical rose-filled churches, or floating dreamy theatre corridors. God, I absolutely loved them all, but my absolute favorite was Enjel's, I legit spent at least a couple hours just wandering around basking in the ambience of the place.
Aesthetically and ambientally this game is a solid 10, and I feel it's worth playing just to experience going through these spaces, so beautifully crafted and put together. It's noticeable the huge amount of love and thought that went into them.
As a sidenote, I also quite enjoyed the occasional inspiration from and references to Madoka Magica, as a fan it really won me over.
First I'll explain the downsides that kept me from fully liking the game, then moving onto its more positive aspects.
I feel my experience was greatly undermined by the fact that it actually ran quite poorly? Even though in theory I have way better memory, space, processors etc. than the minimum requirements specify, I still persistently got major audio and graphical delays, specially with scripted events. Several times did something happen and it didn't graphically load until several seconds later, in which whatever asset was to appear was placeholded by an eye-jarring box with [EVENT] written on it, highly taking away the experience, and moreso, the intended effect and scare.
Beyond that, I feel the game overall was pretty....slow. Not only were the menus, scenes and loading times slow for a relatively simple RPGMaker game, but I missed some way of skipping though scripted scenes/events and dialogue, which I wasn't getting anything out of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th time over.
It took me about 20 hours to get all the endings, just from having to start the game all over from having missed one regalia at the very start. Which is fine, since you need to be on NG+ to unlock the new one anyways, but with the game playing so slow I wasn't particularly happy about it.
The story is kind of the middle ground for me. It didn't pique my interest as much as I'd wanted because I felt there wasn't enough for me to hook on. It's not horrible nor badly told at all, but feels kinda underexplained. Not just directly, but also with how little clues I consider there are up to you to read into. Even having read and mulled over every bit of dialogue, letters, text and rest of bits of the story and exposition, I still couldn't pierce the story together beyond the family falling apart because "wow! DID!--i mean... insanity and dementia!" (which is what the protag is actually diagnosed with) and that somehow probably the pact the mother did with the demon caused it?? But nothing is ever explained further than that, and there's not much more to go on for much longer on your own, either. We get close to no answers beyond that. What exactly was that pact? How come we know nothing of it if it's so vital, triggering everything in the story? The way I see it, maybe the price for the pact was either the protag splintering/losing her identity or for the demon to "own" the protag -something he repeats a few times- and upon learning that her family had basically sold her to him she developed DID? even though it doesn't work like that at all? And how are the brother and the strange boy/demon related exactly? Are they supposed to be the same person since their design is obviously similar? But why and how would they be? The entity the pact was made with was implied to be an outsider from the family, encountered in the woods, and the brother was only known to be able to see demons and the like, not be one. But maybe it's just me not getting it from being exhausted having to replay the game so many times over to get all the endings in hope of some final exposition (which doesn't happen).
I'm not saying a game has to completely spoon-feed you its story for it to be any good, but I'm not a fan of having to look up "X story explained" after scrutinizing the whole game, trying hard to pierce it for myself and not getting anywhere.
Besides that, and moving onto its more positive aspects, I felt each character's roles as alters was pretty realistic, which was the reason I first figured out that was what was going on. I actually really like all of them except for maybe Fleta. The symbolism for each of them was also good and fitting, which is why I don't have many complaints in that regard.
Going though each character's parts was greatly enjoyable, as they all had very distinct and strong personalities and the way it was reflected in their sections made for great ambiental storytelling. The diferent areas are really stellar, not only in setting and ambience, but also in the graphical and audio departments. The art and its direction is absolutely gorgeous, and the music is incredibly good as well. It really helps cement the whole "mysterious wonderland of whimsical dream spaces" setting and feel, and each area had its own particular charm and executed well its role, be it cutesy fancy parties and gardens, run-down yet romantic old mansions, creepy and abandoned underwater circuses, mystical rose-filled churches, or floating dreamy theatre corridors. God, I absolutely loved them all, but my absolute favorite was Enjel's, I legit spent at least a couple hours just wandering around basking in the ambience of the place.
