I have had the game long enough now to give a fair first impression. The first thing that came to mind is Home! It may be modeled for another area, but I live in area that I have been told is unusal. Border of Oh, Ky and WV. that is a valley surrounded by hills. River, hills, forested area, flat areas, mist in the trees and on the ground (in the fall and spring), that is home. Only thing missing is the wide variety of trees for a wide range of colors in the fall.
That setting alone is making the game fun for me. I have been playing in one game as a human couple, another as a fairy and another as single female. So far it has been easy to get around, don't feel trapped in with the houses so close together. SV is nice in beach aspect, but not welcoming to me. AP, I am close to hating the town, not only is it awful looking for me, I don't find the people there likeable. There are other factors but the bottom line is, I really, really like the setting and people in MF.
As for the unusual characters, I am still getting familiar with them, but I think it will be fun to play them. My human female was told she was being stalked by a vampire. I wasn't sure what was going on there, sent her home as she needed to anyhow.
First impressions, love the area, the characters are going to be fun to be and interact with and I think it will become my favorite town.
Edited for errors, hoped I didn't miss any.