Thursday, October 8, 2026

Sullyland ~Nursery Rhyme~ - Review

/δΊΊ◕ ‿‿ ◕δΊΊ\
 Developer/publisher: Otomate.
Platform: Switch.
Official Site:https://www.otomate.jp/sullyland/
Release date: 1-10-26.
 
I guess we're playing mystery otome games now... well atleast with this game
I could sorta set my expectations due to the game covers. But NGL the QB bothered me.
Sullyland Nursery Rhyme seems like its a perfect pick if you enjoy getting seasonal!
 
Disclaimer: This is purely my own opinion and it could be different from yours
this is not meant to be some kind of all-truth, just an opinion that came from playing this.
If you don't like what you're reading then close the tab, move on and just idk play it yourself.
 
Pro's
- Interesting story and vibe that will keep you on edge. 
- Great group dynamic and character writing.
- Great art and fitting music.
 
Grey area
- Oldschool common route. Rather long. Repetitive structure.
- Contains sensitive contents, the severity may vary depending on the route.
 
Con's
- There was no need for that sheep movie more than once.
- Could be too SoL-ish if you expect more spooky stuff. 

 
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Art; its Miko, they did an excellent job as always. What's there to complain?
The after story CG's did look a bit... different but it was a cute style.
 Seiyuu cast is a mix of familiar voices and some new ones!
no one was an absolute fav but its always nice hearing IshiKai.
BGM was mostly pretty good, it had a few good jams and it suited the setting. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Sullyland is a mystery otome game with an eerie vibe but it was surprisingly sweet.
Ninomae Joe's the assistant director, the main one seems pretty new.
Basic plot: Prepare for the festival and hang with your friends by day
and be forced to play unsettling games at night, courtesy of a QB.
In doing so everyone reclaims or faces? their memories.
 Most routes focus on the LI's problem without the games, there are signs of a greater whole
but much like other otome games this isn't really touched upon till the final route(s). 
 
Heroine; Amane  is pretty decent, thoughtful and speaks her mind.
I can't see much wrong with her. She carries or navigates herself thru situations very well.
Her past however seems to be buried and after the initial two routes you can see
some truths slowly start to leak out but none of it made sense yet. (But why tho?) 
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
System: It has some point and click minigames but other than that its mostly a straight-forward VN. 
While the ones in the common route can be a hassle, the ones during the routes
were mostly simple stuff where you examine objects in the room.
If there's any minigame I liked in particular it would be the escape room
and the one in chapter 4 of Ryokuha's route, that was nicely done.
It felt a bit experimental and they could have definitely done more with it.
There's a normal and a easy mode with hints. As well as ''scenario'' which skips it...
I didn't have any issues with it but I understand why some people
may not want to bother so its a good thing there is a scenario mode.
While the common route has fail ends this game has not many random bad ends. 
Each character has three endings Catharsis, Lunatic and nightmare with the latter two
being considered bad outcomes. Ryokuha is an exception and has no nightmare ending. 
 
The language difficulty is definitely intermediate, there were moments
you had to input japanese text to answer things. It should be accessible to learners. 
 
