Finally, I can write my review of this game! I first purchased this game a year ago, then decided to play it later due to its unexpected length (I forgot oof), but now I have rediscovered it and I am glad that I did.
I have a fondness for "weird" visual novels, and this game scratched the "weird" itch extremely well. Each character was an oddball in their own way, and I found it very endearing to watch their antics as they navigated their own ways through the detective competition, whether they be detective, criminal or gamemaster. The art itself is distinctive, with a lot of angular lines, corners, shapes and vivid colors, which made them very interesting to look at. Not a single one looked similar to another, and even the detectives/criminals with lesser screen time made an impact through their neon pink hair, or what had they. And of course, I liked the many poses the characters contorted their bodies into, and all the CGs. It helped the world feel more alive. The soundtrack complemented the story and characters perfectly. I especially enjoyed "Office Games" and "Moving On".
I enjoyed the story as well, and one of the highest compliments I can give it is that I was hooked until the end, and I never felt the urge to just skip the "boring parts". Especially the ending and last few chapters/sections. In my experience, many visual novels sort of drag out towards the end (which I usually accept as a given) but this game is one of the exceptions. The detective competition itself kept the story on a nice pace, I felt. I felt sorry to leave the perspective of one character, but it kept things moving.
All in all, it was an enjoyable experience, and I certainly felt I got my money's worth.
==SPOILERS ABOUND==
My favorite part was definitely when Roel faced off with Catscratcher. I was really, really surprised when Roel actually won. I really expected Red July to win, but Roel definitely made sense--you do need people skills, after all. I also liked this decision because it made me feel suddenly uncertain as to how the story might end. I fell for all the Red July hype, lol, so I thought it would be a given that she would win. So I said to myself, "Well, now I definitely need to know what happens."
I thought the mystery Roel solved was a gripping one, and the setting in which she solved it really heightened the stakes. I became really anxious when Catscratcher made his appearance, and when he was trying to fool her into accepting his testimony as the witnesses', I almost couldn't watch it all play out because I was so invested, lol.
When Roel "lost" and signed the contract with Catscratcher, I was sad, and when she turned it around, it was the best feeling. I was really happy for her!! I know I really did Roel dirty in my mind, thinking she'd never be able to hack it, but she pulled through, and became best girl imo. Also her outfits are slay.
This part was really well written too. I liked all the philosophical discussion about who is deserving, etc. Overall this was this bit that pushed the game from "really good" to "one of the best titles I've seen in a while".
As I got closer to the end of the game, I began to worry that the ending would be unsatisfying. After spending so much time playing the game, and being extremely invested in Roel, I got anxious. I realized few chapters remained until the end, and with every chapter finished, it seemed less likely that the story would come to a satisfying end. My biggest worry would be--and I felt that this reason had been alluded to--that the competition was being held as amusement for rich people, or that it was done at just the whims of a billionaire with too much money. Primarily because such a reason would have been really, really depressing and maybe a little bit too realistic.
I thought there would definitely be an element of this, given how much Conver loved puzzles, but I was really hoping there would be a deeper meaning behind it all. And there was! I don't even mind it ended on a cliffhanger, lol. Even if Conver is lying, I’m still happy the competition has a deeper meaning, no matter what it is.
So, very good job with this game! I can't wait to see what you have in store next!
