Dream Of The Hikikomori

[h1][i][b]To leave the game: Subsist until you reach the ending.[/b][/i][/h1] [b][i]CW: flashing images, strong language, violence, death[/i][/b] [h1]A shout-out to all the otakus out there:[/h1] [b][i]At the beginning of the game we do play from Saiko’s point of view, one of the nerd friends from the group we’ll be meeting through the game. We’ll witness vaguely-recounted anxieties from an otaku’s perspective strolling on their own.[/i][/b] [b][i]Thereafter you come upon Yoru – one of the friends from your group -, the conversation between goes straight to Visual Novel discussion combined together with mentioning the concept of normies versus otaku lifestyle (which is not being accepted by the society), as well as, the typical weeb point of view coming to people not willing to get interested into certain things being equivalent to resulting as “normies”. That happens for example when Saiko is trying to explain that H-Scenes might not be up to everyone’s taste.[/i][/b] [h1]A short presentation:[/h1] Your friend circle consists of [b]Saiko[/b] (you), [b]Yoru[/b] (a Visual Novel addict), [b]Makoto[/b] (aka the leader, the most reasonable among the group) and [b]Akira[/b] (a huge anime addict often happening to detach from reality to dwell in his anime-related fantasies). There used to be an important fifth member, [b]Haru[/b], but she did suddenly go missing with no further notice. Not adding much relief to the situation is the fact many students actually went missing through the years, and the culprit is still not found… [h1]404 – Waifu not found:[/h1] [b][i]After reuniting with your friends at school as per usual, Yoru decides to share a Visual Novel he happened to discover recently. It all begins by clicking on a suspicious pop-up window supposed to run the game…[/i][/b] [b][i]Suddenly, you along with your friends do find yourselves in 2D shaped bodies presented as… catgirls?![/i][/b] [b][i]Not understanding fully the situation while being located in an unrecognizable room, which clearly is out of your school grounds, you suddenly hear the ring of a bell. [/i][/b] [b][i]After opening the door, you get to meet a typical sweaty otaku emanating creepy vibes that is willing to start family with you and your friends who are now… his cat-panions. The guy’s name is Aoi, and he doesn’t seem to be knowing about you and your (now female) friends being humans trapped inside what seems to be looking like a Visual Novel game.[/i][/b] [b][i]Add to that the fact catgirls are restricted from acting as they please in the world you do find yourselves at.[/i][/b] [b][i]You now have to find a way out of the Dating Sim, while being concerned about your close friend’s disappearance and your own safety![/i][/b] [h1]Personal considerations:[/h1] A reverse Dating Simulator where you get to play as the heroine trying to escape Main Character’s route. This game does have so much potential and I honestly would love to see it grow in popularity; an aspect that may be difficult at first glance, given public tends to view the game’s presentation via screenshots and artworks. The art style in this game is very simple, yet that is also why I enjoyed this title so much. This is one of those Visual Novel titles offering simple sprites and a really engaging experience making you adore the story and every single detail coming to it. The concept is original and interesting to explore, I wholeheartedly recommend trying out the game if you’re into unusual settings presented in Visual Novels. [h1]Featurings:[/h1] Dream Of The Hikikomori portrays a story of a nerd friend circle regularly meeting up at schoolgrounds to discuss Visual Novels and anime. The game does offer entertaining references to existent titles. The game does present a particular esthetic display and the BGMs are outstandingly atmospheric! This title offers quite simple yet particular sprites, blending that with the overall aesthetic and highly immersive tracks, feels like getting absorbed into this little game. There is also a quite well-realized pacing, offering an abundance of comic moments, eventful scenes and dramatic suspense. Many different personages will be presented, otakus and weebs, nerds, furries, each stating their own point of view towards their passion, society and difficulties coming to feeling like an outcast – be it an exaggeration from their side or reality. As twisted as some personages may result, I still detect an abundance of reality in the characters’ statements and it is interesting to inspect the mentioned during the playthrough. This title is heavily entertaining and induces curiosity while keeping up with absurd events mixed together with daily life events. A little note is that the game does present occasional typos. You may come to a couple of bad endings, as well as, the true ending brings the urge to obtain more details coming to the story! It is mentioned that the Developer is thinking of creating an eventual second part of the story. [h1]Overall:[/h1] Was personally expecting something fun, instead did come upon a great Visual Novel that is not offering comedy only, but an original concept and interesting story offering a variety of feels to the public! Greatly recommended to try out, you may be willing to support the Developer. [quote]Discover interesting visual novels, indie games and more on my Curator Page! 　　　　　　　　　　　　　🪴 [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/46144642/][b]Gyepi Nook[/b][/url] 🪴[/quote]