Rose represents an attempt by NiS to address concerns and fix miscues from their go around with Htol#♥♥♥. The resulting experience is a mixed bag that balances out to being roughly the same, which might leave some feeling a bit put-off given it's a later game with a higher price tag.

Important things to note:
-You directly control the two protagonists, rather than try to guide a little girl AI through death and despair.
-While the game's pace is still indeed slow, the controls are responsive and precise, rather than a floating mess.
-There is actual story to read, which leads to a different type of immersion than Htol.
-Same foreboding atmosphere and music as before.
-Physically speaking the game is larger, but the time required to clear, explore, and find secrets is still roughly the same.
-Difficulty was tuned down a few degrees, which leads to...
-Game mechanics get introduced and more often than not never resurface (or amazingly infrequently), becoming red herrings later on that can convince a player they should be doing rocket science when it's basic addition/subtraction.
-No maze.

As with the other 'mystery(?)' titles NiS has ported, while they provide a brief and entertaining/frustrating journey in their own style, it's best to wait for this game to go on sale before purchasing.

Rose represents an attempt by NiS to address concerns and fix miscues from their go around with Htol#NiQ. The resulting experience is a mixed bag that balances out to being roughly the same, which might leave some feeling a bit put-off given it's a later game with a higher price tag. Important things to note: -You directly control the two protagonists, rather than try to guide a little girl AI through death and despair. -While the game's pace is still indeed slow, the controls are responsive and precise, rather than a floating mess. -There is actual story to read, which leads to a different type of immersion than Htol. -Same foreboding atmosphere and music as before. -Physically speaking the game is larger, but the time required to clear, explore, and find secrets is still roughly the same. -Difficulty was tuned down a few degrees, which leads to... -Game mechanics get introduced and more often than not never resurface (or amazingly infrequently), becoming red herrings later on that can convince a player they should be doing rocket science when it's basic addition/subtraction. -[spoiler]No maze.[/spoiler] As with the other 'mystery(?)' titles NiS has ported, while they provide a brief and entertaining/frustrating journey in their own style, it's best to wait for this game to go on sale before purchasing.