Okay, I know the description says three endings, and I know two of them are bad, but is the third one a good one? And if so, can someone make a walk-through? I don't want to keep getting the bad endings cause they make me feel sick...
Isn't that kind of unreasonable? I would understand if it took multiple playthroughs, or maybe a little wait before we could get the good end, but review bombing the thing seems a bit redundant? Especially to just get a good ending instead of a special ending...
For how slow the beginning of the game feels, especially with the lack of a skip or fast forward button, the endings are rather rushed. The topics aren't well handled at all, the writing is messy... honestly, after Error143 I was expecting a much better experience. Such a shame.
The voice acting and beautiful art are the only positives about the entire thing.
I see the vision. I see the point the story is trying to get across. The metaphors are there and pretty obvious. But when the topics are this sensitive,It's really important to handle them well, and not make them feel like they're just there for shock value.
Not to mention the "You'll get a good ending only if you promote the game" thing. Really? If the story you're trying to tell wasn't even meant to have a happy ending, if the whole point is to showcase how the bad side of an industry can affect a person, dangling this idea of saving the character, a character you made extremely likeable on purpose, in front of the audience's face... it feels cheap and exploitative.
Overall, a pretty damn good idea executed very poorly.
Spoiler warning!! I do not recommend playing this game, however if you wish to I don't want to spoil it for you!
I feel like the endings were rushed and made out to be as "oooOoO spooky so scary" and not actual things that can actually happen. I've lost several people in my life to these game endings, and i feel like the process wasn't realistic and was leaning towards the insensitive side. It was happy and then all of the sudden it wasn't. I saw the warnings. I didn't expect such a sharp turn for the worst. So I'm gonna break it down. To start, people immediately assuming the worse (such as "You hate people with cancer") feels greatly unrealistic. I know its a game, and that people often draw conclusions like this, it just doesn't feel like anyone would draw that conclusion, especially if someone says something that sounds like it was stolen from a six year old reddit post. Second, I would like to remind you all, THERE ARE ALWAYS SIGNS. ALWAYS. Never has there not been signs in being homicidal or suicidal. Never. So Zilas suddenly taking these turns feels like a mockery or a rushed "horror ending". Its not funny and its not something that couldn't happen. Zilas had the user as a love interest to turn to and depend on. He communicated well. He had a cat he cared for. He wouldn't have just done these things on a whim. These endings genuinely made me shake in anger and disgust. Shame on the writer for this. If you're going to do an ending like this, research it. Research the signs. And be respectful when handling it in game. Something I saw others discuss is the lack of warning. Yes, there was warnings but they were hidden and if you're someone who plays without reading the bio, then you would've been greatly caught off guard. Not just because there is 0 warnings in game, but because the way they happened was unrealistic and unexpected. These things have a "I should've known all along feeling" rather than a "When was this happening????" feeling, because again THERE ARE ALWAYS SIGNS. THERE NEVER WON'T BE SIGNS. I won't just happen in two days. This shit takes MONTHS to happen. And as someone who feels guilt for not noticing this in others, THERE ARE NONE HERE. LIKE ZERO. Also leaving your partner without contact for three days after something happens to them feels like a dick move and the user is framed as the one to blame, because they didn't do anything. Honestly this game just feels like a nightmare. Its unrealistic and disgusting. I do not recommend taking this lightly, and I hope this is edited, or fixed, or just deleted. Overall, just don't play this game. Don't get attached to something that is unrealistic and depressing. I hope the writer realizes these mistakes and never again treats such heavy topics so unrealistically and utilizes them as easy plot twists to make a quick buck. Thank you for reading my comment <3
Also also, some people are saying that "there were obvious signs", well, when I was playing those "obvious signs" to me just made me feel like he was excited to live life with the user, not that he was planning to end it. He even made plans to introduce the user. Plans for the future. Imo, he would try to do everything he wanted to do with the user before "ending it". Because people in this mindset tend to put people they love above anything else. and someone he loved made plans to stream with him, which he looked forward to. You could argue I'm looking at what I want to and ignoring what i don't like, but I feel like when he said things others view as signs, fit well into his personality and the conversation that was being held in the moment he said those things. Take from my review what you will, but I stand by the fact that it wasn't realistic and was overall Disrespectful.
Not only is this game poorly written, it's down right insensitive and doesn't make any sort of reason to reach the ending. Other than the horribly written violence, the other thing I found insufferable was 'rizz' being used (if I were to guess) over 16 times. And even if you tell the Love interest to monitor the sexual comments literally nothing happens in game. what the fuck was the point of putting the choice there if it didn't do anything? Error 143's bad ending was abysmal already because the game is "punishing you" for have literally a perfect valid boundary. Now that's [boundaries] all of what this game really talks about but it's so surface level to the point it doesn't even effect the game. The twitter explanation is also full of excuses, The love interest knew MC before hitting his goal (and I assume because MC goes to his house, long before the idea of him even thinking about being a streamer.) So how in the world is that a representation of 'parasocial relationships' and stalking? How do you forget what happens in your own game??? Did I mention the begging for rating by guilt tripping the viewer? That is some clown behavior.
The only thing really redeemable is the artists and the rest of the team besides the creator.
I rarely comment but that wasn't just a rollercoaster of emotions that was driving head-on towards a cliff I didn't know T-T I mean I saw the triggers but damn I still wasn't prepared. Like the tears automatically fell. I was just speechless. Anyways,I love the VA and the dialogue and the dynamic MC and Zilas have. It would be cute to have a little more backstory on how they started but I fear that would have been more heartbreaking.
Honestly it seemed like there was potential in the beginning of the game but then it just went downhill. The endings were really random, and the fact that we have to get this game to 5k ratings just for a good ending is honestly bs because we know that ain’t gonna happen. Anyways everything was cool besides how we got the endings.(especially the hanging one.It was so sudden that made it seem like this game was rushed)
i was playing this game with my friend and we where like hating on him but then when the ending came we where like oh my god and like 'damn was that are fault wasnt it?' overall really amazing game! and AMAZING art <3
..This game.. I frickin LOVE ITTTT!! Although the ending made me tear up like hell- Zilas is frickin adorable, and I love how he incorporated Error143 into the mix too! (Love that game as well. <3) But once I saw the suicide ending (Be noted I read the content warnings before playing.), I low-key teared up a bit. Besides that though, I can't wait for this to be a full game! ^^
I love this game and everything but the endings feels like getting on a sweet slow carousel then blinking and you're suddenly on the smiler, all and all I genuinely hope this game improves in someway because I need zilas to have a good ending
i've only done one ending so far and i'm already a mess of emotions?! the way my heart dropped multiple times and i felt the pain he felt- gah my heart T_T
I haven't played the game past the demo, but a few days ago this game and everyone seemed so positive and I comeback and its like a whole different vibe. But I did like the demo! Should I be worried for the full game continuing?
Zilas's voice acting was stellar (game carrying, really, considering the relative lack of narrative choices/things to do) and the art was lovely. The writing was... something.
