Zumi

And while that's not necessarily bad, it still leads to quite a lot of salt or comparing things to other things that may differ in quite a lot of ways from the other.

Yeah, story is 90% taste. Given the variable quality of the mainline game's story (see XY vs SM) I don't really mind story-light games, and after reborn edge doesn't bother me, but rejuvenation feels...extra.

however, another person might like Rejuvenation's lighter/more anime take over desolation's incredible edge value.

I can also see how external factors can make fangames difficult to compare. I mean, Reborn has a Design Team. Desolation is Caz and maybe some volunteers.

I feel like, in fangame terms, outside of standouts like that one fangame with a stupid stupid level curve (I forget what it was called), fangames should be compared in terms of stats. That is to say, "this fangame is harder and edgier, this other one is lighter and easier, pick which one you like". Kinda like pokemon themselves, if you know what I mean.

Just some words of wisdom from spending a few years in the critiquing world of writing. You never ever compare someone's work to another person's as it is the biggest sin you could do. It is a former of saying someone is better than you. When I mention a work, often times it was for them to read and generate ideas from.

From game play standpoints, Reborn style of battles have become increasingly popular so I can understand comparisons to those, but there is so much you can do to break from the mold and stand out. Only reason I would ever use Reborn as a reference to another Fangame would be to show how it has broken the mold to setting it's own style of gameplay before giving a couple pieces of advice or suggestions they could do based on their own style. That is it though.