Since I can't score in halves, I have to go with 3-star. Actual score is 3.5-star which is above-average. This is up to Episode 4.
I'll talk briefly about the good stuff which is the likeable characters, good renders, good character interaction (important), and somewhat interesting story. We know all that and I don't think it needs more detailed explanation.
There are two main things that dragged the game's score down to me.
The first one is the lack of clarity in a sense that players don't know their LP and RP, but it's exactly those points that are being used as trigger to scenes in the game. Without knowing how many points we have, and not knowing how many points required either, the game's lacked of clarity could lead to a frustrating experience to the players. This is shown with how many people asking how to trigger certain scenes in the game and wondering why certain scenes didn't trigger for them.
The second downside to me is that the game offers quite a lot of options, one of them being which girl the MC focused on (up to Episode 4, mind you). This is generally a good thing, but unfortunately it's a downside in this game because of the other male NPCs. I don't mind them being in the game, and I actually enjoy having them. But the problem is that their characteristic stayed the same regardless of MC's choice. For example: even if you focused on Vanessa, the game still somewhat treated Steven as a pair with Vanessa, while at the same time pairing MC with Lizzie.
The problem here is because it's unclear what these other male NPCs roles are. If Steven is the best friend, are we competing for the same girl or are we staying out of each other's way? If Rene is a jerk, why are we hanging out with him and enjoying his pool? Is Keith a friend or a foe?
Having said all that, I think the game is still in a really good shape. 3.5 out of 5 star is nothing to be ashamed of. It's a lot of room to grow where the game can reach 4.5 out of 5 stars in the future.
I'll talk briefly about the good stuff which is the likeable characters, good renders, good character interaction (important), and somewhat interesting story. We know all that and I don't think it needs more detailed explanation.
There are two main things that dragged the game's score down to me.
The first one is the lack of clarity in a sense that players don't know their LP and RP, but it's exactly those points that are being used as trigger to scenes in the game. Without knowing how many points we have, and not knowing how many points required either, the game's lacked of clarity could lead to a frustrating experience to the players. This is shown with how many people asking how to trigger certain scenes in the game and wondering why certain scenes didn't trigger for them.
The second downside to me is that the game offers quite a lot of options, one of them being which girl the MC focused on (up to Episode 4, mind you). This is generally a good thing, but unfortunately it's a downside in this game because of the other male NPCs. I don't mind them being in the game, and I actually enjoy having them. But the problem is that their characteristic stayed the same regardless of MC's choice. For example: even if you focused on Vanessa, the game still somewhat treated Steven as a pair with Vanessa, while at the same time pairing MC with Lizzie.
The problem here is because it's unclear what these other male NPCs roles are. If Steven is the best friend, are we competing for the same girl or are we staying out of each other's way? If Rene is a jerk, why are we hanging out with him and enjoying his pool? Is Keith a friend or a foe?
Having said all that, I think the game is still in a really good shape. 3.5 out of 5 star is nothing to be ashamed of. It's a lot of room to grow where the game can reach 4.5 out of 5 stars in the future.