So; I just finished the Demo of this recently on Steam (I have done all the choices yet though, but I have finished my first playthrough. If you are wondering why I am posting here, well, there isn't a review option for the demo, though, I could do it in the community tab, and you just seem a bit more active here, so for now, I am posting here.
So first; I am going to talk about this:
- "5 - 7 character routes divided among major branching plot routes
- "Over 10 endings guided by player choice, and one hidden ending
- "Optional 18+ content"
Excited that there will be 5-7 character routes; hoping it is 7, because the more the merrier for me, but 5 or 6 routes is also really awesome, and I am excited for it.
Excited for the branching paths and character routes.
I saw in the comments that there will be 10 endings, but here it says "Over 10 endings", so it is 10 endings or over 10 endings? If it is the latter, that would be awesome (I love getting all the endings), though 10 endings is already super awesome and cool too. Also, is the hidden ending included in the number count with the other endings, or not? Just curious. Also curious about the hidden ending, and to see it and what it is about when the full game comes out.
I am curious about the 18+ content, and what you mean by that. I would like to be able to get that, but I don't know how you are going to implicate that. I also wonder if that will be a thing on Steam, because that is where I plan to get it in the future. And if not, well, I don't know. Anyways, curious about the "optional 18+ content" you are talking about here.
Alright; I am going to talk about the Demo itself now, will probably do a longer review later; I just wanted to talk about some things for right now. There might some spoilers from now on; just warning you guys.
So, the VN, characters sprite, expressions and animations all look awesome themselves, and the music and sound effects (like for the title screen and that part where Decker poisoned me/Lane, and Cain was smashing her hand trying to get her to talk). I am liking the characters a lot so far, esp. Lane, who is an interesting protagonist/character to play as, and I look forward to playing as him as more, and finding out more about him and stuff (as well as finding more about other characters). Saying that; while I find the characters interesting, intriguing, and well-characterized so far. Some of the characters can be kind of un-likable at times.
I do, however, like imperfect characters, Lane himself isn't perfect, and he lashed at Evan in way that wasn't the best at all. I think it was understandable considering everything Lane had called through, and some of his implied situation at home, and all his stress. Saying that, I do think him lashing out at Evan was uncalled for; he just wanted to help, though I also get that it seems like Lane likes to do stuff himself and/or doesn't like pity. Evan probably also maybe shouldn't have gone into Lane's house like that, and can be pretty paranoid. Though, not saying he shouldn't be in some cases. Basically, I like how you are handling Lane and Evan so far a lot, and I look forward to more of that.
Currently though, Alice isn't the most likeable, even after finding out it was Holly that suggested that bloody cut off arm in Lane's prank; mainly due to how she is acting about being the president and not really helping the members of the club. I do see good attributes in Alice, but right now, I am also seeing a ton of bad ones. However, the demo is just a small part of the game, I am sure when the full VN comes out, she will get better, if Cain is anything to go by esp.
I mention Cain, because he can also be pretty unlikable at times, even bringing up my poor status out of nowhere, and beating Lane up/physically assaulting Lane a couple of times. He is more redeemed than Alice in my eyes though, because I realize the time time he pushed me (if I say me, I, or us in this review I mean Lane) in the gym, and the time he beat up Lane after he slapped Alice, we just misunderstandings and/or done out of mostly good intentions.
Saying that, he needs to use his words more (in more of a nice way), instead of just jumping to beating Lane up without giving him the chance to talk. He also redeemed himself more too to me, when he blocked Decker from getting into the bathroom after Lane ran there after drinking wine (which Lane didn't know at the time had been poisoned/spiked), and after he basically protected us in a way (made Decker stay away from us, and didn't want us to stay there, when Decker had been trying to get Lane to stay even though Lane wanted to go to the hospital), and got Decker to talk and admit that she poisoned Lane. Though, he may have taken things a bit far there, though, she then proceeded to taser Cain repeatedly (which could have killed him, if Lane hadn't stopped her by hitting her over the head), so I can't say he took things too, too far, esp. since Lane also took things far, and Decker even farer, because she started it (though, I am pretty sure Underwood is involved in some way too, because him and Decker seemed up to something, and I don't think it was an affair like Decker said. Pretty sure the affair thing was a lie/excuse to cover up something else, and if it wasn't, it wasn't the whole truth). Basically, both those things and some other smaller events has redeemed Cain some in ways; probably currently more than Alice, though Lane and him still have a ways to go relationship wise.
