I remember first discovering this gem in late 2012 through a video, and with only the prologue went and downloaded it for myself. It was a genuinely life changing game for me and I wouldn't be who I am without it those 12 years ago. I might not have been able to fully understand it being a young teen at the time, but I was able to relate to the characters and themes enough for it to leave an impact. I completed nearly every girl's route once (didn't finish Shizune) and only got the good endings because even those made me cry. Now as a young adult playing it again it's even better than I remember.

To put it simply; this game is one of the most "human" experiences for the medium in my opinion. The characters despite their quirks both externally and internally feel like some of the most genuine characters in the visual novel genre. Sure the school and characters are fictional, but the stories they convey through their routes feel "real" for a lack of better words. It doesn't take long for the story to hit a note that'll resonate with most people, and even if not all will tug at your heart strings you'll walk away feeling at least some kind of emotion that few pieces of media has been able to make me feel.

As for the actual writing; for a project that originated from a group of 4chan anons coming together to breathe life into some sketches posted on a board, the writing is fantastic. It might not deserve to be put in the literary hall of fame along more famous works, but for what it wants to be it's exceptional. The protagonist has plenty of great interactions with the entire cast as well as moving inner monologues contemplating the events around his condition and the routes in question. Obviously the girls are likable even if some are more than others (Hanako best girl no doubt) which is important for a romance novel. Surprisingly upon this new refreshed view on the game, I've found even the side characters to be way more charming and personable than I remembered them being once again adding to that feeling of an actual world rather than a contained little relationship story.

Another important aspect is the art and it's nothing but praise from me. The character sprites could come off as generic which would be fair, but they're not your air headed kawaii anime girls by any means. The main CGs you'll end up seeing are an absolute treat and every time one appears it's a welcome surprise, and even if the context to each isn't happy the art still brings a feeling of awe and appreciation for the craft. Again is it worthy of being in the pantheon you'd see in art museums? Of course not, but it's stylish and combined with the music and writing it's memorable to say the least.

Speaking of the music I can safely say the OST for Katawa Shoujo is genuinely one of the best I've ever listened to. I've always had my favorite tracks, but coming back and listening to them all again I've come to love many of the tracks I might've glossed over in the past. I can count on maybe one hand tracks that at worst get a, "Meh this is fine" response from me. From Raindrops and Puddles to Innocence there's a wide variety of tracks that are good at setting a relaxing vibe to being absolute tearjerkers and I love both types equally. Even before the Steam release reignited my interest in the game I've had living rent free in my brain for years such as the aforementioned Raindrops and Puddles or Air Guitar.

That all being said the game isn't perfect, and despite my praise I'm just as willing to mention its faults even if few. Sometimes the choices given are either too vague, or frankly downright lying through omission which can lead to some really strange and frustrating moments if you don't know them before hand (looking at you Misha). On a totally unrelated note; the Steam version is in fact censored, BUT that's not as much of a downside as one may think. While there are sex scenes, they are very limited, at most being 3 in a route being the absolute maximum with some routes being as few as a single one. They're not extremely explicit like a your traditional hentai game, but they are the weakest part of the game by far. How you might interpret that is up to you, but you won't be missing any important story context as the game gives you just enough to know when relevant. If you want to restore the scenes either due to curiosity or because you feel better having the full product then thankfully there is a very simple drag and drop patch downloadable from the game's original website at the bottom of the downloads section.

To wrap things up, I really do love this game. It came at a very special time in my life, and for a long time I thought that left me with rose tinted glasses that I feared a replay would take off. The Steam release was such a welcome surprise and gave me the motivation to come back for the 100% and my fears have been put to rest, and if anything I was proven completely wrong. This game got me into creative writing throughout school and helped as an escape for when things got real tough for me, and if it weren't for it I'd probably be a much different person than the man I am today. I met my best friends because of this game and I've known them for over a decade now, and the past week playing this has felt like such a trip down memory lane. If it weren't for my age I'd feel as if I somehow got sent back 12 years or I was stuck in a dream.

I remember seeing a reddit AMA from about 7 years ago about what happened to the team after the completion and Four Leaf Studios dissolving and it was mostly positive with members getting professional careers as artists and the like. I really hope they're all still doing well. I know one of the artists passed a few years back and the news makes me sad even if I only discovered recently, but his memory will always live on thanks to this beautiful game that now more people will be able to experience. Thanks for the memories Four Leaf Studios I'll cherish them for the rest of my life.