(The game is fully released, and the rating contains some light spoilers)

Z. A. T. O. // I Love the World and Everything In It is a visual novel I could best describe as Serial Experiments Lain, but in an alternate universe where she is Comrade Lain (which I don't think the creators would contest: Asya, the protagonist, looks so much like Lain that I initially thought it WAS her when seeing the promotional art).

Of course, Z. A. T. O. has more in common with Lain than some visual designs; themes of mental illness (particularly dissociative and psychotic disorders), dissolution of social relationships from societal constraints, and isolation. I'd circle isolation as the core theme - the game's title is the Russian acronym for "closed administrative–territorial formations", or as they are otherwise known: closed cities, of which one the game is set in. 

The writing is wonderful, managing to be beautiful in its prose while keeping to the perspective of a lonely, imaginative teen. In fact, I can't think of a story where its cast of teens feel more true to life. They're dealing with their lives, and traumas, with a mix of maturity and the naivety that simply comes with a lack of experience. The way Asya's delusions are written was heart wrenching, and unfortunately very realistic. To lightly touch on that aspect, she believes that her being isolated and treated horribly by her peers is a consequence of her being a bad person, and a punishment literally given to her by an anthropomorphized universe that doesn't even care about her small existence. She thanks the universe for it, constantly. 

And here is also why the narrative falters. There's a... reveal, let's call it, in the latter part of the story that I honestly think is harmful to the otherwise truthful depiction of her disorder. And I don't just mean harmful to the narrative (it is, although one could make the argument that it somewhat works in a vacuum), but to the people sharing what she is going through. 

The art works really well. Sprites are expressive and fit the 90s-00s anime aesthetic that's a clear inspiration. The backgrounds are messy, reflecting Asya's fragmented perception of the world. They are also used in very creative ways for the more psychological horror parts of the game. 

Sound effects are very sparse, but the soundscape makes up for it with a moody soundtrack I'd listen to when I just wanna vibe. 

In summary, Z. A. T. O. // I Love the World and Everything In It is a very competent visual novel in the vein of Weird Animes with its own personality, that I just think stumbles enough in the end to keep it from perfection. I still definitely recommend it, and other players may very well come out of it with different opinions!