Just to get this out of the way, yes, the only reason I checked this game out was because of all the shit those Collective Shout clowns have been doing with itch and Steam. I'm glad I did, though!
This game is an interesting case. Because, while some, emphasis on only SOME of the things that people have been saying about this game ARE true, there are additional details that have been left, that do matter.
For one, the game doesn't actively encourage (morally, at least. It is a blackmail fetish game) blackmail and sexual exploitation. It's a route you can take, yes. And you also get a lot of good scenes for it, yes. But, it's also really good at showing the harm that these choices cause. This game is really good at trying to steer you on the path of empathy instead of lust. Every morally bad choice you make is 100% yours, if that makes sense. You could also say that, while this game was obviously made for those who have blackmail/manipulation/domination fetishes, it never at any point turns to the player and says, "Hey! You should do what you're seeing here out in the real world! This is good!" Not at all. Certainly not how it's been accused of doing.
Basically, No Mercy's Lust Route is like the porn version of Undertale's Genocide route. Absolutely bizarre comparison, I know. But the idea is to help better explain the dynamics of the game. If you choose to do really bad things, you WILL get what you came for. But, the game will push back first. And I really like that!
And that's another thing. This game is a VERY choice-based visual novel. You can CHOOSE, at any given point, to be either the best or worst version of yourself. It isn't forcing all the players to do the worst of the worst things like this game has been accused of doing. It's very much up to you, even with the small decisions.
Moving on from the controversy and talking more about the actual game now, here's what I have to say about that:
It's decent! It's not perfect, and it's certainly no Eternum or whatever. But, I like it! The cutscenes have nice animations, the soundtrack is a banger, the overall graphics are very pleasing to look at, and everything just kind of clicks!
The main character is an interesting guy. He's fun! And, I like the pacing! It's not too slow and it's not too fast. It's done quite well, and it's one of the strongest points for this game! I like the rest of the cast as well! Overall, very good writing, music, and graphics! 5/5 for me in that field!
That's all I've got to say for now. I could go into more detail, but, then I'd be writing forever. And this has already gone on long enough, lol. I'm sorry for the poor wording and weird spacing of my review. I kind of made it on the spot. I hope it's informative either way, though! And, I'll say one last thing... it's not right what they did to this game. It was used as a scapegoat, really. But it's much different from what they've described it as. And I hope more people come to find that out!