ef is an objectively good visual novel that is written well that feels like it has a point even to its most plodding sections. It is a mostly serious story of imperfect people making imperfect decisions based on imperfect information. It has a few standout sections, but also has a few weak sections. The music in particular is outstanding. Reading it is an experience that feels unique, but I struggle to say it was very enjoyable or provided a lessen or food for thought. This will be completely spoiler free, so there will be some parts of the story or bits I outright don't mention, and that is on purpose, otherwise the few spoilers will be marked.

The writing is solid throughout, and I'd like to call particular attention to the slow slice of life moments, since they did not feel like they were there just to be filler, but rather to give background and - at times - levity to what is largely written as a serious story. These moments ground the reader in a sense that these are real people living real lives rather than simple characters in a story. I especially appreciate that these people are not perfect, they make dumb mistakes. The younger characters in particular make decisions you often would see or may have made yourself when you were younger. Chapters 1 and 2 in particular (Miyako's and Kei's stories) are ones I particularly enjoyed. There are some stereotypes in these two chapters, particularly surrounding Kei being childishly violent with that being played for laughs, that will not click with everyone though.

Chapters 3, 4, and final chapter felt like a tonal shift, so it was clear there was a different writer handling most of it. I'm sure some people would prefer those chapters more, but I found them to be somewhat melodramatic at times and at odds with how grounded the first two chapters were. These were no longer normal, imperfect people dealing with relatable situations, but stereotypical dramatic story beats that were foreshadowed a ridiculous amount of time in advance, to the detriment of the story itself. One part I find incredibly odd is

The music in ef is absolutely amazing. Every BGM track adds to the scenes, and I can't overstate how important good BGM is to a visual novel. I had no issues running the game in a modern Windows 11 system. It has high production values, including a lot of backgrounds, sprite variations, lip sync, and sprites that are actually placed in the backgrounds at various depths so you can "see them moving" in the environment. There's even walking scenes where they move around as if they're actually walking next to the person. In particular I was incredibly impressed by the camera scenes where you can see the camera counter counting up in real time as you read.

Overall, ef is an objectively good visual novel. But it isn't perfect, and it may not be enjoyable for everyone. If you're in the mood for a serious dramatic story, I'd say give it a try. At least read the first tale and know that the latter tale gets more serious and dramatic than that.