OHHHHH THIS GAME !!!! WAS SO SO BEYOND GORGEOUS !!!! oh my god !!!!! I reallym really shouldn’t be in this much awe !!!! HAWUWHH 😭😭😭😭😭😭
I so, so beyond adored how alle & rutile's designs are perfect for uniquely-telling expressions !!!! It's always been so, so rare that I see designs that can so fluidly convey a wide range of emotions in a means that's respectful & unique to the character's personality and attitudes... and although it's always wonderful in each of your games,, these two were SO SO perfect at showcasing just how gorgeously it’s done !!!! 😭💜 I really enjoyed the noticeable difference, and the impact of the visibility of Alle’s face after the haircut, in her sprites !!! (I'm sure they are both also largely aided by being so, so cute, and having the most gorgeous design coherency & color palette !!! hhahuwhughguhu) – Your characters are always so stunning in a way I am too-lacking-in-vocabulary to describe,, and I can’t put into words how special and cherishable they always are.
I've always so, so incredibly adored your ability to tell a story through design alone -- and i was SO happy to see it so prevalent here !!! 😭😭💜 ; ; Alle's hair being reflective of her relationship w/ Rutile... Her eye being covered/not visible in the last cg again ; The way both of their hair curl in distinct ways (common idea, in a sense, but different renditions and means of obtaining it) ; The state (stained vs clean) & contrast (white against deep purple, versus faded black,) of their aprons against their outfits, – and even JUST the color and line work !!! WAS SO SO!!!!!!! – it's all SO so flawless!!! Forever !!!!! Your means of making designs unique is always so, so special-- it's SO !!!!! AHHUWUHGH 😭😭
The atmosphere was ! SO ! WONDERFUL, TOO !!!!! The evolution of it through the game was already so exceeding what I could've ever expected from its length,,, but the fact it was! so faultless ! at differentiating & distinguishing areas that were lived in and warm(? for lack of better word!!) , to ones that lacked that same warmth, without NEEDING to make an exceedingly stark and uncomfortable shift in color palette or design, was!!!!! SO GOOD !!!!! 😭 - It made everything so much more immersive and natural to grow attached to !!!!! 😭😭 – this is, not even to mention, even just the inclusion of everyday tasks and necessities !!! I think it really did contribute so, so much to the normalcy that was built, (like through the groceries,) – and the domesticity of it was so vital to make everything about it so much more easy to attach yourself to as a player !!!!!
I've always noticed that discussions of wealth or class or anything-within-those-categories in the media can tend to very, very often take a black and white perspective– so seeing how beautifully it was handled here was !!! SO AMAZING !!!! and wonderful ! and other equally kind synonymous words !!!! 😭💜😭💜 – I really did love how easy it is to, at least, sympathize with both Rutile *and* Alle’s circumstances and perspectives !! Even with minimal information on what Alle's background wholly is ,, the establishment of her as an other within the circumstances she grew up in (e.g her having dark brown hair, while her step sisters were blonde), and her lack of satisfaction in that life style, creates a perfectly-valid reason for her resentment and dislike of it !!
The way Rutile is wholly justified for her resentment of her circumstances is conveyed SO wonderfully too !!! Between having essentially nothing, and us having to actually watch her work so hard to get to where she at least wants to be… – it’s so incredibly easy to understand and see where the both of them come from!!!! Which really really does make them both such perfectly nuanced characters !!! -> NOT TO MENTION! The idea of them being in some sense the same in their desire for something they don’t have, and the means they use to get there…. It's SUCH smart writing !!! Your games always have such unique narratives compared to what I’ve seen a lot of other games, and media as a whole, choose to depict !!!!! And it’s so SO beyond enamoring !!!!!!! 😭😭😭💜💜
I've always so so deeply adored how you write and portray *any* sort of relationship or dynamics in your games.., and I could not be more genuine in saying that I have !!!! never seen such authentic and effortlessly complex depictions as the ones you create !!! 💜💜– (even if I were to be incredibly unaware and ignore the very specific undertones of their interactions,) even through the short interactions we get to actually playthrough, Rutile and Alle’s relationship is built so so perfectly,, the familiarity between your character is always so so sweet to see – and I really did love how you could see a difference in voice & tone between the seasons !!! The banter, the painting, the milkman conversation, (the usage of "we")..,, I really was so excited by the growth and development of their dynamic and relationship !!!!! 😭💜 spicayuri is real and true forever.... -> I was, also, so so in love with the (inherent) lack of understanding between alle and rutile, and how it manifested !! both subtly and explicitly, like in the conversation during the end !!! I always love how you write and explore foils & conflicting perspectives between characters… and I especially-especially love how you drew parallels between alle and rutile despite it !!!! character nuance is !!! SO fun !!!! – It takes so much skill and ability to write a dynamic where they can effectively interact, and have similar (in some manner) ideologies -- while still having polar means of having obtained and actually using them !!! I really really can’t fathom how much effort must go into it !!!! 😭😭💜
The way you build characters, by themselves, is always so intimate and lovely, too !!! 😭😭 I loved, loved, loved how Alle’s relationship with christmas, and the holidays is built up – and how it’s impact is shown thrown into the code of the lock box… I really loved the subtle differences between Rutile's internal dialogue and external dialogue – and how her attitude became more truthful to her method of thinking as time went on… it was ALL so !!!!!!!!!! AUGHWHHU!! 💜💜💜
All your endings are always so, so perfectly intimate and conclusive (in-whatever-form) to the stories you write, too - and i REALLY really did have to stare at my screen after my first playthrough !!! 😭😭 -> All of the ending CGs were !!! SO GORGEOUS !!! I've always been infatuated with how much emotions your cgs manage to convey, while staying unique to the stories of each game.. and the art this time around was SO !!! AHHUWHGUHHH !!! The background was so lovely, and I really really loved the linework and how it contributed to the very sudden shift in mood and tone… Especially with how stark it was to everything we’d been exposed to environment-wise, prior. The immediate contrast in the ending with the ballroom was SO excellent !!! too!!! ( > obviously. A lot of things also go without saying !!! like the little interactions and commentary from each of them !!! i always, always love how it makes them feel so much more real and beyond just characters !!! But i fear this would all become a bit too redundant if i brought it all up individually hahwuhauhu)
THE DETAILS !!! AND TIDBITS !!! PUT INTO THIS !!! WAS SO !!! AWUUHWHH !!! 💜💜💜💜 -> Seeing Scheele's green was so, so important.... I can't put into words how much it means to see ow much research and information is always put into your games !!! and the way it was placed into it here was SO !! It always speaks to so so much passion and care,!!!!!! and it makes these games so much easier to hold in a special place in my heart !!! 😭💜
I also so thoroughly loved how you could find some key or notable presence of green in almost every area/aspect of the house (especially with the house being surrounded by trees!! hello!!!) ... whether that was unintentional or not, it was so, SO perfect and even more haunting on the second playthrough !!!! Even with it being such a basic and fundamental color, seeing it be given such a heavy weight and presence was SO!!!! 😭😭😭😭💜
THE COOKING MINIGAME WAS !!! ALSO !!! SO FUN !!!!!!!!!!
aside! from all of that ! Your games are always something so so beyond lovely, and whatever words could hope to describe !!! I don't think I could be any more genuine in saying your games are beyond cherishable, and so so easy to think about and analyze forever !!! 😭😭💜💜 -- I've really loved seeing the new mechanics added to each game as they come out,, and it makes me so, so, so, so excited to see more !!!!!!!! I'm sure I'll replay this again, and be very, very excitedly awaiting whatever comes next !!!!!! :''') 💜