i really really loved this game. well, at least most of it.

i thoroughly enjoyed the plot and the relationships between these characters. i appreciate how the game feeds you information in a way so that you can actually figure out what's going on before the end. a lot of it is really quite beautiful, emotionally intelligent, and incredibly funny. i'm already pretty emotional when it comes to media, but man, i lost count of how many different moments in this game made me cry. and,,,, then there's the excessive horniness.

i wouldn't necessarily say im a prude or anything like that, but the amount of times that Date gets bricked up over nothing got kinda old eventually. some other characters get really fucking horny too and it's like-- why?? i get that Uchikoshi is just kinda like this, but i can only take so many mentions of "porno mags" before i'm praying at my screen for the section to pleaaaase just end already. the game is usually pretty good at knowing when to hit the brakes on the jokes down in its emotional moments, which is a boon of the writing. buuuut then i will still sometimes get a piece of internal monologue that can sour the mood a little bit. if the horny jokes were at least reduced by 50%, i think that i would say this game would be pretty close to 5 stars for me. definitely my biggest critique of the game by far.

yet despite that, i still love a lot of these characters. i really truly do love Date when you look past his perverted nature. Mizuki is awesome. Aiba rules. Iris is great. it's really quite a great cast when you look at it as a whole, and i think most of them compliment each other well. backstories are thorough and significant to the plot and motivations.

after just finishing Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma (2016), getting to experience character models and animations and environments that do not look like petrified burnt toast is a real treat. there's a whole lot of visual flair and style here. excellent english voice acting! everyone is so expressive and the fact that the models appear next to their textbox with the facial expressions is a really great touch, especially given that it lets us see our main character way more than we would have otherwise. even when they're not the person talking or appearing next to a textbox, characters look around and react to the things others are saying. it's a really really nice touch.

the "puzzles" are generally neat and inventive, but actually 'solving' them is sometimes annoying. it wasn't so hard that i needed to use a guide or anything, but sometimes it feels less like you logic'd out the solution and more like you just so happened to pick the correct option. the best somniums are the ones that truly lean into the wacky or emotional side of a character. they added a lot to the experience for me, especially with the branching paths.

in short: great game. loved it and most of the characters. excited to play the second one eventually! please less porno mags.

Reviewed on Apr 22, 2024


4 Comments


12 days ago

You might struggle with the sequel, but I'm interested to hear what you think nonetheless

12 days ago

@Wollom oh no, struggle because horny? or struggle because other reasons

11 days ago

Other reasons, I won't say exactly what but some of the stuff you've written here about what you like about the game gets worse (in my opinion), but there are some improvements. There is less horny in general but it's still present.

5 days ago

The second game has like, 80% less horniness, maybe idk there's just one side character who... um, you'll see. Still a great sequel and I like the new cast better, eager to see more reviews for that game