This game is... something special all right. Just astounding levels of quality across the board. The atmosphere alone is oozing with mysticism and creepiness, and in some places can get really dark, but never crossing that faint line into the territory of amateurish cheesiness.
Now, let's address the elephant in the room: The art-style. I didn't have any problems with it at first, it is, in my opinion, very unique and vibrant, and fits the game like a glove. The first girl, Robin, looks very cute and detailed: She is rendered extremely well, her expressions are lively, her skin is of a pleasant warm color, she has adorable freckles, gorgeous blue eyes, though the hair can look plasticky at times, but the feeling fades really quick. All in all, i really like how the author made her look, big fan. My problems with the art start with a second heroine, Mia.
Mia's appearance is... well, it almost looks like she came from a different game, if you put her and Robin side-to-side. The art-style felt that varied. She is a lot more pale, she looks like she was rendered in a rush, with a bit of blurriness around her, where Robin is very sharp and defined. Mia's facial structure and expressions also clash with the first heroine, leaving a constant feeling of not quite belonging here. Her hair looks more realistic than Robin as well - still a bit plastic, but it's part of the style i already embraced by that point. Her body is detailed well enough and is pleasing to the eye, no problems there, but the overall look felt a bit off. It was jarring for the first few hours, i got used to it and it stopped bothering me, but first impression was not that great. I won't dive deep into other girls (not on this site, at least, wink-wink), but there is nothing to worry about in terms of their looks.
As for the writing, while i wouldn't call it stellar, is way, way above a porn game. There were some moments where it falls a bit flat or short, but they are few and far in-between. As i said, the atmosphere is phenomenal, horror segments are written and presented expertly, and the world itself just pulls you in, making the player want to explore it and learn about it by himself , which is an incredible feat to pull off.
I have a little bit less praise for the writing of characters, some of the conflicts and transformations resolve and happen way too quickly. Honestly, I'd prefer if the heroines were less horny, at least at the start, because the way some events transpire got a good ol'l chuckle out of me, and made me go "Ah, right. It's a porn game, i forgot". But it's just a sign of how well the rest of the game is made, i can count on fingers of one hand when an adult game made me forgot that there is, in fact, porn in it, and not just the plot and deep character development and interactions.
Now, since we are on the topic of porn, how is it? Well, i was amazed, right from the first scenes. Animations are smooth and done incredibly well, some of them felt really sensual, which is not something i feel very often. The dialogue and inner thoughts of participants do get a bit corny, but in this game it somehow works and serves as a great fuel for those who appreciate verbal stimulation. Variety and the amount of sex scenes is great, though i miss the really expressive and intricately animated cumming scenes present in the very first ones. Those are just top-shelf stuff I've never seen anywhere else.
Now, the gameplay. I was worried that the game will be a "hard survival" game, but it really isn't. I played on scavenge mode, and never, ever had any trouble. Fighting is simple, hunger has a very generous deadline, resource scavenging can be a bit tedious though, but luckily you always have something to do while it happens.
Also cannot praise the quest journal enough, more games should have such straightforward and clear instructions in case the player is lost.
To put my review to a close - I'd say that this is one of the best adult games i've ever played, and the first one i wrote a decent-sized review on. I was just that much impressed. Never heard about the developer before, but now will eagerly follow their work whenever i can. After all, i want to know what else these magicians can conjure up, because their first show i saw left me completely enchanted and eager for more.