Aesthetically and ambientally this game is a solid 10, and I feel it's worth playing just to experience going through these spaces, so beautifully crafted and put together. It's noticeable the huge amount of love and thought that went into them.
As a sidenote, I also quite enjoyed the occasional inspiration from and references to Madoka Magica, as a fan it really won me over.
This title is a classic that holds its ground very well, and this may be the best (and most accessible) version out there to experience it, with the option to switch between the old or new versions of both soundtrack and character art. The old character sprites and art are so full of charm and personality that I feel really add to the experience (in comparison, the new anime-moe ones may be more 'modern' but aren't nearly as good in my opinion). The characters themselves are quite charming and do their job well, easily inmersing you in their world, their village, their worries and happenings, all through their dialogue, relationships and interactions. If I had to point out a downside to this, it'd be that all three main heroines are quite endearing and I can't bring myself to choose which one is my favourite lol.
The soundtrack isn't the best thing I've ever heard in a videogame, but it definitely has some solid good tunes that made me want to stay in the areas they played just to listen to them even if only for a bit longer. This is certainly more the case with 'chill' tracks such as village/field themes and so on, but some of the more action-suited ones were really to my liking too.
The rest of the game isn't without its problems, namely the dungeon layout design, but it can be easily solved with an outside-sourced map and/or a guide, which I don't mind at all.
Even having been familiar with Ys Origin first and basically having completely spoiled myself of all the important events and lore of this story, and being someone who can't be bothered to sit through something I already know the 'twists' of, I still got a very good experience and found myself very much enjoying these two truly great games regardless.
The soundtrack isn't the best thing I've ever heard in a videogame, but it definitely has some solid good tunes that made me want to stay in the areas they played just to listen to them even if only for a bit longer. This is certainly more the case with 'chill' tracks such as village/field themes and so on, but some of the more action-suited ones were really to my liking too.
The rest of the game isn't without its problems, namely the dungeon layout design, but it can be easily solved with an outside-sourced map and/or a guide, which I don't mind at all.
Even having been familiar with Ys Origin first and basically having completely spoiled myself of all the important events and lore of this story, and being someone who can't be bothered to sit through something I already know the 'twists' of, I still got a very good experience and found myself very much enjoying these two truly great games regardless.
2008
Prime example of a mediocre game. Although you can see a lot of effort was put into it (the art, the music, the locations...) it still falls kinda flat, mostly because of the execution of the writing and the plot in general. While it's not horrible, it's just kinda dumb.
The characters, while interesting at first, offer almost no progression and remain quite one-dimensional and unengaging, not to mention the mediocre english voice acting they gave them. And while the initial setting and worldbuilding are very interesting, the plot is dumb in its execution and how they carried it out. Like, okay, this world is shitty and it's gearing towards destruction, and the party's goal is to make sure that happens (without really giving us a reason as to why), but when it comes to the specifics as to how, the whole game is just "uhh... dunno, just keep killing everybody" for every situation, right up to the end when they decide they're striving for something else entirely, and actually how could that work is completely ignored, just like with every other relevant plot point.
The first portions of the game felt interesting enough because it was brimming with potential, but as plot marched on and it didn't do anything to make use of that potential, it fell flat.
This isn't to say you can't find enjoyment in this game, you could certainly take a liking to it, but it isn't worth much investing your thinking cells on.
The characters, while interesting at first, offer almost no progression and remain quite one-dimensional and unengaging, not to mention the mediocre english voice acting they gave them. And while the initial setting and worldbuilding are very interesting, the plot is dumb in its execution and how they carried it out. Like, okay, this world is shitty and it's gearing towards destruction, and the party's goal is to make sure that happens (without really giving us a reason as to why), but when it comes to the specifics as to how, the whole game is just "uhh... dunno, just keep killing everybody" for every situation, right up to the end when they decide they're striving for something else entirely, and actually how could that work is completely ignored, just like with every other relevant plot point.
The first portions of the game felt interesting enough because it was brimming with potential, but as plot marched on and it didn't do anything to make use of that potential, it fell flat.
This isn't to say you can't find enjoyment in this game, you could certainly take a liking to it, but it isn't worth much investing your thinking cells on.