Sullyland is a long game, it took me 55-60 hours to clear all routes.
 A mystery doesn't need to be long but I did enjoy spending more time
with everyone and this was more descriptive than MiraMys ever was.
Common route took me 8ish hours maybe? that was done across two days
and I play casually with breaks, I didn't lose sleep over this.
 The routes were about 8-9 hours as well. Fast readers finish quicker of course
but it felt it had the same volume as Crazy Chain.
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Overall it is interesting but... it may not be for everyone
particularly those who are looking for edge over sweetness.
That aside I still think it is a good pick for if you're in the mood for
something with a highschool setting that has an eerie vibe. 
Ninomae Joe may have rediscovered his childhood friends phase...
can't be a coincidence both his recent games have an entire cast of them.πŸ’€ 
It has this small town in its setting where its not unusual people
just knew eachother. I did think its a bit convenient.πŸ˜… 
The early hours felt like a class reunion of a bunch of people who hadn't gotten
together in a while. I didn't feel a particular strong attraction to most except Tera or Shiima.
Most LI's really seem normal... and then there is Neo.  
Neo's the only one that really made me think yea how about no. πŸ˜”
This was definitely a game with some stakes, if they didn't participate
in Shiro's game(s) and gather the memory pieces things looked pretty grim
but not all of it was that edgy. Shiro's games got on my nerves tho.πŸ˜“
The lunatic or nightmare ends felt like classic stuff as far as yandere goes.
Some LI's weren't that much of a yandere which for me is a relief, as the trope is repetitive. 
It felt like they decided to combine fact and dark from over requiemz into
one thing with the catharsis ending being the best outcome.
Sullyland's full potential isn't seen till you get to Shiima and Ryokuha's route.  
Imma be blunt: The common route was rather oldschool, there was a pattern.
 It did add quality time between MC and the characters, there was foreshadowing for
their route.  Its Reminiscent of Enchante's common route due to pace and length.
Parts of the past become more clear as it went on, an interesting ride to say the least.
The first time they got a crystal back I was like, that's cute but this can't be all right.
Ofc it wasn't. Due to the pattern I got tired and at times tuned out. Nothing a break can fix.
Most of the times I tuned out were during slow investigation scenes. 
I am glad its more descriptive so it doesn't feel like its over in the blink of an eye.
I actually got to see most of what I wanted as well as some shit without
wondering if it could have gone differently, its a well-rounded work!
--- 
I will say I did think Sullyland would be edgier but it felt rather normal. 
Those hoping for edge, it is definitely there but it takes time to cook, the entire route.
 I mean there's definitely horrific details in here but they will be revealed at the right time.♥ 
Felt it was intended like I definitely fell for Tera over the course of my first play
and I would forgive any sins that could happen. πŸ˜… Tera's route did feel weak in terms
of overall plot  but its backed up by his development that I was reminded of Riku from OlySoi.
Kiseki was a surprise for me, I didn't think I'd even like him and his route fit in better thematically
unfortunately I could not enjoy Kiseki's bad ends as I lack the chain fetish for it.πŸ˜”
My feelings for Neo can barely be put into written form, its like math lady.gif 
Shiima rose to best boy status faster than a rocket could launch.♥ 
Ryo is great but... his route was a bit difficult, I loved his catharsis ending tho.
My fav's are 10/10's but overall the game fell into an 8.7/10. 
My complaints range from there being too much of a pattern and repetition
but eh the vibes, general narrative & individual struggles were still strong.
I'd say this was as enjoyable as TengoStray, atleast for me. both games
got the same issue of saving a lot of the important narrative for later.
    Sullyland is an otome game before anything else, it does have edge and
eerie vibes but tbh If you come here for only horror you may be disappointed. 
It leans more into psycho horror. 
Feels like I rambled enough already but it was a long game... so allowed. 
- 
Therefore I recommend Sullyland to those who like a well-cooked
character driven mystery with a good dose of sweetness!
It may not be for you if you prefer shorter to the point stories.
 
 ----
Sullyland will likely be localized, I see no reason why it can't and next
to crazy chain i'd say there's not much competition besides unlogical maybe.
There aren't much contents to worry about but there are definitely some horrors to uncover.
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Recommended route order:
Tera / Kiseki > Neo > Shiima > Ryokuha.
This game has a highly restrictive order and only has Tera and Kiseki initially available.
Its okay to interchange Tera and Kiseki as you like since the rest is so forced as it is.
 
Kiseki: Fits the overall theme better than Tera, keeps the eerie feel throughout.
Tera: Slowburn and softer route mostly focused on his personal problems.
Neo: Unlocks after Kiseki and Tera.
Shiima: Unlocks from Neo.
Ryokuha: Needs Shiima so there's no choice here but last.
 
