I wish there was a way I could DM you, lol, I don't often meet people who share my opinions on writing online, I feel like I come across too high and mighty, haha.
I'm Mimxism on discord if you'd like to chat more, got a girl with black hair in dark pink as my pfp.
In part, I think I would have been more okay with the bitter sweet endings if the pacing were different, or the like.
As it is, I'm honestly just...well, disappointed.
I...honestly kind of agree with you.
I think the game is absolutely beautiful and clearly a lot of love has been put into it, but I feel like the quality of the writing dipped a bit after the demo. The demo pacing is also a lot slower compared to the main game, and I didn't enjoy Anton's route half as much as I did Emile's route (especially where you don't call out Denham.)
Lillian immediately getting in with Anton also just...confuses me. XD
Just finished the entire game, all routes.
Spoilers ahead!
I played through Emile's route first, where Denham isn't called out to in the hotel- and the entire route felt the most complete to me; with the romance hints between Emile and Lillian, the tension; so on, and I think the route was also the longest. With no true 'happy ending' to that route, I went back to the choice to choose calling Denham out, and that ending was far less satisfying.
I played all the routes afterwards in one sitting; and while I very much enjoyed the entire game, I do think my first run was the most satisfying; after a bit it felt somewhat like Anton always popped out of nowhere; this all-knowing man capable of always getting in the way of things. I suppose that's how spies are.
To a degree, I feel like the initial route just had the most work put in; we see the most of the side characters, we see more hints of Emile's personality, and his tension with Lillian makes the most sense there- her inherent attraction to him in Anton's routes make less sense to me personally, and feels less organic.
The heavier romance scenes being interrupted every time had me annoyed after a while XD but I guess I just wanted Lillian to get some.
Overall, I do think this game is phenomenal, the art is gorgeous, the writing is powerful, but I was expecting a more traditionally happy ending opportunity for the endings. When playing the first route, I thought with Emile (and not calling Denham out) the entire story would be the back and forth between Lillian and Emile; their warring personalities and inherent attraction, how he can't bite his tongue when needed, how she over analyses everything, and the writing really delivered that, but I feel like, to some mild extent, that the focus of the quality and length was reserved for that singular route; to be the 'true route' if anything.
When I finished all the routes, I wanted to see if a new secret route with a proper happy ending opened up, where Denham gets home, and Lillian has her beau. No such luck for me!
Still; a fabulous game, well worth the cost, thank you so much for all your effort, attention, and care. The music is wonderful, the art gorgeous, and focus put into the language was fantastic.
SPOILERS BELOW (edited to hide things better with spoiler warning)
I got the best ending first run but failed the Triste thing (I think I was too suspicious).
Otherwise, I must say- this is definitely my favourite route for this game so far.
I LOVE TROS so so much, and, honestly, I found myself a bit disappointed with how TTOW was going about. Each route felt very much like less focus on Iolanthe and her partner, and more like the drama they were swept up in- even though in TROS it was very much the drama Iolanthe was swept up in as well.
Perhaps this route felt different because the drama made *IS* Leopold and Iolanthe's drama, but there's more difference to it.
I found in the other routes it ended up so much more a point game and less opportunity for roleplay. It became moreso 'get the good ending' and that Iolanthe's partner always had seem reason to question her, to not want her. Even in the demo, it felt very much like each route was just going to be 'behold a new problem in the relationship, the honeymoon phase is decidedly over and people are miserable'.
While I understand this could definitely be true for some, and not all whirlwind relationships will be happily ever after, I kept feeling like this ended up being true for EVERY route, and I was honestly scared Leopold's would be the same.
I was very happily surprised that he remained true and loving to her, even if she voiced doubts or worries, as long as she remained honest and trusting. That they constantly worked as a team, and that her opinions had more influence, though it still felt like, to an extent, it was a 'find the true route or fail' story, rather than 'follow your love interest and find your unique way of handling things', as TROS was.
I'm still very pleased with how this route turned out, I enjoyed it much more than the others, and I'm looking forward to the next few as well.
Thank you for all your time and effort into this game, it is very much appreciated. <3 <3 <3
I finished two run throughs.
OH THE DRAMA.
Bastien...I will say he isn't my favorite- I love Leopold the most and I'm very excited for his route, but this was very good. ...and so sad. Pieto was so lovely, and I quite liked his route with Iolanthe, but now I'm wondering whether this narrative will continue in all the routes.
I presume not, given everyone has their own drama, but I can't help but worry it's all going to be a bit of relationship drama in this sort of sense. I hope this isn't the case, I want mayhem and hijinx and plotting as the most epic lovey-dovey murder couple ever with Iolanthe and Leopold, and this was so sad aaaaa
But so so good.
THANK YOU!