I do really like Holly, though her suggesting that prank was not cool (While Lane took things a bit far, I can understand why Lane slapped Alice; who, at the time Lane also misunderstood, probably at least partially due to his bias for Holly and against Alice that she set up this prank, because like I said, that wasn't a cool prank at all. Lane was legit worried that Holly was hurt and in danger); she apologized for it, so that is good though. She also seems to be slacking off some when working out her punishment; which isn't the best, but I still like her a lot, and it has been stated she is mourning someone, so I have trouble being super mad at her. I do look forward to finding more about that, and that we can help Holly (and maybe even she can help us too. Both Lane and Holly seem to be kind of a mess. To be honest though; the whole main cast seems to kind of a mess. Sam is probably the most put-together person; at least, from what the demo has shown.).
Nat is awesome and I love her, and probably one of the more likable for me so far. I also find her BG and her in general (being from Russia, wanting to go back home, wanting to see her boyfriend, being kind of lonely like Lane, being very sporty, her general calm and collected demeanor, having taken medicine for I don't know what that she shared with Lane, thinking rules are important, but giving Lane multiple chances, etc.) pretty interesting so far, and I like her personality.
Ros, well, Lane and her currently aren't on the best of foots, at least for me, because I tried to get her to join the club, and Lane was a bit forceful with that. I can't blame Ros at all for being upset with us, and Cain coming to her defense. Like, I get Lane is desperate, but I agree with Lane somewhat, that he has been acting kind of neurotic and obsessed lately. I also find Ros one of the more likable characters (even if Lane and her aren't currently on the best foot; which is something that might change in the future). Like, her getting help with school and having a difficult home life (Cain also seems to not have the best home either; his dad esp. seems to probably not be the best), and like her design a lot (Lane, Sam's, Nat's, Holly's, Underwood's, Evan's, and Underwood's are also great too; though everyone's are quite good).
Underwood is cool and interesting and I like him; he is incredibly sus though.
Decker is (or, well, was) pretty cute and funny at times, but even before I found out about the "affair", she was kind of weird, and she just became more weird and sus as the demo progressed, than the whole end happen with me, her, and Cain, and then she well you know got [redacted], so well yeah. She is interesting I guess, I do feel bad about what happened to her, and I am curious about what she was up to, and why she poisoned Lane, but yeah, she is quite weird and sus.
Like I said, already Sam is probably one of there put-together of all the characters, and is really cool, and has been there for Lane a lot; who really needs some support honestly. Lane is just having a horrible time. He is stressed about making money, he seems to be alone at home besides his cat, he gets more and more crazy about getting more members for the club, Cain hurts him twice, the 2nd one ranking up a big hospital bill, he got a head injury, which, I don't think we know how yet earlier in the demo, at least currently, at least with the choices I made, Alice became the president and not him, he got poisoned, etc. He is just having a super rough time, man. With that said, Sam being probably one of the better people and really being there for Lane, kind of makes me suspicious too. That is just probably me being paranoid though.
I like all the mysteries so far (some of which, I have mentioned already) and excited to see more mysteries and found out more stuff. Some of the other mysteries I am curious about, that I either didn't mention, or didn't talk about completely yet are:
Curious about the beginning of the game where Lane seems to be running from someone/something. Curious about how Lane injured his head (also wonder why he was at his desk so late into the night, though that might just be because his head injury conked him out), also curious about when Lane was wondering through the school at night. When he was locked in, and trying to find to someone, if that something "warm and wet, like the inside of a mouth." that was near that stairwell was. I am guessing it might have been blood, and if that is true; I wonder whose blood it was.
