itch.io

Of these types of games, this one was surprisingly good. I came in with low expectations as most of these games are underwhelming. I played through and got every ending.

Dialogue was good, it feels true to conversation and is generally enjoyable to read; there were some lines I didn't like, but would say they are nonetheless accurate to how people speak. Choices/branching is done well and makes good use of the short run-time to elevate their importance. Visual quality is exceptional, the look is cohesive, expressive, and beautiful, with creative layering of visual elements that I love to see. I can't say it was resonant for me the way it was for everyone else, but I appreciate it's message on suicide prevention and how it was communicated without resorting to total transparency.

Overall it is a well done short visual novel. Not an absolute masterpiece as people are saying but it's at least impressionable.

Some bugs/typos. "Mean either" instead of "me neither" while talking with May, and a funny bug where you can work as late as 3 AM, and when you leave the laptop it will carry on as if it's 7PM with you leaving the apartment. On a related note, there is unfortunately not a workaholic route :(

Thanks Dan Salvato for coming into the visual novel space, ruining the perception of visual novels by repeating an untrue stereotype that they are all shallow dating simulators, then dropping off the face of the planet. DDLC came out a year after VA11HALA, many years after Steins Gate, in fact, after a great many visual novels. He said he was working on a cyberpunk visual novel in the late 10s but that's gone nowhere. Imagine if Dan Salvato, "that guy who made DDLC", came out with a visual novel that shows a wider audience they can be tasteful (duh) and be a worthwhile experience. He could have had a serious industry impact, and elevated himself to an important part of the history of the visual novel... now, he's more of a footnote, spiked some interest before he let it deflate like a sad balloon. DDLC did not have a very good story, it leaned heavy on gimmicks, all okay because it was his first game after all, and I was excited to see where he would go next. Eight years later, all he's done is commission a remake of that same crappy game. Don't make excuses for him on the basis of programming; if nothing else, he is undeniably a talented programmer, judging by that sick Amiga game he's working on. He could take Ren'Py to it's limits with ease. Maybe what he's doing now is better suited to him... maybe he should stay away from visual novels anyway.