English:............6/10
User Interface:.....7/10
User Experience:....6/10
Art:................5/10
Dialogue:...........4/10
Story:..............3/10
Opinion:............4/10................
Avg:.............5.0/10 [2.5/5]
I know nothing about this. Supposedly, I played it before, but either I quit right away or it didn't leave an impression. Neither of those sound good to me. The first thing you're greeted with is a heavily customized Main Menu and UI. It is almost good. The issue is there's Six buttons that don't look like buttons that aren't marked in any way, shape, or form. You only see the start button. This is awful design. In-game, it isn't much better. They're all weird symbols that give less than zero indication what the hell they do. It's like I'm reading matoran or something. And you now only get 3 auto/quick saves that isn't good for the infrequency this game saves at. SOME sort of nearrect or tooltip is needed, desperately. The English is also just not there. The first conversation between mystery characters is riddled with sentences that just aren't right. Straight out of uncanny valley. Also the 'waifu' dialogue is cringey. Even if you think of the context, possibly MC's parents when he was a child. The term Waifu is from mid to late 2000s. Parents with a child wouldn't have the time to pick up weebspeak dealing with a kid that, after you meet him, is apparently problematic. Your English is already not good, please don't add japanese or weebspeak to it. Also, capitalize "I" and the beginning of sentences. It doesn't help your case. There's a lot of red flags about this going forward. After getting through most of it, I think this is supposed to resemble a slice of life anime, but it's just too grating to like, or find charming. Chapter 2 is slightly less in your face, but only a little. The backstory continues to be withheld and what little is "revealed" makes no sense just to be mysterious. MC might as well have amnesia with what little you're given.
The story starts with some stolen anime art asking you to creat a name. That is a very weird way to put it, but whatever. Then You get cringey dialogue between nameless and faceless people in MC's memory. I don't know what or who it's about as of right now but it says nothing of value. Then MC is awoken by a passenger on the train he's standing in. With more empty dialogue. Then MC looks in a mirror... And he has a blindfold on with black nailpolish. Great... We have another edgelord. He monologues about how he doesn't want to go to school because he's "problematic." Whatever that means is lost to the reader. Is he just another ADHD case? Is he violent? Is he just too awkward? Nobody knows. But he is aware that he is, which is weird. If you know you are doing something that causes issues, just stop. All in good time, I'm sure. But right after the dream flashback, you go right into another flashback talking to Katsu. Reiterating the school stuff and using nondescript words about Katsu's family. That you can only assume isn't MC's. The amount of information that is simultaneously presented and witheld from the player gives me a headache. One of his daughters, Keiko, can't get strong because REASONS. Katsu wants him to take over the unnammed business for REASONS. Keiko will be a better leader for... Wait for it... REASONS. Then look! Cute cat. Because we have to insert wholesome vibes, god forbid. Stories should not be opened like this. The MC and all other characters know about WHATEVER is going on, the only person not privy to the information is you, the reader. I'm assuming there's some mysticism and magic going on and MC knows about it. So why make a bunch of mysteries only for the reader? It just makes for a moment where the writer reveals something just to reveal something. It's cheap. Then yet another game that focuses on MC taking a shower. I get that you want MC to seem "...badass" because he says he's used to cold showers. But we don't need to see him take a shower, get dressed, then walk to bed. You could have him laid down, say "I need a shower. At least now it won't be a cold one." Then skip to the next day.
