I just finished the most recent version of Ken's route and wanted to share some thoughts on this visual novel as I can't stop thinking about it.
Before I begin I just want to note that I first downloaded this game about a year ago, tried Ken's route, got traumatized and put off by his abrasive personality, and since the game was at such an early stage I kind of left it in the dust.
For some reason the game popped into my head again recently and I saw it had received quite a few updates. I sighed, braced myself and gave it another go. And thank fuck I did.
Although I've only played Ken's route so far (as he is by far the most intriguing character to me as a new player) I am already impressed by the themes, genres, art and writing styles, and the clever use of simple techniques to make the experience more interesting. I just want to break down my thoughts here before I try any of the other characters.
1. Overall narrative and writing style
I think a lot of people gravitate to this VN because it blends horror, romance, trauma, humour and what appear to be genuine, human struggles. I am actually impressed by how well the different themes and genres mix together, even if the game leaves me traumatized and thoughtful at times.
One thing I particularly like is the pacing and the "show, not tell" philosophy. I like that the writing takes its time to not only establish characters and scenes, but also spend just the right amount of time on them - many VNs tend to either rush through their story, or linger on certain moments for no good reason.
Another thing I really like is how the story always keeps me on my toes and while some scenes and characters are distracting, others are disorienting in a very satisfying way, implying there's a greater mystery and horror to the narrative. The mystery and supernatural aspects elevate the story and I'm genuinely curious where it's gonna go.
What I don't like about the story is how side characters from Grey's past seem thrust into it - it feels jarring, even if it starts to make sense down the line. I totally understand that the story is meant to make sense after playing all routes, but taken in isolation the experience can be disorienting. For that matter I'd say the story could have been a bit more concise and some of the extra characters feel a little unnecessary or superfluous (at this stage anyway). I totally get this is a big, sprawling story across time and space, but I feel like the cast and the writing could have been a bit tighter for more impact (sorry but I mostly don't care about the New Orleans characters :( )
Nevertheless, I think this is probably one of the best furry/BL VNs I've read, ever. I'm so pleasantly surprised to see such mature and interesting narrative choices, at times I'm genuinely hooked and can't wait to see what happens next. Good job!
2. Characters and choices
As I've said I only ever played Ken's route (for now) but I think I've a good understanding of the quality of the character writing.
First of all, Grey is probably one of the most interesting VN protagonists, at times a bit too interesting perhaps. I love that he has his own baggage, his own mistakes, his own flaws, virtues and vices - I really feel like I'm "roleplaying" as a Possum with a fleshed out personality. Unfortunately at times I feel like his own backstory interrupts the flow of the romance/dating route and it feels like we are forced to interact with story content that doesn't feel very relevant, even if it becomes moreso as we play along. I think this is just a personal preference, but again: character count could be tighter.
I also like the choice of making Grey bisexual (did not expect that, I think it's cool) and allowing him to befriend his romance options. I swear, between Ken's two scenes in the last update I genuinely think the friend choice is so much sweeter and more heartfelt, and leaves the door open for romance developing in the future. It somehow feels more appropriate for Ken, even if I absolutely think Grey loves him as more than a friend.
The friend choice also deeply resonated with me as I have a similar relationship with my best friend - we are intensely intimate and trust each other, and we've even fooled around, even if he's straight. It's a very strange but ultimately pure relationship in its honesty, simplicity and intimacy. In this regard, you completely nailed how one becomes best friends with a bicurious straight guy.
The other characters are all very well-written and I like how layered they are - especially the love interests. I've already skimmed some of the other comments and am happy to see that Ken's not the only "fucked up" and multi-faceted character. I genuinely think your sense of character depth is really good, without overwhelming the player/reader in the early parts of the routes.
The last thing I want to mention is choices. VNs often run into a problem here: you want to give the player some choices, but they often feel superfluous and obvious. This isn't entirely the case with Burrows, but let's just say that while some choices were very impactful, others felt very "meh". I know writing branching storylines is very hard so this is honestly not a big issue for me, but I wanted to mention it. I play VNs primarily as linear stories, just because I know that they're often designed with "good choice vs bad/stupid choice" in mind, and if there is ever a branching path it's easy to experience both branches with a quick replay. So I'm not super bothered, but wanted to mention it.
Also a quick side note: I feel like Grey should have more dramatic reactions to technologies and lifestyles in the different routes. He's literally a time traveler (in a way) so I'd definitely emphasize his shock at seeing certaint things!
3. Art style
I love your art style. I really do. It's very dreamlike and painterly while still remaining defined and readable enough. I like the colours, I like the choice of scenes for the art, I like the variety of angles and aesthetic choices. Visual novels live and die by the art they present so this is obviously a critical point for many players - and in your case the art is just superb! I am always excited when a new CG appears, whether it's a story scene, a sex scene, or a horror piece. All work really well, though I've a particular weakness for the dream sequences.
My only criticism is I wish I had a way of "sorting" the CGs in the album, at the very least between SW and NSW, or in other categories.
4. Presentation and creative direction
What makes Burrows so memorable for me is really two things: the great UI and the small animations.
I really can't stress enough how the UI can elevate a visual novel (I'm a UI designer myself and really value people putting effort into that). It's really cool that we can see a timeline of all the events in the story (implying all routes are interconnected/important), and that we get auxiliary content in the form of notes or photographs. I like the overall aesthetic, usability and content in the UI/systems and I'm looking forward to you polishing them further.
The animations and sounds are what makes this VN such an engaging experience. I'm not gonna lie: I sometimes get bored playing VNs as sprites cycle through the same set of poses and I read individual text lines as opposed to blocks of text (which would be more comfortable as a reading experience). So forgive me if I get super excited when I see the developers taking the time to actually time text responses and animate them based on the dialogue. So. Fucking. COOL.
It's something so simple yet so effective. Make certain words/characters bounce or tremble. Make the game delay a line delivery to show a real pause in the conversation (btw at first I thought I had to click, but then I learned these are intended pauses). Pan the camera sideways or upwards on a CG, creating movement and dynamism. Fuck, add poetry and music as well while you're at it!
(also the sound effects are fire, especially in the horror scenes)
I'm genuinely delighted and entertained by all the small touches both in regular dialogue lines and special CG moments - something as small as camera movement/panning and text animation can make the experience just so much more engaging. When things on my screen are moving and conveying something my brain is instantly rewarded with a hit of dopamine and I'm instantly refocused on the content. This means I generally don't rush through any dialogues and actually enjoy the intended pace of the delivery, like a play. I love this, I wish more visual novels would do this. It's something so small, yet so impactful.
Also, how dare you guys put actually good music and even a real performance in the game?!
Final verdict:
Yeah this is good. I can't wait to play more and goddamit Ken is my baby and all the trauma and abuse I suffered through were 100% vindicated and justified. The payoff was worth it. He's my kitty and I'd do anything for him!
10/10 I can't wait to also get traumatized by the other love interests.