Placebo Love

I don't have much to add that other reviewers haven't already covered, but gosh darn it did I love this game. It had me hooked as soon as it was described as 'Persona without the dungeon crawls' and it sure did not disappoint. I really love the art style of combining the blocky, low-res scenes with the beautifully detailed character portraits. The music does a great job of establishing mood as well. The real star of the game are the storylines for each of the characters you meet. Each has a different perspective and possible explanation for the protagonist's 'soulmate problem', while also having their own interesting story. I especially appreciated the way the dialogue is split up; each section of dialogue felt short and to the point! Refreshing for the visual novel genre, which is often bogged down in laborious, repetitive narration. I wasn't terribly invested in the main storyline of the two identical girls and i was relieved that I didn't need to be to get an interesting story. There's enough going on with the side characters that the player does not need to pursue either of the two main love interests, though doing so can deepen the stories of other characters. The protagonist's life feels pretty bleak and empty at first, which makes it pretty funny the first time you unlock a bond with someone...they'll end the scene on a depressing or awkward note, and then all of the sudden a little cheerful music cue and visual effect proudly declares that you've ranked up your relationship. I laughed out loud at the dissonance. As the game goes on, your relationship options become more plentiful and positive, and the visual sequence declaring your rank up in relationship feels more appropriate. I could write about this game forever, but it boils down to this: If you saw the trailer for this game and thought, "Oh wow, this looks like the game for me!" let me assure you: yes, it definitely is.