The first few hours of the game I wanted to give it 5*. Before I was so disappointed that four days later I decided to write a review (almost unheard of for me).
So I have a lot of issues with this game. The first few hours were great. The idea of surviving as a *D-class* in a system where the main character is treated as lower class trash (the only ones worse are the E-class, who are used as farm animals) sounds pretty new and pretty good. I don't mind if the hero is constantly kicked and humiliated as long as he gets stronger and has some goal that he can achieve no matter the obstacles.
I was also heavily invested in the lore. I love researching games - so imagine my delight when one book in the library described a religious *entity* that the locals believe in, which is described as being able to interact with the world through a certain vessel. I didn't have an immediate realization until Pfili saw in her dream that our hero has the superpower of rewinding time.
Do you know what that is? This is an excuse for all the reboots. All the *successful* dodges and all the illogical actions the hero can take. And it's honestly pretty cool. I thought I found something special. Died in the office after the hero got all his bones broken? But now you have a very special code for the safe that I entered after the reboot. And it worked! And they lived happily ever after. Or did they?
Now it's time for the disappointment phase. As you can imagine from the above, the game has set pretty high standards for itself. The game describes itself as a *resource management simulator*, only... There are no such resources here. But how can that be, you ask. There is money and reputation and energy with food that need to be controlled. It's all very simple. Resource values are not important. It doesn't matter how many of them you have at your disposal if they don't actually affect anything.
Let me give you an example. The second notable character (Ginya? I think) asks you to do her homework for her. She warns that it will be pretty exhausting. Good. The hero spends first 3, then 10 energy. The game then tells you that the hero is 90 energy short and now we have to endure the penalty for exceeding the limit. Okay. Roll back and wait for the right moment. Repeat. Now we are 100 energy short. Go to the gym, raise maximum energy and come back in five days. Now we are 110 short. Do you understand what I'm getting at? Choice doesn't matter. Rollback doesn't matter. And resources don't matter either.
And it's not just one character. It's every character in every scene in the game. I checked. You will never have enough energy or willpower.
How can a game get so bad so quickly? I don't mind a little humiliation for the main character to endure, but why give a choice when there is none? Why scatter hints in the library and just.. not use any of it? It's just.. unthinkable.. why?
...
Ah, it's just a game for perverts (the pot calls the kettle).. but still..
I expected so much more and got nothing. I was so disappointed that I wrote a review. A couple of days after I cooled down.
So, the final rating.
I'll take away one star for disappointment.
I'll give one star for the time spent in blissful ignorance (read: for the idea)
I'll take away a star for the lack of choice. There is nothing here except for the abuse of the main character with no chance for revenge.
I'll give a star for the variety of characters.. I mean.. they are quite diverse. There are a couple of nice scenes and there are many more nice scenes if you have certain fetishes.
I'll take away a star for the *resource management simulator* that does absolutely nothing. The system can easily be removed since the only use I found was avoiding or beating up a couple of groups of *skullgirls* for the sake of financial well-being. That's it. The main character, who is able to beat up several people at power level 8, decides what to do with his new power? Correct, nothing.. Okay..
Final rating 2/5. Too disappointed to give it any more.
So I have a lot of issues with this game. The first few hours were great. The idea of surviving as a *D-class* in a system where the main character is treated as lower class trash (the only ones worse are the E-class, who are used as farm animals) sounds pretty new and pretty good. I don't mind if the hero is constantly kicked and humiliated as long as he gets stronger and has some goal that he can achieve no matter the obstacles.
I was also heavily invested in the lore. I love researching games - so imagine my delight when one book in the library described a religious *entity* that the locals believe in, which is described as being able to interact with the world through a certain vessel. I didn't have an immediate realization until Pfili saw in her dream that our hero has the superpower of rewinding time.
Do you know what that is? This is an excuse for all the reboots. All the *successful* dodges and all the illogical actions the hero can take. And it's honestly pretty cool. I thought I found something special. Died in the office after the hero got all his bones broken? But now you have a very special code for the safe that I entered after the reboot. And it worked! And they lived happily ever after. Or did they?
Now it's time for the disappointment phase. As you can imagine from the above, the game has set pretty high standards for itself. The game describes itself as a *resource management simulator*, only... There are no such resources here. But how can that be, you ask. There is money and reputation and energy with food that need to be controlled. It's all very simple. Resource values are not important. It doesn't matter how many of them you have at your disposal if they don't actually affect anything.
Let me give you an example. The second notable character (Ginya? I think) asks you to do her homework for her. She warns that it will be pretty exhausting. Good. The hero spends first 3, then 10 energy. The game then tells you that the hero is 90 energy short and now we have to endure the penalty for exceeding the limit. Okay. Roll back and wait for the right moment. Repeat. Now we are 100 energy short. Go to the gym, raise maximum energy and come back in five days. Now we are 110 short. Do you understand what I'm getting at? Choice doesn't matter. Rollback doesn't matter. And resources don't matter either.
And it's not just one character. It's every character in every scene in the game. I checked. You will never have enough energy or willpower.
How can a game get so bad so quickly? I don't mind a little humiliation for the main character to endure, but why give a choice when there is none? Why scatter hints in the library and just.. not use any of it? It's just.. unthinkable.. why?
...
Ah, it's just a game for perverts (the pot calls the kettle).. but still..
I expected so much more and got nothing. I was so disappointed that I wrote a review. A couple of days after I cooled down.
So, the final rating.
I'll take away one star for disappointment.
I'll give one star for the time spent in blissful ignorance (read: for the idea)
I'll take away a star for the lack of choice. There is nothing here except for the abuse of the main character with no chance for revenge.
I'll give a star for the variety of characters.. I mean.. they are quite diverse. There are a couple of nice scenes and there are many more nice scenes if you have certain fetishes.
I'll take away a star for the *resource management simulator* that does absolutely nothing. The system can easily be removed since the only use I found was avoiding or beating up a couple of groups of *skullgirls* for the sake of financial well-being. That's it. The main character, who is able to beat up several people at power level 8, decides what to do with his new power? Correct, nothing.. Okay..
Final rating 2/5. Too disappointed to give it any more.