This takes a while to get into. It suffers from what a lot of these do, too much mundane dialog. Too many instances explaining to the reader what is happening through dialog which comes off as expository and unnatural.
It has too many long loading frame transitions and my index finger is going to need ice for all the clicking. Entire passages could be reduced to a simple transition to the next day.
I only kept clicking because I've tried so many games there isn't much left on here to play and frankly, I just have too much time...
But something started happening... I started getting into the characters. Some lines of dialog started hitting. An occasional chuckle became a hearty laugh.
I'm not a fan of anime but I don't have anything against it... I'm not hip to geek culture but I admit cosplay has it's sexy moments... but frankly there's too much in here and I'm really getting sick of seeing it in every porn game.
But even that wasn't bothering me anymore.
The choice system might as well not be in here because it's always a matter of roll back and choose the right path that gives you points.
And yeah, that stopped bothering me too. Because eventually the charm gets you. This is like the annoying best friend of the hot chick in school... he has the crush on the girl but she's not going to be with him until his charm has won her over. This game is that. The overachieving try-hard that eventually wins you over.
I had read the reviews and I was skeptical... I started playing and I was certain it was hype. And if you've read this far, it certainly has it's share of faults. But if you keep clicking, it wins you over.
I'll say specifically when I knew this went from bad to good in my book... when he visits the shrink and changes the email (and the mysterious guy showing up at both Judie's date and the doc... funny). At this point I had seen enough to be on board.
I'm not done with this and I might come back and change my review but I think I've played enough to recommend this... the author doesn't always have something to say and some passages could be edited down with less mundane dialog... but there is no doubt that this author is trying like hell to entertain us.
Oh...and I give the author props for not having any of these chicks wink (yet)... that Honey Select wink just makes games feel like a sea-faring pirate simulator.
(added later) The prison sequence is brilliant... it's hillarious, well paced... and best of all, it takes advantage of the weakness described above, in that it's all a matter of roll-back to get the right path... this sequence depends on that and the roll-back actually becomes the story. Brilliant.
And the shrine maiden... the hype is real on this one... give it a chance. The author really finds a groove and it's non-stop hilarity after that. There are a lot of standout scenes.