First of all I'd like to say that this game is simply amazing. I haven't been able to find a VN that really hits for a while, and this one does exactly that! Now, it might be 1:30 am in my country right now but.. that's not gonna make me stop to make review :)
Spoilers!!
So this is the order in which I'm going to talk about the game: D1, D2, N2, and then how route orders actually effects how you read the VN, and each route itself (more to the characters)
Okay so day 1. Truth be told, It's been 20 days since I've started this VN and finally finished today, so my memory might be fuzzy about it. But in my opinion, the pacing and setting of the story is very great! In the very beginning of the story, it foreshadows an event that'll occur in one of the routes (Patrice), which is intriguing as it now makes me wonder. How did Joel see that before his seal was open? What is in that memory ghost? And I hope it'll be answer in future updates. Now, if we actually talk about day 1, I think how you introduce the characters is very clear and great. First of all isRyan, which is clearly shown to be that childhood friend in the game and the MC and him rely on each other. Russel is up next, and his first dialogue already pique interest because, how on earth did he know what was happening in Joel's mind? We can technically brush it off as, "Joel looks tired, so that assumption could be made by anyone", but I think it shows some characteristics to Russel being that he actually cared. I might be reading this wrong (probably), but Russell rarely shows that he cared about Joel and the simple statement of "you should be eating more, so you don't see things" despite having only met him kinda shows his true character. It also shows how his character is "somewhat" an act since he keep dismissing stuff while his stares and face clearly says that he's thinking about something. Ok moving on to Liam. The game also explain his character pretty well in the beginning. From how he acts and the way he talk, we can immediately assume that he's the mischievous character in the game. They also show that there's def something going on with him, with the cleaver and the way he keeps insisting on exploring the castle. Ok I could ramble on and on about how the introduction to each characters is great but I think I'll stop here fore that. (simply put tho, Clyde: the one guy that shoulders too much responsibility, but enjoys it, Blake: Ah yes, da wolf guy that's depressed, sleep deprived and is also one of Joel's best friend, Dylan: Grumpy crocodile dude that might be homophobic (remember, this is first impression) and also shy about anything he does that doesn't seem 'manly', Patrice: scaredy cat and a jock). They also introduce us to the castle itself which is great because- well- it's the title of the game, you need to introduce it at some point.
Now, day 2! It's basically day 1 but you spend time with each characters to know them better.. I'm gonna skip to N2.
Okay so it clearly shows that everyone does not like Liam and Joel, and Clyde is the only one are the only ones that somewhat is fine with him at that point. The castle introduction is in a way, just an introduction. It's basically "I found the castle. I'm not just pranking u guys. Come with me so you can see it with your own eyes".
(Note: Ok this review is a bit wonky because it's just me talking about the game so.. Sorry if it's not rly a review.)
Okay now, the routes. Oh boy the routes. As I mention, the read order is important in reading this VN or any VN for that matters. How I like to read is to read the character I dislike most to the character that I like most, so that way, I wouldn't be overly excited on 1 character and then the rest would feel like "hm, why is the quality not as good as my favorite character?". The read order I went through is
So you see, this read order is- well in my opinion not that bad. BUT Liam and Ryan. I really think you should read Ryan first and Liam later on. Why? Because by reading Liam first, your impression of Ryan is basically ruined. He murders Liam and is very possessive over Joel which is not a good spot to put himself to when we haven't even read his route. I tried to be open minded about his image in Ryan's route but it's really hard. My recommended reading order is Russell, Ryan, and the rest can be grouped into 2. First is the Liam's gang (1. Dylan, 2. Liam, 3.Patrice, ) because Liam and Patrice have somewhat of a relationship and Dylan's one is kinda independent. Second is the Blake's gang (1. Blake, 2. Clyde). Now this is actually kind hard to pick, because if you pick Blake's route first, your image of Liam might be tainted too. But at the same time, if u read Liam's gang first, the cathedral (which I think should be read last) will be revealed and kinda forgotten as it only appeared once in Patrice N2 for now. Aside from that though, the actual order I would go to if I were to reread this is:
Now onto the route itself.. Since I've been sitting here for 1 hour, I think I'll make this short (sorry)
Russell He. Is. VERY. Stubborn. It's really hard to like his character once you get into his route. He's basically a stubborn jerk that would put other's people's life just because he doesn't want his secret to be revealed, and he also refuse any kind of help + doesn't want to admit the truth. Yes, he can read minds, but shouldn't that make him more understanding of others instead of being this stubborn? Or maybe he got used to too many bad thoughts and decide that "Idc about their thoughts anymore, I've learnt to live with it", and becomes, well. Russell. His childhood might potentially effect his character to as it's not that good. I did say that I do not like his character, but that doesn't mean the writing is bad. Heck, it might be intentional to make us not like him. If that's the intention here, then you guys really nailed it.
