So, Distant Travels.
Sci-Fi FVNs are very rare and far between but they are pretty neat, Distant Travels however is amazing, it really tells a more grounded story, it has a slow start almost boring but it's very important for character and setting building, as the "About the Story" goes you play as your average Joe but compared to many other easy to project into protagonist (Self-Insert if you will) Alex (The default name for the MC) has a more relatable story and life situation, one many people can resonate with it even if they didn't went thru it. This and with a amazing supporting cast of characters really makes you feel at home, at a familiar place and it does in one the most natural ways possible.
That coupled with the amazing presentation this game have, with a whole soundtrack made by Camazule which really hits the Sci-Fi vibe and the romantic tensions in the musics pretty well and one of the best UIs and transitions in the VN space, it might seem odd to praise those things but it really helps immerse yourself and those little extra touches add on, it really shows how much passion was put on this project alone.
With that out of the way let's talk about the actual VN story, warning for some minor spoilers and a big one I will leave for John's part.
The main plot is not that uncommon, aliens seeking help for a human to deal with a problem is not exactly new but not too cliche, I will say it's niche and nice. If you played like the SNES JRPG Star Ocean then you might feel some similarities, well minus the time travel... for now, maybe (?). The MC, you, is not that special and to be honest your job is crucial but not "Oh you are the chosen one and only can save us" kinda of story which is very nice, is very easy to make Player and Character driven stories focus on much much the Player is important so seeing one where you are somewhat special but also not the selected one it's very nice.
The game gives a lot of choices to mold the personality of the MC so that helps a lot of exploring choices and knowing more about the world and the characters. The game really let's you feel more in control of your choices with a lot of moments taking input from the player. The story is fairly grounded as I mentioned before and there is a logical line you can follow easily on how things start, are right now and where they are going.
Now about the 3 route characters, Mike, Charles and... John. I will be honest here and say 3 routes is a lot of less then you would expect from a VN, I would say 5 is the average route numbers usually in those game, said that I don't mind it, sure is less characters to pursue however I feel like the intensity of the routes are higher, like the author made less options so they feel more meaningful and unique so here is my overview of each one:
Charles (The Tiger one): Charles route sadly at this writing has not really started, it ends right bit after of the route selection which is a bummer but from what is in the game so far I have high expectations from him, he has this more romantic and philosophic air but also very into more of this specific VN world building and technology, so tho I can't say much about him now I really hope we get to see more him.
Mike (The Bear one): Mike you typical main love interest of many VNs, he is good overall, not any bad or concerning quality that makes him undesirable and he is pretty respectful to the player, some might see him as a bland guy at first but I really cannot stress how much there is to unpack with him, the water is deep with this one but it's worth the dive.
Now... John (The Badger one): I will not beat around the bush here and say John is my by far one my favorite characters of all times and number one for this story, I will not try to give a unbiased opinion about him, everything you read here is how I feel about him, also I might delve into some spoilers so If you are reading this part I recommend skipping and I meant it because it's really good to go blind with him. That being said John is a flirty character which to some might be a red flag in this genre of story but please give him a chance, he might sound a bit dirty and lewd but John is just way more forward with his feelings which can be a bit overwhelming at times and sometimes feels like being loved bombed but I assure you John does respect everyone around him specially the MC and unlike many other characters who can get touchy and inappropriate John never crosses the line, some jokes might be a tad too much but he never lays a finger on the MC without it's explicit consent and I really love that for a character who is could just be another horny ball. Another point I want to talk about John is how much he takes your opinions and word in consideration, he never dismisses your feelings or tell you how to act, he really is trying to be there for you and it's very sweet, John also has more then just good flirty and come backs, this is a bit of a personal view of him but he might have some hard time actually connecting with people and he pushes people away because he does not know how to act besides being flirty, he seeks companionship but I don't think he can a companion for now, maybe with your help he can find exactly what both of you are looking for. On another note there is sex on his route and I will say is the best sex scene I seen written, it's not a romantic "consummating" sex or just a fling controlled by lustful impulses, it felt like 2 friends having a nice sex, a fun sex, not a meaningless one but also not one that demands answers, it's natural and fun, it really changed me how to see sex in VNs are more then just either an act of intense love or lust, it showed it can be bit of both, a sex that you remember but does not bind you.
With all that said I am very excited to see what more this story has in store. It's on my favorite FVNs and I know the project development is slow and I will say this, I hope Grunt takes his time, it's a passion project and it really shows, the fact the whole thing is for free it's a steal and I hope the whole DT team can put their dreams into reality. In all that I really recommend giving it a try.