Ren'Py - Completed - After the Inferno [v1.0] [Classy Lemon]

Gonna be honest here, I had seen this game around before, but I didn't give it a try cause one of the character's looks (Cressa's) didn't seem appealing to me.
Because I really enjoyed the creator's newest project, "Projekt: Passion", I decided to finally give it a shot. I feel so bad for initially judging a book by its cover:
The characters are likeable, the story is solid, the music, especially during deep intimate moments, is so good! I also appreciate the time the creator puts in making those animated and voiced custcenes.
I really suggest anyone to try this game.

Reviewing v. 1.0 (completed)

If you're reading this review before playing the game:

Excellent game, with a fantastic story, great world-building and interesting lore, and great renders. It has well written, engaging characters with interesting backstories and mostly satisfying character arcs. Animations and cutscenes are extremely well done and one can see that a whole lot of effort and care has been put into the game. I could point a few flaws, but most of them are just nitpicking from my side, or a consequence of the fact that the game tells a tale of such epic proportions that it could use a AAA budget to be told and one would still want more.

There are now SPOILERS AHEAD.

Much as I loved plaing this game, the unexplored potential of Caelis' storyline left me a bit frustrated.

At the center of a battleground, the body of a woman, wearing exquisite armor, leans toward a large rock, her sword still on her hands, as if she's just resting there, soon to rise again. It is surrounded by several bodies, her dead enemies - both mercenary and imperial troops. What a battle if must have been!

This is Caelis, former High Commander of the Iseniam imperial army. And what a formidable woman she was! As the story progresses, we learn that she was not only an accomplished officer and fierce fighter, but also a kind, passionate, and noble person. That she decided to reject the tiranny of the empire she once defended, because she was against a war of aggression motivated by greed and fueled by corruption. And that she, because of her defiance, was forced to flee her home and hunted down.

After we learn this, Caelis goes on to provide us with the means to ultimately defeat the imperial army and reach a satisfying conclusion to our main story. Exactly how she does this is in itself a testament to the exceptional leader and impressive character she ultimately is.

Caelis is generous and kind, determined, resourceful and skilled, a brilliant, brave, amazing woman who is one of the best characters I have ever seen in a game. She plays a pivotal role in our story, she is literally one of the main reasons victory can be achieved at the end of the day, singlehandedly marshalling an alliance that is, in some ways, more impressive that any of the other events depicted in the main story. And, on top of that, she gives one of the most moving, arousing speeches I've ever read in a game.

Unfortunately, the way I see it, Caelis was not given the development she deserves as a character. I get it that there are a million reasons why this was not possible. I loved playing this game, and maybe I've fallen a bit too much in love with one of its characters.

Reviewing version 1.0, the completed game.

This is one hell of a game that suffers from probably the best problem to have... I wanted more. So much more.

Story
The story in After the Inferno is really quite good. It's coherent, it makes sense and it flows fairly well. However, it does feel like a show that planned to have five seasons and then found out they were only getting three. There are definitely some plot points that felt like they didn't get enough attention and development. But overall it was fairly satisfying.

The Models
I'll admit, the women in the game having larger anime-like eyes but the men having more normal eyes bothered me the tiniest bit throughout the entire game. It gave me a very minor uncanny valley sort of feel, but this is really a very minor nitpick. Overall, the models are all great.

The Sexy Time
This site features games running the entire gamut from zero sex and all story to all sex and zero story. This game hits a point somewhere in the middle, probably closer to the former than the latter. Each sex interest (excluding the 2 that show up right at the end, and don't have their own story sections) seems to have 2 or 3 scenes in their specific storyline and then an additional one at the game's conclusion. These scenes are absolutely top-notch. Masterfully animated and rendered.

They're so good that this is the main thing that left me wanting more. And I'm not just saying that because I really wanted to bone down with Soniya the second she showed up and never got to.

I imagine that doing these scenes took a pretty ridiculous amount of time and effort, and it shows. But I really would have enjoyed a little more complexity to them. There are a rare few that are more than one animation with an added spooge clip and those rare scenes are fucking fantastic.


It also would have been nice to have some random encounters to give a little break in the longer stretches of the story-heavy sections.

Conclusion
These "issues" are really just minor nitpicks in what is an incredibly solid and satisfying game that definitely rates high among my favorites on this entire site.

[Reviewed v1.0; Last version]

You don’t often play a game as high quality as After the Inferno (ATI). If the premise catches your fancy (and even if it doesn’t), I can assure you that the actual game has excellent visuals, writing, and presentation. Unfortunately, the game sets and achieves such ambitious standards that the game’s few rough patches stand out.

Positives

Story: You play the leader of a mercenary company contracted by a country on the losing side of a war. As the story begins, you and your company participate in a significant battle that ends surprisingly. However, that’s just the beginning of your efforts.

