I am in the middle of Toasty's route, having done all the others first, and I have the most horrifying sense that I know what's going on here. And because I'm not gonna drop what might be spoilers in the comments, all I'm gonna say is 'OMG DON'T SELL, TOASTY! DON'T SELL!'
Absolutely gnawing on my knuckles, here. I shall return for a proper review, once I figure out if I'm right... (also, toasty is the definite fave, for me)
AAAAAAAAAA. I WAS RIGHT.
*coughs*
Now to attempt to review this game like a normal person... Yeah, I know why you have to do at least two other routes before even approaching Toasty's is reasonable. The pieces are there, so that when he says That One Thing, everything just snaps right into place. okay, no, he said another thing first that led to a different, but related suspicion, but i got to the correct suspicion shortly thereafter.
My first route was Xyx's bad ending. I just walked into the game with no expectations and did what I do best, and then watched the conversation crumble under my fingertips in the second half. And that sense of dread, that sense of 'everything I can possibly say is going to be wrong' is so real.
Quest was relatively enjoyable, despite being The Awkward Relationship No Server Mod Wants To Deal With Having. Very mellow kind of guy, overall, in spite of That One Thing. And the ex scenes were dead on. Like, that's a special kind of horrifying. But, overall -- not just in this bit -- I think salo's really the offset for the ex. Everything is horrible, but salo's still there, still cheerful, still reminding us what long-forged and well-tempered goodness looks like. salo's the offset for a lot of horrors.
Nightowl was my least favourite. I am too fucking old for this shit. ... And I just scrolled up to look, and boy howdy, I am too fucking old for all of this shit, but nightowl just... everything I hated about people in my 20s, distilled. but, i guess that's realism points for nightowl, too. BUT. I PLAYED THROUGH. BECAUSE I WANTED TO UNLOCK TOASTY. PROPERLY AND WITH THE FULL CONTEXT. i just now also want to wash my skin off.
That said? I LOVE TOASTY. Just ... hm. Realising I've played a lot of otome recently, and I have a type... He feels real, though. He sounds like friends of mine from fifteen years ago. And there's so little I can say about his route that isn't SPOILERS, but I'll admit, there was a moment of doubt, in there, when I went 'IF HE DOESN'T SAVE IT I'M FUCKING STEALING IT THAT BETTER BE AN OPTION'. *coughs* But, he did, and all was well, and all manner of thing was well, and my protagonist will be braiding his hair until the end of time.
What can I tell you? I love your games because I've met your characters. ... No, that sounds deranged. I have met the type of people your characters have firm foundations in, and you reproduce them well.
