Hi Lapis!
Thank you so much for the in-depth review! It means a lot to me that you are enjoying it so far and are able to play it mostly without issue (hopefully)!!
Just to answer some of your questions: Yes, the tone shift was on purpose. The OG title screen you see is also only there if you do NOT have any Saves, so it is supposed to give off cozy-vibes at first to later turn into more psychological horror or mystery! It’s supposed to be confusing and kind of unsettling in a sense.
In regards to the RPG vs Psychological/Visual Novel aspect, I wanted to tie in both elements. However, battling will be a very minor element to the overall story. It’s basically for bosses and story progression, rather than to make the game more difficult long-term. I hope this makes sense?
Thank you so much again for your review!!!