This post is by no means a review of the game: it is only version 0.2, so it's far from finished, and I would love to review it once it's completed.
Nevertheless, I've finally got around to play this version, and I did so from scratch so I could enjoy it thoroughly... and enjoy it I surely did.
Once in a lifetime was the amateur project that surprised everyone: Eternum is Caribdis going pro with great results.
Story: though borrowing heavily from contemporary literature and cinema (Ready Player One comes to mind immediately, but there are other references) the story feels compelling and engaging, and that is thanks to the cast and the writing.
The cast: ok, I'll be very frank here: Nancy is my favourite, followed closely by Luna and Penelope; but really, all the girls are likable, well written and not exactly hard on the eye.
Noah and Raoul are the "sort of" Stabby Mike for this game, although for now they are more in the background, and I would love to see more of their shenaningans; I still don't know if Chang can be a true bro, but I'll leave Mikaela to him, he deserves her (and we don't); I would absolutely adore to punch again Axel (and his asshole father), and I have no doubt that Caribdis will give us that chance.
The writing and the script: the dialogues are well written, witty even; the comedy is great and I was laughing like an idiot during the scene with Mr. Hernandez's fake stabbing and when the yoga instructor's hope was thoroughly demolished by Nancy.
The horror part was great, especially during the exploration of the Flink family house, I knew something was stalking the premises and the build-up to the reveal was really well done.
Also, I would like to praise the developer's tastes: there are little neat details that he places in this game that are delightful: Luna's costume in the Red Herring is Triss Merigold's default attire in the Witcher 3: the part with the ghost and the camera reminds me of an old game series, Fatal Frame, in which you had to take photos of ghosts to defeat them (and that game scared the shit out of me back then).