(I played the Week 1 version that is noted as final as of October 2021)
I've played the game to half of the first week so far but I can already tell that the low-star ratings are on point for most of their criticism of the game:
To the point that quantity becomes a detriment rather than an advantage, you wish there were fewer girls so that you can focus on the ones you like more.
- The MC thoughts makes no sense
There is no continuity in his feelings. He is all over the place, telling in the same breath (literally maybe 2 clicks apart) that his wife is the only one for him and that he cheated on her multiple times in the past (one of those times being that very morning, with a woman he had just met).
I want to focus on this one because the main problem I had with it isn't usually addressed.
It's more than just bad character writing or bad grammar, those I can usually tolerate to a point.
No, the dialog is, and I hate that word, cringe-inducing.
Imagine your stereotypical nerd who thinks he knows Japan more than anyone else because he watches anime. Yeah, it's like that dude wrote the dialog.
You get a whole paragraph to explain in a preachy way any Japanese idioms, things as basic as the -chan suffix. The characters use weird Japanese words here and there that stick out like a sore thumb in English and even more when you know that they are never used like that in actual Japanese. For example, the MC calls his wife "waifu" and she calls him "anata". He also refers to panties as "pantsu", not in a quirky fun way, just as if it were the normal word for them. Also, half of the school population is fan of manga and anime, because of course they are.
All in all it feels like navigating a parody of a western otaku's fantasy of Japan.
On an other topic, there are also some strange Austrian nationalistic undertones. Granted, somewhat rare and subtler than the rest of the writing, but still. I met 3 foreigners so far, all European. Austrian: cute girl among the MC's favorites. German: nice but very, very forgettable girl. Italian/French: scum of the earth (also, one of the rare dudes, which means he's automatically bad). The dialog also praises Austrian inventions and even reminds you that Hitler was from Austria not Germany which... Let's say I hope it goes contrary to my argument here... As a whole, not really a problem, but just... weird.
I will probably go through with the game despite these problems because I'm a sucker for games that let you play as a Mary-Sue (and oh boy is your character one of those) and I like Illusion girl models.
But unless that is your case too, I would say you'd be better playing something else.
I'll update this review if my views change with further episodes.
