Like many language learning games, So to Speak has too sole of a focus on vocabulary, neglecting grammar. While it's able to impress the general structure of a sentence on the player, it never gives a focused explanation of why to use 'desu' versus 'iru' versus 'aru', or which counting words to us for what.

The game never asks you to translate from English -- to converse in the language rather than merely comprehending it -- which I think would change my review to positive if it did. For all that the game presents itself as a visit to Japan, the player feels more like a ghost hovering above it all, not interacting with the world and having no actual need to know the language.