Liam I'm honestly really surprised with his route. I came there expecting it to be not as good as the others but I was WRONG. There's clearly more than meets the eye and wow, his character complexity is just amazing to see in my opinion. The dream and how he acts to us basically shows that he genuinely wants to become a better person, but since the world has always been bad to him why would he? So he cope by doing pranks and mischievous things, hoping that the world would hate him and so that people don't get too close as he's probably afraid of losing them again. (again sorry if the review is wonky, I'm tired af)
Ryan He's.. that childhood friend. Yes, he does care very much to Joel, and they basically need each other, but. He's very possessive as it is shown in others route such as Liam's and Patrice's. In his route, it is also shown that he hide things from Joel despite always telling Joel to always open up to him. So to put it simply a hypocrite as Joel said before somewhere. The writing of his character is simple, but at the same time it's also complex. He's basically capable of being a very good person, but at the same time he's also capable of being a very bad person. And the reason for this might be because of all the problems he'd have to endure through his life. He doesn't want Joel to be hurt like he's been hurt by his parents, and others, so he became overprotective of him and yeah. It's also interesting to see that he might be a key to curing the curse since he somehow purified his in Dylan's route. My theory is, that by being true to himself just for once, and to let go of all his bad emotions, his soul basically release all the bad things and somehow purified itself. But I highly doubt that they're gonna cure the curse that way, since most of the times, it's implemented that they need to destroy the curse itself.
Blake Suicidal, a pretender (In his early days), a bit egotistical but also somewhat caring nowadays. It's shown that he definitely care about Clyde and also Joel, but sometimes he can't help to think rationally. Example case: 1. He basically hurt Clyde's feeling just because he hates a person that hasn't even been proven guilty, even though Clyde's just trying to do the right thing by finding the real stray cat culprit and doesn't just use his feelings to determine the outcome, 2. He basically killed himself in front of Joel and well.. I don't think that's really a good thing to be doing. Before that he also suggested to sacrifice Liam so.. yeah. In the end, despite having sacrifice himself for his friend's safety, he also technically succumbs to his selfish desire which is to die. I do like his character though because it's kinda relatable, but also distinct at the same time.
Dylan He's a guy that has been hurt just by doing a good deed, and so now he hides himself in a impenetrable wall so he wouldn't be hurt anymore + so that other people doesn't get hurt either. I think him originating from the dumps is pretty smart, because not only does it shows that he has been living in a harsh area in the past, but it also shows his real characters. In the dream, you can see that Dylan is definitely a caring and proud person, but because of his surrounding, he ended needing to suppress them which is why we get the Dylan we know now. He might showcase himself as a mean guy who will do anything to get by (money, or just anything that helps him survive), but in the end, he's still a caring Croc that's grumpy :)
Patrice He's a Jock with a twist that he isn't afraid to show people that he does have fear and trauma. He's also very flirty and it might be because of his relationship with Nia (who am I kidding, it probably is, and he's flirty because he wants to hope that it would fill up that missing hole in him). Well, I don't really have a lot to say about him, but about his route, I think the church is really interesting. I haven't picked the option of not picking up the cleaver, but by showing the church itself, I think his route have a potential to be really interesting