My play order: Tera > Kiseki > Neo > Shiima > Ryo. 
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Character rambles + some of my fav CG's after the jump so if you don't
want spoilers of any kind then stop reading here, thanks.
Its just incoherent grandma rambles and it gets worse the more routes I do. πŸ’€
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, September 21, 2026

Le Mirage Mystique - Review

They had me in the first half NGL...
Developer/publisher: Licobits.
Platform: Switch.
Official Site: https://licobits-game.com/mirage/
Release date: 17-9-26.
 
Alright since no other otome interested me besides Sullyland I decided
to get this anyways. Since there aren't any games I felt like I should play.
 
Disclaimer: This is purely my own opinion and it could be different from yours
this is not meant to be some kind of all-truth, just an opinion that came from playing this.
If you don't like what you're reading then close the tab, move on and just idk play it yourself.
 
Plot: In the early 19's Aria Laprade receives an invitation to the island Mirage
which is like the last paradise on earth. It only appears during certain periods.
She meets various people and how the plot develops varies heavily depending on
the route. Generally it involves gathering a bunch of mysterious books. 
 
Pro's
- Setting and Characters.
- The story was in most routes interesting suiting the LI. 
- Gorgeous art and fitting music.
 
Grey area.
- Can feel a bit all over the place. 
 
Con's
- Some routes have potential for more bad ends than there actually are.
- The last 20-30 minutes of Evan's route.
- Can be very short if you're a fast reader and don't take your time. 
 

 
Heroine:
Aria Laprade is an honest to good girl, I admire her courage to investigate on her own!
other than that when she first arrived on the island she striked me as what huh?! image related.
This specifically applies to the ending of Evan route as well.
I mean if I was her I too would have several question marked upon being invited to the island. 
I'd say she's fine, I wish she had a sprite in the corner though.
I would give her the you tried award since, while she isn't physically strong she is mentally
but she is rather meek. She often needs protection. I think that is fine but when I look at
the setting I expected more, she doesn't compare to Mavis but when she slayed she slay'd.
She's capable of taking the lead and be curious but the narrative didn't allow for much more.
Its pretty inconsistent how she developed which depended on the route. 
Leon was right about one thing and she really should be a little bit more selfish. 
 
Art is gorgeous as always, BGM was pleasant but not many wowed me.
I particularly liked the track at the start of Jack's route!
The OP movie is great, though there were a few times I skipped it upon startup.
 
System wise its a standard VN however there is no correct choice indicator aka love catch.
From my first demo play I actually landed on Rudy's route.
I decided to redo and I landed on Charles. I could sorta figure which
choice let to this... and I messed around again and finally triggered Jack.
Honestly it felt rather random in how a route triggered, the LI would suddenly speak up
and things branched off into their route. I didn't experiment further and just went with Jack.
Honestly speaking without a guide its difficult to go for who you want
but in this game it is kinda rewarding to figure out the path on your own. 
Massive respect for guide makers for this game or any without ''love catch'' systems.
A guide is still recommended for a smooth experience of the story. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
 
