I would prefer side portraits, sometimes I wanna know MC's expressions when saying those lines (moreover heroines are so pretty I want to see!!!) And most games have option to turn off so why won't add it.
That's mostly the case. Because of times I didn't follow the recommended order (eg Over Requiemz), I regretted playing it differently. But this time I'll blame my friend who said the order didn't matter 。:゚(;´∩`;)゚:。
Initially, it was because I liked voice acting, but back then I preferred anime and manga. Later, visual novels naturally took their place. The design and voice were also key factors that kept me here.
It depends on how I'm feeling that day. If I'm in mood, I'll play blind, if not follow a walkthrough to get full ending quickly. As for games known to be tough from the start, following walkthrough is always the right call.