And now.. Clyde I. LOVE. HIM. Okay hear me out. In the beginning he's shown to be the character that have an authority figure and always have a hidden motive in his kind action. But as I read other routes, I came to realize that he's just a pure, innocent, and cute guy that is just genuinely kind. When I finally read his route, I absolutely love him. First, he's just very pure, innocent and cute (something about a character that blush out of pure reason is just- too cute and lovable). Second, He's always genuine of his action and is always trying to help others in need. Third, he carries too much burdens and I want to be there for him (the delulu is real). When we finally see his real character in the bathroom scene D3, I just can't help but to love him and want to be there for him. He just wants someone to be there for him, and that alone is hard for him because of his family name and expectations from his father. I'm very glad that he's friend with Joel in his route. I'm really grateful for the writer being able to convey Clyde's character because it's just- A- (yes, I'm obsessed over him). Other than Clyde being very lovable, I think his route is also interesting because it shows a fraction of Joel's talent. Though I think for Nia's conversation, you guys should change it a bit, since Joel did use his talent for a bit didn't he? Shouldn't Nia be able to somewhat guess what his talent is and inform him instead of just "Idk". But yeah, that goes for all the routes. Sometimes at the gathering in Russell's cafe, the dialogue doesn't make sense because it implies that the character didn't already know a fact even though they do. I think the dialogue of what Clyde and Joel discover about the castle should also be changed too because in the cafe it kinda feels like Clyde and Liam are the ones who went into Gavin's resident instead of Clyde and Joel. Aside from that though.. We need more cute Clyde's CG, PLEASE. (/j, but yes I'd appreciate it)
Now for the ranking of the character: 1. Clyde 2. Liam 3. Dylan 4. Blake 5. Patrice 6. Ryan 7. Russell
(I'm still surprised about the Liam one tbh. I think I might be in the 'I can fix him' category lmao)
Well- that is all. I'm sorry if there isn't really a constructive criticism as it is my first time actually reviewing something. But what I will say is, I really love this game and I hope it'll continue being what it is!
Awww thank you so much for the review! I personally really liked it and it's nice being able to read what people have to say about the game. I will answer to a couple of things since you pointed them, like, Joel "Using" his talent on Clyde's D3. I agree with you, I should've mentioned something with Nia on D4, but I opted for not doing that because of information overload. We'll eventually go back to this anyway.
For the repeated knowledge I did that for two reasons - reminder for readers, cuz there's a lot of stuff the game discusses and to let other characters who don't know learn about it. Unless it comes from a character that should know about it already then I apologize. With 7 routes that have their own pacing some inconsistencies can slip.
Also haha Liam's route is indeed the only route I recommend doing last (or not before Ryan's/Patrice's), but it can't be helped, people are curious! I love both Ryan and Liam, idk if you've read the latest update, but their scenes are especially touching.
Ahh icic, I understand ig since there's a lot of routes to manage. And yes I have read the last update, it was totally very touching XD. (I actually haven't seen the forgive option so idk if this is sarcasm or nah).
But anyways, thank you very much for your responds :D!
I honestly don't get why people need to go through Liam's route to have their impression on Ryan ruined. From the very start he behaves like a creep and raises numerous toxic relationship flags, only possibly outmatched by Tafu from PR. Initially, he doesn't even try to listen to anything remotely serious and tries to assert his opinions as objective truth. I didn't even get to second night before disliking him when I first read this vn. And I usually prefer sweet bears!
Hence comparison to Tafu. Both of them are just messes that should sort themselves out before interacting with others. Such idealistic scenario is never to be unfortunately, in both reality and fiction.
No comments in 3 months is absurd, very underrated I would say.
I can't wait to see Dylan's route continued! Sad to see that it is unlikely to end with romance between Joel and himself based on the Q&As, but I respect it, your character your decisions. Always have the power of headcanon :P
On that note, all the characters are very interesting, and I will definitely be playing through the rest of the routes in the coming days.
Side Note: I definitely got some Persona vibes with the safe room and the whole castle in general lol.
Thank you so much for the nice words. Dylan will be updated second to last in this cycle due to specific assets needed for his route. I did say that not all routes won't develop romance, but I don't think I specifically said which one so, who knows, crossing fingers!
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First of all I'd like to say that this game is simply amazing. I haven't been able to find a VN that really hits for a while, and this one does exactly that! Now, it might be 1:30 am in my country right now but.. that's not gonna make me stop to make review :)
Spoilers!!
