I am back two years later with an even longer comment after finishing the game.
I originally went into it completely blind--which is what I like doing, on the other hand, so nothing strange there. I trusted the friend who recommended it with my life, I played the demo and enjoyed the vibes, but I still didn't really know what I was going to find in the full game. I was hooked on the mystery, though, and I wanted to learn more.
I played the first 1/4th of the game in small bursts and I'd have likely kept up with that pace until I was done with it. Since I'm used to playing games like that, my memory tends to be pretty good and I don't often forget major details of the plot or the gameplay. (Or, rather, I should say my memory doesn't get *worse than it usually is*, so it wouldn't have made much of a difference lmaooo) Still, I'm really glad I decided to go all out on it after getting the first proper ending, because I picked it back up right when the true mysteries began and I was so hooked from beginning to end.
It turned out to be absolutely fantastic. I found the English translation to be really good, really fun and charming. I often switched to Italian to see how some sentences or jokes had been adapted and I thought there were some very clever things in there! The whole cast is so lovable, each in their own way, but I loved going through all of their stories and getting to know them better. It's amazing how even Honkui goes from asshole to bro.
I think it's very clever how the game lulls you into a... false sense of security? Or how it makes you think the tone is going to be one when it turns out to be another, rather. I was honestly very invested in the whole hierarchy thing and how they wanted to overthrow it (now that I've played some of your other games, I can definitely see a leitmotiv there lmao), so when the game takes a sudden turn and its vibes change, it's very shocking. It really does feel like the everyday life of these children has changed drastically in an instant and it hits HARD. Comparing that to other games and stories in a similar vein, where the stakes are revealed from the get-go, this feels a lot more personal, because you've had a lot of time already to get to know them and live alongside them. It doesn't just tell you "these were normal teens until yesterday and now they're going through all this!"--you DO see they were normal teens. I think that adds a layer of complexity too, as it plays with your expectations in more ways and you can compare how they acted before and after.
It also has a lot more endings than I expected?? Sure, they are BAD, but I kinda fricking love it. It's just more content that took time and effort to think of and create, and more story for me to explore even if I know that it's not going to be pretty. You could have easily made it more linear or just have a generic bad ending dialogue, but the fact that they're all different, with their own names and text, really makes it feel like you put a lot of love and care into every little detail and you want people to seek them out instead of simply avoiding them like a run-of-the-mill game over screen.
I also have to say I really loved the sci-fi stuff during the last route. And I loved *why* that route was the last one. And I won't say anymore to avoid spoilers.And most importantly, WHAT AN AMAZING OST. IT ROCKS HARD.
tl;dr very good game, would get murdered again