I'll give credit where it's due: the dialogue, streams, and live comments were pretty believable/entertaining, which made things more immersive. However, the game is soured by its messy pacing and cheap plot twist endings. Look, I read the trigger warnings before playing, and the endings still caught me off guard. It's true, there are some light elements foreshadowing that something is off; however, there just isn't enough to prepare the player when the writing started off coasting at 25mph then suddenly crashed full speed into an ending. Plot twists aren't bad, but a good plot twist should have the reader feeling like the twist was in plain sight the whole time. This game felt like someone had cut the middle 75% of a horror movie, roughly sewing the beginning (where things were largely ok and maybe lightly ominous) and end (where the final girl is covered in blood and screaming in front of a burning house) together.
I won't speak about the writer/director, as I am not familiar with her social media presence or her history. I hope she can take criticism with grace and look at this game as a growing experience.
Ok so I'm going to mirror a lot of what people have previously said and give my most honest review of this game, **OBVIOUS SPOILERS AHEAD FOR ANYONE WHO HASNT PLAYED.**
I usually never EVER leave negative reviews on indie developer projects, only criticism + advice for how to improve but this game genuinely upset me with how competent of a writer Jenny is and why she decided this was a good idea. This is mostly for her.
I geniunely do not like how this game is handled, to the writing, to the lack of content warnings and age restrictions, to the way suicide and depression is handled. Everything. It felt as if it were trying to do to much in a very short amount of time and did it poorly.
!. The lack of warnings and age restriction
Lets start with the content warnings. Why were they NOT added in the first build?? Why did people even have to tell you to add them to the game to begin with when it touches on VERY VERY sensitive topics such as depression, suicide and murder? that should've been an honest no brainer to add to a game, much less a horror game that touches on real issues.
It felt more like you wanted to shock and scare your playerbase as if everyone reads the hidden content warnings? do you know how dangerous that is with how triggering the content is? not to mention this game NEEDS a age restriction on it, with the very suggestive nature of some of the stuff said + as well as the gruesome nature of the entire story. It was very mishandled and you, Jenny, as a writer should KNOW this.
2.The plot/endings
Going back to the point I made previously, this game feels like it wants to do too much in too little time. The suicide ending was disgusting and unneeded. It felt like you were trying to make people shocked instead of adding any meaningful impact to it and instead opted out to disgust, shock and disturb instead of educate.
I have depression, Major depressive disorder to be exact and suicide is not something that comes out of nowhere or is a split second decision. There are signs, foreshadowing, and symptoms that Zilas never showed or even mentioned subtly. I feel like we, the player AND his romantic partner, should've gotten that side of him through more deep and meaningful dialogue and helped him through it because Zilas seemed VERY happy with his life, and online drama getting to the point where it results in someones suicide is usually rare and takes months of bullying, not one or two days.
It also makes no sense from a writing stand point if Zilas didn't have much time to begin with, why on earth would he commit suicide when all he wanted to do was spend his last week with us? I thought the cat literally said he didnt care for money or fame but himself and you? It was also extremely out of character. Zilas had insecurities like anyone else had but they did not read like signs of someone struggling with a worsening mental state.It makes no sense and I feel like this is a very disrespectful and distasteful way to go about addressing suicide and by extension, depression as if its for shock value and discomfort of your audience rather then try and help them understand the dangers of it. Shame on you, Jenny.
And oh boy don't even get me started on the cat and the homicide ending. This was foreshadowed slightly better, but it also falls flat. Yes, there is some dialogue already pointing to the fact Zilas is dead; "Can the vacation be sooner?" "I want to hit 1 million followers in a week" "I want to introduce you SO BADLY" etc. but it was very poorly handled as well because we did not get a very good explanation for how the cat works, how we as the player actually affect the story and his fate, and what the cat even is. It has a huge problem with TELLING you whats going on through sloppy exposition rather then SHOWING you with hints and through indirect storytelling.The cat was BARELY in the story and the plot twist didn’t feel satisfying, it came out of NOWHERE. Instead, you get a botched ending where the cat half hazardly explains why he did it and how you can save him with 5k ratings which brings me to my next point of contention.
3. The rating problem and how Jenny is handling this.
I am honestly disgusted with how the ending was handled.It feels like a deliberate marketing tactic rather then a meaningful ending to a game, it feels like dangling a piece of meat over a dog on a treadmill. I understand its a free product but encouraging your *mostly* underage fanbase to make alts to review your game so they can save their favorite fictional character honestly feels like a sick joke, espically since this can result in their account being perma banned. Mind you, this goal is also very hard to reach and you know that Jenny. I don't know why on EARTH you'd decide this was a good idea from both a professional and writing perspective to do this to your audience, it feels innately cruel and like you want attention rather then telling a story about important and real life issues about social media and giving actual good commentary.Its like your exploiting your audience for positive reviews instead of actually wanting to put out a well thought out and coherent story about how streamers have emotions and aren’t just for our entertainment as well as cancel culture, but that’s not what I got at ALL.
Also, you making fun of and mocking people crying and being disturbed over Zilas dying is not doing you any favors. It kinda shows you were never really in it for your fans but rather for yourself and for the attention which is why I'm being so harsh in this review. I have followed you for quite awhile through your different projects and I know you are a competent writer and person, which is why I'm so confused about why you decided to approach this in such a distasteful and undermining way to both your audience and your team. I'm just highly disappointed.
4. Epilogue, what I would change.
The TLDR is basically: I am highly disappointed in how Jenny handled this story and I did not like how it was done, from both a writing and professional perspective. I hope she does better in future projects.
Now, if you want my personal opinion on what i would change as a writer myself? here are my thoughts.
I would honestly prefer we could get the third ending through a variety of puzzles and get hints through both endings, much like an ARG. It keeps the 4th wall breaking element there and gives us a more reasonable goal for how to save Zilas. Whether it be something in the chat or dialogue,they would be good options for doing a password. Or you could even make a website that could redirect you to even more hints and give you more information about how the world works and a lot of puzzles to solve to both understand more about Zilas and how the cat works, even actual websites in the game like Twitsh or OnlyPhams. Imagine how cool that'd be.
I'd honestly opt for scrapping both the 1st and 2nd endings, or making the branches earlier in the story so you could have a better and more thorough explanation if Zilas decides to go through with his suicide, to where you actual get more dialogue and subtle hints pointing to the face he may be struggling with his depression and what people think of him, and for the murder ending, making MC have more obvious urges where they get worse and worse up until we kill him. (Basically like creepy intrusive thoughts before they cut off and the game continues as needed) and a save system for each day or skipping dialogue would actually be a needed and nice touch.
I'm well aware this will not happen, I just honestly wish this had more time in the oven and was longer so we could actually gather more information. It doesnt feel like anything is meaningful, or impactful if no matter what we do he is going to die, and the only way we can save him is review bombing the game. It just feels so cheap, and the art and design direction is so nice and thats why I'm just so confused on how this even passed the development phase of ideas. It just feels unreal.
If you read this review to the end, thank you for your time and I honestly hope you understand what I'm trying to say and have a good day of resting and eating well. Everyone deserves it.
