Do you enjoy VNs at all? Buy it.
Do you like long and branching stories? Buy it.
Do you like "horror"? Buy it.
Do you want high production value with full voices and animated sprites? Buy It.

The Letter is - quite simply - amazeballs. At least, I think so. Some notes about my experiences with the game thus far (I've finished it 3 times, and have plans for a couple more as I barely have 60% of the achievements) to follow:

1. From a gameplay standpoint, it's relatively basic VN-type stuff. Dialogue in a box at the bottom of the screen, you read it, and move on to the next. All of the characters (including you) are fully voiced, with the exception of internal monologues and thoughts. Also, the sprites are animated and quite pretty to look at. Where I feel The Letter sets itself apart is the branching storylines.

To begin, you play 7 different chapters, each from a different character's perspective. Your choices in dialogue (and whether they live or die)carries over from one to the next, so a simple choice in Chapter 1 can have far reaching repercussions all the way in Chapter 7. I both love this, and it drives me insane. If you are a completionist, this one may take awhile - especially without a guide. My first playthrough, I had one person in a coma, one die, and the rest live. Then I tried one where everyone lives, and one where everyone dies. Somehow, I managed to screw up that last one and one person still lived. Some are much easier to kill than others! There's also a relationship system, where dialogue choices increase or decrease their ties to one another. This can mostly affect the Epilogues and the endings individuals and pairs receive.

2. The story itself. While the "horror" elements are relatively soft, there is a solid "creepy" vibe to much of the game. There are a few mild jumpscares, but nothing too intense. In fact, I think the strongest of these is actually the first time you click new game from the menu. Other than that, the ghost's image and sound design are spot on. My only real complaint is that there are times when the story feels like it stalls out a little with an over-lengthy internal struggle. CGs are well placed and are more interactive.

3. QTEs. While I understand the desire to add "gameplay" to a VN, these feel unnecessary and at times, frustrating to me. Thankfully, you are able to skip them (though you'll miss out on a few achievements). There are also settings to make them easy (though the number mashing one in the elevator with Ash is still annoying).

I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of as I hastily type this out. I simply wanted to make sure I gave my thumbs up review for the game. I've spent almost 40 hours in this VN and I'm sure I have at least 10 more to go. This rivals The Fruit of Grisaia as my favorite VN, and I think people should know about this gem.

Do you enjoy VNs at all? Buy it. Do you like long and branching stories? Buy it. Do you like "horror"? Buy it. Do you want high production value with full voices and animated sprites? Buy It. The Letter is - quite simply - amazeballs. At least, I think so. Some notes about my experiences with the game thus far (I've finished it 3 times, and have plans for a couple more as I barely have 60% of the achievements) to follow: 1. From a gameplay standpoint, it's relatively basic VN-type stuff. Dialogue in a box at the bottom of the screen, you read it, and move on to the next. All of the characters (including you) are fully voiced, with the exception of internal monologues and thoughts. Also, the sprites are animated and quite pretty to look at. Where I feel The Letter sets itself apart is the branching storylines. To begin, you play 7 different chapters, each from a different character's perspective. Your choices in dialogue (and [spoiler]whether they live or die[/spoiler])carries over from one to the next, so a simple choice in Chapter 1 can have far reaching repercussions all the way in Chapter 7. I both love this, and it drives me insane. If you are a completionist, this one may take awhile - especially without a guide. [spoiler]My first playthrough, I had one person in a coma, one die, and the rest live. Then I tried one where everyone lives, and one where everyone dies. Somehow, I managed to screw up that last one and one person still lived. Some are much easier to kill than others![/spoiler] There's also a relationship system, where dialogue choices increase or decrease their ties to one another. This can mostly affect the Epilogues and the endings individuals and pairs receive. 2. The story itself. While the "horror" elements are relatively soft, there is a solid "creepy" vibe to much of the game. There are a few mild jumpscares, but nothing too intense. In fact, I think the strongest of these is actually [spoiler]the first time you click new game from the menu[/spoiler]. Other than that, the ghost's image and sound design are spot on. My only real complaint is that there are times when the story feels like it stalls out a little with an over-lengthy internal struggle. CGs are well placed and are more interactive. 3. QTEs. While I understand the desire to add "gameplay" to a VN, these feel unnecessary and at times, frustrating to me. Thankfully, you are able to skip them (though you'll miss out on a few achievements). There are also settings to make them easy ([spoiler]though the number mashing one in the elevator with Ash is still annoying[/spoiler]). I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of as I hastily type this out. I simply wanted to make sure I gave my thumbs up review for the game. I've spent almost 40 hours in this VN and I'm sure I have at least 10 more to go. This rivals The Fruit of Grisaia as my favorite VN, and I think people should know about this gem.