i played the original game in 2014 and found the story so sweet. it went straight to the point and dove right into the conflict of the story. this wasn't bad, but the way this game expands on the expository part of the story fleshed out the world building. being able to explore the town and dissecting shiori's relation to it, both old and new, was a fantastic way to tell the story in a nonlinear fashion. i also enjoyed the story's way of exhibiting the pros and cons of living in a village, from the quiet peace one can have from living there, to the mob mindset and only caring about children disappearing if it will affect them.

aside from the writing and worldbuilding, there is the art. the original game did not look bad, but i wouldn't say it looked particularly fantastic with the default rpgmaker tilesets. this game was a massive improvement on its pixel art. the sprites were so cute and the scenery was just stunning. the layout of the town was easy to navigate as well. it was easy to feel immersed in a village environment like this. the way the lighting was utilized, both in the pixel art and within the game mechanics, improved the atmosphere of the game as well.

i never felt like some scenes took too long, and i never felt rushed when playing either. it was nice to just take my time exploring the village and the archive.

my only criticism is that sometimes this game handfeeds you information (instead of showing not telling), but that was honestly so little of the time it's hardly worth complaining about.

this was one of my favorite rpgmaker games in middle school and it still is today. this remake was a beautiful improvement from the original and i hope it gets the attention it deserves.