Info about マーダーミステリーパラドクス このひと夏の十五年:

Official game description:
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■Game Features
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.A text adventure game in which the player searches for the culprit through deduction and conversation.  
The game system is based on the motif of "Murder Mystery", a new genre of analog games.  
Even if you have never played "Murder Mystery" before, you can enjoy the game.  
It takes about 10 hours to complete the game.  
The game features multiple endings, with the ending branching off depending on the player's choices.  
A wealth of hints to guide players when they get stuck in solving the puzzles.  
A demo version is now available to play the first few hours of the game. The full version of the game can be played by skipping the trial version.  
The entire game is available for download.
■Game Outline
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**"The culprit is in here!"**  
You will take part in the search for the culprit of an incident that took place in a closed situation. However, you yourself are one of the suspects and are suspected by the others.  
In the limited time available to you, you will gather clues to the case through conversations with the suspects, deduce from them, and uncover the truth. At the same time, you will need to gain the trust of those around you in order to clear your own suspicions.  
If you end up without enough credibility, you may be made the culprit. ......
■Game System
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.The mystery part of the search for the culprit proceeds in the following order: "Investigation Phase → General Discussion Phase → Voting Phase".  
**Investigation Phase**.  
Through one-on-one discussions with the suspects, information and questions about the case will be elicited.  
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By providing information and answering questions in conversation, you will gain the trust of the other party and get to the bottom of the case.  
.  
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**General Discussion Phase**.  
Each of the suspects will argue in turn what they have deduced about the case and the culprit within the investigation phase. Depending on whose arguments you agree with and whose arguments you deny, your own credibility will change.  
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**Voting Phase**.  
Based on the information obtained in the investigation phase and the general discussion phase, each suspect votes for the person they think is the culprit. The person with the highest number of votes will be detained as the culprit by you.  
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■Synopsis
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.August 2004.  
Shikine Island, a remote island with a population of a few hundred.  
A 15-year-old boy "Tatsuki Amazawa" visited Shikinejima for the first time this summer.  
At his adoptive mother's family home, he meets his cousins who are not blood related and spends a peaceful time with them.  
At that time, Tatsuru still did not know.  
He did not know that a mysterious incident called "Shikinejima's Kamikakushi" had been happening again and again on the island.  
And that the people he cares about are deeply involved in the mystery.  
Will Tree be able to unravel the truth behind the mysterious incidents and save the people he cares about? ......  
.  
■Distribution Guidelines
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Revised: March 1, 2024  
The entire scope of video distribution of this work is now available for distribution.  
In order to ensure that as many viewers as possible can enjoy the film, when distributing content that contains spoilers, please clearly indicate in the title that the content contains "Spoilers" or similar wording.

Release date: Dec 1, 2023

Categories: Murder Mystery, Visual Novel, Deductive Reasoning Puzzle, Multiple Endings, Time Travel Mechanics, Single-player Story, Investigation

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 40; verdict: Playable with caveats; summary: The feedback is mixed. While some users report a flawless experience on Steam Deck, others encounter compatibility issues and game bugs. Official non-support adds uncertainty. The game is not broken but may require patience or luck.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $7.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The reviews consistently indicate that the game is not worth its full price due to short playtime and limited presentation, but becomes a good value when discounted to around half price or under 1000 yen (~$7). This suggests the community considers a fair base-game price to be in the $7-10 range.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 30.0h
  - Story completion: 10.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: 20.0h
  - Reasoning: The true ending is consistently reported around 10 hours (e.g., 'about 10 hours', '9 hours', '7.5 hours'), so storyCompletion is set to 10. Full completion including the secret ending is explicitly stated as 30 hours in one review, while another claims 10-15 hours for full completion; the more specific 30-hour figure is used for gameCompletion. The 20-hour gap between true ending and secret ending supports an endgame metric of 20 hours. No reliable session length data is provided, so sessionLength is null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game begins with heavy busywork in its investigation phases, but players who push past the first case find the story and gameplay become more engaging.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Completing the first case