I understand its a free product but encouraging your *mostly* underage fanbase to make alts to review your game so they can save their favorite fictional character honestly feels like a sick joke, espically since this can result in their account being perma banned.
Agree with you at every other point but i don't think her fanbase is mostly underage especially based on the other games that are more for adults. Sure some children might be there or ignore the warnings and age restrictions but you kinda portray it as if she knows the age of her viewers and is using that in her advantage.
Again i agree with you on the other point but the audience is not something she can control especially on the itch.io page and also when Youtubers with a large minor audience (or just those who don't age restrict) play her games that may be not nsfw enough to get age restricted on Youtube but it's still for an actual older audience.
I think it is to be honest. These types of games are mostly targetted for a younger demographic, I am a minor myself and theres a lot of other minors here in the comments if you look, just from the way they behave and speak generally as well as past things they've said. I'm well aware that not everyone is a kid in her fanbase I do agree that some are adults, but children are more suspectible to this type of manipulation and exploitation from said creator. I don't quite agree with that point anymore myself, I know she can't control all of her audience, I think its more to point out that children will care more and attach themselves to fictional characters and will be more likely to review bomb or encourage their friends to rate the game. Also you can't deny that the jokes (rizz, getting bitches, etc.) are jokes speifically used by Gen Z and are new trends, this game feels like its trying to be hip with the kids and Vtubers as a concept are very popular among teenagers as well. And the reason I said to age restrict is not really for the suggestive material or jokes, those are usually fine, but for the very graphic content from before the game was released. Mostly because a lot of people were triggered or mentally hurt by this game and the way it handled suicide. Alot of other games with the same themes covered are usually also age restricted.
Also you can't deny that the jokes (rizz, getting bitches, etc.) are jokes speifically used by Gen Z and are new trends, this game feels like its trying to be hip with the kids and Vtubers as a concept are very popular among teenagers as well.
They can be but that would not be the reason really why i would assume that she is trying to be hip with the kids lol that's a bit of a reach older Gen Z or people that are millennials are into that too you probably are more around to those in your age range but it's really common and Vtuber are not that new of a concept really same with that slang lol. But again i won't deny that teenagers aren't here in the comments but it's mostly from youtube videos of people with a younger audience
Again agree on the other points but to me there a quite a lot of adult in her community. The comments here are not a reflection of that more so people who follow her on social media.
Shrug, that’s fine tbh. I personally disagree with you. This feels like it’s trying to reach teens and young adults with a lot of the more popular and trendy topics but you are free to have your own opinion. Agree to disagree.
I mean most gen z are already adults just 6 more years and every gen z person will be 18+ in the end of 2030 But obviously you most likely are more around younger communities if you are younger so it's both from a different perspective but the slangs and vtuber stuff is not that uncommon at all in adults you probably notice it more once you are older.
Again not saying it's not reaching a younger audience but millennials are not some ancient folks who don't enjoy slangs or watch certain vtubers lol.
I was also again talking about her community not this specific game's audience
Personally，from breaking the fourth wall and psychological fear aspects, this slightly pales by comparison with doki doki literature club. Even though I've been immune to jump scare, I'm still a bit uncomfortable about the endings, probably because of this absurd turning. But the art is nice, which is I like.
fr how are they blaming the creator when their the one who was ignorant they put the trigger warning plus the creator isn't responsible for they safety
i wouldnt say its completely the creators fault. whoever was playing the game shouldve checked the bio but its the creators job to put extra warnings in the game bcs some people dont read it
it's not your fault, she only added the content warning in the game later. It makes sense that you'd be shocked if you weren't properly warned. You came to play a game. Reading the bio area isn't part of that game.It's optional. Content warnings are not as optional.
From what I'm guessing, people commenting that there haven't been any signs of anything bad going on might've just skimmed over the dialogue?
Zilas wasn't shy to point out that he's on a literal deadline/ limited time. I went into this game without the knowledge of what's going to happen as I don't follow the creator's socials and was recommended this by a friend.
>The pushed goal of reaching 1 mil in a WEEK out of nowhere
>"Can the vacation be sooner?"
>"Can we spend one-on-one time together?"
>"Do you want me to come over?"
>"Until death do us part."
>"I want to be with you forever, yes."
>"I want to introduce you soon SO BADLY."
There have been signs. very obvious ones at that. He was trying to not be too pushy but still wanting to make the most out of what time he had.
The only tasteless part was how the endings were executed.
I think it would've been better if the first time you go through an ending the game would've put emphasis on the fact that it was out of your control. Maybe a moment of clarity AFTER he died, like "You come to your senses" (Proposal ending) or saying that him doing the Sayori was uncharacteristic, even if he was under stress like that. That would've been enough of a hint to get the player to be like "???" in response and intrigued to start another save.
Though it was pretty obvious things went south the moment you met him outside in the snow and his body remained cold, even in bed. I guess.
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I must agree that 5k reviews to resurrect a character is more of a tasteless joke than it is for the community though... Especially encouraging alt account? Yikes.
Discussion of suicide and death starts near the middle of the comment/review
the presentation of the game is sleek and colorful. The art assets for this game are wonderful from the character art to the ui. However there are no "quality of life" features for players, i.e. a skip or save function making multiple playthroughs boring to get through. It's important to me as a player, especially when there are multiple endings, to have a save and loading function to cut out the tedium of rereading old dialogue/scenes back to back.
As for the content, the game suffers from a pacing issue. The progression felt very abrupt, and not in a way that made sense to the story but, as if there was very little meat besides the concept of the shocking ending, which I felt could have been foreshadowed better. The suicide aspects of the story were handled sloppily imo, and evident from all the other people commenting in shock it came as a surprise (not a twist) to them.
The fluffy parts with Zilas were cute tho a bit flat. The theme of streamers being human too could have been explored more thoroughly (and with more nuance) through that lense then the horror approach that was taken. If anything I feel the obvert horror aspects of the game is reductive, too in your face and distracted from the theming. The horror (of the situation and dynamic Zilas had to streaming and his fans) was implicit through the chat and dialogue and worked well when it was approached with a subtler touch
all and all i think the writing aspect of this game wasn't handled with care, for the character and most of all for the player. also why does this game not have an age rating?
i've written this in a previous comment and in my review of the game, but i wanted to leave a proper thought out comment about this game.
i was quite disgusted with the way that this game is being handled (not by the other people who worked on this game, but the main dev jenny.) the way that the suicide scene was handled was honestly terrible.
i play a LOT of psychological horror games / vns with topics like this, and they ALL handle them better. there's actual build up, signs you can look for, proper warnings. this game didn't have any actual warnings within the game, no build up, it was all just so sudden. the suicide wasn't really added for plot relevance (especially considering you don't even find out the cat is 'the main villain') in this ending. there was genuinely NO NEED for this ending.
this ending feels like it was added for purely shock value, for her to use as a way to guilt the players into giving her more reviews, mocking the character they like. there was no reason for the character to kill themselves really, it was added for shock value.
