saw this on the home page of the Epic Game Store and was very pleasantly surprised after finishing it. The art style is unique and appealing and I like the character designs, the backgrounds however are very simple and not necessarily in an aesthetically pleasing way. The soundtrack was amazing, especially the usage of sharp and dreadful sounds in critical moments during the story, definitely play the game with headphones. I think the game's greatest accomplishment is that the story can be enjoyed by anyone. While the story is very clear about it being about a specific relationship dynamic (dating someone with borderline personality disorder), many of the choices and conflicts in the relationship portrayed in the game can be related to/understood by those who haven't been in such a relationship. All in all I think Milky Way Prince is a polished and intriguing indie visual novel for those who enjoy romance/drama stories and are looking for a fresh spin on the genre.

disturbing and compelling visual novel about an abusive gay relationship, clearly a very personal project for its creator, Lorenzo Redaelli and genuinely unsettling in a way that most straight-up horror games aren't for me. some of the writing is a bit on-the-nose and I'm not the biggest fan of the 2D character art, but the striking use of minimalistic 3D environments, sound design, and stylish UI add greatly to the experience. definitely not going to be for everyone, but recommended for those willing to play a game with this subject matter.

on the downside: the game really should have had a chapter select option. I managed to get the good ending on my first playthrough, but ended up going to YouTube to watch the neutral and bad endings, just because it would have been a pain in the ass to replay the game from the beginning to get to them. Yes, beating the game once does unlock a 2x-speed option for dialogue, but that still doesn't speed things up enough.

Rough around the edges and messy in a way that personal art so often is, but stylish, bursting with earnestness and complicated emotions, and deeply powerful. I found a lot of myself in it, in how it captures the feeling of too-fast love that feels like a gravity well pulling you in, impossible to escape, consuming all thoughts around you. The writing here is often clumsy, but in an intentional and effective way that underscores how it feels to handle these raw emotions, and grants real weight and closeness to this story about how idealized, fictionalized conceptions of relationships can set you up to fall into abuse and exploitation, on both sides of the coin, but also why those dreams of fairytale romance are so intoxicating. The presentation, while simple, is also wonderfully cool and evocative, with some of the best sound design I've seen of late.

One note I should mention is that, as mentioned on the game's various store pages, the game is about a relationship with someone with BPD. I don't have BPD, nor do I have the kind of intimate experience with someone who does that is portrayed in this game. I say this to make clear that while I felt that the game portrayed the relationship with nuance and care, I also don't know what the hell I'm talking about, and could absolutely be wrong about that read.

That said, I think an awful lot of this game is intensely relatable anyway. It won't be for everyone, but it shouldn't be. Sanding off those rough abrasive edges would only dull the impact, and I think the game comes close to that already with an all-too-gamey scene towards the end. Still, Milky Way Prince was for me, and it might be for you too.

It hurts, but sometimes, that's what you need.

The yaoi was a little too toxic for my liking but the presentation, music, and sounds really did create something worthwhile. The senses mechanic is a standout for me just because of the mesmerizing visuals and music, and I feel the writing is top-notch during these moments too. As for negatives, I feel like the writing can be a bit direct at times, but maybe that's just me. Also some of the art can look not very good but it's few and far between. Overall really solid but I wouldn't reccomend it to anyone unless they felt like having a bad time.