Then this overly drawn out scene about room service. Instead of asking "who ordered that?" He internalizes it for a bit. Asks her name for no good reason. Sits at the table for no good reason. Invites her to sit and talk with him for no reason. Just to ask "Why is this here?" And the reason is just as convoluted as the situation. She brought it because he didn't order food? Are you serious? She risked her job because some guy didn't order food for the night he rented at a hotel? Think before you write, people. But he's late, doesn't eat the food, then senses a girl getting mugged. That, no matter what you choose, he helps. Having an MC THIS ridiculously altruistic is annoying. It all feels forced and all happens so fast. He also runs back to his hotel to get clothes for a girl that fit her perfectly even though she's half his size. I understand that's a limitation with HS, but still. She also knows he's going to this special school of some sort? No idea how, but she knows. MC also expresses his distaste for police here. Why? NO ONE KNOWS. But isn't he so cool? He hates police because fuck the police. And every woman is so worried about what he thinks and feels for some reason. He is barely even a stranger to them. Sure, Aiko was saved by him. But he's still no one. Every line out of MC's mouth is supposed to come across as charismatic and knowledgeable. But it just comes off as "Heh, I'm so strong and cool. You don't know how smart and amazing I am." FANFICTION levels of pre-teen cringe. He even has a katana. Are you kidding me? Then uses telekinesis to threaten the Headmaster because it's the edgy thing to do. He actively makes the wrong decision and is rewarded for it. That isn't anti-hero, that isn't cool, that's not even dark. That's just bad writing. He also comments on thoughts the women have as if he hears them. Again, that's not cool or badass, it's lazy. MC is a Gary Stu and this needs to be toned down if this is supposed to be taken seriously or even well.
You then continue to get a bunch more empty dialogue with Qiang. Some girl that does things for MC. What she does and who she is? Your guess is as good as mine. MC continues to be mysterious just to be mysterious. And won't return home essentially because he's lazy. "They'll dump it all on me." So far the problem, the characters, the powers, and even why MC left are all evaded. You know? EVERY aspect of the story. MC is already the best, what growth or issues will there be? An awkward conversation because he left without saying anything? Tough. Next thing that's gonna happen is MC giving cringey nicknames to the girls. If that starts I'm gonna be done. Then after a saitama reference that was so funny I forgot to laugh, Atsuko shows up because... Horny? I don't know. She just shows up, off camera is wet and has to change into a revealing shirt. Because there hasn't been any horny content for you, player. Here you go. Big boob. Happy? There's even a 4th wall break to make her seem more desirable. But I don't. All I know about her is she's clumsy, bashful, and doesn't do her job. He also coerces her to touch her boobs. To which she cums immediately and she sleeps there. SHE'S SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING. Remember that? She loves him for no reason. Already. She lets him get sexual with her for no reason. Already. It was at this point I had to restart my computer for something and when the game saved, it broke it's own save? I've never seen this happen in any renpy game ever. I don't even know how you do something like that. Luckily, it's so broken it autosaves twice, but still. That's not good. Getting back to the "story" MC says he never got into phones, he was too busy with swords and martial arts. I feel like I'm repeating myself saying this is cringey. Have I said that yet? Then Aiko comes to talk and gets jealous over MC. Subtlety at it's finest. And once again, characters have a thought then repeat it out loud. Waste of a line. And MC bleeds from his eyes and passes out. Edgy.
So now, not only do we not know MC's back story, he's afflicted with a mystery illness that he knows about but still won't tell you, the player. More mystery for mystery sake. If every aspect of your story comes down to "Look how edgy and cool our MC is" The ACTUAL point of the game, the LIs, is lost because no one cares about the MC. Sure if he's too bland or too unlikeable,like this, people won't like it. But he's supposed to be just enough to be interesting while not affecting the feel or immersion of the story. But this is all about him. And after the shower last night, he wakes up to take a shower and talk to himself in the mirror. Why? Because 4th wall breaks are supposedly funny. You also got the choice to open Atsuko's shirt because MC is also a perv. And no matter what you choose, her shirt opens anyway, when she pounces on him from worry. You know? Normal things you do after knowing someone for 3 hours. She also slept with him in his room WHILE SHE WAS WORKING. Hello? Am I the only one who notices this? Then after waking up Aiko, MC says more non-information AND GOES TO SHOWER AGAIN. And walks out naked like a brain dead moron. You can't pretend your MC is this competent omnipotent mastermind then have him be stupid. It's not funny. It's not endearing. It's a headache and contradictory. And MC continues to be naked the whole scene with his penis pointing directly at the camera. This WHOLE day has been NOTHING. No information, no character building(more like deconstruction), no goals, nothing. And let me remind the 4 people that read this, MC hasn't eaten for 3 days and just passed out with bleeding eyes. But no, Aiko taking his food away over jealousy and childish garbage is "fun" and "cute." And don't get me wrong, at this point, I hope MC starves and dies. He's unlikeable, cringey, and all around annoying. But whoever is writing this forgets plot points as they happen. "Does this scene make it seem like I like anime?" is the only criteria for everything that happens.
