＜/reality＞

Game seems to be bugged. After I entered the "in-game" world via the Penta, the left half of my screen flashes black intermittently. Kinda hurts my eyes.

one of my very first OELVNs back when i played the demo in 2017!
to my minor disappointment, it doesn't go very hard on the science fiction, but i got very invested in the characters instead

< /reality > is a mixed bag of a visual novel. The game has an okay story that seems interesting at face value but has a large number of unlikely coincidences, story beats that never go anywhere and questionable character motivations. Also I really dislike Ben. On the other hand < /reality > has a really neat end of chapter mechanic that I wish more games like this had. The game has a little summary of the choices you made in the chapter and what percentage of other players also made that choice. All in all this is an ok game, so I'll give it a lukewarm thumbs up but only under the condition that you can buy the game on sale. I think the asking price is too high for what you get. If steam had a thumbs in the middle choice I would have picked that.

This is my new favourite game! I love VR, I love technology, also I LOVE philosophical matters! I also love RP games! I love the heroine, we got a lot in common! I love VItalia! I just LOVED the trailers and the game does not disappoint! ＜/reality＞ is a must have! A favourite game of all time!

The story is interesting because of mixing spirit world mythology with technology. Quite an interesting match that really holds. The game itself is more of a book. Generally you read. There are some choices and they are meaningful ones but they are really rare in comparison to the development of the story. I think the use of communication technologies as a way to create narration through spekaing in chat in this visual novel was a good idea. It gave at start necessary ignition for the story to unravel. After that there were many unnecessary repetitions of the same phrases and questions. It made just the novel more lenghty.

As to the philosophical themes - they are basic. It is not a critique, rather a statement because I have decided to play this game mostly because I am interested in the relation between different worlds mediated through technology and searching different media to check how this problem is addressed. So although there are no new ideas here I found the world convincing and interesting when it comes to showing different aspects of technology. There is potential here so extenting the ontology of this world would be interesting as a subject. The ideas are basic but there are so much ways they could be extented! As as story it was nice. I haven't got new ideas concerning subjects that I am interested in but it was a good effort on the writer to try to create convincing relations between the worlds without being to rationalistic on one hand and on the other to dependant on fantasy cliches. Good basic philosophical themes (of course from my perspective). Many questions were unanswered like for example what happens to the bodies of people (I won't say more to not spoil the plot or at least one of possible plots). The novel has it's emotional moments but mostly it was done through rational discussion! I really liked it. Even if that for some people could be considered boring, for me personally was a quite interesting way in incorporating arguments. Generally, people in "Reality" are communicating by giving reasons for their decisions, behaviors and they are thinking. So if somone is looking for a tearjerker then it's not the right place. It had interesting feel because all of the characters were really concious about themselves and this made the repetetiveness of some of the material more endurable.

Although I haven't checked all the endings I would say that the story revolves around 0 and 1 choices. It is not niuanced but this is good. You choose to this or that. The game is very straightforward in that regard. And they are relatively rare. You read, read and read. The animations are rare too - rather few images portraying different emotions and some animations that are placed in key moments of the plot but generally they are rare. So generally if you are not concerned that much with moving pictures, animations and could accept the slow pace of the plot here, then the game is worth the try.

I would seriously consider a continuation if some in-world issues were extended, especially the relation between different worlds and some other things that I won't spoil.

It's a neat short VN with various outcomes. While there are 3 main characters you can only make decisions and see from the prespective of 2 characters. A nice feature of each choice that there is an explanation on what your choice entails to make sure you know how you're actually answering like "Lie" equals "I might have to lie to them in order to make this work." so there's less room for error in interperting what choices mean.

Honestly I was kind of disappointed to know the VR aspect wasn't as realistic as I thought but it was still a cool story even if it is overly outlandish. It was nice to have a possible BxB epilouge :3

I really wish steam had a "meh" rating. The story just isn't very compelling, with lots of un-necessary dialog. Sort of like they had a goal for "number of words" or something.