the way jenny is handling it honestly disgusts me, especially as someone who has lost friends to suicide, and had several attempts before. her making stupid tweets about the character, making videos making fun of people who are distressed over it, previously ENCOURAGING people to make alts just so they can see their 'sweet boy get a happy ending' or whatever.
and to my knowledge she has supposedly done stuff like this before, and clearly not learnt her lesson.
in my opinion, the suicide ending shouldn't have been there at all. i haven't played to the actual homocide ending (i closed the game after the hanging ending) but i am aware that is the only one that gives any sort of backstory... but even then, there is NO build up to my knowledge about the backstory.
there should be warnings in the game, and jenny should stop wielding this game as some sort of weapon over peoples heads and laughing about it, when at the end of the day she's portrayed suicide as some sort of gimmick.
i don't want this to come across as me dissing the other members of the team who worked hard on this project, because this is directed towards jenny. i also don't want it to seem like i'm being oversensitive, because i have seen SEVERAL people expressing the same thoughts as me.
i'm not quite sure how well worded this is considering i'm exhausted, but i wanted to put my thoughts towards this game forwards. i'm not the type to leave comments on games (especially negative ones) but i think she really needs the criticism. or she could just ignore it, like i've heard she does.
tldr: the way she's handled certain topics in this game / in general is terrible, and i want her to do better.
This is the first time, I’m making a negative comment / review on somebody else’s project, but I feel like I have to say something after watching this shit show transpire over this past week.
Before I elaborate, a little disclaimer: This is solely against the team leader and creator of this project: Jenny Vi Pham and not directed at any of the team members. For what they were given, the artists and composer did a great job.
This is solely directed at Jenny and I hope she takes to heart what I’m saying, at least tries to reflect and show some form of compassion and understanding.
1) Suicide & character death as a form to emotionally manipulate the player.
I’m starting with my most important and the heaviest topic from the beginning, since - frankly speaking - as a writer myself and someone affected by suicide (personally and through the loss of people close to me) I am disgusted.
The execution of the murder & suicide scenes were absolutely out of place and insensitive, suicide especially is such a sensitive topic and with how the narrative portrayed it, there was no build up to it or the cat “being the main villain”.
But what was worse was: After I reached the (DDLC copycat of a) suicide ending, the cat ending played.
In this ending the cat (loosely introduced in the beginning) reveals themselves as some supernatural / spiritual being - telling the player that they are “powerless in this world” but not “powerless in that world (reality)” and that they can bring him back to life by leaving 5.000 rates on the itchio page.
This (to me and with the hanging ending I got right before this played ) suggests “Oh you can save him from killing himself by leaving 5.000 ratings on the itch page” - which is undisputedly DISGUSTING.
And since the majority of the fans seem to be minors - proven by the people in the fanserver as well as the comments left on here - of course they would want him back!
2) No age restriction
Moving on right to the next topic: Minors - This (and I can’t believe I have to say this) IS NOT A GAME FOR MINORS. Despite this game being so graphic (especially visually, depicted by the hanging) there is NO age restriction either on this site, nor a disclaimer on the page or within the game. (At least when I played it.)
THIS IS NOT A GAME FOR MINORS.
This is actively going against itch’s terms of service.
3) Support and encouragement in the creation of alt accounts
Jenny has encouraged her fans multiple times over the course of the “full release” to make alt accounts and rating the game.
She has additionally been holding the death of Zilas over her fans’ heads, shown by clips from her VODs as well as the numerous tweets she made about it.
This just more and more feeds into the exploitation of her fans’ emotions and strong will to reach the good ending.
Some examples:
"[holding food into the camera] something Zilas will never ever be able to enjoy again unless it hits 5k"
"watch me make a video with me like 'How I killed my character and became popular out of it'
"If you guys actually make alt accounts, if you really love Zilas that much, I will give you Zilas"
"See, that's a possibility of him coming back to life; so, if you just work hard, you can bring him back to life"
She also tweeted a daily rate counter, showing how many “souls” have to be taken to revive Zilas.
4) Not the first time
This is not the first time Jenny being criticised for her lack of care when it comes to the insensitive dealings with topics such as suicide.
Within her Otome Jam 2023 entry “Innerlog” she carelessly dealt with the topic of suicide and carelessly mocked it throughout the narrative.
People tried to comment on it, trying to voice their concerns but she blocked any form of criticism.
5) No accountability
It’s clearly visible that Jenny has not learned from criticism and has been actively deflecting from criticism she got for her coverage on Going Live.
I feel sorry for the team who has to deal with all this now and I pity all the fans being emotionally manipulated like this and actively feeding into this desire for attention and popularity this creator clearly does not deserve.
Actually she should be glad that with these many ToS violations that this project wasn’t taken off of itch yet - or her entire account at that.
Is the 5k ratings requirement really necessary? Why should players be required to give this game that many ratings so they can get a happy ending that should have already been in the game to begin with? I should note that there's nothing wrong with asking for a review, but when it's done like this, it's incredibly dishonest especially when games on this platform rely heavily on reviews to get seen by players. This tactic is like a giant slap to the face to your fellow game devs, some of whom wait months in-between for a single review.
I strongly suggest you reconsider your approach to this matter, and release the ending that your players and Zilas rightfully deserved from the very beginning.
I totally agree. I get that the endings are like this for shock value, but doing this then asking for 5k reviews for an alternative/happy ending ? The dev should reconsider this because not only is that a crazy number (the game with the most ratings on itch barely reaches 5k), this comes as very insensitive. Fans are ready to do a reverse review bombing all to see their fav character alive and happy and that doesn't sit right with me, this feels manipulative. Maybe the dev didn't plan this, but something should be done to stop that.
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Okay, I know the description says three endings, and I know two of them are bad, but is the third one a good one? And if so, can someone make a walk-through? I don't want to keep getting the bad endings cause they make me feel sick...
there isnt a single good ending :(
REALLY!?😭
there will be if we can get the game 5k ratings
Isn't that kind of unreasonable? I would understand if it took multiple playthroughs, or maybe a little wait before we could get the good end, but review bombing the thing seems a bit redundant? Especially to just get a good ending instead of a special ending...
I think that's kind of the point? like she wanted it to basically impossible to get a good ending. she talked about it on her twitter though
it was a fun game but i feel the ending was kinda rushed
For how slow the beginning of the game feels, especially with the lack of a skip or fast forward button, the endings are rather rushed. The topics aren't well handled at all, the writing is messy... honestly, after Error143 I was expecting a much better experience. Such a shame.
The voice acting and beautiful art are the only positives about the entire thing.
I see the vision. I see the point the story is trying to get across. The metaphors are there and pretty obvious. But when the topics are this sensitive,It's really important to handle them well, and not make them feel like they're just there for shock value.
Not to mention the "You'll get a good ending only if you promote the game" thing. Really? If the story you're trying to tell wasn't even meant to have a happy ending, if the whole point is to showcase how the bad side of an industry can affect a person, dangling this idea of saving the character, a character you made extremely likeable on purpose, in front of the audience's face... it feels cheap and exploitative.
