Over the moon (DEMO)

(OH YES I COPY THE MESSAGE AND PUT IT HERE BC I WANT AND IM HYPED)

IS LITERALLY THE BEST VN I EVER SEEN

im in love with it, the characters, THE PIANO MUSIC IS THE BESTTTT LIKE EVERYTHING

I REALLY REALLY REALLYYYYY love galileo and atlas, they're such well written and also funny characters in some way

atlas IS SO PRECIOUS but at the same time kinda scary, i love the way he hides the truth abt his feelings for galileo, he just wants to be with him forever, with a cozy life and even house <333 i love that part, however..

[SPOILER... kinda???]

the possesive and also yandere side is ACTUALLY REALLY BUT REALLY GOOD, i love the way he even tricks US, LIKE NOT ONLY GALILEO BUT US, THE PLAYER!!! he sometimes have those changes of mood really... weird, is like he's trying to tell us something, like trying to tell us he just wants know about galileo and not other things. There's even stuff on his backstory that maked me really curious...

AND ALSO GALILEO HELGPGP I LOVE HIMMMM he's such a good 'friend' ('friend' bc they're boyfriends, the difference is galileo doesn't know yet¿¿¿) he's kind, energetic in some way and with things out of nowhere he just go like "??????" (LITERALLY) I LOVE THAT. Galileo actually cares abt atlas, galileo can be dumb but he will always trust in atlas no matter what (true love frrr)

[END OF SPOILER IG...]

BUT OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

THE ART??? HELLO??????????? IS SO DAMN PRETTY, IS MAJESTIC LIKE WONDERFUL, PRETTY, IS EVERYTHINGGGG LIKE- I CAN'T IS SO PRETTY LIKE SRSSSSSS, i adore the way atlas eye's change, the expressions, the backgrounds... they're incredibly good. There's some draws with colours that hurt my eyes; such as vibrant LIKE VIBRANT colours I MEAN THEY'RE GOOD AND EVERYTHING BUT IDKKK

HOWEVERRR, with this draws and the lighting they're insane, they're so espectacular istggg, it doesn't hurt my eyes and i find them really comfortable, is like being in there (i bet the room smell like tea I CAN FEEL ITTTT)

AND THE PIANO MUSIC OMGGG, i got even more concentrated to the history, even some parts without music maked me very not like- that bad uncomfortable- THE GOOD uncomfortable, the one that makes you u did something bad, some error, like "what is going to happend??? WHAT DID I DO???" (srry for my english btw)

THE GAME, CHARACTERS, BACKGROUNDS, MUSIC, THE DISPLAY IS ABSOLUTELY MAJESTIC (i even downloaded the game SEND HELPP, my new game obsession) SO PLEASPELEPALEPLASEAPLEASEPLEASE MAKE IT OFFICIAL, I NEED TO PLAY IT ALLLL EVEN IF COST MONEYYYYY I NEED THIS MAJESTIC GAME IMPLANTED IN MY BRAIN

I love it 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000/10, would play it again, im gonna tell my friends abt it omgggg

Review: 5 stars (Overall)

Over the Moon is a wholesome story about two boys who are boarding school roommates.  There is no dark twist. Just two boys being pals, maybe falling in love, and definitely neither of them is a yandere.  There is certainly nothing ominous going on here at all. 

All jokes aside, I am blown away by the fact that this is the dev's first game. Hats off to them and everyone who lent their talents to the creation of this beautiful jewel of a demo. I truly loved its style, it has the vibe of a bittersweet, nostalgic shoujo manga, placed in an old English setting, with just the tiniest hint of Hogwarts.  (Potion classes? I am intrigued.)  And yes, there most certainly is yandere twist. Pro tip: If you want that foreshadowing from the very beginning, then you must Descend. 

There is a lot of heart put into this story, and dialogue choices can matter in unexpected ways. There's even a few different dialogue reactions for certain tea combinations, and you might stumble upon Atlas's favorite if you experiment! 

All in all, I enjoyed this game very much. Its aesthetic was delicate, and its atmosphere was quite relaxing with a hint of darkness, like a drugged cup of tea. I am looking forward to its full release, and left the demo with a question blooming in my mind: If Galileo is the beloved astrologist, and Atlas is the Moon, then whom is this Nameless Star?  (Will we meet him in the full release?)

