This review contains spoilers
Okay, about two years or so after playing this, I think I can finally put my thoughts into words.
When I first played this, I thought it was about an 8/10 but now, looking back, I'd give it about a 6 or a 7/10. The art and the atmosphere were both great (the latter of which being very important for this game considering the horror elements, which I and many others would say outweigh the yaoi), the character designs were very nice and despite having an absolutely WACK-ASS premise (shitting meat; no, really), I was very invested. It's an odd game to be sure, but treated seriously and the guro aspect of it is never played for laughs, instead being treated with the sincerity it deserves. Because really, even if this game's synopsis sounds hilarious to say out loud, you'd be shitting yourself too (pun intended) if this happened to you.
Now, you're probably wondering why I don't think so fondly of this game as I once did... and his name is Tetsuo. Look, spicy hot take, I know, but I don't like him. He's a block of wood. He basically does nothing but stand around with his resting bitch face and occasionally violate our protagonist Youji (whose personality isn't much more vibrant). With Youji, we at least get to see his backstory and why he's so withdrawn/wanting for friends so I guess there's that, but ultimately Youji and Tetsuo's relationship doesn't really amount to much more than "he was an alpha, he was an omega, can I make it any more obvious". It just plays into that stereotype so we can have a true route when for this story, I think it would've been much more interesting to see him take a different route (which I guess we kinda do but they're not the true route... oh well, every ending here is a bad end of some description anyways). I think Zenya was a wonderfully-written character and a really interesting portrayal of what someone with that upbringing could grow into and... honestly, can he just be the protagonist of this game? He got ample screentime which was great, but his struggles were... honestly far more compelling to me than Youji's. Such is the way of the side character, I guess.
I realise I may be in the minority with everything I just said so please take this with a pinch of salt (and don't come after me ducks and runs away from pitchforks flying through the air)
Anyways I'd still recommend it. It's good, I just think it's one of those games that gets worse the more you think about it. For every innovative thing about it, there's a cliche.
When I first played this, I thought it was about an 8/10 but now, looking back, I'd give it about a 6 or a 7/10. The art and the atmosphere were both great (the latter of which being very important for this game considering the horror elements, which I and many others would say outweigh the yaoi), the character designs were very nice and despite having an absolutely WACK-ASS premise (shitting meat; no, really), I was very invested. It's an odd game to be sure, but treated seriously and the guro aspect of it is never played for laughs, instead being treated with the sincerity it deserves. Because really, even if this game's synopsis sounds hilarious to say out loud, you'd be shitting yourself too (pun intended) if this happened to you.
Now, you're probably wondering why I don't think so fondly of this game as I once did... and his name is Tetsuo. Look, spicy hot take, I know, but I don't like him. He's a block of wood. He basically does nothing but stand around with his resting bitch face and occasionally violate our protagonist Youji (whose personality isn't much more vibrant). With Youji, we at least get to see his backstory and why he's so withdrawn/wanting for friends so I guess there's that, but ultimately Youji and Tetsuo's relationship doesn't really amount to much more than "he was an alpha, he was an omega, can I make it any more obvious". It just plays into that stereotype so we can have a true route when for this story, I think it would've been much more interesting to see him take a different route (which I guess we kinda do but they're not the true route... oh well, every ending here is a bad end of some description anyways). I think Zenya was a wonderfully-written character and a really interesting portrayal of what someone with that upbringing could grow into and... honestly, can he just be the protagonist of this game? He got ample screentime which was great, but his struggles were... honestly far more compelling to me than Youji's. Such is the way of the side character, I guess.
I realise I may be in the minority with everything I just said so please take this with a pinch of salt (and don't come after me ducks and runs away from pitchforks flying through the air)
Anyways I'd still recommend it. It's good, I just think it's one of those games that gets worse the more you think about it. For every innovative thing about it, there's a cliche.