Overall, a pretty damn good idea executed very poorly.
Spoiler warning!! I do not recommend playing this game, however if you wish to I don't want to spoil it for you!
I feel like the endings were rushed and made out to be as "oooOoO spooky so scary" and not actual things that can actually happen. I've lost several people in my life to these game endings, and i feel like the process wasn't realistic and was leaning towards the insensitive side. It was happy and then all of the sudden it wasn't. I saw the warnings. I didn't expect such a sharp turn for the worst. So I'm gonna break it down. To start, people immediately assuming the worse (such as "You hate people with cancer") feels greatly unrealistic. I know its a game, and that people often draw conclusions like this, it just doesn't feel like anyone would draw that conclusion, especially if someone says something that sounds like it was stolen from a six year old reddit post. Second, I would like to remind you all, THERE ARE ALWAYS SIGNS. ALWAYS. Never has there not been signs in being homicidal or suicidal. Never. So Zilas suddenly taking these turns feels like a mockery or a rushed "horror ending". Its not funny and its not something that couldn't happen. Zilas had the user as a love interest to turn to and depend on. He communicated well. He had a cat he cared for. He wouldn't have just done these things on a whim. These endings genuinely made me shake in anger and disgust. Shame on the writer for this. If you're going to do an ending like this, research it. Research the signs. And be respectful when handling it in game. Something I saw others discuss is the lack of warning. Yes, there was warnings but they were hidden and if you're someone who plays without reading the bio, then you would've been greatly caught off guard. Not just because there is 0 warnings in game, but because the way they happened was unrealistic and unexpected. These things have a "I should've known all along feeling" rather than a "When was this happening????" feeling, because again THERE ARE ALWAYS SIGNS. THERE NEVER WON'T BE SIGNS. I won't just happen in two days. This shit takes MONTHS to happen. And as someone who feels guilt for not noticing this in others, THERE ARE NONE HERE. LIKE ZERO. Also leaving your partner without contact for three days after something happens to them feels like a dick move and the user is framed as the one to blame, because they didn't do anything. Honestly this game just feels like a nightmare. Its unrealistic and disgusting. I do not recommend taking this lightly, and I hope this is edited, or fixed, or just deleted.
Overall, just don't play this game. Don't get attached to something that is unrealistic and depressing. I hope the writer realizes these mistakes and never again treats such heavy topics so unrealistically and utilizes them as easy plot twists to make a quick buck. Thank you for reading my comment <3
Also also, some people are saying that "there were obvious signs", well, when I was playing those "obvious signs" to me just made me feel like he was excited to live life with the user, not that he was planning to end it. He even made plans to introduce the user. Plans for the future. Imo, he would try to do everything he wanted to do with the user before "ending it". Because people in this mindset tend to put people they love above anything else. and someone he loved made plans to stream with him, which he looked forward to. You could argue I'm looking at what I want to and ignoring what i don't like, but I feel like when he said things others view as signs, fit well into his personality and the conversation that was being held in the moment he said those things. Take from my review what you will, but I stand by the fact that it wasn't realistic and was overall Disrespectful.
I think the game is still very good, even if the two endings are a little painful for me, hopefully I can see good endings in the future!：）
You know.. You guessed my favorite food, and my favorite color 0 ^0
FIRST OF ALL, WHY CANT I FUCKING TYPE IN THE DAMN LOGIN THING
Not only is this game poorly written, it's down right insensitive and doesn't make any sort of reason to reach the ending. Other than the horribly written violence, the other thing I found insufferable was 'rizz' being used (if I were to guess) over 16 times. And even if you tell the Love interest to monitor the sexual comments literally nothing happens in game. what the fuck was the point of putting the choice there if it didn't do anything? Error 143's bad ending was abysmal already because the game is "punishing you" for have literally a perfect valid boundary. Now that's [boundaries] all of what this game really talks about but it's so surface level to the point it doesn't even effect the game. The twitter explanation is also full of excuses, The love interest knew MC before hitting his goal (and I assume because MC goes to his house, long before the idea of him even thinking about being a streamer.) So how in the world is that a representation of 'parasocial relationships' and stalking? How do you forget what happens in your own game??? Did I mention the begging for rating by guilt tripping the viewer? That is some clown behavior.
The only thing really redeemable is the artists and the rest of the team besides the creator.
till death do us part my ass. you literally left us all in this fucked up world by ourselves:(
Jenny ilysm but i can't keep protecting you babe, pl
哈哈哈哈哈哈有没有中国人
Of course I am!!!!
有
I rarely comment but that wasn't just a rollercoaster of emotions that was driving head-on towards a cliff I didn't know T-T I mean I saw the triggers but damn I still wasn't prepared. Like the tears automatically fell. I was just speechless. Anyways,I love the VA and the dialogue and the dynamic MC and Zilas have. It would be cute to have a little more backstory on how they started but I fear that would have been more heartbreaking.
Honestly it seemed like there was potential in the beginning of the game but then it just went downhill. The endings were really random, and the fact that we have to get this game to 5k ratings just for a good ending is honestly bs because we know that ain’t gonna happen. Anyways everything was cool besides how we got the endings.(especially the hanging one.It was so sudden that made it seem like this game was rushed)
have never commented negatively on a game but this is actually so fucked up sorry
JENNY WTF??? LIKE THE GAME IS WELL MADE BUT IM SORRY WHAT?????
JENNY WHAT THE FUCK??? I MEAN, ITS GREAT BUT WHY ??? MY HEART SINKED WHAAAT??????'
I feel like you got the same ending I did because I severely WTF'd. Lol
all endings were bad :(
I LOVE YOU!!!!!!
i was playing this game with my friend and we where like hating on him but then when the ending came we where like oh my god and like 'damn was that are fault wasnt it?' overall really amazing game! and AMAZING art <3
no, even if you were kind and loved him, you still got a bad ending.She lied about 3 endings. There were only two bad endings.
the third good ending is only obtained with 5k ratingz, it is not your fault. the 2 current are both bad endingz, it'z self promotion.
..This game.. I frickin LOVE ITTTT!! Although the ending made me tear up like hell- Zilas is frickin adorable, and I love how he incorporated Error143 into the mix too! (Love that game as well. <3) But once I saw the suicide ending (Be noted I read the content warnings before playing.), I low-key teared up a bit. Besides that though, I can't wait for this to be a full game! ^^
Im playing on an android device and i cant seem to type my username😢😢(keyboard isnt showung up)
is there like a way to fix it?
I love this game and everything but the endings feels like getting on a sweet slow carousel then blinking and you're suddenly on the smiler, all and all I genuinely hope this game improves in someway because I need zilas to have a good ending
i've only done one ending so far and i'm already a mess of emotions?! the way my heart dropped multiple times and i felt the pain he felt- gah my heart T_T
I haven't played the game past the demo, but a few days ago this game and everyone seemed so positive and I comeback and its like a whole different vibe. But I did like the demo! Should I be worried for the full game continuing?
