"Friends are nothing more than the people who you spend the fun, yet meaningless times with. When those times get rough, they aren't there to support you." - Rena

The lengths of the visual novels might be daunting, occasionally feeling drawn-out, but once you're immersed in the captivating world of Hinamizawa or Rokkenjima, there's no turning back. Sometimes, the story can feel
like a character study but on the other hand the plot of the story itself is intriguing as well, making us ponder about the true nature of the worlds, resulting in countless fan theories.

The cherry on the top is definitely the music and the sound direction. Not only it helps in creating an immersive and vibrant world, but also tugs at our heartstrings with its instrumental tracks. The atmosphere can go from haunting to mysterious in seconds, excelling at both.

Each character within the story is fleshed out with their own motivations, whom we can't help but love because of their charming personalities and their stories. Each character, from Keiichi to Oishi, is impeccably crafted, embodying a sense of humanity. Their stories are meticulously explored and developed throughout the extensive duration of the visual novels.

For quite some time, I have been a fan of Whey They Cry franchise. It's been a good number of years, yet it still remains the story closest to my heart. In a sense, this is a perfect story for me, encapsulating everything I cherish in a story, from its profound themes to its atmospheric allure. While it may be a bit flawed in certain aspects, its excellence in other areas seems to compensate for those imperfections. The stories resonated with me more deeply than any other story ever could. They provide a feeling of comfort and hope, akin to a warm hug after a long day. As a result, it has remained my favourite story.

One of my favourite tracks - https://youtu.be/4utMMuBEnjs?si=TCxpSUSH2cePI0lU

pentimento (noun): a reappearance in a painting of an original drawn or painted element which was eventually painted over by the artist

In Pentiment, the story takes center stage while gameplay takes a secondary role. While there are a few RPG elements, they are not the main focus. The gameplay mainly consists of walking with a few background choices for the characters and the dialogue options. The dialogue options can be quite significant as they have notable impact on the world of Pentiment and its characters. The characters are well-written and the game has a richly developed world - heavily influenced by actual history. The story takes place during the time period religion was a significant part of everyone's life, and the game explores its effects intricately. Andreas, the protagonist of the story, is beautifully written and his themes seamlessly intertwine with the plot's central theme. The story overall is impeccable, and the direction of the story seems clear from the start. While it begins with the premise of a murder mystery, it evolves into something greater - it becomes a reflection on history itself, its importance, and about its alteration over the years. The game poses the question of whether these alterations render history worthless, inviting players on a beautiful journey to find the answers. Pentiment tries to answer this and it goes above and beyond in this endeavour, with its beautifully composed soundtracks adding to the experience. Despite its minor issues, I enjoyed this thoroughly.