The only big problem is the super-whiny main character. Some people like MC's that are indecisive, passive agressive, and whiny though. That sounds like sarchasim, but it's my sincere opinion. I've encountered LOTS of this type of main character in books and visual novels :).

I do hope the author(s) tries again though.

Surprisingly good game with a really good story and absolutely beautifully drawn characters. The lore is also quite interesting, though the choices weren't soooo important.

TL;DR: This is branching VN. For the uninitiated, choose your own adventure picture book basically. Overall, the VN is nice, but I have a nagging feeling that something's missing. Perhaps it's just an indication that I liked the experience and want more.

Pros:
+ Art is gorgeous
+ Music is nice
+ Story is interesting, although there are a few weird things here and there

Neutrals:
* Branching is decent, although there isn't as much of it as you would assume during the first playrhough.
* Characters are, for the most part, believable. Human characters, I mean. Although some suspension of disbelief may be required, because character motivation might seem... well, shaky at times. Which is forgivable in light of relatively decent branching.

Cons:
- There are a couple "puzzles" in the VN. Literally two, or even one twice, depending how you look at it. Those really serve no purpose.
- There are quite a few blanks in the story -- both in character backstories and in the world lore. I'm a huge lore nerd, so this is a big disappointment for me.
- It's pretty short. 100%-able in about 6 hours. Which is not a problem in itself, but considering the previous complaint it kinda ends up feeling somewhat incomplete.

Overall, what's there is worth it, I just wish there was more.

EDIT after finishing. My rate goes up to 9/10. This is such a deeply imaginative, rich and thoughtful, philosophical story about belonging, identity and growth, finding solace and funding a person or place where you can just 'be your self. ... It mixes relaity with some fantasy / mythology in a way that's appealing and in a way that enriches the story immensely!

I got Jacob and Liliya ending first and I was most pleased with it, particularly one of its variants where growth and reliance on one another are strong - I wanted such an ending in the course of the story. Moreover, the ending wasn't rushed, explained how everything turned out- LOVED THAT and endings also revealed how the choices come together very clearly- really, the ending are very well done.

The characters all have explored backgrounds and stories and easily the fame has so much thoughtful content!! I love it! I'm very happy with the rich story line and thought-provoking content that mixes technology and mythology/fantasy n a superbly creative way.. I did not expect the story to go where it did. I also like that when you make certain key choices, you see "X's reality has cgsmged"- this is impactful for the overall story. Absolutely love it!! I'm having a great time. Love all the characters, how they come around. Jacob, Lilia and the animals are my favourites though. I LOVE this. Loved Jacob and liliya ending. There is serious branching going in and you even get summaries about your choices at the end of the chapters which only increases your anticipation for what's next!

This game has become a fast favourite! I love the ending variants! This game will stay with e for it simaginative power! Love it to bits!

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Really like the art - it's very charming and has its personality, i like art like this, not the bland ones found in the most popular games.

And the story is rich, smart and well-written. I love the characters, Writing style is intelligent, appearto be s thought-provoking (much to my satisfaction) and very involving. Definitely my kind of story, really glad to find some intelligent games of this kind out here! And what's more they are very expressive indeed. i am really intriguied with the story. the characters seem to need a lot of help and i love that. the hook is well established fromm the start and i wonder about all characters and how they turn out to be later. Very good story, and an immersive experience.

it's an easy 8,5/10 for me right now, I intend to update this review when i finish.

I played this game twice in one night, probably because I'm a fast reader. The story is good, love the animation, I'd love to see this developed into a larger thing. Nice to see a VN with an engaging story. I'd love a NG plus type option though because I kind of want to see all of the endings, but I'll probably wait until some other time because I've already read the story twice now though I really appreciated the ways certain moments really are affected. I wonder how much the characters can like each other. I still wonder if I should have sent Jacob back. Who knows? Game was definitely worth a play through and I downloaded it from Steam so I'm saying that without having played it for free.

What I thought would be a simple and fun story-driven game became so much more. Absolutely in love with all the themes it represents and variety/impact of all choices made!

