I’m a game ho, and I will react positively to any attractive 2D/3D man whether they treat me well or not. Unquestionably, Otome game men crafted to perfection are no exception. Xavier, Zayne and Sylus’ cards intrigued me the most during the trailer, which is why I pulled for them. For my review on Xavier’s card, check out my previous blog post!
I will try to keep this review as spoiler free as possible, but let’s start off by saying an hour more of content per card per banner is a lot. I’ve never been more engrossed in a one-off alternate universe as I have with Tomorrow’s Catch-22, in part this is thanks to the length of the story. Despite the somewhat baity kinky/BDSM/dark romance themed trailer, the cards’ content consisted of compelling storytelling and worldbuilding. I felt like I listened to a good chunk of an audiobook during the playthroughs, and it kept me interested throughout. My investment in each differed, but humour was sprinkled with each card in just the right amounts, keeping the dark theme consistent while still making me chuckle.
The Kindled interactions for these cards were INSANE and I can’t believe I initially hesitated to download this game. I have come to realise that the 3D medium is incredible at immersing the player at a truly different level when done well. I have no doubt there will be more 3D otome games coming out in the coming years after seeing the success of Love and Deepspace. Just my Kindled reactions can be found here (Zayne) and here (Sylus)!
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Zayne: Immediate Disorder
Zayne’s story was the most compelling out of the 3 I’ve experienced so far. I found myself on the brink of tears achieving his bad end, and it had the most humorous bits too. It peaked for me in laughter and emotional turmoil alone. In multiple instances, you’re left not knowing what to expect or when you’ll see Zayne again, and the story successfully keeps up anticipation and longing to encounter him throughout.
His much more reserved character compared to the other love interests makes seeing him come undone even more exciting. It is probably due to that that there is enhanced juxtaposition between when we usually interact with him versus specifically the Kindled of Tomorrow’s Catch-22. I believe the Zayne girlies truly won with this one, I have no criticism for it whatsoever.
Sylus: Innocent Birdcage
Sylus’ card on the other hand, leans in to the initial impressions most people would have had of him. We’ve come to know that he’s a well mannered softie with a lot of power but no desire to impose it to force MC’s hand unnecessarily. Sylus has been shown to be a gentle, giving and considerate lover (Hello Nightly Rendezvous-) compared to some of his unexpectedly selfish contemporaries. So this card is the first where we see him prioritise HIS desire over MC’s wellbeing while in a frenzied state. The girlies who craved a bit more thrashing about in his release card, No Defense Zone, would probably appreciate the displays of domination and exciting cutscenes in the Kindled of Innocent Birdcage.
Innocent Birdcage comes with tender instances of Sylus protecting, rescuing and comforting you before displaying more power than any of the other love interests, then going completely cuckoo-bananas in the Kindled. However, because majority of the story is told as a flashback, seeing Sylus re-emerge is an expectation and not a surprise. Some parts of the story also left me confused, not understanding why things were happening the way they did. It felt like curveballs were caught easily and the story was a little hurried along. That said, it was still an enjoyable card to obtain.
Girlies who were mad that MC didn’t get mad that Caleb disappeared would probably appreciate the short scene where MC gets mad at Sylus for a bit. Overall, Sylus’ card didn’t disappoint, but there are a little improvements I would have made to make it match up to the writing of the other love interests. In my opinion, Sylus’ card strength lay in the Kindled (the interactions were CRAZY good). I felt the story could have been approached differently to enhance our emotional investment in him.
Conclusion
Overall, the card durations alone make them worth it for me, and I’m sad I can’t afford to pull for all the boys this time (and probably in the future). However, because we were just 10 pulls away from the choice crate, I pulled using my diamonds to get Caleb’s card. So maybe we’ll do his in a future stream! In the meantime, please remember to be responsible while playing Gacha games and there will always be future, more exciting banners. Play/spend responsibly and enjoy your time with the LIs! This banner has seen wildly successful marketing despite the ongoing strike from the CN Sylus girlies because the outfits, hair and stories make for such great fan content. I’m excited to see what more is to come. And hopefully, the Sylus girlies will get better content in the future too ;; With Sylus’ birthday coming out, I have no doubt Infold will go all out! Hopefully. Here’s to more time spend with our beloved boys <3