2007
Being the only good review so far, maybe my opinion is biased by childhood nostalgia, but I am definitively not exaggerating when I say this is one of my favourite games ever for the DS. Although the (initial) plot is near identical to its predecessor, the actual gameplay feels more polished and capable of delivering a solid experience. The core mechanics of exploring and gathering food to survive are mostly the same, in a good familiar way. You'll still probably explore alone to go faster rather than bringing your companion, but at least now you can cook for yourself! (which in my opinion is one of the most entertaining aspects of the game, given the many possibilities to choose from as you unlock more methods, gather recipes and find more diverse food)
The option to choose your character at the start of the game may be seen as a good upgrade, but in practice it falls kind of flat since the male character can climb faster (VERY useful) whereas the female character can only jump further (only useful to get a couple of extra materials in the jungle iirc). But that is the only "bad" aspect I find this sequel to have.
The rest of the game delivers a fresh-but-familiar setting in brand-new areas whose maps feel way more rich, diverse and lively. The way all the areas connect with each other is less linear in structure, more spacially rational and way better done in general (have I mentioned yet exploring is my favorite aspect of this game?). Although they feel fun to live in once you've gotten used to your surroundings, it is true that at first they may appear confusing and dreadful as you are forced to explore them with a starving character struggling to survive... but that's part of the charm! I think young me wouldn't have become so obsessed with this game if it didn't have this sort of mystique and dread that comes with being unfamiliar with your bearings in a desperate condition (where you may have died several times as well). Being able to adapt and learn how to move forward and how to make your characters live one day longer becomes such an integral part of the experience, that when you finally know what ticks and what doesn't it feels so rewarding to be able to survive comfortably in these surroundings, and you start seeing them as the home they now are for you. Exploring every nook and cranny until the point of knowing them like the palm of your hand never felt so enjoyable.
Although carving your little way of living life getting by in this island of yours may very well be a goal in and of itself, it's understandable some may have in mind your return to society as soon as possible as the main goal. In that regard, the possibilities for escape felt quite sound and satisfying.
The ending of its predecessor felt like it took out the charm of being in a deserted island and I didn't fancy the pseudo genre change in how you had to operate and everything to proceed, but this game does exactly what a deserted island survival game should strive to have as its endings, they feel natural and what you'd expect to do in such a situation.
The option to choose your character at the start of the game may be seen as a good upgrade, but in practice it falls kind of flat since the male character can climb faster (VERY useful) whereas the female character can only jump further (only useful to get a couple of extra materials in the jungle iirc). But that is the only "bad" aspect I find this sequel to have.
The rest of the game delivers a fresh-but-familiar setting in brand-new areas whose maps feel way more rich, diverse and lively. The way all the areas connect with each other is less linear in structure, more spacially rational and way better done in general (have I mentioned yet exploring is my favorite aspect of this game?). Although they feel fun to live in once you've gotten used to your surroundings, it is true that at first they may appear confusing and dreadful as you are forced to explore them with a starving character struggling to survive... but that's part of the charm! I think young me wouldn't have become so obsessed with this game if it didn't have this sort of mystique and dread that comes with being unfamiliar with your bearings in a desperate condition (where you may have died several times as well). Being able to adapt and learn how to move forward and how to make your characters live one day longer becomes such an integral part of the experience, that when you finally know what ticks and what doesn't it feels so rewarding to be able to survive comfortably in these surroundings, and you start seeing them as the home they now are for you. Exploring every nook and cranny until the point of knowing them like the palm of your hand never felt so enjoyable.
Although carving your little way of living life getting by in this island of yours may very well be a goal in and of itself, it's understandable some may have in mind your return to society as soon as possible as the main goal. In that regard, the possibilities for escape felt quite sound and satisfying.
The ending of its predecessor felt like it took out the charm of being in a deserted island and I didn't fancy the pseudo genre change in how you had to operate and everything to proceed, but this game does exactly what a deserted island survival game should strive to have as its endings, they feel natural and what you'd expect to do in such a situation.