Overall I found the ''plot'' to be all over the place and depending on which
starter route you land on your experience will be different.
It is a mystery oriented otome game and each routes tackles different subjects
suited to the LI's and they all had different things going on. It all does tie into
the overall plot in their own way so I found it rewarding to keep at it.
Early routes don't reveal too much which is fine, with most I was satisfied for what it offered. 
Just doing one route makes this game rather short but fully completing it takes around 35 hours.
The chapter length reminded me of OlySoi and each LI had 8 chapters in total.
Nothing felt like it dragged and I wanted to keep playing like I had some sort of addiction.
My first play was around 8 hours. So its not that long and I thought it was paced well.
I think if you're a fast reader it may be even shorter... so mine is just an average. 
I let the voices play and generally had a normal pace while digesting incoming info. 
There aren't a lot of bad ends either each route had only two endings which I thought
was disappointing, some routes do have game over ends but not all of them.
As its a plot-oriented otome, the romance developed alongside it which was okay.
At most I'd describe the romance as cute. Some routes had it better than others
which is in-line with most Licobits titles. In terms of LI's Rudy's the biggest surprise!
didn't expect to like him as much as I did. Charles reminded me of Ikki from Amnesia
for some reason but no one was that awful. I'd say Jack had a good route...
if you don't know anything but Rudy topped it easily.😍
Evan's route started alright its here the story slowly shows its full potential but...
it shat in its own pants in the last 20-30 minutes, it just crashed and burned.😞
I won't burn this otome at the stake for it  but it did prevent me from rating it highly.
I'd prolly give it 3.5 stars on amazon.
As someone that liked him I am going  to be a little selfish and let it affect my rating! 
7.3/10 
TL;DR I'd say it was pretty good but I found it rough around the edges.
The good part was that I couldn't help but come back for more and explore
other angles even if one of those angles was to be desired, not gonna lie
it felt like there was a lot of favoritism/narrative bias.πŸ˜’
 
 
IDK if this game will get localized but I figure it will have a different name
because whenever I looked it up I get stuff about perfume or hotel/cafe's.πŸ’€
It probably has a decent chance but I can't be certain. 
 
The JP language level is intermediate, due to high amount of monologues
and unvoiced text I can't recommend it for beginners. It should be fine
for anyone with a solid grasp and want to test out their japanese. 
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Play Order:
Jack >Rudy >Charles> Evan > Leon.
 
Recommended order:
Charles > Jack / Rudy > Evan > Leon.
The first three routes have no restrictions and I don't think it matters too much
but I think if you did Rudy too soon it may turn into a bottleneck.
 
Charles: Starts out light and flimsy but has surprising depth to it.
Jack: This route is very mystery oriented with some heavy undertones
but it doesn't go too deep into anything so its alright as a starter.
Rudy: Rudy's good for when you want to better understand what is going on.
Despite exposition dumps I found it surprisingly well-rounded in terms of plot&romance.
Evan: Unlocks after the initial three routes.
Leon: Unlocks after Evan so no choice but to do him last.
 
Route babbles after the jump, there are spoilers so be warned!
so if you don't want any then stop reading here. Its just senile grandma rambles. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, September 4, 2026

Le Mirage Mystique - Demo Review

 Genre: VN.
Developer/publisher: Licobits.
Platform: Switch.
Official Site: https://licobits-game.com/mirage/
Release date: 16-07-2026(Demo) 17-9-26(Full game)
 
I didn't even realize Le Mirage Mystique got a demo till
I looked at the official site for more info and noticed there was one.
Honestly outside of the setting and goldie seiyuu cast this otome game
didn't quite catch my eye. So this demo was welcomed.
 
