For disclosure, I got a copy from my steam group.
The more visual novels I play, the more I realize that having a good presentation and also rewarding the reader with constant visual stimulation is such a big part of the experience, and while a decent story can help you to overlook other aspects of the game, I think you really need to make sure that your art always accompanies what is being told in the story, that way the reader is always looking forward to the next panel, you don't want him to feel like half of the experience is missing. For example, I am always so broken whenever I start a visual novel, and there is so little to see in the cover art, that should be the nicest picture in your entire game if you ask me, same as you would want a nice cover for a fantasy book, it's part of the allure. Now don't get me wrong, I don't really mind the art style in this game, if anything, I kinda like it, but there is not enough art in general, most of the endings end with a blurry background, with a few exceptions. If you look at it from my perspective, if I am playing a text game, having a nicely illustrated ending is my reward for making that journey, it should not be just another background.
The story is largely surrounded by an obscure mystery that does not give all the answers, which is a good thing for the most part, although it's not the easiest world to engage with. I kinda like all of the random conclusions to the game with no explanation, but I would argue that many of them feel very abrupt and unearned, like I would prefer less endings, but with more depth to them. The narrative mostly happens around just 2 characters, which is fine, but again, there is very little art for the "woman", and she is the most interesting part of this game, it's kind of about finding out what she is - so you really should expand on their interactions, and more unique art to show more sides to her character.
I believe I got most of the endings, granted many of them are more like deaths or being lost with no context. You will get multiple choices/paths as you play along, some of them are a bit hidden so you can easily miss them. The game can be explored in 60 to 90 minutes, unless I am missing some clues, I think I got as far as I could.
[h1] Pros: [/h1]
(+) Truthfully I don't think the game has a lot going for it outside of the story, but I do think the narrative has some unique qualities, even if I had a hard time following it. I like that you never really just explain what happens, and for the most part, you answer a question with another question, and you never really get a sense of cheap closure, which I personally find somewhat compelling when done correctly. Overall the theme of the game was a bit unique from what I played before, so that helped as well.
[h1] Feedback: [/h1]
[u] Lacking presentation for important moments[/u] - there is just not enough art in this game, you need more for the "woman" character, you need more for the endings, and maybe a better picture for the main menu as well, it also helps if you design your borders with some unique outlines, everything just looks slapped together with no thought.
[u] Confusion [/u] - make sure the player knows that he got the ending, like actually say "Ending 1, Forest" or something along those lines. Some endings in this game are so abrupt, it does not feel like the game should end there at all. On that note, maybe expand on the endings, especially those that are too short.
[u] Features [/u] - you should add an ending gallery with achievements for it, for a lot of people that is a big source of motivation to 100% the story.
[b] Early Access Thoughts: [/b]
I think the story can be enjoyable if you add a bit more depth to the main characters and how they interact together, I also think you should focus a lot more on her specifically. Most of all, the game is very poor with the presentation, the ending art is often very basic, and there is not much to look forward to. In general, it feels like there is not enough visual variety in the game, I don't mind the art style, but I just need visual storytelling.
[code] For more niche, obscure and underrated games: http://store.steampowered.com/curator/31294838-Hidden-Gem-Discovery/ [/code]