I haven't personally played it and don't plan to, but the content warnings for this game are as follows:
Suicide, homicide, flashing lights, jump scares, animal gore.
From reading comments, the suicide especially isn't handled well, and there are no good endings.
Much appreciated! <3
Zilas's voice acting was stellar (game carrying, really, considering the relative lack of narrative choices/things to do) and the art was lovely. The writing was... something.
I'll give credit where it's due: the dialogue, streams, and live comments were pretty believable/entertaining, which made things more immersive. However, the game is soured by its messy pacing and cheap plot twist endings. Look, I read the trigger warnings before playing, and the endings still caught me off guard. It's true, there are some light elements foreshadowing that something is off; however, there just isn't enough to prepare the player when the writing started off coasting at 25mph then suddenly crashed full speed into an ending. Plot twists aren't bad, but a good plot twist should have the reader feeling like the twist was in plain sight the whole time. This game felt like someone had cut the middle 75% of a horror movie, roughly sewing the beginning (where things were largely ok and maybe lightly ominous) and end (where the final girl is covered in blood and screaming in front of a burning house) together.
I won't speak about the writer/director, as I am not familiar with her social media presence or her history. I hope she can take criticism with grace and look at this game as a growing experience.
Ok so I'm going to mirror a lot of what people have previously said and give my most honest review of this game, **OBVIOUS SPOILERS AHEAD FOR ANYONE WHO HASNT PLAYED.**
I usually never EVER leave negative reviews on indie developer projects, only criticism + advice for how to improve but this game genuinely upset me with how competent of a writer Jenny is and why she decided this was a good idea. This is mostly for her.
I geniunely do not like how this game is handled, to the writing, to the lack of content warnings and age restrictions, to the way suicide and depression is handled. Everything. It felt as if it were trying to do to much in a very short amount of time and did it poorly.
!. The lack of warnings and age restriction
Lets start with the content warnings. Why were they NOT added in the first build?? Why did people even have to tell you to add them to the game to begin with when it touches on VERY VERY sensitive topics such as depression, suicide and murder? that should've been an honest no brainer to add to a game, much less a horror game that touches on real issues.
It felt more like you wanted to shock and scare your playerbase as if everyone reads the hidden content warnings? do you know how dangerous that is with how triggering the content is? not to mention this game NEEDS a age restriction on it, with the very suggestive nature of some of the stuff said + as well as the gruesome nature of the entire story. It was very mishandled and you, Jenny, as a writer should KNOW this.
2.The plot/endings
Going back to the point I made previously, this game feels like it wants to do too much in too little time. The suicide ending was disgusting and unneeded. It felt like you were trying to make people shocked instead of adding any meaningful impact to it and instead opted out to disgust, shock and disturb instead of educate.
I have depression, Major depressive disorder to be exact and suicide is not something that comes out of nowhere or is a split second decision. There are signs, foreshadowing, and symptoms that Zilas never showed or even mentioned subtly. I feel like we, the player AND his romantic partner, should've gotten that side of him through more deep and meaningful dialogue and helped him through it because Zilas seemed VERY happy with his life, and online drama getting to the point where it results in someones suicide is usually rare and takes months of bullying, not one or two days.
It also makes no sense from a writing stand point if Zilas didn't have much time to begin with, why on earth would he commit suicide when all he wanted to do was spend his last week with us? I thought the cat literally said he didnt care for money or fame but himself and you? It was also extremely out of character. Zilas had insecurities like anyone else had but they did not read like signs of someone struggling with a worsening mental state.It makes no sense and I feel like this is a very disrespectful and distasteful way to go about addressing suicide and by extension, depression as if its for shock value and discomfort of your audience rather then try and help them understand the dangers of it. Shame on you, Jenny.
And oh boy don't even get me started on the cat and the homicide ending. This was foreshadowed slightly better, but it also falls flat. Yes, there is some dialogue already pointing to the fact Zilas is dead; "Can the vacation be sooner?" "I want to hit 1 million followers in a week" "I want to introduce you SO BADLY" etc. but it was very poorly handled as well because we did not get a very good explanation for how the cat works, how we as the player actually affect the story and his fate, and what the cat even is. It has a huge problem with TELLING you whats going on through sloppy exposition rather then SHOWING you with hints and through indirect storytelling.The cat was BARELY in the story and the plot twist didn’t feel satisfying, it came out of NOWHERE. Instead, you get a botched ending where the cat half hazardly explains why he did it and how you can save him with 5k ratings which brings me to my next point of contention.
3. The rating problem and how Jenny is handling this.
I am honestly disgusted with how the ending was handled.It feels like a deliberate marketing tactic rather then a meaningful ending to a game, it feels like dangling a piece of meat over a dog on a treadmill. I understand its a free product but encouraging your *mostly* underage fanbase to make alts to review your game so they can save their favorite fictional character honestly feels like a sick joke, espically since this can result in their account being perma banned. Mind you, this goal is also very hard to reach and you know that Jenny. I don't know why on EARTH you'd decide this was a good idea from both a professional and writing perspective to do this to your audience, it feels innately cruel and like you want attention rather then telling a story about important and real life issues about social media and giving actual good commentary.Its like your exploiting your audience for positive reviews instead of actually wanting to put out a well thought out and coherent story about how streamers have emotions and aren’t just for our entertainment as well as cancel culture, but that’s not what I got at ALL.
Also, you making fun of and mocking people crying and being disturbed over Zilas dying is not doing you any favors. It kinda shows you were never really in it for your fans but rather for yourself and for the attention which is why I'm being so harsh in this review. I have followed you for quite awhile through your different projects and I know you are a competent writer and person, which is why I'm so confused about why you decided to approach this in such a distasteful and undermining way to both your audience and your team. I'm just highly disappointed.
4. Epilogue, what I would change.
The TLDR is basically: I am highly disappointed in how Jenny handled this story and I did not like how it was done, from both a writing and professional perspective. I hope she does better in future projects.
Now, if you want my personal opinion on what i would change as a writer myself? here are my thoughts.
I would honestly prefer we could get the third ending through a variety of puzzles and get hints through both endings, much like an ARG. It keeps the 4th wall breaking element there and gives us a more reasonable goal for how to save Zilas. Whether it be something in the chat or dialogue,they would be good options for doing a password. Or you could even make a website that could redirect you to even more hints and give you more information about how the world works and a lot of puzzles to solve to both understand more about Zilas and how the cat works, even actual websites in the game like Twitsh or OnlyPhams. Imagine how cool that'd be.
I'd honestly opt for scrapping both the 1st and 2nd endings, or making the branches earlier in the story so you could have a better and more thorough explanation if Zilas decides to go through with his suicide, to where you actual get more dialogue and subtle hints pointing to the face he may be struggling with his depression and what people think of him, and for the murder ending, making MC have more obvious urges where they get worse and worse up until we kill him. (Basically like creepy intrusive thoughts before they cut off and the game continues as needed) and a save system for each day or skipping dialogue would actually be a needed and nice touch.
