i just finished loving decays and i'm not typically into most yandere games but i loved this one! it definitely stands out in the genre. you are skilled at evocative prose and i really enjoy your writing style. and even the smaller characters like saira have interesting and realistic characterization. it's also novel to have a mortician mc, and the looks into their field and botany are fascinating and play well to the themes of the game.
i did all the endings, and one of my favorite details was how jane says owen does not have her hatred, or drive. but then in the graveyard he keeps saying i hate you, repeatedly. so clearly he has it in the right circumstances.
the contradictions between selfishness and kindness between chao and owen were interesting. in jane's eyes, chao is selfish, but kind. owen isn't selfish like her, but he has hatred that she wasn't aware of. probably couldn't be aware of, considering how little she was around.
honestly i'm pretty partial to the idea of mc /owen, especially after seeing your A24 post about them. that they could come together after such a terrible mess, in spite of the elaborate meeting chao orchestrated specifically for himself lmao. i understand his inherent tragedy, but i like the idea of him happy in at least one timeline.
it was also funny how many moments throughout the story i kept noticing glaring red flags the mc chose to ignore, because they're so desperate for love and genuine connection, and how far that could possibly drive them depending on their choices. it is fun how freak4freak they end up being, and how he sticks with them in 3 after everything, and their understanding they could only find through each other.
i liked that the stages in the game were the stages of decomposition. and from the start chao says he's squeamish about blood, but he has a clear fascination with death that would be a reasonable human contradiction if i didn't know what kind of game this was. he still could prefer less bloody ways to kill?
after hearing that the charm chao gives the mc is a tracker in ending 3, it made me wonder if the little figure he gives them in 2 has a hidden mic or camera?
thank you for a game with moving writing and imagery, and the art! the sprites are fun, and i really like how you drew the preserved heart's undertaker. i will definitely be looking out for what you make in the future
(⚠️ spoilers as well in my reply)
YES!! You're the first one to directly mention to me how he actually said 'I hate you' many times, and yes, his 'potential' isn't something that Jane would have seen either. But at the end of the day, Owen's crashouts in the story were largely because of the situation and impulsive anger.
As absent as Jane was, it's true that Owen never had her selfishness nor hatred. Beneath his defensiveness, I think he is a sad person deep down.
And yes, Owen's tragedy in E3 is inherent, but it's comforting to fantasize a better outcome for him overall.
The mention of squeamishness was very intentional! It's a half-lie, as Chao is definitely fine with blood, but he does prefer less bloody ways to settle things, hence his methods. It's also part of, like you said, reasonable human contradiction.
In E2, besides the figurine, Chao also gave MC a phone charm! It's meant to be the exact same model as he would give them in E3, but whether it also has a tracker in it is up to interpretation ;) Tracker or no tracker, in E2 Chao is confident that he already has MC in his grip (Which he has). So no, it's not the figurine that should be suspected!
You noticed a lot of details and gave specific compliments that really motivate me HAHAH thank you again! (＾O＾)
