So I finished the game, it was a really cool experience overall. Here is my full thought about it.
- The art is amazing. Characters, background, objects, everything is just so gorgeous I was really lost in it. It really had a lot to the game and helps create this unique atmosphere so perfect.
- Beautiful UI and
animation. I was really mesmerized by all the detail in the
direction, the ui art is clean and very pretty, I loved everything
about it, it help highlighting the art and give more life to the game, really great work, being a dev myself I am impressed !
- The characters
were all very nice and well written with all their own personnality, even the "bad guy" was more complex than it seems at first glance.
- The story : SPOILER
Too much food. Really, there was a point where all the story was about food. Eating, preparing meal, chasing, going on a picnic, candies… I am not going to lie, I ended up skipping some food scenes because I was really annoyed to see more of it, it feels really redundant especially packed like this. But then, SHIT HAPPENS. The last third of the game is really catch breathing with all the slow build up of mistery being released in a beautiful and intense final.
The only other things that bothered me was the MC being homesick during a long time at the begining. It annoyed me because, as a player, I had no clue why she would miss her family so much since we had no memory of them (in the prologue neither in flashback or just one at the end if I remember correctly.) The only thing I really know about the family was :
- Father so annoyed to have a girl at the point she decided her own name.
- Starving / not really well treated.
I kinda get the fact, she actually enjoy spending time with her sisters and mother but it’s never really shown, so we never get a chance to get attach to her family, and so, to understand her wish to go back on this village after they treated her so poorly.
END OF SPOILER
Overall I really liked the game, the mistery really catch me and I wanted to know more, had my share of (wrong) guessing, and never felt like it was stupid so that’s the really good point. I missed the true ending with Ai first playthrough but I manage to get it and I was happy because it does feel much more like a good ending (even is the first one was more bittersweet than sad). Little hint for those who struggle like me to get the true ending : don’t ignore the girl you don’t want to date :p
So in the end
besides the food scenes becoming redundant it was a really good
experience, with mesmerizing graphics and lovely characters, I
recommand the game to anyone willing to dwell in the asian culture.
Thank you a game for this really great game
Ayael