2013
too much combat in my post-apocaliptic stroll simulator
2014
Overall not a good game in any way, shape or form. As someone else already pointed out, it's edgy just for the sake of it, trying to seem "dark" and shit and it just falls so flat and senseless, something other games from the author unfortunately also suffer from.
Overall good game with really really neat artstyle and plot progression, but really plunged it for me with the rape scene and everything it entails... The way the narrative mentally and physically tortures the protagonist feels like misery porn, cheap, and unnecessary suffering. It tries to be "deep" and "dark" through the topic, but just falls flat and completely senseless. A story making such a focal -and poor- point of sexual abuse is cheap and completely pointless.
2019
hot enby babes are too distracting and i couldnt concentrate on the grey cell grinding this game requires you to do in order to beat it but it was worth it i love you raqio i love you setsu
2005
I've been playing this franchise since my childhood and i'm a big fan so my opinion is quite biased, but bear with me.
In this first installment (at least for the west) you play as the male character in a deserted island with the aid of a female character (who lost her glasses and won't be of much use outside specific situations). The main mechanic is exploring the island, managing your characters' health and gathering food in order to survive. Most of the time you'll be going out alone (since you are faster than if you bring the girl along) to do a reconnaissance round (to then come back with the girl if you need to push a big log to progress, etc) and gather food while you're at it, to then bring it home and have the girl cook it. That may be one of the main flaws of the game, that you can't cook yourself and need the other character to do it for you, and she sucks ass at it at first - burning your food and losing nutritional value until she gradually gets better at it, but it'll take a long while. But the game wouldn't work without her, because the two of you make a very cozy unit that help and support each other, and their dialogue in the story inmerses you in their situation. The maps of the game have their flaws, but it's in their intricacies that i find them interesting and fun to explore until i know every nook and cranny of it -where does this item spawn, where is the best fishing spot, etc. Another great aspect of this game for me is the fact that there's no imposed pacing, and you can do whatever you want at all times, choosing to focus entirely on exploring the island to progress the story or just sit back and relax to the daily island life of managing the resources needed to survive. This last aspect may prove itself to be a bit hard at first as you learn how much you should be eating and drinking and how much saving for later, but that was the most fun for me when i was a kid.
I find this game so enjoyable to play, and i can do so for hours on end just to enjoy the unusual daily life routine of waking up your characters, going for a walk to explore a bit and gather food, bring it home to eat it, go to sleep and repeat. Even if it may sound boring, the routine is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the game for me. Besides that, i also fancy starting it from scratch to be able to explore the island all over and over again. Maybe that's because i don't find the ending part particularly fitting or fullfilling, but i do like it and think it's funny at times. Overall, solid game. Even so, i really think its sequel, Lost in Blue 2, really shines through and polishes a lot of stuff and is a much better game.
In this first installment (at least for the west) you play as the male character in a deserted island with the aid of a female character (who lost her glasses and won't be of much use outside specific situations). The main mechanic is exploring the island, managing your characters' health and gathering food in order to survive. Most of the time you'll be going out alone (since you are faster than if you bring the girl along) to do a reconnaissance round (to then come back with the girl if you need to push a big log to progress, etc) and gather food while you're at it, to then bring it home and have the girl cook it. That may be one of the main flaws of the game, that you can't cook yourself and need the other character to do it for you, and she sucks ass at it at first - burning your food and losing nutritional value until she gradually gets better at it, but it'll take a long while. But the game wouldn't work without her, because the two of you make a very cozy unit that help and support each other, and their dialogue in the story inmerses you in their situation. The maps of the game have their flaws, but it's in their intricacies that i find them interesting and fun to explore until i know every nook and cranny of it -where does this item spawn, where is the best fishing spot, etc. Another great aspect of this game for me is the fact that there's no imposed pacing, and you can do whatever you want at all times, choosing to focus entirely on exploring the island to progress the story or just sit back and relax to the daily island life of managing the resources needed to survive. This last aspect may prove itself to be a bit hard at first as you learn how much you should be eating and drinking and how much saving for later, but that was the most fun for me when i was a kid.