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: repetitive choice selection; brute-force questioning; poor scene pacing; deduction feels like a recap of revealed truth; busywork in evidence gathering
  - Unlock drivers: completing the first case
  - Conditions: tolerating the busywork; interest in the story; getting past the first case; willingness to endure repetitive gameplay
- Player Archetypes:
  - Casual Newcomer (buy)
    - Motivation: Casual fun and enjoyment without demanding puzzle depth
    - Playstyle: Plays casually, focuses on story and characters, does not overanalyze mechanics
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: never played murder mystery; first time playing this type
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Veteran Critic (no buy)
    - Motivation: Seeking challenging and innovative deduction, but not satisfied
    - Playstyle: Analytical and comparative, evaluates mechanics against genre standards
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: played many in the genre
    - Reference games: Zero Escape; Danganronpa; Ace Attorney
  - Story Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Immersive storytelling and character-driven experience
    - Playstyle: Reads carefully, appreciates atmosphere, may skip or tolerate puzzle sections
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Steins;Gate; Danganronpa


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Story is engaging and interesting (weight 0.3): Players consistently praise the story as interesting, moving, and well-crafted, with multiple twists that keep them engaged. The narrative is described as progressing quickly and being well-supported throughout.
- Beautiful art and illustrations (weight 0.27): The art style, illustrations, and character art are consistently praised as beautiful, excellent, and well-drawn. Players appreciate the visual quality of the game, including the cute and cool character designs.
- High-quality mystery adventure game (weight 0.24): The game is repeatedly described as a thoughtful, immersive, and polished mystery adventure. Players appreciate the well-executed murder mystery feel and the overall high quality of the experience.
- Satisfying and happy ending (weight 0.22): Players are pleased with the ending, describing it as satisfactory, happy, and emotionally moving. The true ending wraps up the story nicely, and the multiple endings are seen as meaningful and well put together.
- Charming and well-developed characters (weight 0.21): Characters are described as charming, captivating, distinct, and likable, with each being well-developed and well-established. The heroines and sister character are specifically noted as cute.
- Game is highly recommended (weight 0.17): Reviewers strongly recommend the game as a high-quality, immersive work that is worth the price. The game is considered worth playing and provides good value for money.
- Enjoyable deduction gameplay (weight 0.17): The game is praised as a good small-scale deduction game with enjoyable murder mystery gameplay. The effort to incorporate the mystery genre into the game system is clear and appreciated.
- Excellent foreshadowing and twists (weight 0.16): The twists are well-foreshadowed and exciting, with foreshadowing resolved satisfactorily and payoff being very satisfying. The extensive foreshadowing and its resolution are a highlight of the game.
- Multiple endings add depth (weight 0.16): The game features multiple endings with depth, including various bad ends that are not half-hearted. The final chapter's multiple endings are especially good, with endings 1, 3, 5, and 6 highlighted.
- Game exceeds expectations (weight 0.12): Players found the game more fun and interesting than expected, describing it as quite enjoyable. The gameplay and story were about twice as interesting as anticipated, making it a pleasant surprise.
- Well-balanced puzzle difficulty (weight 0.12): Puzzle difficulty is considered well-balanced and accessible for beginners, with deduction and reasoning not being too difficult. This makes the game approachable for a wide range of players.
- Good music and soundtrack (weight 0.11): The songs and music are praised as good, with the main menu BGM being highlighted as the best in the game. The soundtrack contributes positively to the overall experience.
- Interesting time travel setting (weight 0.11): The time travel setting and time paradox elements are found interesting and well thought out. The game works well as both a mystery and time paradox story.
- High replayability value (weight 0.07): Replayability is high due to the multiple endings, and the game provides a strong sense of completion. Every ending is meaningful and interesting, encouraging players to explore all possibilities.
- Novel and interesting gameplay (weight 0.06): The gameplay is described as novel with interesting mechanics. Players appreciate the unique approach to the mystery genre and the engaging game systems.

