1. First impressions in general? (On story, game type etc.?)
First off, I thought it was a very well-made game. I liked how the background was layered and the characters moved through them like they were using the space. The style is very nice too, like a children's book, especially the space rocket moving through the days; but due to that, I also felt like it didn't really match the tone of the latter half of the game. Even so, I did really enjoy how you used space (as in the dimensions where people move around, not the galaxy space, haha) in your game.
2. Any characters that you're already interested in? Or characters you're already skeptical about?
I really liked Alicia. Morwenna was written very well in the nice-odd way too, something I wasn't expecting. I was interested in Arthur and Terri, but they honestly didn't have enough screen time to really make an impression.
3. Which character will you probably try to romance first?
I tried Arthur first, because it was an unconventional route and I was glad for it.
Unfortunately, the route itself felt very sparce, haha. I was a bit disappointed at that, because it felt as though if you removed Terri and Arthur most of the story would be unaffected, which kind of made me question why they were there at all (much less a choice). I imagine Morwenna would be the most fleshed out, because no matter what route you were trying to enter, she had the most exposition. While it's understandable since she's a new character entering the story, it would be nice to involve Arthur and Terri more in the story than just at the very end.
4. Comments on the art style?I really did like the artstyle, especially the GUI. I think I already covered this in the first question, haha.
4. Which character ending did you get first? Were you trying to get another ending? Did you replay the game to get the other endings?
I got Arthur first, but I felt it was rather forced.
Since he didn't have anything to do with the story, the only times I got to speak with him was near the start of the game. Even then, he didn't really give me any vibe of romance. There was a choice where I could've gone to the bookstore with him, but it felt arbitrary because I ended up /not/ going to the bookstore. I was hanging out with Alicia instead, no matter what I chose.
The only indication of romance was when Morwenna said he was acting out-of-character by standing up for Nigel in the mall, but honestly, that could just be a sign of good friendship too. I've stood up for friends in situations that I normally wouldn't, because I'm protective of them. So when the confession happened at the end, it felt jarring and out of place, because I didn't really feel like there was much signs of them liking each other more than good friends.
As much as I wanted a romance end, I felt a friendship end with Arthur (and everyone else, actually) would feel more fulfilling than a romance one, just because there was no build-up between them. I imagine Terri would be the same too.
I feel as though I should play Morwenna, because apparently that is the route that would have the most focus on. Usually though, I wish that all routes were equally focused on so that I didn't have to feel as though I needed to play a specific route to be satisfied with the game. I understand you probably didn't have enough time to work on the other routes, so I think it's pretty good for the time you had to spend on it!The only indication of romance was when Morwenna said he was acting out-of-character by standing up for Nigel in the mall, but honestly, that could just be a sign of good friendship too. I've stood up for friends in situations that I normally wouldn't, because I'm protective of them. So when the confession happened at the end, it felt jarring and out of place, because I didn't really feel like there was much signs of them liking each other more than good friends.
As much as I wanted a romance end, I felt a friendship end with Arthur (and everyone else, actually) would feel more fulfilling than a romance one, just because there was no build-up between them. I imagine Terri would be the same too.
I think the best character was probably Alicia. I really liked her moving around the screen on occasion, because she can't keep still. That was truly adorable.
5. Was anything in the game too confusing?
The tone shift in the latter half of the game really threw me for a loop.
It was all odd and endearing right up to the point where there was a dead body in the mall and arms getting ripped off. As much as I enjoy light-hearted stories and serious stories, having the tone shift so drastically in this game felt truly jarring, and I found myself stepping back and questioning it.
6. Other critique/suggestions/questions? Let me know!I think I said all I wanted to say, with not enough of what I actually liked. I really liked your characterizations of the characters, even if most of them didn't get enough screen time to actually build up a believable relationship. Your characterizations are probably the strongest part of the game, and I did really enjoy the first part of the game (up until the tone shift, which made me step back). It was quirky, definitely adventurous despite Nigel's objections, and I liked that it took part in Canada (Ontario, no less, where I am living too. It was a good kick to see the TTC come up). For the time you had to put into the game, it was good and left me wanting more out of it (which I think is a good sign, because if the story wasn't good, I wouldn't have cared enough to want more).
(By the way, I think it's spelt "nosy" than "nosey". It comes up quite a bit, and I always end up getting caught in it, haha.)