So this is the order in which I'm going to talk about the game: D1, D2, N2, and then how route orders actually effects how you read the VN, and each route itself (more to the characters)
Okay so day 1. Truth be told, It's been 20 days since I've started this VN and finally finished today, so my memory might be fuzzy about it. But in my opinion, the pacing and setting of the story is very great! In the very beginning of the story, it foreshadows an event that'll occur in one of the routes (Patrice), which is intriguing as it now makes me wonder. How did Joel see that before his seal was open? What is in that memory ghost? And I hope it'll be answer in future updates. Now, if we actually talk about day 1, I think how you introduce the characters is very clear and great. First of all is Ryan, which is clearly shown to be that childhood friend in the game and the MC and him rely on each other. Russel is up next, and his first dialogue already pique interest because, how on earth did he know what was happening in Joel's mind? We can technically brush it off as, "Joel looks tired, so that assumption could be made by anyone", but I think it shows some characteristics to Russel being that he actually cared. I might be reading this wrong (probably), but Russell rarely shows that he cared about Joel and the simple statement of "you should be eating more, so you don't see things" despite having only met him kinda shows his true character. It also shows how his character is "somewhat" an act since he keep dismissing stuff while his stares and face clearly says that he's thinking about something. Ok moving on to Liam. The game also explain his character pretty well in the beginning. From how he acts and the way he talk, we can immediately assume that he's the mischievous character in the game. They also show that there's def something going on with him, with the cleaver and the way he keeps insisting on exploring the castle. Ok I could ramble on and on about how the introduction to each characters is great but I think I'll stop here fore that. (simply put tho, Clyde: the one guy that shoulders too much responsibility, but enjoys it, Blake: Ah yes, da wolf guy that's depressed, sleep deprived and is also one of Joel's best friend, Dylan: Grumpy crocodile dude that might be homophobic (remember, this is first impression) and also shy about anything he does that doesn't seem 'manly', Patrice: scaredy cat and a jock). They also introduce us to the castle itself which is great because- well- it's the title of the game, you need to introduce it at some point.
Now, day 2! It's basically day 1 but you spend time with each characters to know them better.. I'm gonna skip to N2.
Okay so it clearly shows that everyone does not like Liam and Joel, and Clyde is the only one are the only ones that somewhat is fine with him at that point. The castle introduction is in a way, just an introduction. It's basically "I found the castle. I'm not just pranking u guys. Come with me so you can see it with your own eyes".
(Note: Ok this review is a bit wonky because it's just me talking about the game so.. Sorry if it's not rly a review.)
Okay now, the routes. Oh boy the routes. As I mention, the read order is important in reading this VN or any VN for that matters. How I like to read is to read the character I dislike most to the character that I like most, so that way, I wouldn't be overly excited on 1 character and then the rest would feel like "hm, why is the quality not as good as my favorite character?". The read order I went through is
1. Russel
2. Liam
3. Ryan
4. Blake
5. Dylan
6. Clyde
7. Patrice
So you see, this read order is- well in my opinion not that bad. BUT Liam and Ryan. I really think you should read Ryan first and Liam later on. Why? Because by reading Liam first, your impression of Ryan is basically ruined. He murders Liam and is very possessive over Joel which is not a good spot to put himself to when we haven't even read his route. I tried to be open minded about his image in Ryan's route but it's really hard. My recommended reading order is Russell, Ryan, and the rest can be grouped into 2. First is the Liam's gang (1. Dylan, 2. Liam, 3.Patrice, ) because Liam and Patrice have somewhat of a relationship and Dylan's one is kinda independent. Second is the Blake's gang (1. Blake, 2. Clyde). Now this is actually kind hard to pick, because if you pick Blake's route first, your image of Liam might be tainted too. But at the same time, if u read Liam's gang first, the cathedral (which I think should be read last) will be revealed and kinda forgotten as it only appeared once in Patrice N2 for now. Aside from that though, the actual order I would go to if I were to reread this is:
1.Russel
2.Ryan
3.Liam
4.Patrice
5.Dylan
6.Blake
7.Clyde
Now onto the route itself.. Since I've been sitting here for 1 hour, I think I'll make this short (sorry)
Russell
He. Is. VERY. Stubborn. It's really hard to like his character once you get into his route. He's basically a stubborn jerk that would put other's people's life just because he doesn't want his secret to be revealed, and he also refuse any kind of help + doesn't want to admit the truth. Yes, he can read minds, but shouldn't that make him more understanding of others instead of being this stubborn? Or maybe he got used to too many bad thoughts and decide that "Idc about their thoughts anymore, I've learnt to live with it", and becomes, well. Russell. His childhood might potentially effect his character to as it's not that good. I did say that I do not like his character, but that doesn't mean the writing is bad. Heck, it might be intentional to make us not like him. If that's the intention here, then you guys really nailed it.