Common complaints:
- Lack of Chinese localization (weight 0.17): Multiple reviews highlight the absence of official Simplified Chinese support, which is a significant barrier for Chinese-speaking players. This is a common and specific complaint that affects accessibility.
- Forced murder mystery elements (weight 0.12): The murder mystery aspects are described as unnatural and not fitting the game system, feeling forced. This suggests a disconnect between the theme and mechanics.
- Tedious ending collection (weight 0.11): Collecting all endings is very tedious, and the secret ending requires full collection, which is painful. This is a completionist's frustration.
- Confusing clue direction (weight 0.1): Clue organization and direction are either hard to understand or too obvious, making the investigation feel inconsistent. This affects the core gameplay loop.
- Settings not persisting (weight 0.1): Fullscreen and skip settings reset on launch, which is a technical annoyance that disrupts the user experience. This is a specific and easily fixable bug.
- Intrusive hint system (weight 0.1): The game provides hints after wrong answers, and repeatedly asks if the player wants to see them, which can be annoying and reduce challenge. This is a specific gameplay irritation.
- Weak female lead presence (weight 0.06): The heroine has little screen time and a weak role, making her character underdeveloped. This is a narrative weakness.
- Poor conversation pacing (weight 0.06): The pacing of conversations and presentations is poor, which can make dialogue feel awkward. This affects narrative flow.
- Unnecessary discussion phases (weight 0.06): The group discussion cut-ins and voting phases are considered unnecessary and add little value. This is a design critique.
- No cloud save support (weight 0.06): The game lacks cloud save support, which is a modern convenience that players expect. This is a technical feature gap.
- Superficial trust system (weight 0.06): The trust level system feels superficial and may only affect the final summary, making it not meaningful. This is a mechanic depth issue.

Gameplay feedback:
- Murder mystery deduction adventure (weight 0.83): The game is consistently described as a murder-mystery-style adventure game with a strong narrative focus. Players listen to testimonies, gather evidence, and deduce the culprit in a single-player script murder format.
- Deduction and reasoning mechanics (weight 0.54): Core gameplay revolves around deduction quizzes, placing evidence in slots, and combining clues to solve mysteries. The reasoning is often based on timelines and alibis, with a difficulty level comparable to Ace Attorney.
- Discussion and voting phases (weight 0.41): The game includes structured group discussion phases where characters state their reasoning, followed by a voting phase to select the culprit. This loop of questioning, reasoning, and voting is a central mechanic.
- Investigation and evidence gathering (weight 0.3): Gameplay involves investigating players, gathering testimony, and verifying evidence through dialogue. Players must collect and combine evidence to prove the culprit and solve questions.
- Multiple endings with true ending (weight 0.19): The game features multiple endings, including a true ending and a secret ending. Reaching the true ending requires specific dialogue choices and photo selections throughout the playthrough.
- Time travel narrative elements (weight 0.19): The story incorporates time travel mechanics that preserve memory and avoid paradoxes. This time-travel setting is a key thematic element of the mystery narrative.
- No voice acting (weight 0.16): The game is a text-based adventure or visual novel without voice acting. All dialogue and narration are presented as text, which may affect immersion for some players.
- Mystery format with foreshadowing (weight 0.14): The game uses a mystery game format for story progression, with foreshadowing and information presentation. It offers about 10 hours of playtime with moderate difficulty, and the solution can often be guessed midway.
- Proving alibis as core task (weight 0.11): A key gameplay task involves proving alibis, with the main question split into smaller questions such as verifying alibis and determining the victim's state before death. Decisive evidence is often an alibi.
- Low difficulty reasoning (weight 0.11): The reasoning and deduction are not very difficult, with an ultra-simple deduction system focused on timelines and alibis. The process is formulaic, requiring correct option selection to prove answers.
- Time limit on deduction (weight 0.11): The game includes a time limit or time resource limit on reasoning and deduction. This adds pressure to the gameplay, requiring players to solve cases within a set timeframe.
- Puzzle-solving elements included (weight 0.09): Beyond deduction, the game includes puzzle-solving elements as part of its adventure gameplay. These puzzles are integrated into the overall mystery-solving experience.
