i'm in the middle of my seven route run as of writing this so this isnt a complete log BUTTT i enjoy this game. obligatory mention about all the paywalls; i bought a couple hourglasses just to top me off so i could do deep story but i really dont like the fact you either have to spend a bunch of time grinding for hourglasses OR pay money to get the hourglasses just so you can play the other routes. other little annoyances are the chat speed being too slow even on its fastest speed (you CAN buy the ability to use max speed for like $3 but id like to go through the chats quickly without immediately skipping to the dialogue choices) and having to replay through the entire first few days if you dont want to spend hourglasses skipping to where the game branches off. either one of these on their own is like.... whatever. but both of them just makes for a really grueling replay experience, even when im going for a different route.

while not an explicit romance, i felt like jaehee's route was the most enjoyable. it felt like a connection formed from actually getting to know a person compared to a lot of the guys who focus more on mc being cute. do i enjoy the other routes / characters ? of course. seven is a close second fave; his behavior and way of speaking are very reminiscent of someone i would be friends with, so its easy to like him. zens route... was something. i like zen ill admit, but responses that typically appeal to him put me off so bad LOL. while i havent done their routes yet, i only like jumin when hes talking about his cat and i find it hard to like yoosung. i remember liking yoosung when i first played the game, so i suppose ive just grown out of that character type.

what else to mention about a game i havent finished... i do enjoy the phone calls / text messages outside of the chats. its funny finishing a chat, immediately getting a phone call, and then getting a text message while in the middle of said call. I LOVE TEXTING AND COMMUNICATING THROUGH PHONES IN GAMES !!!!

obsessed with this game. on one hand i think games should be at their best quality when they release, but i am glad larian takes the time to patch any bugs or fixes, or even new content entirely. as of writing this, i have yet to play through the epilogue they added in the latest patch, but my biggest gripe was how unsatisfying the ending felt, so im glad that issue has potentially been fixed.

any other issues i have with the game are entirely minor and didn't really take away from my enjoyment: textures not loading properly sometimes (especially in later portions of the game) and how some npcs will take forever to act during combat. not like im giving the game a pass for these things, but im not too worried about these issues as long as i can still complete the game. plus i know larian has been adding fixes throughout the months, so its not like the game is just left to be like it was when first released.

anyways, onto the good things ^_^ i think maybe the feature i enjoy the most is the impact class and race have on dialogue- both how you react to others, and how others react to you. its fun having my character properly acknowledged, and it provides more incentive for replayability. its just one little example, but i really enjoyed playing as a cleric on one of my runs; youre able to mention your faith, and even your specific faith at times, and it was rather enjoyable romancing gale as a cleric, since we both had a connection with a god(dess) ^o^

speaking of romances, i do really enjoy the companions- both in a romantic and platonic context. i had a select few i enjoyed from the very beginning, but i eventually grew to love them all. they all have their own beliefs, and morals, and personal goals. i love the overworld banter when youre walking around, and the reactions they have to what you do. i think the voice actors did an amazing job with their roles.

i dont have much to say about the combat of the game- its fun..! i like working with the class of my character and bringing along certain party members who i think are best suited for a fight, but thats about it. ive only ever played on easy, just because i prioritize story over everything else, so i can't really comment on it fully since i havent seen everything it has to offer. i do enjoy the standard easy - normal - hard selection of difficulties, but i am glad they added an honour mode and a custom mode. honour mode sounds like a fun challenge that ill probably never complete, and custom mode offers me the opportunity to do one thing ive always wanted to do: have multiclassing on easy mode.

i truly think this is the best game that came out in 2023. theres a reason i keep coming back to play it, even though im someone who generally doesnt like replaying games, especially when ive already recently finished it. however, with the range of customization, patches that either improve or add content, and possibility to find something i initially missed, there is always a reason to make a new playthrough.