Ohhh, it was so nice meeting the characters after first learning about them! The aesthetic of the game is so fitting; it's very bright, sparkly, fairytale-esque, a bit surreal - the color choices are reminiscent of solar bodies such as nebulas/galaxies, and the music is tender and a bit dreamlike. The artwork is fantastic, particularly the rendering on the face, hair, and blanket, and I enjoyed the way the CG was animated with zooms/blurs/varying backgrounds to make it more dynamic. Although the game is short, Arcturus and Araceli are both very well characterized within it. You really get the "fairytale" vibe from the two of them, and the strength and authenticity of their bond is palpable.
Since the game is fairly short, I'll put all my discussion below, since it basically reveals the plot of the game. NOTE that my discussion below also contains some information about the main game that is not discussed in this entry.
SPOILERS FOR THE GAME
I really enjoyed the genuine, honest, and authentic conversation between Arcturus and Araceli. It does a good job of introducing you to the characters and making you invested in their relationship, and I think that Araceli's apprehension at taking this new step was quite relatable. Her thoughts actually reminded me a lot of "Kissing Snow White" (very strong asexual/demisexual/graysexual vibes!) I really liked Araceli's arc, seeing her gaining confidence and growing more comfortable with progressing their relationship.
It's a little hard to judge since admittedly I know the basic premise of this story already LOL but I do think that this game does a good job of hinting what MSL will be about, without giving too much away. The game did a good job of being satisfying on its own (resolving Araceli's arc regarding intimacy), while also leaving a lot of unresolved mysteries regarding the overall plot with the time travel and the mysterious voice that appears in the final loop.
The final loop is VERY intriguing. Noah's voice acting is fantastic and adds so much to the delivery of the monologue! The villain reveals that his philosophy is similar to that of Araceli, but he also reiterates that they are opposed. I wonder if the villain's goal is to trap Araceli and Arcturus in a time loop until they both turn into stardust for each other - to cement their love as eternal through these acts of sacrifice? (Kind of wonder how he'll react to Yale then LOL) I love the distorted track that's used for the start menu during the last loop; it's beautiful and atmospheric, while giving a slightly creepy/offputting vibe.
The changes to the start menu with every "loop" were very well done, with a lot of attention to detail placed into each iteration (from what I could tell, the image, music, and name of the start menu button all change each time). It's interesting how, after you play the final loop, the start menu returns to color (albeit a much darker color palette than the yellow present in the second iteration), even though the caption "She will be eternal" is pretty ominous LOL
Overall, this was a very intriguing introduction to the characters of MSL, and a lovely birthday present! :)