I've played approximately 25 visual novels on itch.io, and Arcade Spirits is in the top 5, without a doubt. Each character had a personality that was fully fleshed out (Hamza was one of my favorites, I can't deny), which made emotional attachments that much easier to develop.
This VN really went the extra mile, adding shocking and unexpected events that completely changed the direction of the game, and prompted additional chapters. Nothing felt forced.
I think the best aspect of Arcade Spirits is that, while playing, it feels that the story was written before it was a VN, and then all the game aspects, choices, etc., were molded to the story. This is really hard to accomplish, and most VNs don't pull it off.
Even though this was $20, it was worth it. 5/5