All right! I finally finished this game, now I can finally stretch my legs!
Just kidding, this game took a lot out of me, and i see that a LOT of people compare this game to NTRPG, i will say something about that in this review, but to me the most perfect game to make that comparison is believe or not, shadowcore!
I do have a lot of "bad" things to say about this game. But, do not think for a second that i believe that Shadowcore is the perfect embodiment of a Netorare game, he has his low points as well (the succubus, quest and the prostitute house still haunts my nightmares) but the fact is, that game felt more complete than this game, most of the bad things are visible so i will not talk about that, i will talk about more "technically stuff". To quote Evil987:
"Mapping is terrible. small, basic and truly void map."
"To advance the story we need to talk with people and solve some task"
I agree! Mapping in this game is horrendous and to be worse! Nothing, ever, NEVER, feels like is something important! Like for example when i was trying to find the Orcs's camping site, i didn't even know where to search, i just found beucase i misclicked my Z button between thoose small trees on the road, and after that i was so afraid that i was not going to find anything on the map that i just got clicking on the borders of everything of the entirety of the map to see if i'm not letting anything Pass! That was horrible! And the main motive for i to have taken so much time to complete this game! Comparing to Shadowcore, yes his map felt unnecessarily long, but you had means to move faster on it, plus it combined well with the "solitude atmosphere" that game kinda passes with his storyline. In this game you are traveling with your friends, there is not solitude feeling on that!
Now about the tasks? It wouldn't had bothered me that much, if i know how to read japanese (Or chinese but anways), but the fact that i was cracking up my head, every moment even at the goddamn end! Trying to understand what i needed to do to see the girls having sex with the guy! Yeah! I was having problems to access the scenes that makes this game be a Netorare game! If you want compare to NTRPG, at least the task system on NTRPG was handled on an way that it was fully visible where you need to go and what you need to do! You know what would have helped in those cases to know what is a sidequest and what is the main quest? An book keeping track of the things that you need to complete at least! And no, that key item to keep track is not good either.
About the Netorare on this game, not only i felt that it was blant, and, predictable, that i was not surprised with the "Plot Twist" that (SPOILERS) the blue haired girl was having sex with the red haired guy and in the end they are both having sex with their master and the red haired boy! And don't get me wrong, i love Netorare! But if you really wanna see how is well handled go play NTRPG 1 & 2, for they are the pefect example of the genre because they actually show how a netorare is done, and know how to surprise you with that! Hell even the christmas sepecial for that extent! But this game really, really poorly handles the netorare. I have nothing to say about CGs or Faceless sex scenes, the sprites scenes are handled Ok, but those other scenes just felt bland in both of the ways.
Unfortionately this game tries to be something that he himself said that was inspired to it! I will say this! I expect more NTR games from these people on the future, but if they all will be "inspired" somehow for NTRPG games, then they must do exactly like Devil Survivor 2 did with Evangelion, use the skeleton of the complete story and make your own putting something that will make people see the difference! And for you game to be noted!
I have a lot more to say to this game, but i feel that just like this game, i overstaying my welcome. I feel like this game had a lot of potential, but the lack of experience of the creators made this game kinda, bad...
But don't get me wrong, maybe they will continue and surprise us on near future, but for now, this is a game that i will only complete for the endings when i get at least a partial and a walkthrough. My final veredict?
An Solid 4.5 out of 10. Not bad, but not good either, not a good start, but not a totally failure, they have a long road ahead if they really want to continue. Best wishes for the new Circle.