10*/10 Denpa Masterclass and more

No words I say will do this justice but I'll attempt a somewhat in-depth review for once.
(No spoilers; This is a review of the 18+ Patch version of the game as it includes all chapters and is the complete game)

Subahibi is a very unique and unforgettable experience and most likely a one-of-a-kind VN. I'd go as far as to say it is the best piece of media I've came across until now.

It feels like a masterpiece of storytelling though it requires a lot of patience and attention from the reader to fully grasp that level of quality, but I really feel like that should be your main reason reading it for. I've read reviews from people who didn't delve that deep into the themes the game tries to present and while they still enjoyed it I can for sure say the game is A LOT better in my experience if you take the time to think about all the philosophical themes that it throws at you as you read it.

As someone else mentioned in another review: "The story is divided into two parts. The two parts are fundamentally interlinked, but are also kept separate. And it is this aspect of the visual novel that really defines it as a masterpiece. There is the part of the work that is a story, and then there is the part that is a philosophical work. Both parts are handled excellently well, and mix together in a fascinating and integral way."
Couldn't have it said better myself so I'll just leave this here.

It is however a very mentally taxing read for that reason and honestly I never was able to read more than 4-5 hours a session because of that, however the game really does reward you for your curiosity. I also like how it's done in a way that it doesn't feel frustrating to not always know what's going on because it manages to always balance the information you actually do know (or think you do) so well that it never feels like you're completely lost.

The writing is amazing, very well-crafted all-around and just a great delivery of the story as well as of the experience itself, although a long read I feel like the pacing is more than just good as soon as you get to Chapter 2. Chapter 1 can be a bit slow and not super eventful (for some people) but I found it to be a great introduction.

The Music is very good and super fitting in certain scenarios through the story as well as the Voice Acting and personally I actually like the Art even though some may say its a bit dated for today's standards.

Now for the only possible con; and this comes down to the NSFW aspects of the game, while I feel like some (keyword "some") are not completely unnecessary as they help build towards the psychological horror part of the story, the things that happen in others might be way too f. up for quite a lot of people so this is a hard sell here, though it shouldn't be a deal-breaker really. I had a bit of an issue with it at times in the beginning, however the trade-off I'd say is more than worth it for what the game has to offer outside of this. While it isn't the worst out there in terms of disturbing content, I'd put it somewhere on the higher scale still. However, interpretation and tolerance will be highly subjective to your experiences with other such media.

TL;DR - Conclusion:

If you lean towards the genres of horror, mystery and denpa then I think Subahibi is more than likely to be enjoyable for you. The VN really does go beyond the usual/traditional way of storytelling while encouraging deep thoughts and challenging your views and perspective on the world as well as a lot of other things. It’s not just about following a story, but also about experiencing a process of self-reflection and philosophical exploration which for me is what elevates this game to such a high rating.

PS: Forgot to add, quite good replay value if you're interested in that once you finish a full play-through.

10*/10 Denpa Masterclass and more No words I say will do this justice but I'll attempt a somewhat in-depth review for once. (No spoilers; This is a review of the 18+ Patch version of the game as it includes all chapters and is the complete game) Subahibi is a very unique and unforgettable experience and most likely a one-of-a-kind VN. I'd go as far as to say it is the best piece of media I've came across until now. It feels like a masterpiece of storytelling though it requires a lot of patience and attention from the reader to fully grasp that level of quality, but I really feel like that should be your main reason reading it for. I've read reviews from people who didn't delve that deep into the themes the game tries to present and while they still enjoyed it I can for sure say the game is A LOT better in my experience if you take the time to think about all the philosophical themes that it throws at you as you read it. As someone else mentioned in another review: "The story is divided into two parts. The two parts are fundamentally interlinked, but are also kept separate. And it is this aspect of the visual novel that really defines it as a masterpiece. There is the part of the work that is a story, and then there is the part that is a philosophical work. Both parts are handled excellently well, and mix together in a fascinating and integral way." Couldn't have it said better myself so I'll just leave this here. It is however a very mentally taxing read for that reason and honestly I never was able to read more than 4-5 hours a session because of that, however the game really does reward you for your curiosity. I also like how it's done in a way that it doesn't feel frustrating to not always know what's going on because it manages to always balance the information you actually do know (or think you do) so well that it never feels like you're completely lost. The writing is amazing, very well-crafted all-around and just a great delivery of the story as well as of the experience itself, although a long read I feel like the pacing is more than just good as soon as you get to Chapter 2. Chapter 1 can be a bit slow and not super eventful (for some people) but I found it to be a great introduction. The Music is very good and super fitting in certain scenarios through the story as well as the Voice Acting and personally I actually like the Art even though some may say its a bit dated for today's standards. Now for the only possible con; and this comes down to the NSFW aspects of the game, while I feel like some (keyword "some") are not completely unnecessary as they help build towards the psychological horror part of the story, the things that happen in others might be way too f. up for quite a lot of people so this is a hard sell here, though it shouldn't be a deal-breaker really. I had a bit of an issue with it at times in the beginning, however the trade-off I'd say is more than worth it for what the game has to offer outside of this. While it isn't the worst out there in terms of disturbing content, I'd put it somewhere on the higher scale still. However, interpretation and tolerance will be highly subjective to your experiences with other such media. TL;DR - Conclusion: If you lean towards the genres of horror, mystery and denpa then I think Subahibi is more than likely to be enjoyable for you. The VN really does go beyond the usual/traditional way of storytelling while encouraging deep thoughts and challenging your views and perspective on the world as well as a lot of other things. It’s not just about following a story, but also about experiencing a process of self-reflection and philosophical exploration which for me is what elevates this game to such a high rating. PS: Forgot to add, quite good replay value if you're interested in that once you finish a full play-through.