I'm well aware this will not happen, I just honestly wish this had more time in the oven and was longer so we could actually gather more information. It doesnt feel like anything is meaningful, or impactful if no matter what we do he is going to die, and the only way we can save him is review bombing the game. It just feels so cheap, and the art and design direction is so nice and thats why I'm just so confused on how this even passed the development phase of ideas. It just feels unreal.
If you read this review to the end, thank you for your time and I honestly hope you understand what I'm trying to say and have a good day of resting and eating well. Everyone deserves it.
I understand its a free product but encouraging your *mostly* underage fanbase to make alts to review your game so they can save their favorite fictional character honestly feels like a sick joke, espically since this can result in their account being perma banned.
Agree with you at every other point but i don't think her fanbase is mostly underage especially based on the other games that are more for adults. Sure some children might be there or ignore the warnings and age restrictions but you kinda portray it as if she knows the age of her viewers and is using that in her advantage.
Again i agree with you on the other point but the audience is not something she can control especially on the itch.io page and also when Youtubers with a large minor audience (or just those who don't age restrict) play her games that may be not nsfw enough to get age restricted on Youtube but it's still for an actual older audience.
I think it is to be honest. These types of games are mostly targetted for a younger demographic, I am a minor myself and theres a lot of other minors here in the comments if you look, just from the way they behave and speak generally as well as past things they've said. I'm well aware that not everyone is a kid in her fanbase I do agree that some are adults, but children are more suspectible to this type of manipulation and exploitation from said creator. I don't quite agree with that point anymore myself, I know she can't control all of her audience, I think its more to point out that children will care more and attach themselves to fictional characters and will be more likely to review bomb or encourage their friends to rate the game. Also you can't deny that the jokes (rizz, getting bitches, etc.) are jokes speifically used by Gen Z and are new trends, this game feels like its trying to be hip with the kids and Vtubers as a concept are very popular among teenagers as well. And the reason I said to age restrict is not really for the suggestive material or jokes, those are usually fine, but for the very graphic content from before the game was released. Mostly because a lot of people were triggered or mentally hurt by this game and the way it handled suicide. Alot of other games with the same themes covered are usually also age restricted.
Also you can't deny that the jokes (rizz, getting bitches, etc.) are jokes speifically used by Gen Z and are new trends, this game feels like its trying to be hip with the kids and Vtubers as a concept are very popular among teenagers as well.
They can be but that would not be the reason really why i would assume that she is trying to be hip with the kids lol that's a bit of a reach older Gen Z or people that are millennials are into that too you probably are more around to those in your age range but it's really common and Vtuber are not that new of a concept really same with that slang lol. But again i won't deny that teenagers aren't here in the comments but it's mostly from youtube videos of people with a younger audience
Again agree on the other points but to me there a quite a lot of adult in her community. The comments here are not a reflection of that more so people who follow her on social media.
Shrug, that’s fine tbh. I personally disagree with you. This feels like it’s trying to reach teens and young adults with a lot of the more popular and trendy topics but you are free to have your own opinion. Agree to disagree.
I mean most gen z are already adults just 6 more years and every gen z person will be 18+ in the end of 2030
But obviously you most likely are more around younger communities if you are younger so it's both from a different perspective but the slangs and vtuber stuff is not that uncommon at all in adults you probably notice it more once you are older.
Again not saying it's not reaching a younger audience but millennials are not some ancient folks who don't enjoy slangs or watch certain vtubers lol.
I was also again talking about her community not this specific game's audience
Personally，from breaking the fourth wall and psychological fear aspects, this slightly pales by comparison with doki doki literature club. Even though I've been immune to jump scare, I'm still a bit uncomfortable about the endings, probably because of this absurd turning. But the art is nice, which is I like.
currently playing this on my school computer, will I scream in the middle of class? probably!!
There are warnings she wrote
Suicide, homicide, flashing lights, jump scares, animal gore.
You just didn't see it
fr how are they blaming the creator when their the one who was ignorant they put the trigger warning plus the creator isn't responsible for they safety
not everyone reads it, jenny should've put it IN the game
how is it the creators fault they couldn't find it their not the players mom people are responsible for their own safety online
i wouldnt say its completely the creators fault. whoever was playing the game shouldve checked the bio but its the creators job to put extra warnings in the game bcs some people dont read it
I know, I'm not blaming her, it's also my fault too, so yeah, basically thats's that lo
it's not your fault, she only added the content warning in the game later. It makes sense that you'd be shocked if you weren't properly warned. You came to play a game. Reading the bio area isn't part of that game.It's optional. Content warnings are not as optional.
** SPOILER AHEAD ***
Login into my old ahh account to leave a comment.
From what I'm guessing, people commenting that there haven't been any signs of anything bad going on might've just skimmed over the dialogue?
Zilas wasn't shy to point out that he's on a literal deadline/ limited time. I went into this game without the knowledge of what's going to happen as I don't follow the creator's socials and was recommended this by a friend.
>The pushed goal of reaching 1 mil in a WEEK out of nowhere
>"Can the vacation be sooner?"
>"Can we spend one-on-one time together?"
>"Do you want me to come over?"
>"Until death do us part."
>"I want to be with you forever, yes."
>"I want to introduce you soon SO BADLY."
There have been signs. very obvious ones at that. He was trying to not be too pushy but still wanting to make the most out of what time he had.
The only tasteless part was how the endings were executed.
I think it would've been better if the first time you go through an ending the game would've put emphasis on the fact that it was out of your control. Maybe a moment of clarity AFTER he died, like "You come to your senses" (Proposal ending) or saying that him doing the Sayori was uncharacteristic, even if he was under stress like that. That would've been enough of a hint to get the player to be like "???" in response and intrigued to start another save.
Though it was pretty obvious things went south the moment you met him outside in the snow and his body remained cold, even in bed. I guess.
-
I must agree that 5k reviews to resurrect a character is more of a tasteless joke than it is for the community though... Especially encouraging alt account? Yikes.
yeah
Mostly copy and pasting my rating to the comments
Discussion of suicide and death starts near the middle of the comment/review
the presentation of the game is sleek and colorful. The art assets for this game are wonderful from the character art to the ui. However there are no "quality of life" features for players, i.e. a skip or save function making multiple playthroughs boring to get through. It's important to me as a player, especially when there are multiple endings, to have a save and loading function to cut out the tedium of rereading old dialogue/scenes back to back.
As for the content, the game suffers from a pacing issue. The progression felt very abrupt, and not in a way that made sense to the story but, as if there was very little meat besides the concept of the shocking ending, which I felt could have been foreshadowed better. The suicide aspects of the story were handled sloppily imo, and evident from all the other people commenting in shock it came as a surprise (not a twist) to them.