--- 

 
Le Mirage Mystique is a mystery driven otome game set in 1917.
The heroine Aria Laprade receives an invitation to an island.
What will she uncover there...? one thing is for sure
she meets a bunch of lovely young men there.πŸ˜…
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 The art is lovely and the introduction movie was quite unique.
The background art stood out to me more than the character sprites. πŸ’€
Sadly the heroine had no sprite maybe from another POV? but the demo
wasn't long enough for that to happen so I can't confirm this. 
Music was fitting for the setting, I had no complaints but it didn't exactly wow me.
The seiyuu cast of this game are all goldies and if you played a lot of otome
in the PSVita era you will definitely hear some familiar voices.
Le Mirage Mystique could be worth looking into if your favorite seiyuu is here.
System wise its pretty much a standard VN, which is fine.
The font was a bit tiny on default but this can be adjusted.
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Storywise it seems interesting but it felt very slow-paced
and it took a while for even the heroine to find her bearings.
The presentation felt similar to Piofiore, they also loved to give it
this old movie vibe & switch POV. I wasn't sure if any of the
characters be it main or side could be trusted at all.
I don't think they were part of the mafia though... but some looked wealthy. 
Serge explained a bunch of facts to us about the island
but even then I could tell there was more to it.
Most of what the demo covered was dedicated to introduction
and there were quite a number of side characters.
Some of it was intriguing but it was nothing wild.
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd probably recommend to play this blind even if only for the first play
and only use a guide if you don't know how to get the best end.
 --- 
In terms of language difficulty i'd say it was on the same level as Uchronia
so its probably better if you have a very solid grasp of the japanese language.
If you rely a lot on voiced lines or like to vibe on autoplay you will likely
be overwhelmed here because of unvoiced narration and monologues.
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
TL;DR
Honestly I think it might be nice if you enjoy slower paced otome? the backgrounds
were lovely though but my investment into the LI's was quite low.
I tried to write about them after the jump but not much came of it... 
I think Evan interested me the most but that may be because Okamoto-san.
Evan's seiyuu really selling this game for me.πŸ˜…
Other than that I suppose Leon did interest me too but I could smell
he was some kind of revelation route or something. Blame the OP.
I'd probably not recommend Le Mirage Mystique if you prefer fast paced otome
because everything told me this was going to be another slowburn.
Though if you enjoy that I recommend it by all means.
Maybe try the demo for a vibe check if you still can't decide!
 
Some more rambles after the jump but its not much really. 
 
===================================================================== 

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Unlogical DLC - review

 At first I wasn't sure if Licobits was going to release DLC for Unlogical like with Uchronia
but they did and vol.1 was announced one week ahead of its 26th march 2k26 release.
At the time I only did Miyabi's and I didn't think that was worth a post but after
I found out the second volume was released I decided to make one.
The second volume completely blindsided me but it apparently already released on 23 july.
Last time I looked for news for DLC there was none.πŸ’€
They must have announced it once again very close to its release so this was
sandwiched between a bunch of other games and I didn't even notice till a month later.
 
Anyway Volume 1 of the DLC is Free while Volume 2 is paid.  
 
Volume 1 features a moment in the morning after the happy ends...
with the exception of Miyabi who takes place after ending 12.
 You know the one and now I am like this meme trying to figure
out which of Miyabi's endings may actually be the best outcome.
Why did they choose that one? instead of the best end?
are they planning a FD so they're saving contents to go from there?
none can say till Licobits makes any announcements.
 
The morning dlc stories were 10-20 minutes but it'll depend on your reading speed.
They are just a nice short story, its voiced but don't expect too much.
I liked Miyabi since it added a sense of normalcy.😏 
Vol.2 was around 1700 yen but its fully voiced date scenario and adds a CG.
I'm pretty sure the dates including Miyabi were all after the best ends. They're not any longer either.

---
Overall: 
I bought vol.2 for Miyabi but they all had really cute date scenarios
which completely validated the purchase for me. 
Oh just when I thought my Miyabi brainrot had calmed down it came back too...πŸ˜–
I'll be honest here though I don't really like DLC for visual novels
and i'd much rather just buy a FD or sequel but this was still nice.
 Even if the scenarios were short Miyabi's date was a satisfying
epilogue so I could justify the DLC being paid. 
Sadly it was short 20 mins at most but its a nice extra!
if you do it all then you may have an hour or two of contents.
(Depending on how much you take your time and enjoy the moment.)
For the morning scenarios I only viewed Miyabi's but I viewed
everyone elses date scenario to get the most out of my purchase.
If you absolutely want more content with your fav LI I think the Unlogical DLC is worth it.
 
While the game is currently (at time of writing this) unlocalized I do hope it gets picked up
and that it maybe gets a proper FD/sequel down the line but for now I am satisfied.

 
Spoilers after the jump so if you haven't yet played
the original game then best stop reading here.
 

