VN - Ren'Py - Completed - Acting Lessons [v1.0.2] [DrPinkCake]

Probably the most impactful and emotional vn out there. Fantastic characters with actual personalities, terrific plot, good character development. Realistic and well-written dialogue. Not much else to say, there's some minor critiques to be made but not enough for me to take away the five star rating. Oh, and Melissa is hot as fuck.

My review after finished my first playthrough:

I will try my best to minimize the spoilers as possible

Story

At first, I wasn't really interested with the story and some conversations in early chapter were a bit too long and boring but it got more interested as more characters are introduced. I also realized the pacing was also improved as I progressed into the next chapter. Overtime I eventually got invested in the story the longer I played. Branches/paths decisions in the game are kinda not consequential enough, at least on relationship wise, but there will be a tough choice to choose that will affect the ending of the game.

The story itself was excellent, very well-written. The are moments that made me emotional and unexpected twist that nearly brought me to tears. I would never expect that this game actually would taught me a real life lesson in the end.

Characters

The MC's characteristics can be really varied based on the choices you made for him. He can be faithful, an asshole, loyal, lust, all up to you. The MC's best friend Liam, is a very likeable dude as he likes to fool around and try to brightens everyone's mood and always looking out for the MC. He's the homie we all wish we had in real life. As for the women, I'm going to make it brief, mentioning all of them would take it forever. I really like the 2 main girls in the game, their story development throughout the story really well-made. Although can't say the same for some of the few side chicks. Only some that's actually acceptable.

Based on their looks and appearance, it's all right, though I do wish they added more mature women as most of the girls are all look like a freshwomen age.

The graphics and design looks a bit outdated, sex scenes weren't the best either but understandable as this game was completed several years ago. Can't really compare to today's AVN's visual.

Verdict

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this game, it was a roller-coaster of emotions playing it. This might not be the porn-oriented game you looking for, but if you like story-driven, this is it.

Final rating - 9/10

It's pretty good I think, Sometimes I want to play a game but I can't find that but this time I got the night choice, You can see everything here and you can know everything here, but you will choice. Everything here is tomorrow now and today but everything will be come in this game

1. Good Story (way more emotional than dev's other game)
2. Has replay value
3. Good character design and decent renders
4. Not as much lewd as dev's other game but it works good with the story

Overall enjoyed the game very much, not super lewd, so anyone hoping for some hardcore action, this is not for them.

It's like you were invited to a party and told that there would be a sea of beer and a crowd of beautiful girls... you came, but the beer was non-alcoholic, and all the girls came with their boyfriends... You weren't deceived, but this is not what you wanted...
The same thing here, you see the tag anal and pretty girls and you think that these girls will fuck in the ass, but no... I think I only saw one anal... They don't let me fuck bitches hard in the ass here, they tell me awesome stories...

I played this just for obvious reasons. However, What I did not expect was a heartfelt story, a group of relatable characters, and some beautiful endings. I played this years ago, and just remembered it and decided to review my first F95 game.

This game is my first game in AVNs, and I am glad that I was lucky to begin with this. Just a gem that needs no introduction, only praises.

I hope everyone, whether they are into adult games or not, gets the chance to play this, as a gamer, as a novelist. The best VN I ever played

From the bottom of my heart, I can only say one thing to the creators of this game: FUCK YOU. Damn. GOD DAMN.

I come here normally for fun games and some nice digital sex but if you let it, this story hist you like a motherfucking high-speed train. This is legit a very gripping narrative.

I do have one warning: DON'T play past act 5 if you're currently down or feeling sad. Just trust me on this one.

I would say great game for its age, yet i haven't felt any urge to replay it for some other ending nor felt much amusement from some of the decisions throughout the game.
Still have to recommend to play at least once, since who the hell am I to make decisions for you

I played Acting Lessons for the first time just recently, after finishing all the current episodes of the new DrPinkCake game.

Of course the game shows its age, but for its time I'd say the renders and animations were very good.
The story unfolds interestingly, the dialogues are hilarious. It's worse since the turning point in episode 6, where the escalation and resolution of the plot didn't appeal as much.

