Not sure what happened to my review, or if I actually didnt put one up after deleting my first one a few years back. However, I decide to make a repost of my opinions, both personal and professional in my capacity as a fellow writer, especially after plenty of time has passed since the review bombings of late 2020.

Let's start with what is to like about this VN: First up for me would be the cultural themes. They are really well done and a fine use for 'visual' novels, although the artwork could be a little better.

I am a fan of many histories, including Greek. Be it Hercules, Alexander, or Achilles, there is something very charming about ancient Greek culture and stories and their depiction of masculinity. I can just feel it in the story, and applaud you for nailing the feeling down!

I am also a fan of the choices you made for the reader. Echo was my first VN I experienced, and the unexpectedness yet logical outcomes was something that forever shifted my expectations (in a good way). This VN does the same, and doesn't hold back any punches by making any of them easy.

The writing is almost flawless. It does lack poetics, which I greatly appreciate as a poet myself, but nonetheless, it is clear and accomplishes what needs to be said without being a chore to read through. 4.9/5.

Moving on to what needs work: Although I praised the choices, my only gripe is the replayability. Even a sadistic person wouldn't like how things are turning out if you picked the worst choices- which means this game was MEANT to be played following the "right" choices. In which case why bother offering choices at all? All it does is give chances for the reader to unintentionally choose wrong and ruins the way it ought to be played. That's not a fair way of getting replayability.

I also like to analyze stories much like how a psychologist might like to analyze dreams; They have deeper meanings than what they represent on the surface. Quite frankly, Minotaur Hotel is disgusting in that regard. And no, I am not over thinking this. The biggest gripe is the power imbalance between the MC and Asterion, and how that dynamic was addressed/balanced (with the arm band), and subsequent 'new' (almost bipolar) mood Asterion finds himself in. There is major white savior complex going on here.

Speaking of that, this doesnt suit my generational sensibilities. I think promiscuous people are creepy, especially if you ever encountered one IRL. I look for serious relationships rather than 1 night stands like a truck driver/gryphon. I understand you want to 'try everything' after coming out of a very dark closet, but that isn't healthy, relationshipwise or STDwise. Although not every character is as promiscuous, you do lack the sensibilities of GenZ and, rather bluntly, a normal person with healthy relationship boundaries and expectations, as it is hinted from time to time. It had its time in the 60s and 70s, but gay people arent nearly oppressed as much anymore and don't have to eat like theyre starving anymore.

A more normal criticism to see in a review would be this: You spend too much time on the new characters. This is supposed to be 'Minotaur' not 'Peacock' Hotel. I found it too much of a waste of time to be spending away from the MC, especially when there are so many neat writing tricks to give exposition if an important moment happens that we need the context for. You did this excellently with luke/kota, guests, and even the new one we get to pick (guard/cook/accountant). However, P and Storm take over the whole story and soak up so much of the readers time without really adding anything important to the story. You could have skipped all of it and introduced them in a much more brief way or used flashbacks of moments, rather than make a whole segment for them.

The MC could have been a little more ambitious with the magic system within the labyrinth, so I am a bit sad we don't get to explore that much. Then again, materialism and instant gratification is another flaw of the author I found disturbing, and I doubt the ideas they could come up with would impress me rather than freak me out more than I already am.

Overall, I like the initial idea and cultural themes that were touched upon in this story. However, the moment you dig any deeper you encounter a slew of problems that is more reflective of the writer than the story. It's creepy in the same sense of eating a cupcake made by a prisoner. Tastes and looks is just fine, but not something I would proudly nourish my body(mind) with now that I know what the creator is actually like. If you do not pick up on these things, then it is a nicely written and I'd sound like a moron right now, however if youre of the opinion "power attracts the corrupt" you'd know what I mean when I say the author creeps me out with what he chooses to explore and use in the story.

This isn't some kind of review bomb or revenge thing. I just remembered that drama after all this new stuff with Echo and wanted to see my review that I thought I reposted like a year ago. I absolutely do remember deleting it once 4 years ago or so, when I wrote it and left a 1-2 star before FBTW was even a thing. Yup, I reverse review bombed you in solidarity against Kael by deleting my negative review when that drama came out... Only to find it just recently that Jericho took it out of context and this VN was never in any real danger of being review bombed until after Kael spilled his guts out about being bullied by other creators and their communities, though whose fault was that really? Im going to put things as they were, pre-drama. Oh how the past comes back to haunt, and how much wiser I have grown since then.