I'm still on the 1.0 original release. Just on the date with Violet, but I'm compelled to comment.
At this point, this level of writing IS a 3-Star "Average" because I run into this kind of writing SO MUCH in these games.
These are normal renders from Koikatsu, which I was a fan when they first showed up, but eventually kind of just turned into the "progeria syndrome" anime renders. It's not bad. Looks pretty good most of the time. Just often enough, you have some ballooning, bulbous upper head - mostly on the women, but it's on the guys, too. Kind of like Mr. Mackey from South Park is the father of all these characters.
The renders AREN'T my issue, though. It's the try hard, inexperienced writing. I feel like the MC and Iris aren't even different characters - they're the same. The MC (once again) is a not even self-deprecating, but self-loathing village idiot who is also magically an ace at school and everything he tries, yet also the opposite of being an ace at school and everything he tries. Naturally, every woman is attracted to him, despite him behaving like a lead paint chip eating moron. So the story happens because the author says so and no other reason. Nothing written is naturally evolving. You don't feel like these are lives just occurring, and you are a voyeur witnessing this and pulled into the rapture of the story.
Of course, with that there are copious amounts of inner monologue, talking to themselves as well as talking to the DEV, who inserts themselves into the story randomly at the beginning and then permanently as the "narrator" by just deleting their name from the text window. I feel like their inspiration for this game was "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime". I suppose you could just insert ANY Isekai titled anything and have the same result. It's toddler-level entertainment packaged for adolescents, but also is often riveting entertainment for some adults these days.
Like others have mentioned, for some reason, the MC, but really everyone is abusive and toxic towards each other. It's not banter, but even banter is abusive and manipulative. It's "fine" until someone is in a vulnerable mindset. At least this writer/dev hasn't (yet) crossed that line. When Iris was vulnerable (so far), the MC was supportive and didn't engage in this verbal abuse they normally do. I have a feeling that this is simply drawn from life experience as "normal" behavior because it is also rampant in "One Day at a Time" (different developer), but in THAT one, they actually acknowledge the abusive behavior and character's state they aren't mentally able to handle the verbal abuse at times. Still, both writers truss this regular verbal abuse as a form of humor which, as one other reviewer mentioned, is actually expected and can be funny on occasion, but quickly wears out its welcome when it is almost ALL THE TIME.
This kind of banter is necessary, I think, because without it, we don't learn how to handle these kinds of things from people who truly mean to hurt us. Much like physical banter, as well. I think handling everyone with "kids gloves" leads to less prepared and weaker individuals. But a balance is necessary, so one does not go from just trying to be a friend/helpful to just being an abusive shit. In my opinion, the "balance" is utterly lost in this game. It's treated as being fine only because the writer says so, which kind of implies it IS normal in their mind. More than one review has pointed out, it's not, in their opinion. Cause for one to reflect on just how abusive they are to others unintentionally, as well as how much of themselves has normalized abusive behavior towards their own person in their lives. Just telling someone to "toughen up, that's life" is an excuse of an abuser or an enabler (part of the problem, not the solution).
There's a lot of over-trying in this story, so this could just be exaggerated attempts at being funny, which often fail terribly with me. So, this could be a "me" problem, but being a bully to someone who you supposedly care for is never a positive - not a day goes by (so far) where the MC and Iris don't insult each other constantly from morning to night. It's an everyday routine.
***Update***
What IS it with so many devs making the MC an idiot clown character like old Jerry Lewis movies??? It's one of the few things that differentiates the MC's character from the other characters. But that isn't a positive reason. You still fall into the "Mary Sue" traps with the idiot clown MC - so what is the reason? Is this the "hero" you identify with? I just don't get it. The characters, all, are mostly voiced and acting the same. Lots of shouting (and screen shake, once the dev found the screen shake - it was like Christmas morning for them as a kid), swearing, and negativity amongst ALL of them. They picked like one slight thing to make them "unique". Ava is probably the most "unique", but she also just shouts and insults - her reason WHY is the "unique" part (but is it, really?).
I JUST met Mia in the lower labs, and what happens almost immediately? Shouting and copious screen shakes... PLEASE get a new habit. I'm losing my patience with this game. After all the stupidity with the main bad guy, then the "surprise" secret bad guy, that was all so forced even though they tried to write it like it was clever. It's like watching a little kid acting like they're "getting one over" on an adult.
