I played Saeko through DLSite, so don't worry about my playtime and achievements.

SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim isn't a game for people who are already deep-in with a size fetish. It uses a giant woman as a backdrop to tell its story but does not linger to exist as a fetish game. It's psychological horror. You spend time making moral choices in an environment that's staged and shown to you as truly hopeless and you're forced to make decisions of who lives and who dies.

The artstyle and music are both godly and I'm so glad this game came out. It tells a depressing story that's been told before in an extremely unique way and wears it's inspiration on it's sleeve. (Shoutout Oyayubihime.) I can't wait to see and hear more from SAFE HAVN!

SAEKO is a conflicting experience. Personally I love when creators make art inspired by fetishes, and after playing the demo last year I was excited to see how the final product would turn out. With the game finally released, I can't help but feel a little disappointed.

As a work of art, I'm happy to give SAEKO some credit where it is due. But as a video game, it feels lacking. And I think going solely off the question "Would you recommend this game to other players?" I have to err on the side of no... with some exceptions, because there are people who will enjoy it. I had an enjoyable enough time on my first playthrough, but as I replayed it to complete all endings and achievements, it really hit me how little there is to it.

If, like me, the demo made you think this game is about managing a group of survivors over several days, I must tell you that it isn't really. You don't decide who lives or dies at all; the game already has. The structure set up in the demo is repeated a handful of times without much change. Characters shuffle in and out one after the other with only a scene or two committed to developing who they are. Whether you like or dislike a character won't make much difference in the long-term. All deaths in this game are as abrupt as in the demo, and none of them actually result from the player's cumulative choices and gameplay. The existence of stats is just to hide the truth that characters can only die exactly when they are supposed to.

There are a couple different routes through the story, but they only vary superficially, and don't have any significant impact on the endings, all of which are also abruptly decided and only by the last couple choices made. This is the kind of VN where if you want a different ending, you can just reload your most recent save instead of having to start over.

Of course, the events being prescriptive and predetermined isn't always a bad thing if the lack of meaningful choices is in service of a story with some substance... which it is not. Obviously this scenario is inherently intriguing, but here it lacks any depth. Many topics, ideas, and even characters are introduced only for none to get explored by the end. I can't even say with confidence that the story has a main theme. I'd say it's morality, but the game doesn't handle that question with any complexity. Maybe that's a fair way to describe most of what I found wrong with SAEKO; it's altogether lacking complexity.

Now, to be fair, I think SAEKO is an incredible exercise in aesthetic atmosphere. The pixel art visuals are gorgeous and probably the main draw, and the music and sound design provide perfect complement (I actually thought the iPod was going to serve as a jukebox function and allow control over the soundtrack, but sadly it doesn't). The nostalgic and twisted world this game has created is the single best thing about it. I had such a big smile on my face navigating the midnight segments' flip phone menu. Rin even has four subtly different animations pushing the buttons when you move the cursor up, down, left, and right. Details like that really showcase how important evoking a specific mood was to these developers, and they succeed.

I must also say that what we do learn about the characters is engaging. Kina, for example, had an anecdote I really enjoyed. The moment-to-moment character writing is quite strong - I just wish there had been much more of it to delve into! It feels like so much more could have been done with SAEKO. I mean, the game came out yesterday and I've already posted my review. It took me only 6.5 hours of playtime to get all the achievements (possibly longer than average even), and it's not the sort of game likely to warrant a replay.

I say be honest with yourself before playing this game. If you like supporting unique, indie visual novels or fringe art despite possible flaws, consider buying it on sale. But if you're someone who has any doubt as to whether you'd like this game, you probably won't.

Phew, this is an intense game, in the physiological sense. Finished my first run minutes before writing this review and while I wanted to get the other endings, I honestly needed a break.

Saeko is a Visual Novel that follows the tradition of many gacha games these days by luring you in with an attractive women (and in this case, the addition of a fetish) and ambushing you with deep writing. And make no mistake, it is a VN. The demo suggests that the Appeal and Health system will be more dynamic in the full game then it actually is, but in truth it's much more limited then it looks, more on that later.

First, the positives. As mentioned, it's an intense game that if for its rather short length would be hard to finish in a single sitting. You play the unfortunate role of supervisor of the abductees, choosing who Saeko will eat that day. It's an easy enough task at first when there are plenty of characters you might not care for to choose from, but soon enough you'll be trying to decide between characters you do like, it those decisions hit hard. Saeko herself brings this same intensity. While she might hit your "I can fix her" buttons, or even your "Her brokenness is why I like her" buttons, she makes you feel unsafe in every interaction with her. Throughout the game, you will have multiple conversations with her, and you need to watch yourself constantly. Talk too much? Dead. Talk too little? Dead. Answer in ways she doesn't like? Dead. And the game has a brief animation of her hand enveloping your screen followed by red, which after a couple of times will have you feeling like you're talking to someone with a gun to your head, which isn't far from the truth. Oh and on top of all that? You do not have infinite time to respond to her words, so you better think fast!

The game also has some incredible pixel art, which is always welcome.

Now, some negatives. As mentioned, this is more of a Visual Novel then a full video game. You do have choices in the Appeal and Health system, but those choices basically the same as any multi choice system in any other VN, as any choice other then the ones the game lays out for you is an instant game over. It's also a rather short game, capable of being completed in about 2-4 hours depending on how good you are at navigating conversations with Saeko. (Your millage may vary. I felt that the length was just right, but you may have wanted more from a $15 Visual Novel) Speaking of, while the game does give you a speed up button for those conversations, failing them multiple times and having to reach back where you left of can become a bit tedious.

Now, the endings. I've only gotten one so far, but from what it seems like and what I've heard, the ending you get is mostly determined by the final choices you make in the last days of the VN, which is both good and bad in my opionon. Good in that it doesn't take too long to see the alternative content, and bad that your choices earlier don't matter that much. But hey, there is an ending where Seako becomes a real giantess for those who came for that, you degenerates!

Not that I'm one to talk though, the primary reason I got this was the "Giantess Dating Sim" part.

Finally, would I recommend this? Yes.... With some caveats. As mentioned, this is an intense game that deals with heavy subject matters. I'm no stranger to that, but the game's atmosphere and story telling had me needing to take a break before trying to other routes. It's also relatively niche, so if everything here on the store page or in the demo failed to intrigue you, you probably won't miss much skipping the game. As for everyone else? It's amazing and I cannot recommend it enough to those of you interested.

Also, shout out to Safe Havn for including a demo! Not nearly enough developers do this and I'll always be thankful to those who do!