Warning: Giant review
When I first saw the game, I didn't give much for it. I just thought it would be that kind of pointless game with sex with a poor story and no interest whatsoever. Glad I decided to check the comments and description. After 15h of gameplay and exploring each aspect of the game, I have to say that this may be one of the best graphic novels (and stories for that matter) that I've seen recently.
The way that every character takes place in the story, slowly revealing their contribution to the main lore (with the notable exception of Charlotte) is perfectly built, permitting the player to explore and analyze the plot from several perspectives.
With that being said, I still have to point some ideas that are worth noticing.
1 - Too many girls, too little boys.
Yes, I understand that, no matter how much I like the game because of its plot, it is still an adult game. However, I can't stop to think that the existence of only 5 male characters (one of them being just a store seller and one of the others being someone we haven't crossed with yet) is... extremely bad. I'm not saying that it isn't good as it is, but I think that adding some other interactable men would be a good way to make the game more diverse and less focused on the sex part of it.
2 - Needs balance
Everything is so expensive. But don't get me right, I'm not saying the prices should be lower. I think that jobs should give more money. Until we get a higher level of either charisma, knowledge, or subtility, everything is just out of the player's budget. He would need to save for weeks to buy that one thing that is required to keep going in the story. After some thought, I think the best way to fix that would be adding some sort of part-time that would give a reasonable amount of money (ranging from 15$ to 30$) while consuming a unit of time. However (and here is the catch) that source of money would only be available for the first couple of weeks, who knows the first month. That way, the player can get some money to fix stuff like the bar, buy more books, advance in the story...
3 - Books
I love the idea of the library, but it simply is... poorly implemented. I think that the books should be slightly more powerful (like being able to read 2 books of 2 different perks in a time unit) or there should be an actual reason why the player would spend his pennies on books rather than training with the characters.
4 - Something missing
After a long thought, I can distinguish something missing in the gameplay, but I don't know what it is. My gut says that some sort of minigame during the work hours and the gambling is the key, making it possible to earn a few extra bucks. I don't know, I was always looking forward to more story and less everything else.
With that being said, I have to say that I loved the story. Everything, from Prim's development with the player to the entire relationship with Maxy/Mary (loved that reveal, can't wait to see more) and even how Sasha and Layla try to explain and give us clues about how the universe of Lucky Paradox actually works. I can't wait for the next update which, apparently is going to give a lot of new gameplay and story, as well as a brand new level of mystery which, I must say, is the only thing that makes me love this game unlike all others of its kind.
I can only say: well done.