I am on your side at every argument here. Youre completely right.Everyone has their opinion and there have been games I was not impressed with compared to the hype from other gamers. However I feel GGGB is the exception and I think the amount of goodwill for this game speaks for itself.
What I think makes this game stand out, and I have repeated this in many posts, is its replayability. Certain scenarios and relationships work only if you are sufficiently good and vice versa. So the options matter. Even when you are on a path a single choice makes a difference in your character and relationship with NPC and change their path. Granted its not earth shattering or monumental like in ordinary games but for an adult VN it is astonishing that there is so much detail in story.
Another point is that the NPC grow and evolve their character throughout the game according to your alignment and how you choose to develop your relationship with them. You have warm redemption, sugary romance and filthy lust depending on your choices and relationship. Again this corresponds to replayability because you are curious how it turns out if the choices were different (in my case anyway).
There is something for everyone and once again not exactly earth-shattering or extreme but for an adult VN there is a surprising amount of flexibility and options. Also should be noted the core gameplay is corruption so yes it might tilt more scenarios in that direction but I also liked the good path since it wasn't corny. I played extreme good and bad and everything in middle and found so much endings and epilogues to surprise me including hidden epilogues that i found out only through the F95 forum.
Comparing GGGB to ORS is I think unfair because ORS is built on the success and feedback on GGGB. It is two different games in tone, features and gameplay. So I would suggest you play the full game and then decide. You won't regret it
I can see how different the outcome every single time is when you have a choice. Thats really outstanding. And that is something you will get in Our Red String too, even bigger.
And as i wrote... you can clearly see that ORS is the second project... of course you cant compare these two exactly. First of all, both game have a very different approach in the story, and its obvious that many good things out of GGGB found its way in ORS.
I dont think that i said GGGB is a bad game, and i dont think it is.. but the story and the charactres are just not my cup of tea... but many things in this game are things that i like and found myself again in ORS. Like the unbelievable different choice-outcomes for one. Or just the look... i have a thing for hand-drawing games... (not comic look, i like a realistic touch) In this deparment GGGB is really great, and OSR even better.
And as you said... the core game is corruption, and that in particula is a thing i just dont like. And if you choose just to avoid "every" thing about it, the game doesnt really work for me, thats it.
In OSR you can go a corruption path too, for both protagonists... but the "non"-corruption options ware working so much better than in GGGB. But thats obvious if you just read the title of the game ^^ On of the things that made me think that GGGB is not my thing in the first place... and its turned out to be right.
But no offense to anyone, everyone has different taste, and GGGB is just not mine... story - and charactrewise. But the gameplay, and artdesign is really great.