itch.io

Just my opinion, obviously. Other people might think differently. Also, so as not to provide only criticism of it (in the negative sense of the word), let me say that I think that, compared to Digital Seclusion, Limerence is a much more refined work formally, although personally I prefer the former simply because it was a bolder work in various senses. I also liked the Platonic (as in literally Platonic) tone of your latest VN and would have enjoyed it more if this element had been developed in a way that was intellectually more thorough. I felt that philosophically your work opened up some interesting paths but explored them very little.

I don't think the reviews are unnecessary parts and mere filler. Much to the contrary, they're vital elements to telling this story because, like I wrote in my VNDB review, "when the protagonist reviews and discusses visual novels, he is actually saying much more about himself than about the works he is evaluating and describing". How the game manages to do this, to display the protagonist's personality by talking in detail about visual novels and otaku culture, is actually one of the most interesting and original aspects of this VN. I do think, though, that the ending is flawed and I would even add that the fact the protagonist is barely surprised when anime girls start talking to him IRL is quite odd.

To give my two cents, I agree with ActiveDayDreamer about the death scene. It's not like this and the protagonist's reaction to it lack verisimilitude, as death (even sudden death) is a normal fact of life and (spoiler) girls are known to cry due to a lot of things that we, men, wouldn't cry over, but maybe they're too sudden from the narrative standpoint, that is, perhaps they do indeed break the flow. For me it wasn't the death itself that seemed odd, but the fact that she cried over it. Previously she talked a lot about the guy and it never seemed to me that her feelings for him were so strong as to merit such a reaction. It almost seems as if she were insincere in her narration, as if she tried to hide her true feelings (which doesn't make much sense, I think, considering the story as a whole), which is why her reaction felt odd. There's not enough foreshadowing to prepare the reader/player for this plot development. 

Just finished your VN! I tried to play it almost exclusively at night to really understand the protagonist's point and view. While he is indeed a troubled and melancholic character, the sections in which he dedicated himself to reviewing visual novels felt joyful and fun, just like it must have been for him himself. Playing a VN about reviewing VNs was more enjoyable than I would have thought, so much so that I feel the concept could easily be extended (through a sequel, perhaps) to include newer releases. All in all a very interesting piece of didactic storytelling!