Hero's Harem Guild has the basis of a fantastic harem game. It's been a funny and engaging experience following the most "non-hero" hero in the world. Getting past that grind, you have yourself a game that continuously opens up to be bigger and bigger.
This recent update concludes the prologue, which was a lot of content. Content that was weirdly pace at times due to grinding.
I actually didn't mind the grind too much, but it felt dragged out since I had to "put my head down and grind" a few times. This may not matter as much now, but when the game gets longer and longer, it's something the develop will have to consider. The fishing mini game was something I just avoided doing because of my wrist. The mining is nice, but I don't want to engage with it once I have enough $$$.
That's really it, how does one create a repeatable game play loops that don't become stale after a time? Or would it rather be systems that take some more skill for more reward? That way you grind less, but focus more in that moment.
Then comes the amount of affection grinding without content. I don't mind spending time with the girls, but there's a lot of "spend time with girl" and the scene is a repeated one. There are entire days you can spend with a character seeing the same exact scenes. It would add a lot to the game to have more content for the girls, even if it's short.
I sometimes thought the grind was metaphor or something.
Aside from that, it's definitely an intriguing game. There's a lot of lore that hidden underneath, and it definitely keeps you interested. All the main girls have a past that constantly makes you want to know more.
The MC himself is probably the most believable of any "poor villager" MC. Dude can't do anything a hero can, and doesn't go through a magical transformation. He's just a decent guy. In fact, he's way less pervy then most MC, which is pretty cool too.
The comedy has never been a miss for me. Maybe I didn't laugh all the time, but there were several moments I chuckled.
However, I think the highlight of this game is the fundamentals. This game is pretty top notch! The UI, menus, and presentation are fabulous! I mean, this game feels hella polished and stylish. The animations are great too!
There's a lot this game is doing right, and I have faith that Komisari will keep it in check as they push forward.