I find this game so enjoyable to play, and i can do so for hours on end just to enjoy the unusual daily life routine of waking up your characters, going for a walk to explore a bit and gather food, bring it home to eat it, go to sleep and repeat. Even if it may sound boring, the routine is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the game for me. Besides that, i also fancy starting it from scratch to be able to explore the island all over and over again. Maybe that's because i don't find the ending part particularly fitting or fullfilling, but i do like it and think it's funny at times. Overall, solid game. Even so, i really think its sequel, Lost in Blue 2, really shines through and polishes a lot of stuff and is a much better game.
2015
Really great game, with an amazing premise and atmostphere as well as lore, and absolutely incredibly memorable characters - all of them are so fleshed out that it's impossible to not feel like you're part of the village as well. The plot progressed in such a seat gripping way that i remained glued to it for several days on a row until i completed it. And if that's not enough, upon finishing the story you get access to a sort of story+ mode, where you can reread everything again but this time including extra bits of dialogue outside the MC's reach, such as other character's thought processes and opinions and new scenes, that really add to the story and help complete the experience, explaining a lot of things you may have been left wondering the last time. I said it before and i'll say it again, the atmostphere and the characters are what make this game for me. The MC is one of -if not the most- interesting and full of personality protagonists you'll ever find in a visual novel, and this game wouldn't be nearly as good without him. The rest of the cast are all so lovable but nuanced as well, which really helps complete the feeling of humanity you get from them. The pacing was really to my liking, not too slow but no too rushed, and the resolution of the story has seen a lot of varying receptions from diferent players, but it felt great to me, even if some parts were a bit out of the blue in tone and scale. This vn would be a solid 10/10 for me, if it wasn't for the subtle but consistent nudges at romancing minors, which made me lowkey uncomfortablr in several situations, but mostly with Haru's route and Yasunaga-Hisako in their extra side story. Otherwise, really solid title.
2014
Absolutely stellar horror game, the AI of the alien is what makes me come back to it time and time again to see what it'll do this time (like a little virtual bloody murderous pet<3), which is the best part of the game. It's so enjoyable and rewarding that your playing experience isn't dictated by scripted jumpscares, chases and scenes but by actual and intelligent predator-prey hunting action that won't get old on a 2nd, 3rd or 4th playthrough. Absolutely stellar for me, almost made me pee my pants the entire time and i loved every second of it.
2006
Sigh, here we go. I went blind into this, having read and somewhat enjoyed the prequel, believing all the hype for this so-called beast of a VN. Well, the only beast of a thing i could see in this game is the incredible budget and the mysoginy of the writing. Let's start with the problems it has. As said, the character writing is quite bad for most of the cast, and some parts of the story. Maybe it's because i played it recently and the boom it had was an effect due to the time of its release, but i anticipated the biggest plot twists from a mile back, and the story had nothing else beyond them, boring even the most patient lengthy VN-reader like myself. The ending was emotional and interesting, yes, but it fell so short i had to take a moment to actually check that the version i had downloaded was the full version without any final arc cut from it. That isn't to say it was completely uninteresting, but i would still heavily recommend NOT to play the R-18 version, in an attempt to try to enjoy the good story that is otherwise completely butchered by the mysoginy and gratuitous bullshit of the adult scenes. That is, ignoring as well the incredible reek of virgin-ness that exhudes the entire tone of the narrative with its blatant transphobia for one of the characters. And i'm not even mentioning the very obviously child character who is "of course surely 18" that has her own ""romanceable"" route. That's just the cherry on top of this amazing trainwreck of smegma. You may enjoy it if you're a virgin man or an incel, otherwise the only use of reading this is to end up laugh at it, like me.
2003
It has a quite decent story, and the main 2 characters are great. Everything starting from there is just downhill straight to hell. First and most important of all is the very immature and child-looking "Oh-But-She's-Actually-18" character that the mc can romance and have s*x with in her route. That alone should be enough to shelf this game from the start, because it is going to be present in all stories of the series. Please do yourself a huge favor and don't play the R-18 version. The s-scenes are the one of the worst and most virgin-written ones i've ever had the disdain to read through. The cast is very much noticeably written by a man™ and most fall flat, uninteresting, or just plain bad. Only the 2 main love interests and the setting of the overall story manage to barely salvage this thing.