DISCLAIMER: As of right now I haven't seen all possible epilogues, but this could still be kinda spoilery. Also I kinda know the devs so yay for bias.

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If there's one thing is good at, it's making us question things. Is life actually real? Just what are we? Do I want a Penta for myself?
I don't know about the first two questions, but the third's answer is a big yes.
The art is very beautiful. With varied characters and breathtaking backgrounds, it makes me wish real life was as beautiful. The way each protag is depicted next to the text box is a feature I wish more VNs had, since it lets us actually see the protag's emotions in his expressions, instead of inferring from the dialogue.
The story is really good, even if it's a bit on the short side. Both protagonists help bring different perspectives into view, while still leaving space for character development between both protags and other characters.
My only problem with it, to be honest, is that it was unvoiced. Although I understand it, my first experience was during a Let's Read with other people, and so their voices got stuck with me for each character. But the lack of voice acting didn't affect at all how much I enjoyed the parts we hadn't read before.
After one run through it, I have it at 7.5, and I have high hopes that as I unlock more endings, it'll only go higher.

First of all, the game is shorter than I had expected. My 7.7 hours includes finishing the game + all achievements but must games be 50+ hours in order to be positively recognised? No!

I really enjoyed it and here's why:
* Well-defined characters that I could also relate to.
* Amusing (in my opinion!) references to MMORPGs.
* A decent amount of choices to be made, some choices building upon others or unlocking other choices later on.
* Genuinely sweet moments when characters bonded and guilt-factor moments when making enemies.
* Beautiful art - I could only ask for even MORE shown of Vitalia. There is a character who experiences a lot that is described in text and left to the imagination rather than shown.

Any issues?
Not exactly. I did notice "information" spelled incorrectly one time, but didn't notice any other typos and certainly no bugs.
Unlike other VNs I'm used to playing, the user interface was quite streamlined, e.g. there was no obvious "skip" button (useful during replays) << not really a complaint either, it just took me a moment to work out Ctrl was the button I needed :)

Recommended to both seasoned players of VNs and newbies.

Disclaimer: I'm only half way through Book 2 At the time of writing this.
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This visual novel is particularly enjoyable, and I am delighted by how well it is programmed. For a Ren'Py game the coding is remarkably solid. I've spoken with the developers before and can tell that they really put a lot of thought and care into this game. As a fellow developer I can really appreciate their efforts.
The story is solid and the programming is well done. I relate to both of the main characters. The art isn't cookiecutter standard anime, so it's a fresh change.
This is the only media I've encountered that has filled the .hack-shaped hole in my hear, which has been empty for many years.
I've bought copies for all of my friends who are into .hack, Sword Art Online, Overlord, and Log Horizon.

First of all, I just wanted to say that the title is so amazing and unique and I spent a lot of time just admiring how clever it is.

To be honest, I never really finished the demo. Even though I found the premise interesting, everything just seemed to be advancing so slowly. I thought Book 1 did a good job of picking up the pace though and introducing the characters, though I have to admit that I spent the majority of time getting frusterated at Ben for his actions, probably because I ended up developing a huge bias for Jacob.

Speaking of the characters, I really enjoyed how Lilya grew over time and thought that her dynamic with Ben and Jacob was really interesting. How they all liked Vitalia, but due to their different backgrounds and the varying amount of human support they each had, they acted in different ways. I thought that was very well written. I ended up liking all three of the main characters (to varying degrees) and want them to be friends, though sadly I keep trying and failing to get those achievements.

Books 2 and 3 were mainly about the plot and I thought that the plot twists were written and paced well. It kept you engaged and wasn't very repetitive either. I really liked the choice mechanic system of the game where sometimes just one choice could completely change the ending. I also really appreciated seeing how many people chose the same choices as I did and thought that that was a really cool thing to include.

