im not sure if i commented before already when the old version was released but that won't stop me from obsessing over every detail at length (meaning SPOILERS) ; )
first of all XYX?!?!?! HELLO???? i thought nightowl was still gonna be my favorite but then i accidentally find out that he has an ACCENT?!!? and then i HEARD IT and WOW... never did i think his aussie(?) accent would make his pet names so much more dangerously...DANGEROUS! since when did i have a thing for accents?!?! all blatant simping aside, i REALLY REALLY loved his story, maybe bc i could relate more to his problems (cat :(, always wanting to be the funny friend and feeling guilty when sad) than with the other ROs (nightowl - unhealthy coping habits, quest - criminal record, etc.), i guess it really evoked more emotion out of me than during the other routes. (although they are all PERFECT as well!!) anddd although it wasn't AS romantic as the others (excluding the bonus epilogue cuz i mean...hello? dancing on a beach? romantic 101) it just felt more....realistic...in a way? like, although the other LOs professing their love the day after or even day of admitting feelings was flattering, it just felt more real w my boy xyx! not to say the other endings aren't amazing (which they are!! huge props to the writers) just personal preference is all!! there are other reasons i put him on a higher pedestal than the others, such as my love for his personality, his humour, his MOTORCYCLE and ofc his sprite (ALSO MEN W CATS JUST DO SMTH TO ME)
MOVING ON.......
i really loved the other small additions (being able to change music, the voice notes, etc), they really made it feel less like a game and more like just a server fangirling ab a romance webnovel!
i loved the slightly larger additions to the game as well!! it did feel like nightowl's story was lacking something, so im glad the team added the quiz and other fun conversations for more bonding. though it did not seem (to me) like toasty's story was lacking more, im still plenty grateful for teenage toasty's text adventure, and i think it was smooth how bloombot malfunctioning towards the end along w the random glitches, led to the huge conflict in the route
im not going to lie, when i first noticed the characters were redrawn i was a bit bummed, but in the end, i warmed up to them and love them! i realize now that the new art style makes them look more lively? and less like just...characters... so although i wasn't on board at the start, i have caught up and jumped on the train now!
overall, if u couldn't already tell, i LOVED it!! although the old version will always have a place in my heart, this full bloom edition has taken residence in it as well (after all, no full version means no XYX and THAT is something i would not like to think about D;)
but going back to being serious, i really enjoyed all the new additions, and i definitely think the team made the right choice with every last one of them! it was a really cool experience to play again w all of them in it! i look forward to any potential future projects the team may have!! BIG THANK YOU for all the work and effort that has gone into this game, it really shows how hard you all worked and i can say (by the brief read-throughs of some of the reviews ) with 100% certainty that many others feel the same!
THANK YOUUU <3
P.S. - i still have not and WILL NOT go through the bad endings
P.S. P.S. - ily my beloved xyx (plus cat) <3 😭