Review as of version 0.2:
Writing 4/5:
The writing in the game is good. It’s not going to blow you away or anything, but the bar for VN writing is low and this is one of the better written games on this site. There are a few typos and capitalization errors here and there, but nothing major or immersion-breaking.
Art 4/5:
Renders look solid, girls are cute, animations are decently smooth. Overall, some of the best I’ve seen come out of Honey Select. Some things can look a little janky and times, and the girls’ fingers are all weird and wrinkly for some reason, but overall, the game looks good.
Story 2/5:
This is the major issue I have with the game. Most of the time, the story is actually enjoyable and intriguing. But there are some parts that just really piss me off to play – and they are not the parts that the dev intended to be upsetting.
The MC can be a massive simp sometimes. It’s only in a few scenes and its totally bearable. The bigger problem I have with the game, is that it feels like the game is telling you that being a simp is the correct course of action – like its morally wrong to be mean to a girl that is being mean to you.
So, the game starts out by warning you that the MC is a no-good-very-bad-man in the beginning, but that he progresses into a better person over time. But what actually happens is he’ll make a snarky comment sometimes, usually to someone that is actively being an asshole to him, but then immediately backpedal and apologize for it. And the game acts like this is him being terrible. This can be mildly annoying sometimes, and absolutely infuriating other times (Zoe and Fiona’s storyline).
There is exactly one time in the game when the MC is actually a terrible person (start of Eve’s story), and it kind of just comes out of nowhere and feels wildly out of character considering he doesn’t act like that before or after. The idea of the MC being a shitty person who slowly gets better over time is totally fine…but that isn’t what happens. During the first in-game-day, he’s a bit snarky a few times and very shitty exactly once. By day two, he’s being nice to all the girls. At that point, why try to include this redemption arc when it just feels forced and barely-existent?
Girls 3/5:
Some of girls are actually very solid, but some of them just kind of suck.
Eve – good. Her storyline feels kind of weird just because, as mentioned earlier, the MC blew up at her and started screaming at her and almost hit her for…teasing him a bit?? And then suddenly treats her entirely differently the next day? It’s whatever though, I enjoyed playing through her scenes after the beginning.
Zoe – fine. I don’t actually dislike Zoe as a character. I think she’s totally fine. What I do dislike with a passion, is every scene Zoe has been in so far. Their first meeting involves the Zoe being a bit of an ass to the MC, while making snap-judgements about him and the other girls of the team, without really knowing what she’s talking about. The MC responds by being a bit of an ass to her, and making snap-judgments about her without really knowing what he’s talking about. The game acts like he did a terrible thing, and he spends the next several scenes groveling for her forgiveness. More than anything, this is what made me want to drop the game.
Fiona – terrible. I will make every story decision possible to fuck this girl over in any way I possibly can. Why would you have a girl physically assault the MC and expect people to want anything to do with her later on? Why would the MC, who was ready to hit Eve for teasing him like two scenes ago, just sit there and take it instead of hitting her back? Why is the MC ready to make amends with her as if nothing happened??
Lexi – bad. This is more of a personal thing, but I have no interest in the school slut trope. I guess some people out there will be into that. At least you can reject girls, so you’re not forced to romance her. I actually think she’s totally fine as a character. Just not crazy about her as a love interest.
Desiree – good. Haven’t seen much of her, but what I have seen is very sweet. Can’t wait for her to be more fleshed out as a character.
Saki – good. She’s by far the most three-dimensional feeling character at the moment. Her most recent scenes were actually pretty touching.
Overall, the game is okay. It would be good if I wasn’t fighting the urge to quit playing for 1/3 of the scenes.