I wasn't sure what to expect from this game, and it still wasn't quite what I was expecting. Tears were wept, but the story did not go where I thought it would? Disappointed.

I spent the majority of the game RELISHING the gorgeous design. The art style is just so so so so nice to look at. The writing came off heartfelt and vulnerable and it made the characters so likeable. They mentioned in the credits that real people lent their stories to the making of this game and I thought that was a really nice touch.

BUT..... An underlying current to the game is that there's a... "thing" that's happening, and a lot of the game seems to build up to the reveal of it. It starts in the demo. But when I got to the end, I was so surprised that that was the conclusion. The credits started rolling and all I could think was wait... that's it? There wasn't much closure at all and post-game I just felt sort of unsatisfied. :( (But then again I'm generally not a fan of open-ish endings anyway.)

In the end, I can see themes of friendship, grief, healing, the fragility of life and corporate greed in the medical world. But the trailer and the demo imply mystery/thriller vibes, a lot like Night in the Woods. I have a feeling that was intentional, maybe because they knew who their audience was going to be. But it didn't live up to that at all.

If you've enjoyed other point-and-click, narrative, Night in the Woods-STYLE games, don't mind tw:illn3s/de@th, and you aren't scared off by a few (sometimes game-stopping) bugs in a game, this game is for you!

Lovely graphics, beautiful soundtrack, wholesome, witty writing with the occasional tear-jerker scene. No mystery or thriller vibes, though. I got about 20 hours of play time out of it, including impromptu soundtrack-induced naps.

I liked it! For me, it just felt something was missing both in the main plot and the conclusion of it.

Reviewed on Jan 31, 2024


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