I very rarely write reviews so that I am writing one itself must be an indication that something in this game resonated with me.

I finally sat down and properly finished this game after just under seven years, and I would consider it a hidden gem among VNs, despite what "elitists" may think about the author or the topics it addresses.

I was left with very complicated feelings about the story - upon finishing I felt empty, somewhat disgusted, bitter, uneasy, and overall, quite sobered. - it is hard to describe. I would recommend picking it up for cheap or at the very least reading a summary of the story because while the premise and message may be simple, for whatever reason I found them and the delivery quite effective.

The events of the game are not presented in a strictly linear or reliable fashion. You figure out the "story" from reading logs and letters of events that have already occurred and occasionally discussing them with two semi-unreliable narrator characters.

From a "technical" standpoint the game does not follow standard VN conventions, as mentioned there is the present day and setting, and then unchangeable events that have already occurred. There is a more jarring tense and involved section of gameplay in the middle, perhaps a result of the author's tendency to experiment in how people interact with these games (something which I hear is more prominent in the sequel), which I found somewhat clever. The music is also quite simple but serves to enhance the atmosphere extremely well.

You can finish this completely in about 4 hours.

Overall I would recommend it.

I very rarely write reviews so that I am writing one itself must be an indication that something in this game resonated with me. I finally sat down and properly finished this game after just under seven years, and I would consider it a hidden gem among VNs, despite what "elitists" may think about the author or the topics it addresses. I was left with very complicated feelings about the story - upon finishing I felt empty, somewhat disgusted, bitter, uneasy, and overall, quite sobered. - it is hard to describe. I would recommend picking it up for cheap or at the very least reading a summary of the story because while the premise and message may be simple, for whatever reason I found them and the delivery quite effective. The events of the game are not presented in a strictly linear or reliable fashion. You figure out the "story" from reading logs and letters of events that have already occurred and occasionally discussing them with two semi-unreliable narrator characters. From a "technical" standpoint the game does not follow standard VN conventions, as mentioned there is the present day and setting, and then unchangeable events that have already occurred. There is a more jarring tense and involved section of gameplay in the middle, perhaps a result of the author's tendency to experiment in how people interact with these games (something which I hear is more prominent in the sequel), which I found somewhat clever. The music is also quite simple but serves to enhance the atmosphere extremely well. You can finish this completely in about 4 hours. Overall I would recommend it.