Needy Streamer Overload

Usually when faced with a cultural product that comments on current times, it's hard to see it for what it really is. Once we let enough time pass and take a step back to contemplate it, we're able to see things that were previously out of our view or were unrecognizably distorted. NEEDY GIRL OVERDOSE should be more than a trendy VTuber game: the psychological depth and realism of the main character, Ame, is absolutely shocking. I have known several people who each exhibited very similar behaviors and said some of the exact same things she says over the course of the story, right down to seeking validation from the internet while acknowledging they are doing so. The game touches on themes and ideas such as depression and schizophrenia, the pursuit of fame to fill a void, savior complex, parasocial relationships (obviously), and the balance between persona and authenticity on the internet.

You would get the feeling that the person who made this game absolutely hates streaming culture, but at the same time they are extremely knowledgeable about it. This game gets right to the heart of a certain unhealthy internet niche and rips it out for all to see. Unfortunately, it fumbles on certain occasions and undermines the character building it's been working so hard toward (it's hard to name examples since I can't tell which ending is which just from the names).

As far as interfacing goes, the advancing of text is a bit janky and the game is missing some quality of life features or polish, the music and the filters can get annoying after a while, and some of the endings can only be obtained through luck or are tricky to get, which implies too much replaying for the player to stand considering the game's repetitiveness.

The player is made compliant in enabling Ame's worst behaviors to achieve more social media growth; reaching zero "mental darkness" at any point immediately results in a (happy) game over. You could say that the player is invited to make a choice between creation and destruction, but all of the real content is tied to destruction-- moreso, you're made to choose destruction, lest you abandon the game 5 minutes in. Since we're railroaded into acting a certain way, the act of destroying can no longer reveal anything about the player's personality, which is a shame and a missed opportunity.

It's slightly flawed conceptually, and tedious to play, but interesting from a cultural and psychological standpoint.