When it came out back in 2020, it was unpleasant to see it bashed pretty early in development and devastating for it to go on hiatus. Of course, it had its flaws and wasn't perfect, yet I eagerly awaited its return. After years, it receives a revamp with new dialogue and scenes altered to fit the current narrative. Of course, mixed opinions would arise with the art direction, and at first, it wasn't a big deal for me, per se, but the sprites are mundane as they've lost the soul Adastra had. The cgs are decent at best, with some being magnificent and the rest looking unfinished, which could be a stylistic choice Haps is going for. I especially agree with some calling the sprites very Bara-like or flat out caricatures, but my optimism remained with the plot. With the new update, I'm torn if I should continue the story at all. One of the big mysteries within Adastra consists of Neferus' backstory, primarily why he's being punished and his true intentions. With high expectations and Neferu taking center stage in Khemia, you'd believe it to be climatic or a revelation to his character and getting an understanding of him. To put it briefly, when Neferu opens up about his past for his extremist behavior, it was underwhelming.
For how much build-up we had since found out about his hardship, and for Scipio's reaction to be so disconnected from the reveal was a total letdown. Mind you, the root of Scipio's resentment with Adastran's lower class is due to their violent, uneducated, prideful habits, and it's well established how it impacts him, including the attacks that haunt him throughout his journey. With this information, you'd expect Neferu's confession to trigger some kind of distaste, feel conflicted, or even a reassessment of trust. Instead, we get “Don't worry Neferu, I'd probably do the same”, like what?? You could argue his actions were about a decade old, so it doesn't have much of an impact on Scipio, but his wounds are fresh and are integral to his trauma. Negating it would also be saying “It's been like three years, get over it”.
I've seen some arguable takes if Scipio is even a good lead, often compared to Marco, but I possibly think Howly doesn't get Scipio as a character, as it consists of him not being put in a specific direction. If I'm going to be honest, there's so much more I could add as to why this scene irked me, even outside the topic, but this is the straw that broke the camels for me.