I think this one is definitely a must play for Otome fans! I have to say, I kind of have a love/hate relationship with it?? Especially after playing the sequel (you can read my super long review of that one lol). For me personally, I had to take breaks at some point because it’s just a lot, and made me feel all the emotions.
My #1 was definitely Dante, I know it’s not really explicitly stated that he’s the “canon” route or the “poster boy” of the game (especially since his route isn’t locked until the end), but I feel like it’s kind of made out to be that way, especially since he’s on the cover of both games. Regardless, I’m a sucker for kuudere, soft LIs and Dante checks all those boxes. He’s just a sweetheart and I couldn’t get enough of him. And yes, he’s stupid hot 🥵
I have so many other thoughts I could share but will leave it here lol. The last thing I’ll say is that this game’s artwork and music are absolutely top tier. The CGs are just stunning and a lot of the musical pieces were very emotionally captivating.

I really wanted to enjoy this game. I'm a huge fan of Style Savvy, but Fashion Dreamer left me extremely disappointed (much to my dismay).

I have nothing to say about the dressing system, which is really well done (tops that can be tucked in or out of pants/skirts, correct collision system...), my only criticism perhaps being that there are no handbags, but that's not a big deal. The real problem with this game is the lack of short-term objectives and satisfaction.

For context, in this game, we are thrust into a virtual world, a kind of social network that allows us to meet other fashionistas. There's no interaction, no storyline, no currency, nothing. Just dressing up and taking photos.

In Style Savvy, we manage our own boutique: we buy clothes and sell them, all with the aim of buying even more clothes. Acquiring clothes is a "reward" for investing more in the game. That's not the case here; clothes are free and obtainable infinitely, which removes any sense of "reward".

Also, there's no storyline. None. Style Savvy games have never shone for their incredible storylines, but there's at least one, however cliché it may be. We meet secondary characters and have a sense of progression, which is not the case in Fashion Dreamer where we have no interaction other than dressing the "muses" we encounter. No dialogue, no soul.

On a more personal note, I find even the "social network" atmosphere very dated, evidenced by the loading screens with hashtags everywhere, #fashion #beauty; it seems a bit archaic to me. It feels like seeing Instagram users from 2015.

The only point that could improve our experience is activating the online mode (faster progression and nicer clothes), but that doesn't save the overall experience.

Too bad.

Disclaimer: I truly do adore this game, but there are some hiccups that can make it difficult to enjoy. That's why I'm starting with the negatives first.

This game's main story gets VERY convoluted/lore heavy near the end- one LI's story kind of collapsed under its own weight from all the 'plot twists.' There are points in the game where it feels like they're just adding unnecessary plot points for drama's sake.

There's an extremely annoying antagonist that shows up in every route, to the point where I groaned audibly every time he showed up on screen (iykyk).

There are... a LOT of flashbacks. I think somebody actually counted them all and it came out to like, 600. I love this game, but I can only handle watching the 'promise me one day you'll find your soulmate scene' so many times.

Finally (and this is my main beef with the game), there are SO MANY wonderfully written and well-developed NPCs... but they're faceless. They have no art. And that's a serious shame, because a lot of these NPCs have incredible scenes and influence the protagonist in truly beautiful ways, but we can't SEE them. (Fusou, you deserved better)

On to the positives!

The romance in this game is really, honestly, absolutely BEAUTIFUL. Every route felt like I was truly watching two soulmates find their way to one another. Though the overall plot tends to buckle under its own weight at times, the love stories themselves are flawlessly written, to the point where I was brought to tears at times.

The protagonist is great. Olympia starts out as insecure and naive, having been beaten down her entire life by grief and isolation, but she quickly grows into a compassionate, bright, headstrong heroine. I'm a huge proponent of voiced heroines in otome games, and it's a shame Olympia isn't voiced, because she's got some incredible moments. I'm also a huge fan of how she isn't a shrinking violet when it comes to romance. In several routes, she's just as forward as the men when it comes to expressing her love and desire.

The music is GREAT. Not much else I have to say there. Sometimes I'd stop playing just to listen to the music for a few minutes.

The art is truly gorgeous. From backdrops to portraits to CGs, every inch of the game is bursting with color, perfectly setting the stage that is Tenguu Island.

Finally, the voice acting. It's amazing. From tender love scenes, to steamy romance, to snappy back-and-forths, every voice actor gets a chance to shine. I can't think of a single character that doesn't have an incredible voice (besides Olympia, of course).

That's the end of my review! Doctor Kuroba, if you are free Thursday night then my number is

Finally pushed through and finished this one after months of putting it off. Engage is a great game, don't get me wrong. This game had a chokehold on me for the first half of it but as it went on, the story got way too unnecessarily ambitious. There were way too many twists and turns that it turned into something I didn't care to be invested in by the end. That being said, the ending was absolutely beautiful and specifically the cutscene with all the emblems right before the final battle. (shoutout to my boyfriend for pulling up the cutscene on youtube when I accidently skipped it). It got me excited for a fight the first time in awhile.
The gameplay was great for the most part. I loved the engage feature, it made fights more fun, finding new and creative ways to take down enemies. The maps were very fun, with terrain effects and gimmicks that made the game not as repetitive.
The characters were enjoyable but compared to the close-knit groups in three houses, they fell short. This game made it a lot harder to achieve A-Support with units that by the end, I was disappointed with the amount of content I wasn't able to see. I can see it being easier if you grind support with a few select characters but me being me, I like to give everyone a chance to participate and Somniel activities and battle (Except Saphir and Lindon, screw them. Literally had to just look up their names, that's how much I don't care about them). A few of these characters became very dear to me, my favorite being Zelkov. Honorable mentions include Pandreo, Amber, Alcryst, Rosado, and Merrin.
As far as units go, this game has some broken characters. I can literally send Merrin off on her own to take out a large group of enemies and she is fine. No one even comes close to even hitting her. A few characters who also are very close to that level of broken are Panette, Kagetsu, Diamont, Yunaka and Timerra. Most of these units can be pretty self-sufficient and were a consistent staple in my army.
I found the game overall enjoyable. It wasn't perfect by any means but it wasn't bad at all. I thought the running sibling theme really worked for a game like this. Maybe it was because I didn't get supports up all the way up but some of the characters didn't even feel like they were close to the characters who were written to be close with other characters. EX: Diamont/Amber, Merrin/Timerra. To me, that just takes away from the close-knit feeling that games like three houses gave me. So perhaps that's why I wasnt as emotionally invested in this story. Some of these characters who are saving the world together felt like absolute strangers. Overall, I'm glad I got to play this game and I'm glad I got to know some of these characters from the franchise that I didn't know about before. For a long time fire emblem fan, I can see this being a great crossover game and a solid stand-alone game with its own story. I usually can tell by the end of a game if its something I'll ever go back to. For this one, I can't tell. Mainly because 'New Game+" isn't an option. If it were, I might be tempted to get support conversations that I wasn't able to get in my first playthrough. But since its not, going back to it feels pointless and starting a new game would feel like a chore. So for now, I'm done with it. It was fun for what it was :)