This was just the perfect blend of mystery, romance, and supernatural horror that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time as the suspense built throughout the 7 days. It's superbly written and well-crafted.
As a faced MC enjoyer, I LOVED Aspen. The opening sequence characterizes them extremely well in just a few short sentences, and they're sympathetic and relatable. Throughout the story, Aspen is a likeable protagonist that you can root for. I especially enjoyed seeing their analytical side when they start puzzling out the "mystery" and the various facets to their personality in the different endings. They have a lot of pluck and guts, and despite their differing actions in the three endings I continued cheering them on.
Crowe is EXTREMELY charming. He's naturally affable and adorably awkward, and the way that he shifts from being awkward to menacing is simply bone-chilling. The way that the dialogue maneuvers between showing you different aspects of Crowe's background/perosnality is very smooth and seamless.
The writing is very good, especially the dialogue. It's natural, and Crowe and Aspen have a really nice chemistry together (especially when you choose to be "flirtatious" towards him). I appreciated how the dynamic between them changes slightly depending on how Aspen treats Crowe - whether it's cold, polite, or more comfortable. I also really enjoyed the worldbuilding here, how tidbits of information about the setting, Crowe's work, and plantlife are naturally incorporated into the dialogue. It gives the script a lot of liveliness and makes the world feel truly "alive."
(The food descriptions and illustrations are really good? They all have my mouth watering, and I love how the food stays in-line with your dietary choice at the beginning of the game, wonderful attention to detail.)
The general atmosphere is PERFECT. I loved the music, and the snowy backgrounds really set the scene. The contrast of the black crows with the red eyes against the white, snowy landscape is a beautiful, haunting picture. All of the art is gorgeous. I especially loved the sprites, which are wonderfully expressive. (Crowe's original sprite was also gorgeous, but I love the sheer amount of details in his updated sprite - the patchwork jacket, the messy hair, the feather necklace - it adds so much characterization.) I really loved the "more dramatic" expressions too, including Aspen's freaked out sprite and their gremlin sprite. The CGs have a very textured quality to the way that the art is rendered that makes the CG scenes feel especially raw and emotional.
===SPOILERS FROM HERE ON===
The way the endings are set up is very clever, and I really love the theme of "connection" that are built through them. I appreciate that the endings are NOT determined by how Crowe feels towards you; rather, they're determined by how Aspen feels towards Crowe - whether you choose to trust him or not, and whether you decide to persuade him to join your way of life or if you decide to adopt his instead.
All of the endings were satisfying in their own way, and I would have gladly accepted any one of them as an ending if this were kinetic. The comments about the "nature of love" during the "yandere ending" were intriguing indeed - is this love, or is this just obsession? And is there a difference? I think that the other two endings show that there is indeed a difference, as Aspen develops a meaningful connection with Crowe and becomes his partner rather than his victim. I like how the "Sweet" and the "Twisted" endings, while seemingly opposed at first glance, are fundamentally the same - Aspen, having trusted Crowe, reconciles with him, with the difference being whether Aspen accepts Crowe's way of life or convinces him to adopt a healthier mindset. I particularly appreciated the Sweet ending, where it is clear that, while Aspen has convinced Crowe to abandon his unhealthy ways, Crowe has also convinced Aspen to do the same - abandoning the job they hate in favor of a future that they really want.
I especially appreciated the symbolism of the eyes in the two endings. In Twisted, Aspen's eyes turn red - symbolizing how they have adopted Crowe's warped POV. And in Sweet, Crowe's eyes return to the way that they were - symbolizing how he adopts Aspen's slightly healthier perspective.
Overall, this is an INCREDIBLE game - an intriguing mystery with well-written romance and fascinating worldbuilding. I really enjoyed playing this!