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Kyoto Xanadu The Blooming Phantom - Review

The irregular at xanadu highschool.
 Genre: RPG.
Developer/publisher: Falcom.
Platform: PS5,Switch,PC.
Official Site: https://www.falcom.co.jp/kyoxana/
Release date: 16-07-2026
 
Kyoto Xanadu is set in the same world as Tokyo Xanadu
but I found it rather entry level and its able to stand on its own.
The story is very self-contained, nothing this game covers requires prior knowledge. 
 
Disclaimer: This is purely my own opinion and it could be different from yours
this is not meant to be some kind of all-truth, just an opinion that came from playing this.
If you don't like what you're reading then close the tab, move on and just idk play it yourself.
 
Pro's
- Proactive and Witty protagonist.
- Great cast of characters.
- Interesting mix of 2D/3D gameplay.
 
Grey Area 
- Day to Day stuff can get a bit stale.
- Halfdubbed.
- The game ending feels like a teaser and it kinda just ends. 
 
Con's
 - Requests were bland&boring.
- Bond events have no final episode.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 Rei the protagonist gets transferred into a new school after a heist of sorts.

Storywise it sure has some interesting hooks like, its decent for what it tried.
I was more interested in what Rei was even doing in the beginning  which wasn't
cleared up till much later. Rei can be a bit of a smartass but more often than not
ends up being treated like some clown by his new schoolmates.
Not that he lets that get to him but he was very much a teenager. 
I wish the localization a very good luck and I can't help but I worry Rei will be nerved
in english. The crap Rei says sometimes makes me go my dude, you for real. 
 Linon isn't really much of a focus early on but there's a time and place for her.
Not sure if I should be happy or sad I called some stuff but even if you
don't the story will click midway chapter 4 all the pieces fit.
--- 
Story progress felt rather slow and a lot of it felt like build up while getting
to know new faces and gaining... better notoriety or worsen it. You know how Rei is... 
The first chapter was slow and mostly a tutorial, the xanadu sections were
bite-sized so it took a while to get going, this is fair but tbh it never really got crazy.
--- 
There are many side characters and it will vary who catches your eye, most didn't really
 stand out to me except Leah. The VP guy who seemed supportive and nice... compared to the
president himself who was very get on my level ''hmph!'' I'd rather hang with Ren at the arcade.πŸ˜”
I was kinda interested in Shu too... but I don't think we should worry about him
yea he's that guy you shouldn't worry about.
There's also this Crow look-a-like Kyouya but... he just comes and goes.
Much like Crow in CS1 I suppose.πŸ’€ He's chill but he can go hard.
None of the story really wowed me till chapter 3 where things move into a more
interesting direction but other than that I just had no idea where any of it would go.
 
