What we have here is a harem romance novel that fluctuates from lovey-dovey to filthy, in the backdrop of one of the most trippy settings I've seen. The tl/dr version is to just go and play the damn game, it's awesome. But I want to add this summary because I feel that the game is worth the extra effort.
The Setting:
The game takes place in near-future Japan. The technology is mostly familiar but there have been extrarordinary advancements in biomedical research. These advancements play a significant role although as of Chapter 43 the game only mentions the significance but doesn't show it.
Additionally there is a supernatural element that stays under the radar for the most part.
The other half of the setting is supernatural, dealing with parallel universes and a very mythological place made from thoughts and emotions which is supposed to mirror reality in a sense. Certain people have the capacity to travel to this place, create personal pockets of space, and the time works differently there. This simple explanation doesn't do justice to the depth of the setting but it's a good starting point to make sense of what is going on. Additionally I really don't understand the particulars too well to provide a more in depth explanation. It's a trippy place with obscure rules.
The Story:
While the game has a consistent continuity, the player is thrust in the deep end. A lot of interactions don't make much sense because there is a lot of backstory that the player doesn't know at the time. For example, in the opening scene, a girl gets upset for seamingly no reason and the explanation given is that she has trouble understanding the language because she is a foreigner. While this is partially true, the actual reason is way more interesting, but it will take quite a while for the player to understand it or even internalize it.
The style during the prologue is very "asian". This combined with the lack of knowledge may confuse the player and give him the wrong idea. Everything happens for a reason and during certain scenes the game shows some apparitions that will become important down the line. It's a good idea to keep those in mind while playing.
Eventually it reaches a huge "What the fuck" point that signifies the end of the prologue and the start of the actual game. You may notice a shift in tone at this point, aside from the absurdity of that particular scene. The game starts injecting a lot of humor, the drama gets a bit more straightforward, the language becomes vulgar at times.
For the more "crazy" sequences, it's quite normal to not understand a thing of what's happening, however everything exists for a reason and the writing stays very consistent, even if the rules of the setting are left a bit open to interpretation at times.
The game prefers to show you the results and the reactions of the actors instead of providing exposition. The exposition usually comes a bit later in the form of dialogue but the narrators are mostly unreliable and this is by design. The actors themselves fall in a lot of fallacies, sometimes becoming overdramatic. This is part of the charm but it may annoy people at time. However these issues generally don't drag for long and are resolved in a mostly satisfying way.
The story mostly revolves around the inherent connections between the main cast. It introduces the characters, spends some time mending their relationships and moves on to dealing with the main "antagonists" and other dangerous situations.
The Characters:
The cast is fairly sizeable and the player is introduced to most of the characters from the start. Most of the girls are connected to MC in a very specific way, however the reasons can vary. Click the spoiler for a short explanation of the main cast.
If you read the spoiler, it becomes apparent that the situation here is extremely complex and to be honest it took me a while to understand the finer points. Even this explanation doesn't really mention all the details and some characters like Kieran and Teresa are very complex.
The story tends to accentuate the character flaws in an overdramatic way. For example there are a lot of sequences where the character wants to say something significant, but is interrupted at the last second and perpetuates a situation that seems fairly simple to solve. To be fair, these sequences tend to be more prominent in the earlier parts of the game and the drama improves in later chapters, although Leah really cranks it up to 11.
My personal favorites are Cro and Tsukiko. They are the two extremes. One is extremely hot and emotional, while the other is extremely cold and rational. The other characters are more balanced but very distinct and I think there is something for everyone to enjoy.
The MC:
I have to say that as far as main characters go, this one is unique. In the prologue he is a very meek and loving child. After a certain event he turns into a very cocky but still loving young adult. I'd say that he epitomizes the concept of the perfect ladies man. Extremely loving, emotional and supportive, assertive but never overbearing, great listener with very high morals, seemingly not too bright but makes it up with dashing action and grit.
However don't be fooled. While the game likes making fun of him being a bit slow and simple, he can think on his feet, he is surprisingly aware, an expert at reading people and he has some other hidden talents, like being exceptional at math, or turning a switch and becoming extremely dominant to the point that he walks over any situation. The writer throws a few nuggets of genius every now and then, but he doesn't allow him to overpower the rest of the cast.
He certainly isn't the "brains" behind the operations. This is Jamie's role. But he is the guy that makes things happen in the end and he will dash to the end of the world to get his way. Of course expect him to get manipulated at times, but truthfully, even the reader doesn't necessarily know what is the optimal way to deal with any given situation.
The dynamic seems to be that he is the bearer of unfathomable amounts of power/mana, but he needs his allies to "channel" it through. He doesn't seem particularly combat oriented, although there is a certain sequence in the prologue that makes him look very competent. Perhaps we will see his combat ability down the line.
The Romance:
A lot of time is spend with MC and the girls trying to figure out how their relationship works. It's basically a harem, but while there is an obvious attraction between MC and the girls, they start out as friends, not romantic interests, with the exception of Victoria and
Sarah to a certain extend.
Some girls like Jamie and Ashley are obviously infatuated but have some roadblocks, either due to exceptional circumstances or jealousy/inadequacy, that have to go through. Others like Leah and Teresa build the romance over time.
While the sex is mostly vanilla, what distinguishes it the dirty talk. It starts fairly mild, with most of the earlier scenes being very sweet, but at some point it picks up pace and it can get filthy, with a lot of possessiveness and dominance, with sex scenes that are implied to last for days.
Most of the sex scenes are driven by Victoria and
Sarah. Along with
Leah they are the source of lesbian scenes.
Kieran and Mizue are also very sexually open although they don't necessarily had time to shine in that department as of Chapter 43.
The Atmosphere:
The description "psychedelic" is very accurate. The game sets the tone with 80s disco/synthwave, upbeat jpop, some jazzy segments, a lot of neon and scenes with flashing lights that add an interesting dimension, especially to the sex scenes. It's a weird combination but somehow it keeps things very.. familiar, despite all the craziness happening in the game.
The characters have their own music themes and they are distinct enough for the player to recognize what character is the protagonist in any given situation. My favorite has to be when Tsukiko enters the fray. She possesses a character who takes a white/grey tint and along with her music she really makes an incredible entrance.
Closing comments:
It's important to note that this is a fairly slow burn. Although things start escalating past a certain point, the main attraction is the story and you will probably need to take some notes in order to fully understand what is going on. The sex scenes are designed to be more "tasteful", rather than focusing on animations and angles. Additionally the game is long and while I can't guess what the endgame is, it feels like it's barely half done. The dev has a tight schedule, releasing 9-10 updates per year.
All in all, I think this is one of the best adult vns out there and it's worth 5 stars and your time.
