Ending code to make it eternal: GNVPACMJAXKTMNRTW
The battles in Cliff's quest a bit silly since the telegraphs are all the same. I'd already learned the codes with the weakest enemy, so I perfected the strongest one. Harder foe ought to have different sentences, and multiple sentences for the same action so you're actually thrown for a loop if you can't read into what you're seeing.
Much more interesting than the fights was the "fight" with Ward, and seeing how the character I'd built could say this, or couldn't say that. A much more interesting use of the game's personality system in the gameplay. That was the only such encounter in my playthrough, but I hope there's more of it somewhere.
The Cliff sidequest is a design nightmare, a puzzle where I'm supposed to read the dev's mind to have a chance to get started isn't pleasant at all. When I was almost out I decided to just type in rick, and got the hint to start with talking about the band. I'd argue that hint should be there from the get-go, but to be honest a typing section as a whole when the hole game is picking choices feels pretty random and pointless. Selections that branch out and you have to guess which conversation path leads to what you seek is much more intuitive than the guessing game with a chance to fail because you let a typo in. Different gameplay with no takes backs and no warming up period is just stress.
The story is a bit fun, but characters mostly just get their actions described and feel pretty flat. Clicking on a name to get a profile, a description, a portrait, what events you've been through with this person already, would be welcome. The outlines of characters are pretty interesting, and with enough work there's actually something to bite into. Rick I feel nothing for, Cliff under the correct anime filter looks good, the quest with Doug and completing a song together can be good with the correct investment in the character and relationship dynamics. Lindsay I quite like the concept of her being the artist behind the persona, and you being the actor inside her art. This relationship has the most potential of all, and I'd like this explored. Fatal Requiem is told to me matters, but I never felt anything for it, or for winning Sylvia's respect. Needs more setup to be meaningful. Ellen I had three encounters; one I asked her out and she rejected me. The second, she was busy and didn't talk to me. The third, I flirted with her as the raven. Somehow, after this nothing, she ends up my girlfriend and adapts her fashion to me. I felt more chemistry with Lindsay than her. She didn't get a mini-event of worth of interactions, but somehow turned into a trophy. I think it's very cheap and uninteresting to have such a relationship in.
Alignment, Suspicion and Stress never felt like something I should care about, nor that I could control. Easy to have a vague idea of what will increase the band's reputation and suspicion, but alignment and stress go up and down tremendously or trivially under a logic system that is beyond me. Personality traits are the only parameters that felt relevant, as some choices were grayed out in dialogues.
No music in a band sim and no visuals for the raven that is the main pillar of the main story makes the tale very hard to get behind. Music is a tough hurdle, but very necessary so Valravyn and Fatal Requiem actually exist emotionally within me, and what the raven looks like is relevant for me to become invested in the character.
I provoked the Trinity girl, and there was no event in the Halloween show, nor was there any encounters with her group except for finding their pamphlets. In this story without a clear foil, as even your parents are supportive once you leak it to them, their role is evident, but not present. Bullying is done by faceless nameless irrelevant beings, so even if you solve the issue, it was mostly told and never shown or felt. If at least either had a real face, what you're fighting for and against would be solidified, but, as is, it's just a smooth sail where you're told you used to be a nervous wreck but got confident, without having any dialogue lines to back up neither the former nor the latter.
Most of the experience felt like going through the sparknotes of a novel, rather than reading it. It was interesting enough to make me think "maybe I should read this novel," but not to come out of it thinking "I just read a good novel."
PS: Would you happen to like Detroit Metal City?