For all it does right, this game had very little chance of grabbing me. As someone who's not a big fan of sci-fi, and only enjoys lore-heavy fiction occasionally, much of String Zero would drive me away from consuming it. Still, the project does so many things right it is tough to be too hard on it.

Visually, the project is one of the best in this niche. There have been many attempts of creating UI that is creative and befitting a visual novel. I have personally seen attempts fall short on deficiency or excess, but String Zero may offer the best balance yet. Information is displayed and distributed with care for the player's experience, with clean and cohesive menus across Ren'py's standard screens and unique creations. For those paying attention, there are even small details that interacts well with plot and lore without disrupting a more casual experience.

Writing was a more mixed experience for me. I won't mince words: on a technical level, this is an expertly written Visual Novel. It was revealed to me after playing that the main writer is a professional editor and it shows. Sentences are clean and made with great intentionality, making even the points I did not quite enjoy effortless to read. The matter I took most issue with had to do with pacing.

Every scene (and I do mean every single one) went on for longer than I felt they should have, to the point it must be the writing style rather than a mistake. However, there is one sort of scene that I feel suffers for this: suspenseful scenes. There are two noticeable examples of this so far and they had the same problem for me as a reader. Because these scenes go on for so long, they are unable to keep up the thrill necessary to keep readers on their toes. Because you spend so long in these moments that are supposed to be urgent and dangerous, eventually the tension dissipates; it becomes increasingly harder to feel any pressure when seemingly nothing happens de facto within the story.

String Zero starts with its worst and most idiosyncratic hand. The first chapter of this story is a mess of loredumps and poorly timed flashbacks that lacks important characterization and fails to create an emotional hook. That said, it also serves as a microcosm of the game. While it is my firm belief that these aspects improve greatly from Chapter 2 onwards, the whole game is filled with deluges of information and lackluster character-building. This strikes me as a project created for a crowd with an intrinsic interest in lore for its own sake; those people will find a lot of information to chew on and ponder right away. For people like me, the overwhelming amount of exposition blends together into incomprehensible sludge. The fact that this opens this project, it's one of its greatest missteps.

As much as I harp on it, there actually quite a bit of the story itself I liked. One of the sci-fi stories I have enjoyed in the past was Neuromancer, which String Zero takes after greatly. When the story focuses on cyberpunk and corporate espionage, it reminds of Gibson's work in all the right ways while carving an identity of its own (beyond the furry aspect). The MC is a foreigner whose culture has a massive impact on his standing in society and his relationships with the people closest to him. The fact that said fictional culture was made with consideration and skill, makes this FVN special. Had it been displayed more naturally more often, I would have more praise to give here.

String Zero was definitely not made for me, but I'm glad to have read it. From impressive presentation and quality writing, it should be perfect for furries who enjoy lore-heavy sci-fi stories.