Liam
I'm honestly really surprised with his route. I came there expecting it to be not as good as the others but I was WRONG. There's clearly more than meets the eye and wow, his character complexity is just amazing to see in my opinion. The dream and how he acts to us basically shows that he genuinely wants to become a better person, but since the world has always been bad to him why would he? So he cope by doing pranks and mischievous things, hoping that the world would hate him and so that people don't get too close as he's probably afraid of losing them again. (again sorry if the review is wonky, I'm tired af)
Ryan
He's.. that childhood friend. Yes, he does care very much to Joel, and they basically need each other, but. He's very possessive as it is shown in others route such as Liam's and Patrice's. In his route, it is also shown that he hide things from Joel despite always telling Joel to always open up to him. So to put it simply a hypocrite as Joel said before somewhere. The writing of his character is simple, but at the same time it's also complex. He's basically capable of being a very good person, but at the same time he's also capable of being a very bad person. And the reason for this might be because of all the problems he'd have to endure through his life. He doesn't want Joel to be hurt like he's been hurt by his parents, and others, so he became overprotective of him and yeah. It's also interesting to see that he might be a key to curing the curse since he somehow purified his in Dylan's route. My theory is, that by being true to himself just for once, and to let go of all his bad emotions, his soul basically release all the bad things and somehow purified itself. But I highly doubt that they're gonna cure the curse that way, since most of the times, it's implemented that they need to destroy the curse itself.
Blake
Suicidal, a pretender (In his early days), a bit egotistical but also somewhat caring nowadays. It's shown that he definitely care about Clyde and also Joel, but sometimes he can't help to think rationally. Example case: 1. He basically hurt Clyde's feeling just because he hates a person that hasn't even been proven guilty, even though Clyde's just trying to do the right thing by finding the real stray cat culprit and doesn't just use his feelings to determine the outcome, 2. He basically killed himself in front of Joel and well.. I don't think that's really a good thing to be doing. Before that he also suggested to sacrifice Liam so.. yeah. In the end, despite having sacrifice himself for his friend's safety, he also technically succumbs to his selfish desire which is to die. I do like his character though because it's kinda relatable, but also distinct at the same time.
Dylan
He's a guy that has been hurt just by doing a good deed, and so now he hides himself in a impenetrable wall so he wouldn't be hurt anymore + so that other people doesn't get hurt either. I think him originating from the dumps is pretty smart, because not only does it shows that he has been living in a harsh area in the past, but it also shows his real characters. In the dream, you can see that Dylan is definitely a caring and proud person, but because of his surrounding, he ended needing to suppress them which is why we get the Dylan we know now. He might showcase himself as a mean guy who will do anything to get by (money, or just anything that helps him survive), but in the end, he's still a caring Croc that's grumpy :)
Patrice
He's a Jock with a twist that he isn't afraid to show people that he does have fear and trauma. He's also very flirty and it might be because of his relationship with Nia (who am I kidding, it probably is, and he's flirty because he wants to hope that it would fill up that missing hole in him). Well, I don't really have a lot to say about him, but about his route, I think the church is really interesting. I haven't picked the option of not picking up the cleaver, but by showing the church itself, I think his route have a potential to be really interesting
And now.. Clyde
I. LOVE. HIM. Okay hear me out. In the beginning he's shown to be the character that have an authority figure and always have a hidden motive in his kind action. But as I read other routes, I came to realize that he's just a pure, innocent, and cute guy that is just genuinely kind. When I finally read his route, I absolutely love him. First, he's just very pure, innocent and cute (something about a character that blush out of pure reason is just- too cute and lovable). Second, He's always genuine of his action and is always trying to help others in need. Third, he carries too much burdens and I want to be there for him (the delulu is real). When we finally see his real character in the bathroom scene D3, I just can't help but to love