TLDR: Rakuen reminded me why gaming can be such a powerful medium for good. With a design that is both simple and profound, this combat-free story-driven RPG delivers a beautiful, heart-breaking, and life-affirming experience.

GAMEPLAY/STORY (spoiler-free): The gameplay is designed around the narrative. In general, it's a top-down RPG, but there is no combat system, experience, or party management. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely conflict in-game, but it is masterfully woven in through the story itself and the minigames and puzzles scattered throughout. While the puzzles are relatively simple, they feel right in the game, and there were only a couple very minor moments where I felt lost or wasn't sure how they related to the game as a whole.

The game world is full of detail, and there are lots of hints alluding to missing pieces in the game environment that are later revealed more clearly throughout the game. Definitely pay attention to the little things here! In my playthrough there were a few key moments where those pieces just fit together and I had realizations, often chilling ones, into what may be happening next. The timing of these hints seemed to fit well with the general plot discovery timeline. The observant may figure out some key plot points, but not so far ahead of the actual reveals that they feel like heavy-handed foreshadowing or take away from the payoff. Even if you do see a few twists coming, there are still plenty of key surprises around the actual characters and the reveals of their experiences. I found the storyline satisfying and complete overall. It left me with the right amount of resolution, questions, and feelings, to make Rakuen something I am unlikely to ever forget. Many people will be able to relate to the tragedy and the hope in their own ways. Despite not sharing the exact experiences of the characters there were a few very emotional moments that hit me due to personal experiences, and I imagine many if not most players have similar stories. I also felt connected to the protagonists and did feel enough of a sense of agency despite the linear nature of the story.

Without delving into any spoilers, the game is separated into a handful of scenarios around helping different characters in a hospital, going between 'our world' and a vibrant, fanciful parallel world. Throughout this you learn about the characters' pasts, as well as what has happened recently in the world around you. There is a tension between what the twin protagonists (the boy and his mother) know of the recent past and what you as the player don't know. As this resolves, it feeds into the overall storyline, leading to a stunning finish. While overall Rakuen is a rather linear game, this seemed appropriate to the subject material and the storytelling, and helped to drive the pacing. There are additional achievements and side quests in-game that add additional fun and flavor, but are not required to get the impact of the core storyline. As I was livestreaming this, I did not complete all the side material in my first playthrough. I do plan on going back and 100%ing Rakuen on my own because I want to see all the little gems that I might have missed.

MUSIC: Being a game by Laura Shigihara, the music is of course S-tier. There are several vocally performed songs in-game during cutscenes, and motifs throughout the background music. "Build A Little World With Me" is an unforgettable track.

CONCLUSION:
I was fortunate enough to be able to livestream this on Twitch with Laura Shigihara in chat seeing large portions of the playthrough. (However, I was not in any way compelled or compensated to play the game or to write a review.) She exemplifies how much love was poured into the creation of this game, especially through her involvement with the gaming community playing Rakuen. She takes genuine joy of seeing peoples' unique reactions to the game, and I was also able to get many unique tidbits about the development and the game in general. This is the kind of community-building that exemplifies what can be done with indie games. Between Rakuen, Laura's vast catalog of game music, her music stream on Twitch, and her genuine care for the gaming community, I'm definitely going to be looking forward enthusiastically to anything she releases next.

Overall, this is a wonderful story-driven RPG that will make you laugh, cry, and think. The only thing I would change about it would be to add a steam achievement around filling up every sink in the game. ;) If you are looking for a deeply emotional experience that overflows with magic and hope even while diving head-on into the gritty and heart-breaking challenges of life and loss, play Rakuen. Would recommend without reservation.