The fluffy parts with Zilas were cute tho a bit flat. The theme of streamers being human too could have been explored more thoroughly (and with more nuance) through that lense then the horror approach that was taken. If anything I feel the obvert horror aspects of the game is reductive, too in your face and distracted from the theming. The horror (of the situation and dynamic Zilas had to streaming and his fans) was implicit through the chat and dialogue and worked well when it was approached with a subtler touch
all and all i think the writing aspect of this game wasn't handled with care, for the character and most of all for the player. also why does this game not have an age rating?
i've written this in a previous comment and in my review of the game, but i wanted to leave a proper thought out comment about this game.
i was quite disgusted with the way that this game is being handled (not by the other people who worked on this game, but the main dev jenny.) the way that the suicide scene was handled was honestly terrible.
i play a LOT of psychological horror games / vns with topics like this, and they ALL handle them better. there's actual build up, signs you can look for, proper warnings. this game didn't have any actual warnings within the game, no build up, it was all just so sudden. the suicide wasn't really added for plot relevance (especially considering you don't even find out the cat is 'the main villain') in this ending. there was genuinely NO NEED for this ending.
this ending feels like it was added for purely shock value, for her to use as a way to guilt the players into giving her more reviews, mocking the character they like. there was no reason for the character to kill themselves really, it was added for shock value.
the way jenny is handling it honestly disgusts me, especially as someone who has lost friends to suicide, and had several attempts before. her making stupid tweets about the character, making videos making fun of people who are distressed over it, previously ENCOURAGING people to make alts just so they can see their 'sweet boy get a happy ending' or whatever.
and to my knowledge she has supposedly done stuff like this before, and clearly not learnt her lesson.
in my opinion, the suicide ending shouldn't have been there at all. i haven't played to the actual homocide ending (i closed the game after the hanging ending) but i am aware that is the only one that gives any sort of backstory... but even then, there is NO build up to my knowledge about the backstory.
there should be warnings in the game, and jenny should stop wielding this game as some sort of weapon over peoples heads and laughing about it, when at the end of the day she's portrayed suicide as some sort of gimmick.
i don't want this to come across as me dissing the other members of the team who worked hard on this project, because this is directed towards jenny. i also don't want it to seem like i'm being oversensitive, because i have seen SEVERAL people expressing the same thoughts as me.
i'm not quite sure how well worded this is considering i'm exhausted, but i wanted to put my thoughts towards this game forwards. i'm not the type to leave comments on games (especially negative ones) but i think she really needs the criticism. or she could just ignore it, like i've heard she does.
tldr: the way she's handled certain topics in this game / in general is terrible, and i want her to do better.
This is the first time, I’m making a negative comment / review on somebody else’s project, but I feel like I have to say something after watching this shit show transpire over this past week.
Before I elaborate, a little disclaimer: This is solely against the team leader and creator of this project: Jenny Vi Pham and not directed at any of the team members. For what they were given, the artists and composer did a great job.
This is solely directed at Jenny and I hope she takes to heart what I’m saying, at least tries to reflect and show some form of compassion and understanding.
1) Suicide & character death as a form to emotionally manipulate the player.
I’m starting with my most important and the heaviest topic from the beginning, since - frankly speaking - as a writer myself and someone affected by suicide (personally and through the loss of people close to me) I am disgusted.
The execution of the murder & suicide scenes were absolutely out of place and insensitive, suicide especially is such a sensitive topic and with how the narrative portrayed it, there was no build up to it or the cat “being the main villain”.
But what was worse was: After I reached the (DDLC copycat of a) suicide ending, the cat ending played.
In this ending the cat (loosely introduced in the beginning) reveals themselves as some supernatural / spiritual being - telling the player that they are “powerless in this world” but not “powerless in that world (reality)” and that they can bring him back to life by leaving 5.000 rates on the itchio page.
This (to me and with the hanging ending I got right before this played ) suggests “Oh you can save him from killing himself by leaving 5.000 ratings on the itch page” - which is undisputedly DISGUSTING.
And since the majority of the fans seem to be minors - proven by the people in the fanserver as well as the comments left on here - of course they would want him back!
2) No age restriction
Moving on right to the next topic: Minors - This (and I can’t believe I have to say this) IS NOT A GAME FOR MINORS. Despite this game being so graphic (especially visually, depicted by the hanging) there is NO age restriction either on this site, nor a disclaimer on the page or within the game. (At least when I played it.)
THIS IS NOT A GAME FOR MINORS.
This is actively going against itch’s terms of service.
3) Support and encouragement in the creation of alt accounts
Jenny has encouraged her fans multiple times over the course of the “full release” to make alt accounts and rating the game.
She has additionally been holding the death of Zilas over her fans’ heads, shown by clips from her VODs as well as the numerous tweets she made about it.
This just more and more feeds into the exploitation of her fans’ emotions and strong will to reach the good ending.
Some examples:
"[holding food into the camera] something Zilas will never ever be able to enjoy again unless it hits 5k"
"watch me make a video with me like 'How I killed my character and became popular out of it'
"If you guys actually make alt accounts, if you really love Zilas that much, I will give you Zilas"
"See, that's a possibility of him coming back to life; so, if you just work hard, you can bring him back to life"
She also tweeted a daily rate counter, showing how many “souls” have to be taken to revive Zilas.
4) Not the first time
This is not the first time Jenny being criticised for her lack of care when it comes to the insensitive dealings with topics such as suicide.
Within her Otome Jam 2023 entry “Innerlog” she carelessly dealt with the topic of suicide and carelessly mocked it throughout the narrative.
People tried to comment on it, trying to voice their concerns but she blocked any form of criticism.
5) No accountability
It’s clearly visible that Jenny has not learned from criticism and has been actively deflecting from criticism she got for her coverage on Going Live.
I feel sorry for the team who has to deal with all this now and I pity all the fans being emotionally manipulated like this and actively feeding into this desire for attention and popularity this creator clearly does not deserve.
Actually she should be glad that with these many ToS violations that this project wasn’t taken off of itch yet - or her entire account at that.
What? Why am I an asshole?
asshole
Is the 5k ratings requirement really necessary? Why should players be required to give this game that many ratings so they can get a happy ending that should have already been in the game to begin with? I should note that there's nothing wrong with asking for a review, but when it's done like this, it's incredibly dishonest especially when games on this platform rely heavily on reviews to get seen by players. This tactic is like a giant slap to the face to your fellow game devs, some of whom wait months in-between for a single review.
I strongly suggest you reconsider your approach to this matter, and release the ending that your players and Zilas rightfully deserved from the very beginning.
Couldn't have worded it better tbh.
I totally agree. I get that the endings are like this for shock value, but doing this then asking for 5k reviews for an alternative/happy ending ? The dev should reconsider this because not only is that a crazy number (the game with the most ratings on itch barely reaches 5k), this comes as very insensitive. Fans are ready to do a reverse review bombing all to see their fav character alive and happy and that doesn't sit right with me, this feels manipulative. Maybe the dev didn't plan this, but something should be done to stop that.
B3CKSTER WHEN I CATCH YOU B3CKSTER.
Game doesn't load, do i need to unzip files or something
i love the game aesthetic
if there is a happy ending could somone tell me how to get it, what choices do I need to make ?..
we need 5k reviews before the happy ending is unlocked unfortunately D:!!!!!
Ohh thank you TT