I want to start right off the bat by saying that this is a visual novel, and one that leans heavy on the "novel" part. Hell, at different points in the story, the author references other writers, even ones like Haruki Murakami (who is lightly made fun of) and Raymond Chandler. This story was written by a book geek, and it shows. I didn't mind it, but that might turn some people off. If you get into the mindset that this is more a light read, instead of a game, you'll probably have a better time. What kills it is the "game" part, which feels slapped in there. You get some choices, and these choices will decide one of two (three? There is a DEAD END achievement) endings for you, called "good" and "bad." You don't pick the ending, and the it just happens suddenly. It really comes out of nowhere. The game flows like a novel as well; it doesn't branch much. The main plot always follows the same path, no matter what. It makes the experience quite jarring: you are reading a novel, and then this "game" stuff jumps up in your face; or, you're trying to play a game, but this "novel" is in the way. The story itself is a brooding supernatural neo-noir, one that is more about lying, backstabbing, and feeling lost in a world that doesn't really hate you, it hates everybody. It's not about kung-fu fights, but trying to untangle everybody's lies. It's engaging enough, and I had fun. I don't want to spill too much, but trust NO ONE. I mentioned Chandler on purpose; a lot of the time, it's hard to follow the complex plot, so your best bet is to get lost in the gloomy noir-ish ambience and let the story lead you where it wants. The great artwork and moody soundtrack really help with that... and make up for the sometimes amateur writing. The writing is mostly solid, though. The price is $12.00 American, which is about the same as a cheap Kindle book. It's a light read that was fun while it lasted. That's fine with me, and maybe you too.
