Idk how i feel about this game. As a JHVN, it's good. Translation to english is great, the Artwork is competent and fairly effectve, but faces are rather bland most times. The JRPG elements are very simplified, and not very difficult, the grind is deff present, but it's not super hard to grind out levels.
I think I have the most problems with it's writing and most specifically the events that transpire.
1. There is a pretty gnarly and unpleasant rape scene right off the bat, like first 15-20 minutes into the game. I thought it was presented rather abhorrently and skipped it after the first like 8 text lines. I've seen and been able to enjoy rape scenes before, even those done by japanese h writers in the past, but this was presented from the girl's POV, there's drug abuse, mind control, just a lot of filthy shit. I can't really get into it, no matter how hard i tried. I think my biggest problem aside from what was already said, is that the protaganist (Aster) was right there in front of all this, and didn't really do anything to stop or prevent it for a VERY long time. It's something that a lot of VNs do these days, in that they present the protaganist with an opportunity to do something, but you realize it's an illusion--either the choice doesn't matter, or there's no real choice to be made in the first place, and that's just abhorrent to the player. bad value for the money spent.
2. This is deff a harem game, there's even a minor system in place to narratively describe how the harem works. But at least the two first girls you get, neither one of them has sex with you for who you are, really. The first gets drugged by the bandits (Outlaws) from above, and the protag basically takes advantage of the situation. with his penis. and the 2nd just wants a bodyguard, so she pays for it with sex, and since in this world sex instantly means marriage, it jut seems kinda dumb for this hardass knight woman to accept someone else in her husband's life? maybe it's just my mono-amorous brain, and the way i'm wired, but like, a lot of shit concerning the relationships and marriage is just kinda glossed over so that story progress can happen.
3. There's a lot of tonal dissonance in this game, like in most modern games. What I mean by this, is that there's criminal organizations, terrorists and terrorist organizations, political corruption, rape, drug use and abuse, beastiality, etc. And this is alongside side plots that you would see in a star ocean game or non-h-game, alongside consensual sex scenes and polygamy, alongside very cute and pastel artwork and 3d models, alongside a very serious and edgy subplot, etc. It just seems like there's a lot of levity to the game, but it's assaulted by the much darker things in the game--as though it's trying to do a bunch of things at once (and does most of them pretty well, mind you), but they don't all really belong together.
I still have it on here, but IDK if I'll ever pick it back up. I look at it comparatively to a game like Funbag Fantasy, and the seriousness of the subplot, how edgy Evenicle tries to be, is what puts me off. I look at it against something like T.I.T.S. or Kingdom of Deception, and it's far too goofy and kiddie for me to take seriously. Thoughts?