Just got done with the game so far. It's brilliant all around. Visually it is incredibly appealing, with an original MC that looks good and a set of equally interesting and original love interests that are very different from each other. The animations might be the best I've seen so far.
Writing wise, I have to say that my tired brain couldn't quite comprehend the last bits, but the revelation right at the end of EP 3 was half-expected, but I don't want to say more just so I won't spoil anyone. The story and its dialogues are very well written. I think I've only found myself once pressing ctrl for a bit.
The emotional moments hit hard, which makes me love and hate them for all the right reasons. They might be the best parts of this VN right now for me. Colleen has to be protected at all costs.
I feel like Jamie is by far the best LI, which makes me understand why she's been "nerfed" after EP 1, but all the LIs each have a different attribute that make them very suitable partners for the MC.
Armin is a legend, I hope all goes well for him. Sean and Donna (why does everybody call her Donna Lee?), too. All in all I have to say that the side characters are are also very well put together and feel "real" instead of just being talking puppets.
There are also many small gestures and such that make everything more lively and realistic, like the MC controlling the conversation at the wedding to make Emmeline feel less uncomfortable, or him not mentioning to anyone that it was Sean who killed his chances of getting into the NBA. Very human.
If I have to criticize something, it would be these things:
- I really would have liked to see the conversation MC and Jamie had inside his office as he told her he has a sister.
- ^ is especially valid because one other thing that gets a little tedious is the courtroom scenes which could be trimmed down a bit here and there. I know what's going on and the murder case is by far less interesting than the overarching plot or the "slice of life" aka relationship building bits.
- The MC moping around got a little old when Vega's unreasonable bitching got to him. Maybe that's because I basically played it all in one go, but I feel like I've seen a lot of "closing off" and "promising not to close off".
I put this on my watchlist. Can't wait for EP. 4!