This revised review was written after playing chap3 update 4 and although it's nothing the glowing reviews here so far haven't already covered, I wanted to throw in my own lump of praise.
Honey Select models have their natural limitations because you only get so many templates and assets. This game pushes those assets to their very extreme, in a way that few HS based games have done. GIL, who is responsible for the visuals, has a seriously uncanny ability to integrate animation into the story beats and allow the visual momentum to carry near seamlessly from text to image to animation.
The models, especially the female models, are all gorgeous and unique. That in itself is good, but what elevates this game visually is that GIL fundamentally understands and is able to execute to an impressive level the minutia of conveying feelings and atmosphere. Every subtle change in expression, every pose and gesture of the cast, down to every cocked eyebrow, raised lip, tinted cheek, and tilted head, so adequately and succinctly reflect the thoughts and emotions of the characters as they go about their interactions.
If you can't picture what a certain intricate sentiment that the story conjures would look like, by the illusionist's deft hand, you need look no further than on the screen and see exactly how a character feeling a certain way would appear. That's some serious craftsmanship and is one of the great things about a "visual" novel that is different from a fully textual experience. Other things like a carefully crafted UI, accessible and helpful memories page/character profiles, immersive and tonally resonant sound tracks, all go toward building the top notch presentation of this game.
The only fault that I could pick, and it's the inherent problem of HS assets, is that the male models look much more rudimentary in comparison.
While the visuals comprise the flesh and bones, the story is, for me, the soul of this game. The writing is smooth, ridiculously so for a grassroots VN passion project. TD is the writer and I'm not entirely convinced that he isn't already a novelist. I've found that the general trend with VNs is that the focus is on introspective sensibilities rather than outward descriptions, even in adult VNs where a good deal of erotic description is mandated. PC defies that, and goes deep into its descriptions, especially compared to its usual counterparts. TD has a stylistic flourish and though the prose doesn't stick every time, it does a very, very good job both in style and in accuracy when painting the mental image.
What's more, when PC does sink its teeth into the inner thoughts of its MC, the reflections are insightful and evocative. The main character isn't an empty self-insert; he is a fully realized character with his own motivations and struggles and the Devs make a point of showcasing his thoughts and contemplations in a seasoned, enticing manner that invites both relatability and analysis. It's one thing to be able to portray a mind, it's an entire step above to dissect it and to portray the dynamic evolution of said mind in a convincing, empathetic manner.
To build on that, the dialogue flows effortlessly and can be banal enough but not uninteresting. That's hard to do. What's more, each major character not only has distinct personalities and stories, but their own "voices". Below average writers have all their characters sounding like the same person doing a puppet show; decent writers can distinguish them by giving more distinction in terms of overall presentation of each character's personalities; good writers take it a step above and develop a unique voice for each character without needing extra plot intervention. That's where PC is at, and it's damn impressive considering the uneven quality usually found in this genre.
That isn't to say there are no complaints about the writing. The main problem for me is that sometimes TD's style is too evident, the dialogue too polished when it should give way to more mundane and natural-sounding language. There is such a thing as letting the quality of your prose get in the way of more organic overall presentation. But these are minor and frankly luxurious complaints to have when good writing in general is in desperate shortage across all gaming genres.
The themes are unflinchingly dark and disturbed, matching the tone of the non-vanilla adult content. It is however interwoven into the story in a very natural way. The game isn't free from plot holes or moments of ridiculousness, but the overall premise and exploration of the subject matter is dealt with in a mature and careful manner. Depravity and base human desires are used as a vehicle for the building of character arcs and the examination of both the MC's own psyche and his understanding of the other characters.
I have always believed that erotica can and does execute serious, thought-provoking themes and messages in a way that is not possible (or at least much more difficult) without being able to engage notions surrounding sex explicitly. That's not to say that PC is some masterful work of art, but just the fact that it can and does provide some ideas that are worth chewing over and thinking about, in an entertaining and mature manner, is enough for me to dole out the praise.
Sure, the sex is sometimes both the means and the end, being an adult game after all, but the in-game examination of human depravity is rarely an indulgent or masturbatory exercise. Instead there's a calculated and artistic way of marrying impulse with decency, and always a tipping of the scale at opportune moments to remind players of the implications of what we witness or even participate in. That is honestly really commendable. The game tries to deal with heavy and deeply grey matters and weaves them into the natural progression of the plot quite well. There's rarely a moment when I'm caught up in the thick of things where I think that it's heavy-handed to the point of absurd; and if it does, then the absurdity is at least reflected on in a self-aware manner.
Finally the characters, arguably the biggest selling point of the game. I can honestly say that of all the adult VNs I've ever played, PC reigns at the very top level of character writing. As was mentioned above, each major character has their own voice, and the drama of the plot has allowed for very rich and interesting character interactions. I won't go into too much detail as I could write an essay just of the characters in the game; as a matter of fact I have done so and get a real itch after every update to write some more.
What I will say is this: no character is skin-deep and nearly every named character with more than a passing role has a well-rounded profile and backstory. Especially the main cast, each of whom are layered, complex, and engaging in their own rights. What may appear as stupid or absurd will leave you reflecting once more pieces to the character are revealed. TD understands that compelling characters need a compelling "why" behind the "what", and he delivers. There's hardly ever a dull moment in the numerous interactions that have been run through thus far with the love interests and other main characters, and what I do learn about the characters only leave me wanting more and more. They are at times sympathetic, desirable, often infuriating, and some straight up despicable. But you will almost never get the sense that they're constructed too artificially or unrealistically; these characters make sense, and that's damn high praise.
I could honestly go on for another 5000 words but this is a review after all and not my own musings. If you want to experience the highest grade of what adult visual novels has to offer, then look no further. This story is not for the faint of heart, but damn if it isn't a good one.
