I remember playing the demo and liking it, deciding to get the full game. I have no idea what happened between the demo and the fullI remember playing the demo and liking it, deciding to get the full game. I have no idea what happened between the demo and the full version... In the demo, the game was better paced and it felt like I had some degree of control over my character's fate. I never felt rushed to romance a guy or be forever doomed to spinsterhood. The tax system was much better implemented -- while it did fluctuate, it never felt unfair. With jobs and learning skills, I recall a minigame being implemented: you select some dice and if you didn't go over a certain number you got some money or skill points depending on the number. Of course, you could lose some as well. The backgrounds felt like they had more impact on character creation.
The full version, for whatever reason, lacked all of this. Or rather, it did have some of these, albeit they were utterly butchered. Skills would be gained and lost for little to no reason. Taxes went from reasonable (with some fluctuation) to taking nearly half of your money. The game rushed me to find someone with perhaps less time than in the demo, yet I HAD to spend a lot of time getting skills and working a job since I had to deal with the taxes. I had no control over learning skills or earning more money, and in three different playthroughs it felt like the game was against me with losing skills or making barely enough money to scrape by only to have it taken away. What's the point of the dating mechanic if I have the game working against me to get to the dating part?
If you're looking for a romance game, I would pass on Spirited Heart. There are better otome games out there worth your time that won't make you feel like it utterly hates you. I would also recommend the demo instead. It may cut off at a point, but it's far superior to the final product.… Expand
