Man, I really, really wanted to like this game, given its reputation in the genre, but I came away disappointed. Blame heightened expectations, perhaps, but when you're playing a game that infamously received a perfect score, the imperfections stand out: the drawn-out endgame and associated difficulty spike, the numerous fat jokes, the stereotypes about Southwest Asia, losing your only main route girl at 5 p.m...

I can still see why it had such a profound influence on VNs. The gameplay loop is fun and innovative, hopping between narratives to facilitate serendipitous coincidences and chance encounters that lead to a good outcome. There are a couple of great twists and brilliant brick jokes. But I just didn't like the story once it turned serious. Minorikawa's route was easily my favourite (Run Lola Run for writers) and it's the one with the least connection to the overarching plot.