A Date with Death

I rarely review games, but I had to do it for this one. Visual novels I can be quite picky about because I'm no longer a young girl and I like to see some mature stories that are well told. This story was one of the rare ones that plucked at my heartstrings. At first I wasn't sure what to think, but I later loved the story as it developed and it was great seeing the humor throughout. The MC might not be everybody's cup of tea, but I actually enjoyed being them. And well, the love interest made me very sentimental because you got to see that they originally were very determined to fulfill their part. And as they got to know you, you both got to understand each other thoroughly. And it was absolutely cute. It's also wholesome in that there was lots of consent throughout, and overall things started acting the way that things would normally do in a healthy setting. Granted, the story takes place over a week, which isn't that much time, but the story worked so nicely within what it is. The artwork was absolutely well done and really adding to the atmosphere of the game. Plus I enjoy the interactivity of certain hidden things you could click on throughout the game that added to its depth. The background music was all right. I enjoyed low-fi music a lot, but some of the tracks, of course, might not be everybody's favorite, but there were some I really enjoyed. The voice acting is well done too. I enjoyed the option of being able to choose written or spoken or both. One of the problems I found with a lot of games is that if it's just straight up reading all the time it's not always easy to stay engaged but sometimes voice acting could feel a little overstimulating if it's been a long day or something so you can choose either one. This game had me wanting both because it allowed me to experience it fully. This was an impressive game so I ended up buying the DLC and Artbook as well as everything else to it. Generally, I might get DLC for a game if it goes on sale, but this is one that I just went right for it. That's how much I enjoyed this. Another aspect of it that I really enjoyed is that it's inclusive to people. I enjoy that you can choose various skin tones for your character and it reflects when there's shots of your character in the game. And if you're not a woman and want to play, that's fine too, which is great. I'm also appreciative that the main character isn't either a damsel in distress or a badass. There is such a need for games that are a little more spicy for women, but also having a great story and this is one that I safely can say I recommend. This was mindfully written by somebody who knew what a perspective of a woman is and I love that. I dove in blindly the first time and must admit I didn't get the happiest ending at first but it ended up being worth it because I got to work through the other routes and got to end on the one that I personally feel is the most satisfying one and you get a teaser on future developments. Overall, this is very well done and I support this development team in all that they do and hope to see others like it. As a woman who grew up in the millennial times where we had to play very male-dominated markets in games, it made me feel very seen. I hope one day that we can enjoy more games like this and see more inclusive efforts like this one, especially as we get older to see that there's somebody who really is thinking of those who play the game.