I ended up enjoying the game more than I thought I would. There are still a couple of loose ends that I'm not sure if they're answered in other endings, so maybe I'll go back and try to get everything. But overall, it was great writing and a cool story and I'd recommend it. Keep up the good work! :)

(Also Lilya's family is the real MVP)

The story kept me interested throughout and the characters were refreshingly varied with differing views (weither or not they placed actual emphasis on this in story) and I feel though it was short, I personally was satisfied with the ending. Also the fact that I feel like the branching storylines and replaying quality were more important than the actual length itself and gave the story more depth, though for my playthrough personally I have yet to see them all.
Overall I feel it was worth the 10 euro I spent to purchase, the art was gorgeous, the GUI well polished, the characters were well done with their own problems and how it impacts the way they interact with others in small ways. And I liked seeing the choices other players made at the end of each book as well. :)

Disclaimer: I've only finished book one of three so far.

So this is a cool visual novel, unsurprisingly about VR and the nature of reality. It definitely has strong .hack vibes, but it has its own spin on the VR angle and explores some interesting themes, like the allure of escapism for people whose lives might not be all that great. The plot is a little slow to start off with, but once it builds steam, it's good at maintaining a sense of tension and intrigue. The characters are also interesting, especially the protagonist, who struggles with social anxiety that's written in a believable and relatable way.

As for presentation, I'm impressed by the attention to detail. It seems like there's no narration of actions, but the graphics and sound effects do such a good job of conveying what's going on that it took me a while to notice. There are tons of CGs and little animations that add a lot of polish. There are also a ton of character sprites that are very expressive, and the environments are colorful and imaginative. I also think the electronic soundtrack does a good job of setting a sci-fi mood.

The game works well and seems bug-free. There are a few features I liked, like seeing the protagonist's thoughts when you hover over choices and seeing how common your choices were and what the impact of them is at the end of a chapter.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who's interested in character-driven fiction and virtual reality.

(Spoiler-Free Review) To be honest, I'm a little disappointed.

The game was a lot shorter than I thought it would be, and leaves a lot of questions unanswered. The conclusion feels pretty rushed - I was shocked when I had already stumbled upon the epilogue. Not only that, but there were a lot less real choices than I believed there would be. The most impactful decisions come at the end, but even then, it doesn't change the narrative so much as it does the short and (in my opinion) lackluster epilogue. It's a shame because the story is well-written, it's just so short and rushed that it doesn't give enough time to be really invested in Vitalia's plight and the characters, or resolve anything in a satisfactory manner. Most of the development happens in the last 5 to 10 minutes of the game and that's unforunate considering that I found the lore interesting and was looking forward to what extent the creators endeavored to explore it. Many of the imaginative concepts introduced are not adequately explored (especially when some of them are made to seem important) or are simply just mentioned again in the epilogue. In addition, when it comes down to it, the main character doesn't get to do much of anything. There's a lot of contemplating of choices but not a lot of actually...making them, much less acting upon them since the game doesn't even give that many opportunities for climactic decisions.

I wanted to share my first impressions of the game folks. Enjoy!

Here are just a few things things I've been enjoying about this visual novel.

For a visual novel, there is a great deal of movement in the scenes. I love it! With changing portraits, expressions, and even full motion clips! It helps a lot with the static feeling that some VN fall into too.

Now the characters! So far, I'm enjoying them! Our leading lady, Lilya, is really enjoyable. She clearly has social anxiety, maybe even a bit too clearly at times, but feels realistic with how she acts and copes with this. Her interactions with others are interesting to watch unfold, particularly the cheerful Ben and the egmatic Jacob. These two offer a good counterpoint to Lilya. Ben is friendly and optimistic, eagerly looking forward to this experience. Jacob is...interesting. But in a good way! He is rather similar to Lilya, being socially awkward as well. But he has clearly long since grown comfortable with his own defense mechanism, the role of the genius recluse.

I'm rather enjoying the story so far. It's an engaging emerging technology tale. Having just finished book one, it's clear that much is being hidden from Lilya and the reader. But, I'm finding myself rather eager to learn what those things might be. Much like our Ben, I'm optimistic and excited for what's next!

And now...
Back to Vitalia!