~Kimiro~

@pelibirdie

hiiii okay so !! Since the ts preview has come out on Patreon I thought I’d give my thoughts :] please be aware of spoilers below and also, these are just my opinions, so take them with a grain of salt.

———

Let’s start with my main concerns so we can end on a positive note!!

1: the pacing.

Now, I’ll start with the thing most talked about: the quickness when it comes to the romances. Each character, even ones like Vere or Mhin, jumpstart the progress of the relationship faster than I had expected, which gave me a liiiittle whiplash.

But here’s the thing, I’ve played a loooot of romance games. My first one was Arcana! Where we can have a relationship break-up before you’re even officially together.

I kinda understand that the quickness of relationship progression was just apart of the romance game formula. Which makes sense especially when you’re in a visual novel format and not like— a game similar to bg3 or the interactive novels that can spread out through the span of multiple books.

So it was a lot easier for me to brush that off, especially considering that the full game has been said to be only around like ? 5 chapters ?

Now other visual novels, even confined to shorter time, can still take a slower approach. (Example being: Obscura. Ohhh don’t even get me started on that masterpiece—)

But I understand that’s not the approach every visual novel will, and has to take. Which means that I won’t be taking this criticism into the full game, and instead will keep my eyes on how they choose to continue the romance.

My bigger concern (which is probably not that serious) is that all of this will be over wayyy too quickly, without giving us any time to breathe.

Arcana, despite the quickness of the romance, still allowed the story itself to breathe and let you have fun. I hope that will be the same with Touchstarved. Especially since there won’t be any longer scenes locked behind a paywall.

2: the MC

To be completely honest with you, I’ve never liked the TS mc hshshshshs— when I first played I was like “I would NOT say that” and they have annoyed me more than once. But again, I’ve played a lot of romance games, I’m so used to just going “well this character would actually say this instead.” I’ve put my not-stick thin pale girl ocs into MYSTIC MESSENGER AND OTHERS OKAY THIS ISNT MY FIRST RODEO

But I can understand that this can still take people out of the story, and any criticisms of Mc is valid. I just don’t personally mind too much. (Not everyone can be a Vesper okay 😞)

For me, it will all depend on how the mc is written throughout the entire game. If they have development, if they have more agency, if they will be able to prove why THEY are the mc.

(Like how arcana MC was able to grow more confident, use their powers to defeat the devil. How Last Legacy MC was able to progress into a moreeee leadership type role)

One thing I’m actually worried about, and have seen become more prominent— is that the writing itself has been shaved down to what feels like, sometimes, the bare bones.

If you’ve had the previous backer updates, you’ve seen the writing process. And a lot of it!! Isn’t even re-wording to better the flow, but just simply cutting it done until it goes beyond just being concise, but restricted. Bare.

This is a visual novel, which means the descriptions should be allowed more space. I want to see the character of this writing to shine! I hate when personality and character and depth is sacrificed for the sake of what is excused to be *conciseness*

If you’re a writer, you’re familiar with the three C’s and know that being Concise is one of them. But it’s not to sand down creative expression until a colorful paragraph is one, shiny sentence, it’s there to smooth over messy wording, to trim!! To trim lengthy paragraphs that go on longer than they need to.

It was disheartening to see this process take over the demo in the update, and it was a bummer to see it continue in the previews. I feel like the team has been limited to what they can say, what they can have the writing express.

I also fear that they have let some of the fandom tooooo sweeten the horror? Like when they said in the demo update that they ‘gave vere something to eat so he wouldn’t be so bloodthirsty’ so it would be harder for him to kill you. NOOOOOOOO !!!! That’s what shocked me !! What brought vere into my attention !! I thought it gave proper consequence, it served as a preview into what choosing vere would entail. Murder. Risk. Caution while also knowing when to choose boldness.

So I do worry that they will be holding themselves back from what they originally intended for the game. I want it to be a romance, yes, but I’m also here for the horror.

My biggest concern is that the team has been held back ever since the demo first came out. I worry that they have split from the cooperate hold and restrictions just to bring with them the lingering uncertainty that mindset planted in them.

I want to see this game be its truest self, even if it unsettles people, even if it’s not what some people want it to be. I want to see what I signed up for: monster horror and messy, bloody, often disturbing romance.

I really, truly love this game. Despite the flaws and concerns, I’ve been blown away by the art and the characters and the world this team has so lovingly crafted. Im in love with the lore, the music, the promises. The relationships between the cast, (Vere and Ais, oughhh they’re such a mess…) the backstories I can’t wait to see fleshed out.

I still trust these writers, and I’m proud of them for achieving their goals and for doing what they do to bring us this passion project.

So that’s why I hope they won’t be held back and will take their time to bring us what they truly envisioned. Because even with the flaws I’ve stated before, I still had a blast playing each chapter. I thought they were fun, intense, and exciting.

It also felt pretty ethereal at times— like with the music— hello— the scene where you’re with Vere and walk by all the statues—

You're the cure (let)

You make it better (me)

You make it worse (go)

My Love is Sick - Madds Buckley

Hyacinth belongs to @celosiaceo