So, I can't remember if I've ever left a comment on this game before, but I'm going to leave one now, in any case.
I've been following this game since a little before step 3 released, I believe, and I've been in love with this game ever since. It's really exciting that we've finally gotten to the end, even if I only joined along the way.
I think what first made me fall in love with this game was the sheer customization of the main character. It's not just a game where you project onto the main character, you can literally be the main character. Of course, you also don't have to be, and the main character can be someone completely different. The game is all about your choices and what you want the experience to be, which in some ways was really refreshing.
Of course, that's not the only thing I love about the game. I think what really made me stick around was Cove Holden himself. I really enjoyed getting to know Cove in every step, and seeing how he changed as he got older, and being able to grow up alongside him. Plus, as someone who's autistic, it was really nice to see representation in the game, especially representation I found very relatable in a lot of ways. To be honest, I can't entirely put into words how much I really grew to care about Cove during the course of this game, but in every single playthrough, I can never bare not romancing him. He's just too lovable.
But Cove's not the only great character in the game, pretty much every single character I like. Even the ones I didn't like immediately, like Lizzie or Baxter, once I started to get to know them, they really grew on me. Though I have to say, I think my personal favorite has to be Cliff Holden, Cove's dad. Pretty much the moment you meet him, you can tell he's a character with his flaws, but you could always tell that he meant well. Certainly, he makes plenty of mistakes and missteps, but it's never out of a sense of maliciousness or anything like that. He just doesn't always think it through in his rush to make the people he cares about happy, and I really like his relationship with Kyra later on. How much you can tell they still care about each other, even if they don't want to be together anymore. I think it's really heart-warming how supportive he is of her and her new relationship.
In terms of the mechanics themselves, and the way we get to experience our life from childhood to adulthood, I really enjoy it. In childhood, I kind of had to grow up earlier than most, god knows how many times I was told how mature I was for my age, so it's really nice to be able to experience being a kid again, and getting to experience some things in this game that I wasn't able to in my actual childhood. As for the older teenage stages, it was really nice to sort of experience being a normal teenager. I ended up being homeschooled from 6th grade onward because of some stuff going on with the public school. It just hadn't been a good fit, but I felt like I missed out on some of the social stuff you'd normally get at those ages. So it was really rewarding, personally, to play through those stages. And of course, step 4 was a wonderful ending to the game, and it was so nice to see so many of the characters from across all parts come together at the end.
That's not to say there aren't some things I'm perhaps not fully satisfied with. Not that they're bad mind you, just maybe a little lacking. Keep in mind, most of these are things that have been improved on in OL2 already, so it's clear GBpatch already knows. My first one would be only being able to choose one set of pronouns, and therefore only being able to be male, female, or non-binary. Again, this is something that's already been improved upon in OL2, it's just slightly unfortunate when you're gender-fluid, like me. Another is definitely how the comfort level towards Cove isn't really just towards Cove, it's more like your characters general disposition. I always have to go with nervous, since I'm a very nervous and anxious person, but I tend to fall more into the relaxed or direct comfort levels when it comes to people I'm friends with or have crushes on. Of course, again, this is something that seems to already be improving in OL2. My last thing is that they made Cove just too lovable, I can't even consider trying out Derek or Baxter and seeing what they're all about, because my heart breaks at not forming that same bond with Cove. Unfortunately, it appears it's only going to get worse for me with Tamarack and Qiu in OL2. Damn you, GBpatch, and your nefarious ways!
Now, if you've gotten through the entirety of my lengthy review, or just scrolled down to see my final thoughts, here they are. If you're thinking about playing this game, you should. It's an amazing experience, and I highly recommend giving it a shot. Trust me, you won't regret it. If you're thinking about buying the dlc's, again, you should. They're well worth it, and they're wonderful additions to the game that help really maximize your experience. Plus, they help fund a very talented developer, who clearly puts a lot of care and attention into their games.
Lastly, to GBpatch themselves, thank you so much for making this game. It is one of the most enjoyable games I've ever played, and one I'm guaranteed to replay again and again, especially when I'm looking for some comfort. I wish you a lot of luck with both OL2 and your other projects, and I'm so excited to see where you go next.
Now go play the game, if you haven't already!