Pros:
✓ There are unique and fun puzzles spread out across different levels of the game which present new challenges. They’re really well done and I usually had to think quite hard about how to solve them.
✓ The maps are plenty challenging! I used up most if not all my available hints at each stage of the game because some of those objects were near impossible to find.
✓ Given how old this game is, I do want to applaud the creators on their attention to details regarding the soundtrack and overall theme of the game. The sound effects were really eerie and some of the room designs are masterfully done- you can really see the deranged-ness (is that a word?) of the main villain through the setting of the mansion. The sound and visuals work together to perfectly capture the essence of Ravenhearst.
✓ I loved piecing together the tragedy of the main character who you (the detective) are essentially investigating, and the way her story unfolded. The diary sort of gives it a personal feel, and I found myself compelled to know more as each stage of the game progressed.

Cons:
✕ I wish there were more puzzles! I really loved that part of the game. Even though this is a “hidden-object” game strictly speaking, I think the puzzles posed a thought-provoking challenge that was fun and different from the main agenda.
✕ Really wanted more from the story (especially at the end). The game overall keeps good pace with the progressing the major events for the main character, but towards the end I thought everything happened a little too suddenly. The game ended a bit more abruptly than I would have liked.

I was slightly terrified of what to expect going into this game… (つ﹏⊂).

Pros:
✓ FINALLY, an Otome with some deeper lovey-dovey action. All you adults out there with the craving to get a little more from your game, this is it. Now, do take that with a grain of salt because I played the Switch version and I’ve heard the PC one contains way more explicit content, so I think depending on where you play it, the scenes and CG’s may be a little different. BUT, that said, I think I got a lot out of the Switch version too. (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄) And this emoji is enough to sum up this point.
✓ Ummmmmmmmm Shiba. Shiba, Shiba, Shiba. Wow… Listen, I have a spot in my heart for Yandere LI’s and honestly the entire Otome scene has kinda been lacking on those dudes. No idea why, but I don’t see as many of them, or if they do exist, they don’t really have that true yandere intensity I like. Many review guides recommend completing Shiba’s route first and honestly I was kinda deciding against it during the prologue but then some things happened and yeah um. Anyways!~ ( ❛ᴗ❛ ) Yandere lovers you have been welcomed.
✓ The CG’s are beautiful, and very unique in terms of their artistic direction. I just want to applaud the artists behind the CG’s for this game because they are seriously stunning!

Cons:
✕ One thing that frustrates me is that all the routes are required in order to unlock Majima’s route. To be honest, I just am not into Kyoko’s story or life or anything whatsoever, and I would never play her route. I personally don’t think any of the routes should’ve been forced on the players to unlock one of the best routes (so I’ve heard). Honestly though, because of that I will probably just never get to play Majima’s route which kinda sucks.
✕ I get that there’s some taboo factors to this game, but the execution of them is not… the greatest? For reasons I won’t spoil, one of the LI’s has a very taboo relationship with the MC, and the execution is actual crap. The entire story is rushed, MC’s ideals and morals basically shift in the matter of 5 dialogue boxes overnight, and it’s just really poorly executed. I wish they did better with it.
✕ Not sure I’m really getting the full experience of the story and the world with this game honestly. Some games do a phenomenal job setting up the world, the characters, and the overall context to the story. This game is running reallll short on that. For one, the routes feel small and unfinished at the end. I was like “wait there’s more right?” everytime I came up on the ending. It was packed so densely together and I was left wanting… more. I really wanted more to the stories, more to the plot, more to the characters. By the time I had an idea of the world the MC was in, the routes were already over.

Overall, I did enjoy what I was able to play of this game, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it to everyone. I think if you have a palate for darker themes, taboo relationships, and uncomfortable subjects, then sure go ahead. But honestly, there are a lot of things that I'd need further improvements on to give this game a higher rating- starting most importantly with adding more details, choices, and dialogues to the routes themselves as well as letting the readers choose their routes (not being forced to do them all just to unlock one person).

♡ TAIGA MY BELOVED ಥ‿ಥ ♡
Okay sorry, I needed to preface this review with some casual fangirling. 2D Husbando Club!~

Pros:
✓ The common route, the common route, oh did I mention the common route? THE COMMON ROUTE FOR ALL YOU PEOPLE IN THE BACK- (ﾉ･o･)ﾉ. Okay but seriously, the common route in this Otome Game might be the best I've ever experienced. You get so sucked into the storyline, the plot, the way the characters interact with eachother, who the characters are... everything about the common route is chefs kiss. I literally spent half of my total hours of this game just enjoying the Common Route to its fullest extent. I'm telling you, you'll be laughing, crying, screaming into your pillow, and getting all the warm fuzzies you could ever imagine.
✓ The characters are so enticingly well defined and fleshed out! YES, they are all dramatically different from one another. So much so, that you know you're getting extremely unique routes for all of them. And, what makes it extra amazing is that because each of them are so different you really end up just appreciating them all for who they are.
✓ The chibi CG’s just have me melting into a puddle of goop. OMG! This is one of the only otome games I’ve played where they use CG’s with chibi versions of the characters and it. Is. The. CUTEST. THING. EVER! These got so many laughs and “aww” moments out of me, you will definitely enjoy those!

Cons:
✕ Ngl, I don’t understand the minigame in Variable Barricade (where you have spawn on a chess board with your LI). I tried looking up a tutorial or to get some hint as to what you’re supposed to do in it, but I don’t know. I just pressed the “A” button once during the minigame and it kinda ends it so… no clue! I wish they had some more instruction around what it is and what you’re supposed to do there.
✕ Tbh, I wish the endings were slightly less rushed and thrown together. Don’t get me wrong, they’re better than a lot of Otome endings, but it did feel just thrown together last minute on some of them.

Tbh, I have really only barely scratched the surface of this game, so I'm sure I'll come back with some more opinions the more I play, but from what I have already completed, I'm literally in love. (๑♡⌓♡๑)

Highly recommend you get this game and add it to your collection, especially if you're a fan of the Otome Genre. :")