CAMIL2003'S PROFILE

author=Einander
You asked for story impressions, so here's my review on that aspect.

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I don't know who's speaking the opening narration. It presumably isn't a human, because humans don't typically feel the need to indicate that "people" means "human." It can't be Will, because he didn't meet the others recently. It can't be Raymond, because we definitely didn't help him come back to life. I can't think of anyone else, really. Is it completely unrelated?

I don't know what story you wanted to tell. Was it about escaping and returning to the world? If that's the case, then mission accomplished. The drama there is fairly well-done, and the inter-group tension doesn't feel fake or artificial. It's solid.

If it was about the drama between Will and Ray, then that was bungled. We don't see enough of their relationship to really care. We don't know how they typically interact, we don't see Ray often enough to become invested in him, and while there are a couple of subtle hints that Will doesn't like him (Will ignoring him in the initial cutscene, the fact that only Jo knows Ray even exists, the fact that Will refused to let Jo ever see him), we don't know how Ray feels about Will until long after it becomes relevant. When we do see Ray more, the fact he threw Will into hell pretty much kills any sense of sympathy.

Even if the story is primarily about the escape, the Will and Ray plot grafted on weakens it as a whole. Without any investment or spotlight on Ray, his actions seem comedic and disproportionate. "Our parents loved you more, so I turned into Satan and threw you into hell." It's a goofy non sequitur.

(The deliveryman turning into Loki and laughing in the initial cutscene was really well done, though. The dialogue choices grab your attention and keep you from noticing, even though it's happening in plain sight. Kudos.)

Some things never really go anywhere. Why did Loki tell Aaron not to tell them? All it did was spread confusion and discontent, increasing the chance that the party would fall apart and die before they accomplished their goal. It's dickish, which fits with Loki, but it's pointless. What was the point of the characters gradually recalling that night? It doesn't help them remember how they got there, it doesn't provide any clues to the real cause, and the solution to the problem ends up completely unrelated. Similarly, though the past relationship between Jo and Will is mentioned, it never goes anywhere. We never get details, they never reconcile, it's just there.

One thing that stood out to me is that they obviously know Traces exist, thanks to the cutscene after you get the last Physical and Magical Traces and Loki's mention that he taught them to use Traces. The main character's ability to do everything is never mentioned anywhere, though. That's kind of strange.

The story seemed like an afterthought, honestly.