him and want to be there for him. He just wants someone to be there for him, and that alone is hard for him because of his family name and expectations from his father. I'm very glad that he's friend with Joel in his route. I'm really grateful for the writer being able to convey Clyde's character because it's just- A- (yes, I'm obsessed over him). Other than Clyde being very lovable, I think his route is also interesting because it shows a fraction of Joel's talent. Though I think for Nia's conversation, you guys should change it a bit, since Joel did use his talent for a bit didn't he? Shouldn't Nia be able to somewhat guess what his talent is and inform him instead of just "Idk". But yeah, that goes for all the routes. Sometimes at the gathering in Russell's cafe, the dialogue doesn't make sense because it implies that the character didn't already know a fact even though they do. I think the dialogue of what Clyde and Joel discover about the castle should also be changed too because in the cafe it kinda feels like Clyde and Liam are the ones who went into Gavin's resident instead of Clyde and Joel. Aside from that though.. We need more cute Clyde's CG, PLEASE. (/j, but yes I'd appreciate it)
Now for the ranking of the character:
1. Clyde
2. Liam
3. Dylan
4. Blake
5. Patrice
6. Ryan
7. Russell
(I'm still surprised about the Liam one tbh. I think I might be in the 'I can fix him' category lmao)
Well- that is all. I'm sorry if there isn't really a constructive criticism as it is my first time actually reviewing something. But what I will say is, I really love this game and I hope it'll continue being what it is!
Awww thank you so much for the review! I personally really liked it and it's nice being able to read what people have to say about the game. I will answer to a couple of things since you pointed them, like, Joel "Using" his talent on Clyde's D3. I agree with you, I should've mentioned something with Nia on D4, but I opted for not doing that because of information overload. We'll eventually go back to this anyway.
For the repeated knowledge I did that for two reasons - reminder for readers, cuz there's a lot of stuff the game discusses and to let other characters who don't know learn about it. Unless it comes from a character that should know about it already then I apologize. With 7 routes that have their own pacing some inconsistencies can slip.
Also haha Liam's route is indeed the only route I recommend doing last (or not before Ryan's/Patrice's), but it can't be helped, people are curious! I love both Ryan and Liam, idk if you've read the latest update, but their scenes are especially touching.
Ahh icic, I understand ig since there's a lot of routes to manage. And yes I have read the last update, it was totally very touching XD. (I actually haven't seen the forgive option so idk if this is sarcasm or nah).
But anyways, thank you very much for your responds :D!
I honestly don't get why people need to go through Liam's route to have their impression on Ryan ruined. From the very start he behaves like a creep and raises numerous toxic relationship flags, only possibly outmatched by Tafu from PR. Initially, he doesn't even try to listen to anything remotely serious and tries to assert his opinions as objective truth. I didn't even get to second night before disliking him when I first read this vn. And I usually prefer sweet bears!
He does fumble a lot, but it doesn't stem from malice.
Hence comparison to Tafu. Both of them are just messes that should sort themselves out before interacting with others. Such idealistic scenario is never to be unfortunately, in both reality and fiction.
Sorry, I don't know which VN that is so I couldn't fully understand what you were going for XD
Prehistoric Relations. It seems to be abandoned, sadly.
Clyde it is amazing character i so like is.his theme and song is amazing to
There's any diference between the old sprite version and the 2.12 version?
A lot of difference. We haven't updated that in 2 years.
ty
No comments in 3 months is absurd, very underrated I would say.
I can't wait to see Dylan's route continued! Sad to see that it is unlikely to end with romance between Joel and himself based on the Q&As, but I respect it, your character your decisions. Always have the power of headcanon :P
On that note, all the characters are very interesting, and I will definitely be playing through the rest of the routes in the coming days.
Side Note: I definitely got some Persona vibes with the safe room and the whole castle in general lol.
Thank you so much for the nice words. Dylan will be updated second to last in this cycle due to specific assets needed for his route. I did say that not all routes won't develop romance, but I don't think I specifically said which one so, who knows, crossing fingers!