I didn't enjoy the fact that no matter how hard I tried and how decisions were made, the MC always chased and fell in love with Megan.

Anyway the game is still very good choice for everyone who loves romance and story.

Mellisa is the top!

I got the bad ending and I'm not interested enough for a second playthrough . I can't believe I got stuck with fucking Megan because I didn't think it was a good idea to kiss a highly emotional victim of domestic abuse. Melissa did nothing wrong and got murdered by a pink cake shaped dildo.
Twist had my eyes rolling, but then it got funny. I banged the cheerleader and read the room afterwards, so I got a hilarious scene where the stalker girl exposes all my terrible sexual excursions - I had a one-night stand before getting with Megan, then crickets.
Liam was a great bro most of the time, then an incredible douche in a few spots. I'd punch him after he got cancer free, but I'd cry with him for his chemo friend.
This is certainly something, but it aims way higher than it delivers. I mostly did not have a great time with it.

My first time rating any game on this site and boy oh boy was this one worth it. This game dare I say deserves to be made into a movie.

Megan and Melissa...how can you even choose. 2 of the best of best girls in all of AVNs.

And then there is Liam. Honestly, I was afraid of trying this game when I saw a huge black man on the overview picture list because usually in an adult game if you see a huge black man, you know how it goes. And yet here I am almost shedding tears for how much of a bro he is. We all need a Liam in our lives.

Honestly if you're just looking to fap like a horn dog, maybe this might not be the best, but if you want to experience something beautiful, tragic, wholesome, funny, and with some sexiness here and there, this game is it. 10/10.
P. S. I went for Melissa and got the good ending...and because of that, the line "My life changed when I met a girl named Megan" hit me harder. And yes, I'm a man, and I cried...to a freaking AVN.

I loved it

I had been putting off playing it for so long but right now after getting one of the endings i feel genuenly happy, it sounds stupid but i really enjoyed this game even when it touched some heavy themes (maybe especially then), it's really a worthwhile play.

Also there's porn in it or something wich is also nice

This is going to be a short review. I usually look for story rich games that has sandbox, point &click, multiple ending elements and to think i have not played this game for so long made me feel like an idiot.

The story just took me for a ride, punched in the gut ,kicked in the balls, Strangled my throat. Still it makes me wanna replay it to see what else is in the pot that is brewing. rendering and animation is high quality and the UI is smooth enough. Characters are especially well written.

I did see a few plot holes in the ending that questioned the connection to the other title.

Nevertheless

Truly a well made game. expected nothing less from the creator of being a DIK.

Played it a long time ago, probably the first Ren'Py game I truly loved. Replayed it to write a review.

I will keep it short since everyone and their mothers have reviewed this game already, and try to be specific about what spoke to me about the game.

Numerous people have tried to make a game in a realistic setting, with realistic characters. How many times do games try to convey real-life anxiety towards the future or the happiness of small successes in life, and just comes off as corny, ingenuine or unrealistic? Worries and aspirations, happiness or sadness, maybe it doesn't hit the perfect note every single time, but acting lessons makes most of it feel very genuine and realistic. It has truly tug on my heartstrings and it made me want to root for the characters.

Whether if you are looking to experience some honest and natural emotions, within an engaging story surrounded by realistic characters; or you are just tired of games with over the top, smack in the face themes and stories. Play this game already, it is a classic for a reason.

Acting Lessons Review

Not Actual Lessons
Dr. PinkCake’s games have a reputation for possessing an amazing storyline & actually good visuals. He has released two games up till now. I have reviewed both the games.
Now, let’s jump into the review!

Storyline
VNs put a lot of emphasis on the game’s plot. As I stated in my previous VN reviews, minimal gameplay mechanics exist. Dr. PinkCake makes amazing storylines for his games. If I am right, this was his first game on Steam through which he gained a lot of popularity. You get to name the main character (His default name is Jonas Redfield). This allows you to be the main character of the game!

