Updated Review:
I gotta say, Weird World is an excellent writer. Perhaps I'm a bit biased because I love everything about the universe he's built, but man is it great. So many little details that I don't even see in triple A games, let alone adult or indie. Let there be known, this is as of V0.921 with NO SPOILERS. Should you want an unedited version of this with noteable good points I mention in the game, look for my name on Page 215.
The porn for those that wish to indulge is there, and might I say, at first I didn't really care for it. But as Weird World gets better and better in regards to everything, so does the porn. Whether that be art, dialogue, or how it plays out; there is a noticeable difference. And an a part I nearly forgot to mention, as far as I can recall, there are only 2 unavoidable sex scenes in the entire game. So if you just want to play the game for the sake of the storytelling, action, or concept, you can pretty much do that.
The art is amazing, a lot of people don't take into account that hand drawn is good. It shows the love put into something, especially considering it's done by one person. And while it may not be for everyone, I think it fits the given genre of action and storytelling. Could you imagine action scenes or any uniquely identifiable characters portrayed by DAZ models? I don't think so.
The action, my favorite point by far, and by god is it good, and it always gets better and better! I swear, going back and looking at the some of the first fights looks like child's play compared to the fights in this version, quite literally feeling like something straight out of a shonen manga. Whether it's seeing the weak try and fight the strong, or you as the MC trying grow to take on stronger opponents, it's a beautiful brutality that I just don't see from playable anime or action anything.
The writing is probably the best part if I'm trying to be unbiased. As far as I'm concerned, it hasn't really changed in quality as far as the beginning to v0.921. I feel Weird World has always had a plan, and that plan is foreshadowed throughout the game constantly. Be it subtly hinted at in dialogue, or even being showed in dead ends; yeah, not just game over, but cool lore drops that you can actually miss if you don't fail. So far, I don't believe we've seen any plot holes, and that's pretty crazy considering how much mainstream subjects have that issue so prevalent with a full team of proofreaders and writers.
The characters are interesting. I use that term because I've never really had one character that's been showcased that I didn't actually hate hearing or reading about. Even some of the less notable characters like a bully or egotistical asshole, while generic; aren't completely hateable, you understand why they are the way they are and that's fine. The main cast is always interesting, and has a lot of secrets or info that even now we just don't know about. They have a past, a middle, and a current that just makes them fun to read; no matter how much you don't care about said characters, the info is always there to delve into, rather than be jammed down your throat (i.e villain backstory cliche).
The game genre, it's a choice based Visual Novel. That is very hard to do, no matter how big or small the company or person makes it. It's noticeable here, it's noticeable in triple A, not much you can do about it. But I gotta say, Weird World does a phenomenal job, considering it's just them. Entire teams of writers and developers struggle to find a basis of which they can make a linear story, without branching too far off from the choices that are made. If they did make every little choice mean something, you would have THE BIGGEST ANYTHING imaginable, in fact, it could be considered endless even. And that thought process is just not going to happen, you have to substitute it with either dead ends, like Weird World does, or little to no impact. Now what I do like about Weird World's work, is that most choices are dialogue based, meaning you get to shape your character, rather than change the story itself and elements you can't control. I would assume more choices will be given as we grow further into the story, while also sticking to a linear path. It's a good way to go about it, and Weird World seems to do their best in leveling the impact of choices, whether those choices will make any noticable paths in the future; who knows, up to them.
These are 2 sidepoints to finish off this monologue:
A. The music- it's royalty free, but it's not the over used dogma you hear in every single adult game. There was even one during a fight where I found myself jammin out while beating some ass! But what I really wanted to point out was that it fits, all of it fits. There was never really a time where I felt like I didn't like the music in the background for a given scenario. But that's all I wanted to comment on.
B. The Main Character, I feel like he's just built to be you, maybe that's just me but the way he responds and acts regardless of how you're trying to play him just fits. He's nonchalant, neutral, and that's GREAT! One of my biggest pet peeves in SOME games, is that I have to follow a certain persona or choices don't really matter because this character would never do this; it's already been laid out. But with this MC you really get to shape him into an absolute fucking MONSTER or a passive and sweet gentle giant. It's crazy, and I love it for that.
That's all I had to say, I just wanted to share my thoughts on the subject to potentially share the memories with some fans like myself, or bring potential new blood into the discussion. Have a good one guys!~