I have a lot to say! I will probably repeat a lot of the following in my review...
This is easily the BEST visual novel I have ever played on this site! Oh my goodness, what a beautiful story!
I am not ashamed to share this game made me ugly cry HARD in the past week. I probably cried 5-6 times, the first being at the beach, during that talk with our neighbor (I'm trying to avoid spoiling things, hehehe). Your ability to convey raw and complex emotions through writing is superb! Then I read this was originally conceived as a novel, and it made sense how well structured and paced the story has been so far! And George won my heart within the first 2 chapters, and remains there, embracing me. I only lament he isn't a real person in our world, I would literally walk a hundred miles to meet someone like the cuddly big guy, or "Grandote" (and shame that we never see him naked, not even a peek in flaccid state, but oh well, I love him regardless)!
The supporting characters were loveable too! Specially Donnald! Early in the game, during one of our doom premonitions, I got the impression the sweet little old man knew more than he let on. By the time we reached the climax of Act 2, it was without a doubt clear to me he knew something! The antagonist in our dreams is terrifying, specially in that intense campfire nightmare... goodness, that alone earned the 18+ rating. The antagonists in the waking world are equally effective and nefarious. I keep rooting for George to save the day.
Lucas got on my nerves a lot because I felt trapped within him! This is a positive, of course, shows how engaging the narrative is. I became one with Lucas and I felt impatient and powerless, watching him struggle with his insecurities, his mistakes, and at times I found myself vocalizing expletives at the screen, imploring for Lucas to find his courage and take a leap of faith. I was eager to tell George how much I loved him FOUR times, long before the protagonist! But alas, Lucas kept thwarting my hopes... Robert got the short end of my disdain, initially, then I felt bad for him... Thank goodness, I am bilingual! I got to play beyond Day of Winter in Spanish, and WOW! People playing the game in English are in for an intense roller coaster of emotions! You will cry, you will laugh, your heart will melt, you will feel warm in your stomach, you will feel hopeful!
My star rating will be in the page review...