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Gameplay;
The mix of 2d and 3d was well done and I generally liked
the sidescrolling dungeon parts of the game. It was a smooth experience.😌
Bosses were in 3d but they were about as good as in the Ys games.
I didn't really understand why there was a need to switch? but okay I guess.
I'll admit that it was hard to lock onto the smaller enemies which was annoying. 
 The school stuff was okay, its just that the day to day stuff got stale quickly.
Like just going through the motions.
It was kinda annoying how the phantom flask could break since this would
more often than not force you out of the dungeon for that day but okay
rome wasn't build in a day! what was worse than that was trying to remember
which teleporter goes to which. This got especially bad in the 3rd layer.πŸ’€
Everything else was relatively smooth, i'll admit the gates and statues got repetitive. 
 ---
 I liked the VN-style story-telling! and it wasn't bad at all.
its smart because the characters don't move a lot anyway
while conveying the story and emotions of the characters.
I can understand this game's presentation can feel kinda cheap due to this. 
It can seem like a downgrade to Tokyo Xanadu which was like Coldsteel 3/4. 
    Its pretty clear to me that they were on a budget but none of this was done poorly.
Its also clear to me all the budget went into the sky remakes and this game is just what it is. 
Graphics were fine and the music was pretty great, I have no complaints in those areas.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  The game was fairly straight-forward. While it follows a calendar system
like trails or persona there weren't really any deadlines nor are there
any sidequests instead there's 3 specific people that can give requests.
You get a trophy for doing it 10 times each... which is an achievment alright.πŸ’€ 
These requests are really simple; find this missing person, kill enemies or find those items.
I got tired of them by the 3rd time I had got those requests. They had no flavor and were bland.
There's not much to do when not exploring Xanadu so any progression comes natural.
There was more than enough time to explore xanadu or chat with friends. 
You simply go to school do some card game for points to unlock stuff on the skill tree
and hang out with friends maybe but those events felt barebones. 
I sometimes found myself locked from progressing Xanadu like for example in chapter 3
you get to explore the 3rd layer and while you can enter the 4th its impossible
to get anywhere due to missing something that made further progress impossible.
There's some parts in earlier layers that can't be accessed till later too like a part of
layer 1that can only be accessed via a yellow teleporter. 
--- 
I played on easy, which was second out of four difficulties sorry I don't remember the
difficulty names. Maybe I should've played on normal but for some reason I picked the 2nd.
If you want more balance or challenge I recommend the 3rd or 4th difficulties.
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Overall.
I'd say it is a fine game! but I wasn't that hyped to get through it.
It took me 35 hours to finish Kyoto Xanadu.
 I liked the sidescrolling dungeon parts more than the school stuff.
    and the characters were far more interesting than the overall plot.πŸ’€
The day to day stuff felt very standard and I found it sad that its half dubbed but its
falcom so its pretty much a standard for them; to hear a full voiced line and then crickets.
(Or for the MC to be silent and the other guy to speak instead. Oh well you get used to it!)
That aside there were plenty of CG's, including a groupshot I found the selection
of CG images to be more varied than Utaware P&P rediscovered.
The characters were mostly great
. The cast overall was varied from characters
with darker skintones to being not as skinny or having a handicap.
Not all chara's were as story relevant but they made the town feel alive
like if you were free after school you could hang with them.😌
It didn't feel like I absolutely had to hang out with them so my focus was on
the party members as well as that shy glasses guy, Kyoya and Ren. There were times
where I had to pick some rando to use FP on since no one else was available.
By the time of ch4 I started to question the whole bond system since most
already naturally form during the story. So it felt like its just busywork.πŸ˜“
There also aren't any final events, imagine you maxing out the final rank and it just ends
yea that was a little disappointing there wasn't even anything else. 
I found it to be overall a slowpaced game. It picks itself up starting from chapter 3
but even then it was still the irregular at xanadu highschool till midway ch4
and it returns to being like that once more in chapter 5. 
I did want to get to know the characters better so I kept playing.
Nothing was too deep it felt like I was scratching the surface of something.
This game was basically a trails game in disguise. πŸ˜…πŸ’€
I also kept wondering if there was going to be a Rion or Goro but no one else joined
outside of the initial crew. I'd love to have Leah,Kyoya or Shu join. As well as Ren...
however unless there is some sort of Ex+ version, that isn't happening in this game.
The sad part about Kyoto Xanadu is that it left me with an is that really it feeling?
Sure its able to tell the story of Rei and Otoha which was good but hmm...
I think this is what happens when you bake a cake but the other half isn't ready
so they cut it off.  You get a cake alright, its just not the whole thing.
8/10
If I was harsh i'd probably rate it a little lower but the characters were great
which leads to me giving it an 8/10 instead of a 6.5 or 7/10. 
===
 
TL;DR I recommend it mostly for the sidescrolling style gameplay and the characters
but the narrative is a bit of a slowburn. I didn't find the story to be outstanding or
atleast not right away. It peaked for me in chapter 4 and thought some of it was well done
but the fact remains that Kyoto Xanadu ends when it feels like it only just began.
 
More rambles after the jump, I've decided to keep charactter rambles there
because my rambles include spoilers, not all but there's some.
So if you don't want any then just stop reading here.