Have to get this out of the way. Liam by far is the best guy character I’ve ever had the pleasure of getting to know in any VN or Adult game. I went into this, thinking he was just going to be a randomly inserted friend character/side character that just is there. But boy was I wrong.
Anyways going on to the review, I’ll try to avoid spoilers, but SPOILER WARNING, just in case. And a summarized TLDR will be at the bottom.
Renders/Models: 4.5/5
The designs are great. They look like they can be actual real people. I can definitely see them in a live action setting tbh. No homo, but I like that our MCs dick isnt cartoonishly big like in most of these games lol.
Animation: 3.5/5
Animation for sex scenes is simple. Nothing innovative, but it works. Sex scenes are good. Nothing really to complain about, but nothing super crazy.
Script/Dialogue: 5/5
Love the writing in this. Its written like its an actual drama. The dialogue is natural and it never felt awkward when characters spoke to each other. The dialogue always fit the characters it pertained to. Its consistent, coherent and very competent.
Characters: 5/5
The characters are great. Not only do they look human, they feel and act it too. In a good portion of VNs, many struggle to maintain a normal conversation between characters. This game is one of the few that doesnt have porn or anime dialogue in it. Meaning you can visualize these characters actually existing. They have flaws, not character flaws, real HUMAN flaws that can pertain to any of us behind our screens. They have insecurities, worries, as well as hopes and aspirations. Their personalities also fit with their designs if that makes sense.
This MC actually has a personality and actually develops (well depending on your choices), he isnt a blank slate, he has a past and has flaws. It felt like I actually knew and befriended these characters.
Plot/Gameplay: 5/5
The plot is great. You think you’d start by meeting a girl and just randomly hitting it off with her, but no its hits you with a very traumatic event that bonds the two of you together. And from there we go into a story about abuse, betrayal, love and moving forward.
The choices you make affect the plot. How you think/play will affect your relationships for better or for worse. For example if you think you can just bang some hooker and choose not to pay her, her pimp will gun down your dog in a few chapters or some shit lol. Very weird example but I’m just letting you know there can be serious consequences if you go into this with a “bang everything in sight” mentality.
TLDR/Overall: 4.6/5
Great game. The characters are likeable and their actions make sense or you can atleast see their way of thinking. The designs are good, the sex scenes are alright. The dialogue feels like actual people talking, not a porn video. The plot is great, it will catch you off guard. You have to really think about the choices you make.
Will definitely come back to shoot for the other endings. But rn still processing the emotional rollercoaster that was Acting Lessons. Props to you DrPinkCake, now i just gotta catch up with Being A Dik