OHHHH NEFF this was so GORGEOUS?! I was expecting it to be good; I was NOT expecting it to be THIS GOOD.
First of all, the prose is BEAUTIFUL. It is so sweetly sophisticated and poetic, like seeing a beautiful painting transcribed to text. I really loved the visuals as well - the color palette and aesthetic set a very eerie and yet dreamlike mood that perfectly suited the story. I also liked how the text box was darker and more saturated than the other colors to distinguish it, while also contributing to the creepy but sophisticated air. The sprites were SO cute, and although Vergilius' normal sprite was adorable, and I also really liked seeing his...ahem..."rarer" expressions.
As for the story, WOW. I love how it was simultaneously dreamlike and gritty, dark and yet so sweetly romantic at the same time. The worldbuilding is surreal and ambiguous, yet gives you enough of an idea to know what is happening. I adored Vergilius' contrasts - dark and charismatic, vile and romantic. Although he expresses some WICKED desires, it is also clear that he cares deeply for the MC. But my favorite was the MC - while sometimes she gets swept away by Vergilius, in her moments of determination, I really adored her guts and her proactiveness. Without spoilers, in a couple of the endings, I was rooting for her HARD (despite how toxic or not toxic her decisions might have been)! I won't spoil too much, but I LOVED how the story was resolved and thought it was very appropriate.
A LITTLE BIT OF SPOILERS, but the game also made SUCH interesting use of visual novel mechanics. The time loop aspect was fascinating and very well implemented. I also like how the story varied between giving you one choice to giving you multiple choices - really reflecting how the MC's mindset changes over the course of the game. Lastly, I LOVE how you are only prompted to give your name when the MC finally "comes into her own" and shows her determination in one of the endings. That moment hit me like a punch to the gut! Each of these mechanics really contributed to the storytelling in unique and thoughtful ways!
Overall, I really enjoyed this! Such a great take on dark romance and the yandere trope! The aesthetic was IMPECCABLE, and it was splendidly written. FANTASTIC job!