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

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)

Links
Steam Store Page
Website Review

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!!!

This is a true classic! Good story, good pacing, good graphics, excellent humor, well written, with some emotional roller coasters, and choices that have consequences - simply a must-play. What a pity that it takes so long to develop a good game.

thanks for creating this game

pozitiv:
-very good humor
-user friendly
-good grapic
-very good and interesting story
-eazy to understand the dialogs
-good choices
-cake rating
-great and emontional ending

negativ:
-hard to feel yourself as mc
-can be depressing

I've never contemplated my choices in these types of games before, always went in with the mindset to just see as many scenes with as many girls as I could, but this totally turned that over its head by making me face actually appropriate consequences for my actions all while throwing some crazy dark curveballs around the end.
Super impressive how impactful this was despite being such a short experience. I genuinely don't feel ready to replay this to see any other endings.

Acting Lessons [v1.0.2]

Pros:
+ Completed game

Cons:
- Choices don't truly matter
- Fairly linear story


I came in with high expectations, which was a mistake on my part. The plot twist wasn't that shocking and a certain unavoidable event felt more annoying than tragic or sad, mainly because of my inability to care about or connect to most of the characters.

The game isn't for everyone and feels a little outdated at this point. There are plenty of people out there that enjoyed it though, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Overall Rating: 5/10

Just a short review.

Well, I've played this game more than a year ago and I almost forgot to write a review about it. Truth to be told, I haven't been able to finish it yet because the bad things people said about the story. Here's the reason...

If you like watching Fargo (both movie and TV series), I think you'd love this game. Definitely inspired heavily from that show. I really love Fargo, but to be honest I don't think I'm gonna enjoy something similar in the shape of an AVN, especially with multiple choices that could've prevented the whole story to happen.

Personally, I would give this game 3 out of 5, but overall I give it 4 stars.

Really good game with beautiful renderings and a fun and touching storyline! I thoroughly enjoyed the journey, but the finale was absolutely gut-wrenching! Really enjoyed the way this game tugs at your heartstrings and while it makes me want to tug something else!

After i finish this game, i write this review based on thinking that i play this game for the story. Character, Developments, sex scene and Point/RP system is GREAT.

I like the story at the start, but it fell off because of the abruption of conflict and it always give or take choice which make me question alot. Then it becomes spiral of conflict but the ending cant really do any of the character justice other than bros Liam.

Feels like more of a closure for the ending instead of fulfilment for the whole game with great characters. Kinda sad about it.

Everyone who loves DPC's newest game loves this game as well, even if it is more serious in tone when BAD is supposed to be more light-hearted in comparison.

A detriment to this game is the quality of the lewd scenes and renders, but the story more than makes up for it especially when you consider this game was released a while ago and while the dev was still inexperienced.

Only play this if you are ready to deal with such topics and expect more than just a porn game.

Pretty good game with good cg and a decent story. However its extremely linear for some of the major plotlines and I feel cheated for trying multiple times to get a different end result. The choices lead to more sex scene but the story is largely unaffected. Makes the choices feel a bit meaningless in the grander plot.