Also wondering what the slamming doors (like the night we were locked in the school), shaking doorknobs like someone is there, but when you go in the room; no one is there, the weird sounds in general, etc. really are.
I think I might have found out more about this if I decided to check out the room where this happened: "shaking doorknobs like someone is there, but when you go in the room; no one is there," instead of helping Holly like I did. Will probably check that out later. Anyways yeah, look forward to finding out more about this.
Wondering why the school seems to getting worse and worse money wise, why this club is really even being made in the first place, why, it seems like there might be less students this year, though I could be wrong about that, why Cain was asked to give Lane his schedule, why Lane was offered the job for club president (idk, with everything else going on; I am even sus about that) in the first place, why Decker poisoned Lane, & what is really going on with Decker, Underwood, and the school in the first place. So yeah; curious about a lot of things; I am happy that this is going to be a long game.
So if I don't this is just due to the choices I made or just a temporary thing or what, but Alice ended up becoming president and not me, and I do wonder if that is a permeant thing, or just in the route I am no or what, because while I am still really liking the story, I was looking forward to being the club president (I thought it would be interesting), and I don't want to be Alice's lackey, lol. So I do wonder if the Alice was president is permanent or just on the route I am on or something. Not saying Alice as president isn't cool, won't be interesting, or won't be enjoyable anyway, I think it probably will be; like I said, I was just looking forward to being the president. If you can't anything about this, or other stuff on this, because of spoilers or just other reasons, that is totally fine ofc.
What happened at the end of the demo (at least for me, don't know if there are other endings to the demo or not than the one I got) is such a cliffhanger, man. Like, Decker got [redacted], like holy heck man. I wonder what is going to happen next with that, esp. with Lane and Cain.
Off the story and on to other some stuff instead. Like the title screen (like, the layout of it, art, and music like I said already). Like the CQ gallery, and how the characters have their own ones (I am guessing some of the Demo CQ ones not showing up in the gallery was because it was a Demo) and there is notes about the characters, I wonder if there is going to be ones for other characters not there already; would be cool if they had their own too and there own notes about them too. Like Lane, Cain, Evan, Underwood and Decker. Or maybe they will share with the others? Or be in the Misc. file. Cool either way. I like the layout have some of the menus. Lile the the CQ Gallery looking like a desk with some on it (like pens, mugs with coffee, and the galleries themselves looking like files). The preferences/setting looking like a desk, computer, and notepad. The Save and Load looking a locker with books and sticky note(s) are really cool. The menu in-game you can press, and UI in general looks nice too.
Now on to some more criticisms-like stuff (I know I did that with the characters too, but I also said what I liked there, I actually do like how all the characters seem quite flawed for instance, and this more on the mechanics instead of like, the story or/& characters). Ummm, so when you mess around with stuff in the menu automatically in-game, the mouse will automatically move at times, and while I like that now, it was kind of confusing at first, I thought something was wrong with my mouse. It also makes moving around in the menus both quicker and slower at times. I think it is fine overall (there is a bit of a learning curve though, kinda), but maybe it could do with some tweaks?
So in the preferences and/or settings section, there are options to change the Music and Sound which I like. If I had to say one thing, I wish it was possible to turn off button clicks you get moving around the menus without muting all the sound (though, not the music), besides that, that is all good.
I say that, but the mouse clicks and the sounds moving around the menus is fine overall; esp. if the sound is a bit lower, and I like how going to or leaving some menus sounds like the opening and closing of doors and/or lockers. All very creative and on theme.
Hmmmm, besides the logo for your Visual Novel Village that you get while opening the game (which is cool); I wonder if there will be any other openings and/or endings (which I think are cool)? If not, this VN still seems really cool anyway.
Already; okay, done now. I said I would do a longer review later, but I think this review is already long and in-depth already (tbh, this review got SUPER long actually hahaha), so I might not say anymore (until the full game is released that is probably) after all; we will see.
Excited for the full game; it is not too far off now. Great job with this, and good luck finishing it.