i really really don't like this style of writing? i don't know how to describe it other than exceedingly zoomer-ish. it's just the vibe it has going on - it feels really stilted, unnatural, is a headache to keep track of, and often just fills like taking up space until you get to what the game is actually about, which is also very obvious unfortunately. it goes on and on and on, with very flowery and winding narration/description, but it's never really in service of anything or communicating anything to the player. the dialogue can be even worse sometimes, characters just going on and on about nothing. it's just exceedingly overwrought, it feels like a first draft that needed many more lookovers, many more eyes on it, people asking the writer what exactly she meant by some of the lines in here, and changing those so that they can be better understood. idk, maybe it's a skill issue, but i've read more than a few visual novels (though admittedly not a lot) and this one has the worst prose by a good margin i'd say.

as an aside that isn't directly connected to the game, but i'm really tired of religion (christianity) being just. Evil. in every queer story it's in. like i understand why, it's very obvious why, but as someone who has christian queer/trans friends, i would really like to experience more stories that weren't so black and white with this kind of thing

(i didn't know how to put this into the review but the sound mixing is also really bad, the music at the end of the normal routes is so much louder than the rest of the soundtrack it made me jump in my chair lol)

found this through ludonarracon on steam and wasn't expecting much at all, but i'm happy to say that this is really a very interesting game. it feels like something that should have more eyes on it - the amount of polish and work that has gone into the combat here is extraordinary, it feels extremely fluid with a whole host of mechanics, from perfect dodges to parries to switching combat stances and familiars, it's really great stuff. the art is incredibly evocative as well, it's incredible how much they're able to accomplish with what are essentially just squiggles. i think the game stumbles in the endgame with the introduction of a mechanic that isn't given enough time to flesh out and with an extremely important downside that isn't immediately apparent. it's also when combat begins to get less fun and more frustrating with many powerful enemies on screen, making it feel like the openings to deal damage are a bit too narrow. the narrative is also something that i don't really enjoy, it has that sort of rpgmaker-made-by-a-zoomer vibe. i don't usually like using the word "edgy" but it feels appropriate here with the constant despair and evil religious imagery and stuff. still, it's a very fun game and even with these shortcomings, i'd really recommend it. at the time of writing this it's on sale for just $2.50 so uh yeah if you're interested go play it! it's cool