At this point, this level of writing IS a 3-Star "Average" because I run into this kind of writing SO MUCH in these games.
These are normal renders from Koikatsu, which I was a fan when they first showed up, but eventually kind of just turned into the "progeria syndrome" anime renders. It's not bad. Looks pretty good most of the time. Just often enough, you have some ballooning, bulbous upper head - mostly on the women, but it's on the guys, too. Kind of like Mr. Mackey from South Park is the father of all these characters.
The renders AREN'T my issue, though. It's the try hard, inexperienced writing. I feel like the MC and Iris aren't even different characters - they're the same. The MC (once again) is a not even self-deprecating, but self-loathing village idiot who is also magically an ace at school and everything he tries, yet also the opposite of being an ace at school and everything he tries. Naturally, every woman is attracted to him, despite him behaving like a lead paint chip eating moron. So the story happens because the author says so and no other reason. Nothing written is naturally evolving. You don't feel like these are lives just occurring, and you are a voyeur witnessing this and pulled into the rapture of the story.
Of course, with that there are copious amounts of inner monologue, talking to themselves as well as talking to the DEV, who inserts themselves into the story randomly at the beginning and then permanently as the "narrator" by just deleting their name from the text window. I feel like their inspiration for this game was "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime". I suppose you could just insert ANY Isekai titled anything and have the same result. It's toddler-level entertainment packaged for adolescents, but also is often riveting entertainment for some adults these days.
Like others have mentioned, for some reason, the MC, but really everyone is abusive and toxic towards each other. It's not banter, but even banter is abusive and manipulative. It's "fine" until someone is in a vulnerable mindset. At least this writer/dev hasn't (yet) crossed that line. When Iris was vulnerable (so far), the MC was supportive and didn't engage in this verbal abuse they normally do. I have a feeling that this is simply drawn from life experience as "normal" behavior because it is also rampant in "One Day at a Time" (different developer), but in THAT one, they actually acknowledge the abusive behavior and character's state they aren't mentally able to handle the verbal abuse at times. Still, both writers truss this regular verbal abuse as a form of humor which, as one other reviewer mentioned, is actually expected and can be funny on occasion, but quickly wears out its welcome when it is almost ALL THE TIME.
This kind of banter is necessary, I think, because without it, we don't learn how to handle these kinds of things from people who truly mean to hurt us. Much like physical banter, as well. I think handling everyone with "kids gloves" leads to less prepared and weaker individuals. But a balance is necessary, so one does not go from just trying to be a friend/helpful to just being an abusive shit. In my opinion, the "balance" is utterly lost in this game. It's treated as being fine only because the writer says so, which kind of implies it IS normal in their mind. More than one review has pointed out, it's not, in their opinion. Cause for one to reflect on just how abusive they are to others unintentionally, as well as how much of themselves has normalized abusive behavior towards their own person in their lives. Just telling someone to "toughen up, that's life" is an excuse of an abuser or an enabler (part of the problem, not the solution).
There's a lot of over-trying in this story, so this could just be exaggerated attempts at being funny, which often fail terribly with me. So, this could be a "me" problem, but being a bully to someone who you supposedly care for is never a positive - not a day goes by (so far) where the MC and Iris don't insult each other constantly from morning to night. It's an everyday routine.
***Update***
What IS it with so many devs making the MC an idiot clown character like old Jerry Lewis movies??? It's one of the few things that differentiates the MC's character from the other characters. But that isn't a positive reason. You still fall into the "Mary Sue" traps with the idiot clown MC - so what is the reason? Is this the "hero" you identify with? I just don't get it. The characters, all, are mostly voiced and acting the same. Lots of shouting (and screen shake, once the dev found the screen shake - it was like Christmas morning for them as a kid), swearing, and negativity amongst ALL of them. They picked like one slight thing to make them "unique". Ava is probably the most "unique", but she also just shouts and insults - her reason WHY is the "unique" part (but is it, really?).
I JUST met Mia in the lower labs, and what happens almost immediately? Shouting and copious screen shakes... PLEASE get a new habit. I'm losing my patience with this game. After all the stupidity with the main bad guy, then the "surprise" secret bad guy, that was all so forced even though they tried to write it like it was clever. It's like watching a little kid acting like they're "getting one over" on an adult.