Adorable, I got so invested in the story. My first (and so far only) playthrough took me 22 hours (might have left the game running for a bit lol).
I have a lot to say, so, please if you awesome developers are reading this, I just want to thank you for this awesome, beautiful game. Now, lets get onto my nonsensical rambles.
1. The scenery:
I could not- not talk about the setting. I love how you set the scene of the cozy, little beach town. It instantly made me feel comforted and relaxed. The player family's house is beautifully decorated with it's sort of minimalist-modernish style. And I absolutely loved the player's room in all of it's iterations. Cove and his father's house is just, so... them... Idk, it just felt right for them and reflected both of their (generally) chill and relaxed natures while showing off their inner interests. Lastly is basically everything else about Sunset Bird.
The hill? A wonderful place for characters to often hang out and share deep feelings.
The shops? Lovely. They helped to elaborate on the bustling (but somehow comforting?) town vibe.
All in all, a stunning and gorgeous setting for the game.
2. The writing:
The writing is hands-down phenomenal. I didn't think I could get so attached to characters purely based on their dialogue. I truly felt that every character had their own unique style of talking and interacting with the player. The scenarios brought up were just magnified by the lovely writing. I laughed, I cried, I personally had so much fun with this in general.
3. The characters:
Oh. My. Gosh.
Where can I even start?
I could honestly sit here and analyze every character in-depth, talking about things I liked (or didn't) about them, but we both know we don't have that kind of time ;] So I'll break it up for you.
- player's family I genuinely LOVED the players family and each member's unique traits and personalities. I 100% love and respect the decision to make the player's family a same-sex couple and loved how supporting and adorable Ma and Mom are. Liz is such a relatable older sister (I can relate obviously as I am one) and even if she comes off as bossy and rude at first, you know she loves you. I love how Liz's relationship with the player can evolve of over time and eventually you both can obtain a healthy, adult relationship. 10/10, adorable family, loving parents, great sibling.
- cove's family The Holdens have such an interesting dynamic, and to be honest, I love it. Cliff is a great dad, even if he has a tendency to go overboard while trying to make his family and friends happy. Cove's mom is a genuine stereotypical clingy-ish mom and I absolutely adore it. I love Cove and her dynamic, how he acts like he doesn't care or is embarrassed when everyone knows he likes it. And lastly, Cove? well, I feel like he needs a segment of his own, so we'll get back to him. 10/10 cause their dynamic is so interesting.
- friends and everyone else Each and every group of new friends instantly got reimbursed in the characters. I always got a bit sad when some of them didn't stick around, but all in all, they added so much to the story and added many conflicts, twists and so many feels. I wish I had focused on more than Cove in my first playthrough (Though I can't complain, the ending I got was pretty sweet) and was able to better into the lives of the various friends and acquaintances I met along the way. 10/8 cause I didn't get to hang out with them enough!
- cove When I first met Cove, I was instantly interested in his character. His character design was stunning and different. He instantly stuck out from anything I had seen thus-far (hadn't seen that much, but still-). Cove's quiet, wholesome and emotional personality got me so hooked on wanting my character to interact with him and learn more about him. As a child he is quiet, just getting to know the player. Later on, since I went on the crush route, his little awkward baby-teen romance interactions were absolutely adorable. Lastly, I loved how fleshed out he ending up being and how well the player and Cove were able to mesh together and hang out. 10/10 for his adorable wholesomeness and awkwardness.
Final Thoughts:
This game is a true testament to what visual novels can really be, the customization, story, scenes, and characters are just on a completely different level and I applaud everyone for making this fantastic game. I look forward for the next part to come out and home this can really thrive ^^