EVENTUALLY. After the jokes and awkwardness overstay their welcome, MC finally goes to the school. He meets with Haruka, someone from the family he left. She somehow doesn't know it's him. Why? Never told. Can't even recognize his voice. There's so many things wrong with just the backstory you're drip fed that it's infuriating. MC walks in, acts like he owns the place, is constantly disrespectful, and drops the "By the way I think you're hiding something" line. Even if she wasn't, he's been around her for 20 minutes total. Just because her backstory isn't tattooed on her forehead doesn't mean she needs to tell her employee and student everything. This is a joke. The non-choices don't need to be in this either. If there is one thing for me to do, why put up the menu? Because you put in a custom background? Pass. Every beat I can see what they WANTED to do, then they fall short in this waste of an MC. Not to mention the one note, swooning LIs that are already in love with MC after zero seconds. You're supposed to hook your readers early on however, nothing jumps out at me. They even have scenes that don't show what's happening, the characters just tell you what another character is doing just off screen. The WHOLE point of the, now popularized, full screen renders is to show all the details. If you're not going to show, then what is the point? Atsuko continues to be useless. I'm sure she has some stupid backstory connecting her to families of crime or something, but she is just there to swoon over MC. Aiko is an anime trope that does nothing. The player knew she was a girl before she had any lines and MC's all-seeing eye he seems to have probably already knows she's a girl. The other one note women in this are surely going to be in love with MC right away too so theres nothing to keep me. MC is acting just like the "Stong Woman" archetype that is plaguing movies and TV right now. Acting unlikeable and getting rewarded because that's what the plot demands. And characters that actively antagonize others are forgiven because they are girls. This continues to be a mess and frankly, I don't want to be here all day dissecting why writing a Second Life Fan Fiction Fantasy into an AVN is awful for everyone involved.
I'm not going to continue my review. Honestly, there's no good reason too, I'll just sound like I'm trashing the game. I didn't want to dislike it, but here we are. The Overview says nothing about the game. "MC returns home after X years and people love him" that's what happens. Sure they try to hint at crime families and powers and a bunch of other stuff. But you, the player, are never allowed to know anything. There's a section where Yukine follows MC around like a puppy but it's not til way later that MC actually says, even in his head, that he knew her. There's not even an explanation on if or why no one recognizes him. EDIT: I remember that it's because he got plastic surgery somehow to change his face, a little miraculously convenient. Why's he suddenly bleeding from the eyes? He won't say. How MC knows Maki? You'll never know. It's just mystery or mystery box. That's all this has. I can appreciate not knowing things. But you're given no information at all. It's like if you watched lord of the rings and Frodo not only isn't told about the ring but doesn't say why he's headed to Mordor. And the dev's 4th wall breaks aren't funny. I don't mind one or two as long as it's tasteful, but this is just "Hurr durr, sex joke" All you're doing is drawing attention to the fact you don't have much, if any, sexual content in this. And I don't care either way but others do. And MC knows too much information, and internally monologues too much, for the player to not know what the fuck is going on. MC also starts calling Kohaku cookie and it's every bit as cringey as I knew it would be. So basically, if you frequent the braincel subreddit this is for you. The only thing this is good at is drawing out a joke for way longer that it ever needs to be. Because that what every scene is, MC about to do something, acting like an idiot, and stalling for time, for no reason.
The English needs work. Sentences are missing words or the grammar just isn't right consistently. The UI/UX is fully customized. Great. Too bad it's all in hieroglyphics. The art is bog standard HS. The lighting and posing is all stiff and there's no animations at all. The dialogue is not good. Nothing is explained even though all the characters know all the circumstances and issues going on, none of it is relayed to the player. It's all just one big joke. MC tries to act like this all-knowing trickster and you're just left face-palming because he won't shut up. I just don't feel compelled to know what's gonna happen next. The snark and quips are grating at the best of times. The only thing that surprised me is MC didn't have two different colored eyes. The writing is too middle school for me, and I imagine most people. If the dev is still reading this, I do wish you the best going forward. But you should really work on character writing that isn't this obnoxious MC and women that are in love with already, or fall in love immediately with him.