- Private talks and secret conversations (weight 0.06): The game features private talks and secret conversations with characters, allowing players to call people for confidential discussions. These interactions are part of the investigation process.
- Loop-type game structure (weight 0.06): The game involves a loop-type structure, where players may repeat sections or cycles. This looping mechanic is a notable aspect of the gameplay design.
- Save and load anytime (weight 0.06): The game allows players to save and load at any time, providing flexibility for exploring different choices and endings. This feature is convenient for replayability.
- Timeline information display (weight 0.06): The game provides a timeline of information that goes from back to front, helping players track events and evidence. This timeline is a useful tool for deduction.

Performance notes:
- First deduction scene black screen (weight 0.04): A bug causes the first deduction scene to appear as a black screen, preventing players from seeing the content. This is a specific and impactful issue that occurs early in the game.
- ESC exits fullscreen unexpectedly (weight 0.04): Pressing ESC exits fullscreen mode, which is considered a strange and unintuitive behavior. This disrupts gameplay and is a specific control issue.
- Steam Deck OLED compatibility issues (weight 0.04): The game did not work well on Steam Deck OLED, indicating compatibility problems with that specific hardware. This is a niche but important issue for affected users.
- Rendering issues on Radeon (weight 0.04): Some players experience rendering issues, possibly related to Radeon graphics environments. This is a niche but specific technical problem that affects visual quality.
- Screenshots not working (weight 0.04): Players report that screenshots are not working in the game. This is a specific functionality issue that affects the ability to capture moments.

Recommendations:
- Buy on sale (weight 0.22): Multiple reviews recommend purchasing the game during a sale or at a discount, with some specifying 50% off or a historical low. This suggests the game is considered good value at a reduced price.
- Overall recommendation (weight 0.2): Several reviews give a general positive recommendation, stating the game is worth trying or recommending without hesitation. This indicates a broadly favorable reception.
- Entry-level mystery game (weight 0.15): The game is recommended as an entry-level mystery or visual novel for those new to the genre. It is considered accessible for players unfamiliar with reasoning ADVs.
- For mystery genre fans (weight 0.12): The game is recommended for fans of mystery adventure games, deduction games, and reasoning-focused titles. This suggests it appeals to players who enjoy the mystery genre.
- For Ace Attorney fans (weight 0.1): Reviews recommend the game to fans of Ace Attorney, Danganronpa, Raging Loop, Gnosia, and Paranormasight. This indicates it shares elements with these popular mystery titles.
- Not for puzzle solvers (weight 0.1): Some reviews caution that the game is not recommended for those expecting puzzle-solving or murder mystery gameplay. This suggests the game may lack traditional mystery mechanics.
- For visual novel fans (weight 0.1): The game is recommended for those who want to enjoy it as a visual novel or casual ADV. This indicates it may be more story-driven than gameplay-heavy.
- For story and reasoning (weight 0.07): Recommended for players who like story and reasoning, but not for those who only like reasoning. This suggests a balance between narrative and deduction elements.
- For time-loop fans (weight 0.07): The game is recommended for fans of time-loop games and time-travel works. This indicates it features a time-loop or time-travel narrative.
- For atmosphere-focused players (weight 0.07): Recommended for players who enjoy atmosphere-focused games and narrative-driven mysteries. This suggests the game emphasizes mood and story over complex mechanics.
- For sound novel fans (weight 0.07): Recommended for sound novel fans and those who enjoy mystery and suspense ADV with branches. This suggests it fits within the sound novel subgenre.
- Not for experienced ADV players (weight 0.07): Some reviews state the game is not recommended for experienced ADV players or those who regularly play mystery games. This suggests it may be too simple or lacking for veterans.
- For those who tolerate busywork (weight 0.06): Recommended for those who can tolerate the busywork and small details. This indicates the game may have some tedious elements.
- For those seeking short ADV (weight 0.06): Recommended for those looking for a short ADV game or a quick deduction game. This indicates the game is relatively short in length.
