by sonicscream » Sun, 14May18 10:19
I like this one a lot. The girls are great and the quality of the renders is incredible.
A few things:
1. I tend to like games with a moderate story - not too heavy, but enough to imagine myself in the world. Generally speaking, I'll take a rich setting over a really compelling story. The first lets me feel like I'm inside it, while the second makes me feel like I'm just observing. So this hits a good note for me in terms of immersion. I wouldn't have minded more specifics about the world, but I did get to know the girls and feel like I was part of it, so it succeeded exactly how it should.
2. The mechanics were solid, although I also spent a lot of time searching for other hotspots. I think it's because we've all played ones with a lot of options for each move, many of which are the wrong choice. Also, while I certainly don't mind stat-builders, some more little scenes like the bonus Easter eggs would be nice (for example, the one in the library with Reiko or on the basketball court with Naomi). Tiny scenes like that are good to keep someone hooked and hint that they're progressing the right way.
3. As much as I really liked all these girls, I would've liked a bit more randomized dialogue for them in the conversations. I'm thinking of something like Sim Girl, but less basic facts (no girl cares if you know her blood type, and if she does, things are gonna get dangerous really quick) and more in the realm of favorite things, hobbies, and personal histories. We get a bit of that, but I always love more. Strong, distinct girls are key for these games. But like I said, I ended up really liking these girls. Call me sentimental, but there were a couple of moments that were actually really sweet - Reiko explaining her cosplay love, or Naomi telling you how special you make her feel. Those were unexpected for this kind of game, and they reminded me of moments in my real-life relationships. I like getting attached to girls in games like this (yeah, yeah, I know. I'm in a long-distance relationship and I don't cheat. It's a nice escape when I'm missing my girlfriend).
4. I know there's no plans at present to do more with Outcast Academy, but how about a smaller free game like this with a few of the Outcast girls? Just a quick dating stat-builder like this where you're playing a guy and trying to date Caytlyn Langley and/or a couple other girls. But mostly Caytlyn Langley.
Also, I don't have a smart phone or anything like that. Is there any way to read those QR codes? Can I save the screen and put it into some software program for my computer, maybe?