I can see the vision, but I’m not sure about the execution. It’s great that you gamified the VN. I’m all for it. The idea of including an interactive section is good to add a new engaging experience. If you play it right, it will make the VN more immersive.
You took the gamble on putting so many mechanics, but I’m afraid they don’t all land where they should be. The concept of navigating a maze and piecing together memories marries well, but boy I had such a hard time, it wasn’t fun anymore. The ever-changing orientation of the compass (and everything) was very disorienting. It took away the experience instead of adding to it. Further, I don’t know if it’s an oversight, but it seems like skipping the maze skips the entire memories altogether? I don’t think that’s a good idea if the bits are integral to the whole story. After all, first and foremost, it’s a novel.
As a reader, I think I should spend more time digesting the story, getting immersed in the characters’ emotions, but instead, most of my energy is spent on trying to progress. Felt like Dark Souls but VN, except people actually expect and like got beaten to death playing DS, and, y’know, read when playing VN. Maybe the experience could be remedied by having thicker slices of the story, including the memory bits. That way it could feel more rewarding. The writing could also use some refining, making it less blunt. For some reason, even getting the true ending did not excite me that much since the struggle to solve the puzzle and figuring out the wolf’s name upset the experience.
Really appreciate the ambition to tell the story beyond the words, but alas it’s not perfect. The whole concept and plotline are cool. I can see the effort put into the project. Despite the flaws, it’s still a job well done.