I thought this game was OK. I really love the games this one is inspired by, so I was expecting more investigative elements rather than a pure visual novel experience. Overall, though, I felt like the narrative was kind of weak:
- I genuinely really liked the paranoid picture-taking Takaya had adapted in order to keep track of his "curse". However, it felt like after he discovered his dead body, we just gave up on the camera entirely. I wish he had continued to take his daily photos, to be honest. Even though he's aware how his "curse" works, we as the player are not. So, it felt like such a misstep to not describe his thought process to us.
- On top of that: We don't get much inner monologue from Takaya. When he figures things out, it's completely separate from us, the Player. For example: The Chess Puzzle. I did not feel like I won or was even given a chance to solve it.
- The school setting seems like it's more in the way than anything. The setting could've been in a hotel and have the same storybeats with less fluff. It honestly felt like all the information we collected could have been gleamed in 1-2 days if we were given more control to question NPCs, etc.
- In that respect, after the Prologue, we weren't given any choices or puzzles at all.
- The pacing was so fast & awkward. Most times, we'd get absolutely no information & information we did get felt out-of-place (like Yui's stalker). Despite Takaya probably having gained information for his Aunt before, his character felt more obtuse than sly.
- Black Ribbon, Black Swan connection was a stretch at best!
I did enjoy the game, but it definitely needs to work on strengthening its narrative, upping its stakes, & solidifying its cast of characters. Only after that would I recommend working on the minigame & puzzle aspects. Right now, it feels unfocused, but I'm looking forward to how the dev develops the story further!
For my initial reaction, you can find my VOD here (timestamps available):