The way I had to look up obtumescent too... my pride is wounded...
This was so fun!! Stylistically the vibes are very similar to the developer's previous title, Let's Misbehave, with its opulent UI, fashionably dapper characters, and stylishly slick prose. The concept of the game is exactly up my alley, and overall it's very well put together from the beautiful backgrounds/sprites/art to the music/VA to the spotlessly immersive script (and I'm always here for some Asian American rep!!! 🙌) (The tooltips were also very interesting!! I only knew a few of the words, and I picked up quite a bit of slang)
While the mystery itself is intriguing, the relationship between Piper and Julian is really the highlight here. Piper is a very fun and relatable MC to follow - a spunky and clever young woman who's trying to make her way up the ladder in a man's world. Julian is a perfect Watson for her - intelligent and blunt and level-headed. I really liked seeing their friendly teasing banter.
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The relationship between the two of them was also surprisingly heartfelt. I like how Julian supported Piper through her insecurities to have more confidence in herself and her abilities. It was very sweet and felt very mature as well. Even though this is a mystery/romance, the story also felt a lot like a coming of age tale for Piper.
I also appreciated the two endings! I like how neither felt significantly "worse" than the other - whether Piper and Julian start traveling together or just stay pen-pals, the time they spent together was worthwhile. I always appreciate when "friendship" endings feel satisfying like this (okay I write romance games too, but platonic friendships between men and women??? peak)
Overall the entire team did a great job, fantastic work!