- For those with large time blocks (weight 0.04): Recommended to play when you can dedicate a large block of time, as it may require extended sessions. This suggests the game is immersive but time-consuming.
- For those with basic Japanese (weight 0.04): Recommended for AVG fans with basic Japanese reading ability. This suggests the game may be in Japanese or have limited localization.

Other player notes:
- Lack of Chinese localization (weight 0.28): Multiple reviewers noted the absence of official Simplified Chinese support, with some mentioning fan-made machine translation patches as a workaround. This is a significant barrier for Chinese-speaking players.
- Price considered high (weight 0.22): Some reviewers feel the game is priced high for its content, especially given the lack of voice acting and relatively short playtime. Others argue the price is justified by the experience, leading to mixed opinions.
- Comparisons to other ADV titles (weight 0.19): Reviewers compare the game to Zero Escape, Danganronpa, Paranormasight, Raging Loop, and Gnosia, highlighting similarities in genre and mechanics. These comparisons help position the game within the visual novel landscape.
- Playtime around 10 hours (weight 0.18): Most reviewers report a playtime of about 10 hours for the true ending, with full collection taking up to 15 hours. This is considered a moderate length for an ADV.
- Story setting and premise (weight 0.17): The game is set in 2004 on a remote Japanese island, featuring a classic rural summer vacation group murder. This setting is compared to Summertime Rendering and Erased, appealing to fans of mystery anime.
- Full collection required for true ending (weight 0.17): The secret or true ending requires collecting all endings and completing the full collection, which can be time-consuming. This design choice may frustrate players who prefer a straightforward narrative.
- Comparisons to Ace Attorney (weight 0.16): Reviewers frequently compare the game to Ace Attorney, noting similarities in proving the culprit and difficulty level, but also pointing out the removal of investigation phases. This helps set expectations for gameplay style.
- Genre expectations mismatch (weight 0.16): The game is described as more of a murder mystery than a murder mystery, with some reviewers noting it lacks the typical investigation and daily life phases of similar titles. This may surprise players expecting a Danganronpa-like experience.
- No major bugs reported (weight 0.13): Several reviewers noted that no progression-blocking or display bugs occurred during their playthrough, though one mentioned a workaround for persistent flags. Overall, the game appears stable.
- Multiple endings and collectibles (weight 0.11): The game features multiple endings, branch pictures, and bad ends to collect, adding replay value. This is a positive aspect for completionists but may be overwhelming for casual players.
- Demo available (weight 0.11): A demo exists, allowing players to try the game before purchase. However, demo progress does not carry over to the full game, which may disappoint some players.
- Ending discussions (weight 0.11): Reviewers discuss the ending's implications, with some finding the hidden story fitting the title's paradox. However, the post-ending scene with the boss character is confusing to some.
- No achievement system (weight 0.1): Reviewers pointed out the game lacks an achievement system and has no wiki guide, which may reduce replayability and community support. This is a common complaint among players who value meta-progression.
- Steam Deck unsupported (weight 0.1): The game is officially listed as unsupported on Steam Deck, though one reviewer found it playable. This inconsistency may confuse potential buyers using the handheld device.
- Boss character motive criticized (weight 0.09): The boss character's motive is seen as incongruent with his portrayal, and the post-ending scene involving him is not well understood. This narrative weakness may detract from the overall story.
- System-driven gameplay (weight 0.09): The game is described as system-driven, with a pseudo-strategy chart unlocked after the true end and scenarios that require failing investigation parts. This adds complexity but may be confusing.
- Save and fast-forward features (weight 0.08): The game allows saving at any time, but save time is a bit long and fast-forward is a real fast-forward, not a jump to the next choice. These QoL features are mixed in quality.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.2): Players are frustrated by the slow, stiff, and repetitive deduction system that relies heavily on alibis and often requires brute force or guesswork. The UI and controls are obstructive, with bugs causing freezes, black screens, and lost progress, while tedious bad-end collection and confusing choices waste time.
