What separates video games as a medium from other forms of art is it's direct interaction with the audience. The audience cannot just take a passive role like it can in music or literature. Going into this game, my first true visual novel, I expected a narrative that I know I would play a more or less minimal role in, but still one that would remain relevant. And it is wild to me how much praise this gets just to be so misguided in how it deals with this.

The ideas are there. The narrative I have to admit is very well-crafted. The way it emphasizes the importance of perspective is great, with each chapter (aside from the first and last) being the same series of events from different characters' perspectives. The constant references to famous works of art such as Cyrano de Bergerac and various Lewis Carrol references seemed forced and unnecessary at first but the nods I began to appreciate more, especially the Wittgenstein ones at the end. The twist, or rather revelation, in Looking-Glass Insects was phenomenally well-done. Matter of fact, that entire chapter was the highlight of the game. With the two routes being significantly different and each with their own merits. It's easily the most well-structured and put together of the game.

What faults this game the most is how it mistreats this fantastic narrative. As a visual novel, I knew visuals were going to be an important aspect and play a significant role. In some cases they really did (I.E. the Hill of Sunflowers), but most of the time this was simply used for shock value in over-the-top NSFW imagery. I'm not going to be one of those review bombers that says "WTF ITS JUST PORN" either, because some of those scenes really are important to the overarching narrative when a story is so heavily revolving around trauma. Despite that, those scenes that are important go on too long, the uncomfortability it creates does absolutely nothing outside of shock value. Then on top of that, there are countless completely unnecessary porn scenes that's only purpose is to attract that audience. It's completely misguided. This makes the characters overall further detached from the audience, which would be interesting if that what the game was trying to do, but it's not. This ultimately ruins the conclusion as well. The ending is supposed to be cathartic and relieving, but after the scene in Jabberwocky (you know the one) it makes every bit of empathy you have for the character go away. His arc was over at that point.

That's what makes me so disappointed too, if this same narrative was taken, stripped of unnecessary filler porn and translated into a proper novel, not a visual one, it could be something good. Unfortunately it almost completely fails.