The game’s plot goes something like this:
Could a regular guy who moves to a new town discover a lot of new excitement in his life? To move on from his problematic past and if he’s lucky enough, maybe even find the love of his life? The main character, through whose eyes we see the story, is about to meet a slew of new people and experience a slew of new events. Some were good, even amazing, while others may have left him with mental scars for the rest of his life.

The storyline spans for about 6 to 6.5 hours. If I am right, there are 10 endings. This means that your choices have a huge impact throughout the gameplay. It also adds a lot of replayability to the game since you can try the other choices to get the other endings!

Why is the story worth the trouble? It’s not an all-out sexual experience. There are a lot of emotions & drama involved. Variety exists in the game’s mood. People would come to this game for the NSFW Sexual content but I am sure they will stay for the story. Be careful, you might get emotionally attached to a character! Oh, this is a must-play if you are ever planning to play Being a DIK!

Gameplay Mechanics
There isn't much gameplay content in this apart from the player getting to choose dialogue options & other choice-making moments. Basically, the usual VN elements. Nothing unique in this segment unlike Being a DIK which has a lot of mini-games! Probably the shortest gameplay segment in all of my reviews lol.

Visuals & Audio
Apart from the storyline, the visuals & audios play a vital role in VN games. Yes, Acting Lessons has amazing visuals. The character models are properly detailed & the animations are flawless. I’ve not experienced any of the characters clipping through other characters or objects. Many other VNs have this issue which kills the game’s mood.

The soundtracks they use are vibe-worthy. I wish they added voiceovers for the game’s dialogues. It would’ve added a lot of life to the game. All-in-all, the game has amazing visual & audio design.

• A storyline filled with a lot of emotions apart from sexual content. A single playthrough takes around 6-6.5 hours.
• It has a high replayability rate since the game has 10 endings.
• The character models & animations are amazing.
• The soundtrack selection adds a lot of life to the game.

• Yep, you guessed it! This game is flawless in my books. I faced no issues throughout my gameplay. Your gameplay experience may vary.

Conclusion
The reviews on the game’s page don’t lie. This game doesn’t have overwhelmingly positive reviews for no reason. I highly recommend playing this game & then playing Being a DIK! It is surely worth the full price but you can buy it during a sale to save some money.

Rating: 5/5
(I would rate it 6/5)

honestly fantastic and one of the classic VN's, sometimes a little frustrating because it feels like you are forced down paths even when you are actively trying to go down them just due to plot line progression. decent game regardless

Good pacing and character building ruined by abrupt ending in trolley problem.

It's probably a bit unfair to rate the game based on the standards of six years after release, so I don't factor in the quality of graphics and animations.

Positives include the portrayal of the sidekick Liam and the fluent pacing of the storyline. I also liked that "rejecting" certain LIs did not make them magically lose their affection for the MC and eliminate them from the story.

On the negative side, this story ends very abruptly in a trolley problem that's supposed to be dramatic and meaningful, but it's just lazy storytelling. For this reason alone I'd advice to stay away from playing this game, even if some consider it a classic. (And, yes, the animations are hard to watch by 2024 standards.)

Simply the best adult game I've ever played. The character designs are perfectly balanced, present to satisfy all tastes, and in their diversity and realism make the experience all the more majestic. PLEASE take notes developers. This is how you make characters. Just look at the differences between all of them.

The story is particularly gripping, interesting and full of humanity. The pace of the dialogue is well balanced, so you'll never get bored of the game. Truly, this game has reached a level of quality that should inspire all developers. There are interesting stakes, situations that sometimes remind us of our own lives and make us feel a bit like we're in a TV series. I really loved this game. Thank you for everything.

A masterful work that transcends the universe of video games.

Video games aren't your thing, but do you like movies? It is an excellent movie or series that could well be broadcast on any streaming network.
It's true, unlike a movie, you have many decisions to make, which they say determine the endings.

By chance I found a gem for a few that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy.
A masterpiece in which sex ends up being anecdotal. And look, I like sex!

Chapeau!!!