- Disappointment (weight 0.16): Players are disappointed by the shallow character development, predictable story, and rushed or unsatisfying endings that leave questions unanswered. The murder mystery elements are poorly integrated, the voting mechanic feels meaningless, and the game lacks post-story content and cloud save support.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.16): Players enjoy the interesting time-loop story, well-crafted scenario, and beautiful art style. The game is immersive and fun as a murder-mystery-style ADV, with good foreshadowing, twists, and character designs that keep players engaged from start to finish.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.1): Players feel satisfied with the well-written story, tight pacing, and satisfying resolution of time paradoxes and foreshadowing. The game is compact, with cute characters and a smooth flow, and the ending reveals several twists that are praised.
- Annoyance (weight 0.04): Players are annoyed by minor UI and control issues, such as auto mode turning off after saves, lack of right-click to close, and load screens not auto-scrolling. Tedious recaps, redundant secret talks, and jarring sound effects also detract from the experience.
- Boredom (weight 0.03): Players are bored by the repetitive investigation and deduction phases, especially in the early chapters, which follow a standard pattern and feel like busywork. The voting phase is redundant once the culprit is known, and the prologue and first cases are too daily and plain.
- Amusement (weight 0.03): Players find humor in the game's awkward and forced murder mystery framing, such as island residents accepting script murder games and the culprit's motive not matching the crime. The surreal face close-ups and characters praising the protagonist during discussions are also funny.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Players are excited by the story's progression, which takes off from the end of chapter 3 with suspenseful twists and foreshadowing. The summer island setting and time-leap elements draw players in, creating a strong desire to progress and uncover the truth.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Players admire the charming characters, emotionally stable protagonist, and excellent scenario with well-crafted branches and endings. The detailed presentation and beautiful title screen BGM are also highly praised.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Players appreciate the well-built atmosphere, good art style, and the game's depth and immersion, which balances emotional storytelling with logical reasoning. The author's clear vision and approach to a new genre are recognized as a good work.
- Confusion (weight 0.02): Players are confused by the unclear ending and the author's intended message, as well as time-loop logic issues where events change before the protagonist interferes. Some clue organization and the post-ending scene with the boss character are also hard to understand.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players are surprised by the game's unexpected twists and branching endings, which elevate the script and character portrayal. The game is more fun than expected, and the werewolf-style reverse trial gameplay is a pleasant surprise.
- Immersion (weight 0.01): Players are immersed by repeatedly returning to the past and gradually uncovering the truth, which makes time feel like it dissolves. The game spends most of the time gathering evidence through interactive exchanges with suspects, keeping players engaged.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Players are interested in the time-space hook, which is compelling enough to finish in one sitting. The story becomes interesting after the first two cases, and the fourth chapter onwards is particularly engaging.
- Relief (weight 0.01): Players feel relieved that the game cleanses the heart after a bad multi-bad-ending game, and that saving is possible anytime during investigation. The evidence organization and protagonist hints make the game accessible without much thought.
- Curiosity (weight 0.01): Players are curious about the characters' pasts and the interweaving of past, present, and future, which makes them wonder what secrets the island holds. The story keeps players wanting to know what happens next, and bad endings leave questions that drive further play.
- Dissatisfaction (weight 0.01): Players are dissatisfied with the protagonist's thinking not always matching the player's, the misleading title, and weak murder mystery elements. The forced murder mystery system, certain characters having too little screen time, and unsatisfyingly explained contradictions also contribute.
- Moved (weight 0.01): Players are moved by the well-crafted story and the true ending, which brought tears. The emotional narrative and character development resonate deeply with players.
- Disbelief (weight 0.01): Players are in disbelief at the illogical dialogue, such as suspect A proving suspect B couldn't have committed the crime, then suspecting suspect B. The unrealistic precise testimonies from residents also strain credibility.
- Emptiness (weight 0.01): Players feel empty after clearing the game, finding it unenjoyable, and the true ending being too perfect leaves a hollow feeling. The lack of post-story content contributes to this sense of emptiness.}