 Story: 5/5  

It is a character-driven story, and the concept is well-executed! I love how astronomical symbolism was used to represent the characters and the probable trajectory of their story. Considering how much these two boys clearly do care for each other (even if in completely different ways), I believe that the yandere arc is going to be quite tragic in the full release, and I think the writer will pull off the heartache of it well. Unrequited love and the bitter pang of it has already been foreshadowed through the dream in the beginning, lending a melancholy cast to the future of these two boys.  Ominous, too, since it is clear the moon will not let go of his beloved astrologist so easily. 

Art: 5/5 
The art is a highlight in this game. It is very dreamy,  lacking sharp edges or overdefinition; there is a soft sketchiness to the line-art of the characters , with blurry backgrounds and an overall subdued color palette. It evokes feelings of nostalgia, and would not be out of place in an especially beautiful shoujo manga.

Writing & Dialogue: 5/5

The dialogue was distinctive in its voice for each character, and its narrative prose built well upon the atmosphere that the game already beautifully exudes through its art. 

Characters: 5/5 
They are both charming in their own ways, and their dialogue is seeping with clear affection for the other. I also appreciate how distinctive their personalities and interests are. Our protagonist Galileo loves astrology and stargazing, while Atlas loves Galileo  books such as romance novels, Galileo  domestic hobbies, and being the perfect student. The perfect friend, too, always taking care of Galileo with no ulterior motives in the slightest.

Galileo's personality is silly and boyish and playfully melodramatic, though he is still kind to Atlas, often expressing his appreciation for him as a friend. Atlas is gentler and more responsible than the playful Galileo, and so sweet that he could not harm a fly.  Definitely no flies were harmed by Atlas. However, the art does a wonderful job in portraying his subtle shifts of emotion. He's adorable, but there's times when there's something a bit ... off about him, and that's clear through his eyes. The boy is a little unsettling at times. ESPECIALLY when you get to the ending, when his true motivations and feelings are revealed. 

Character Design: 4/5
I tentatively assume the red-haired boy from the itch.io page is Galileo, though I am not sure, as so far, you can only see Atlas within the game. Both boys wear an academic uniform, establishing them as part of the boarding school, but their hairstyles and eyes exude individuality of their own. The redhead's vibrant hair and popping green eyes hint to a mischievous, playful personality, and if he's Galileo, that fits him to a T. (If he's not Galileo, then he's the Nameless Star character we've yet to meet). 
As for Atlas, his blonde bobbed hair, crystal blue eyes, and overall delicate appearance establishes him as a soft and innocent character (on the surface).

The character designs are good and effective; the only reason I've given them 4  instead of 5 stars is that I wonder if the uniforms could've been designed differently to drive in the astronomy motifs more, through color scheme and pattern, perhaps? Regardless, that's just the most minor of nitpicks, and the uniforms still perfectly fits the setting as is.   

Setting: 5/5   

Admittedly, we do not know too much about the setting yet, but the world already has a distinctive presence of its own - it really does remind me of a nostalgic, vintage-era England. There is even the small detail that they ride in carriages instead of cars. I respect that we haven't gotten massive lore dumps about the world yet, considering how this is just a demo and that information is yet to be relevant to the story. However, I DO hope to know in the full release why the students are making potions. That is a very intriguing thing for students to be taught!    

Music & SFX: 3.5/5  
There isn't much, if any, SFX if I recall correctly; as for the music, it was quite relaxing or melancholy by turns. Not particularly memorable, but it made me feel comfortable and immersed in the environment, so it was doing its job well. I also liked when the music stopped abruptly during the first conversation between the boys, where Atlas's mask dropped ever-so-slightly for the first time. It was quite effective in emphasizing the tension of that moment.  

I wasn't at home so I couldn't played it but watched a walkthrough and omgggg that was sooo freakmg cuteeee dbkxbdjsvxnsbsjsbd I don't know what to say it was just perfect. I'm so excited for the full version!!

atlas' dialogue while galileo was sleeping was so !!!%&·&`´ç`+ ... if i were to make a small critique, i would have loved to hear more sound effects (like the teacups) though im sure that's still a work in progress... good job!!!! looking forward to the rest ^__^