The story of ATI is surprisingly engaging, with some twists and turns that keep you on your toes and a satisfying ending. In addition, the fantasy elements are implemented well and enhance rather than detract from the game’s events.

Writing: The dialogue and prose are sometimes humorous, dramatic, and warm. Although, some of these are handled better than others: I would class the worst writing in ATI as above average, while others, such as the memory flashbacks are masterful in their subtle but effective storytelling.

Characters: The girls you romance are well made. They’re visually appealing and possess solid writing that gives them distinct and endearing personalities. Unfortunately, this quality becomes more threadbare when you go outside the objects of your affections. The writing and designs never become annoying or unsightly, but they sometimes become tedious.

Visuals: Beautiful renders and cinematography with fluid animations. Overall, a great-looking game.

Neutral

Gameplay: You have an open world that opens up as you progress. You read and sometimes make choices. If you’ve played any other Ren’Py game on this site, you’re already familiar with how this game works.

Setting: The story tries its best, but unfortunately, the setting is mostly a backdrop with only a few locations, such as the mine for magical cocaine standing out as particularly interesting.

Sex scenes: Mostly consist of short looping animations. Neither bad nor great.

Negatives

Hanging/superfluous plot threads: Some elements of the story are not as fleshed out as they deserve to be, such as the protagonist being a mage. Other elements are superfluous and just set the player up for disappointment because they never seem to play as significant a role as they should. For example, three organizations are antagonists for the player character, but the game only has enough good ideas for half of one. This lack is a shame because the Isenian Empire seemed compelling at first.

Sex scene placement: I mentioned before that the best parts of ATI make the substandard parts stand out. Nowhere is this more apparent than how the sex scenes are presented in the story's context.

I’ll say it plainly: some framing of the sexual encounters in the game seems more at home in a porn parody than in a game of this caliber. Even more maddening is that this doesn’t always happen. Some sex scenes are intertwined with fascinating character interactions and follow a clear through-line, while others feel like the main character and his partner were secretly roofied.

This is especially noticeable near the ending when you meet two new romantic options. Both romantic options have out-of-place sex scenes, but strangely they also have later sex scenes that are set up so much better. Taken with the short length of the sex scenes, you can’t shake the feeling that the main character and living ona-hole have warped into an alternate universe where their present circumstances, which are sometimes very dangerous, no longer apply.

Conclusion

A great game just shy of perfection. The creator is talented, and I look forward to seeing what his following projects have in store.

I absolutely loved this game! The story and word-building really sucked me in. The characters were easy to get invested in and it was really enjoyable getting to know them better as the game progressed.

This game should really get more attention and praise. The voice acting and animations alone put it a league above the majority of other games on here. Can't wait to what Classy Lemon is working on next!

Animations are incredible and really smooth, combined with the voiced lines it gives nice immersion. the story and characters are good too. I loved playing this game. I hope the developer will make a sequel or even other games I will try them.

After the Inferno is a VN about a mercenary commander, his company, and the one job he never should have taken, but just couldn't ignore.

The story isn't the best thing I've ever read, but it's far better than the vast majority of what you can expect from typical sex games. In honesty, most of my complaints feels nit picky - plot holes, strange decision making, and the overall feeling that this game is really more like one story with six loosely related side stories.

There's nothing particularly revolutionary from a gameplay perspective. While it's very much a choices matter style VN, you'd have to be dumber than a bag of hammers to ever make a wrong decision. As a result, the choices feel rather deterministic, which would probably bother me more if the overall story was worse. Still, it could be argued that After the Inferno is just barely a game at all.

The sex scenes are quite good. The character models are great, the animations are stellar, and the voice acting is good. I could recommend the game just to watch the animations honestly. I do wish the scenes themselves were a bit more developed though. They could use a little more foreplay, some more interesting circumstances, or a little more of any one girl.

Overall, After the Inferno is a good game that's definitely worth playing. While I have a handful of gripes, there's nothing substantive enough to pass this one over.

Fun little game that is definitely worth playing:

Story: Interesting story that doesn't overstay its welcome. Not the best , but definitely good, and different from most games on this site.
Characters: Somewhat hit and miss. Cressa and Aymee are done well, while some of the others aren't given as much time or story.
Graphics: It feels like the game could have used a more powerful rendering system for some of the graphics. But mainly the graphics are good.
Animations: Really good animations, both sex and non-sex related. The cutscenes especially help build the atmosphere, making this feel like a much higher budget game than it is.
Fappability: Not too many sex scenes, but the ones there are done well.
Overall Enjoyment: I had a fun time playing the game.

V1.0
I would consider this game more as a movie or a short series than rather a game. I really liked how the story was carried on and the cutscenes with voice really was good. The scenes with the girls were all pretty good and the main characters were also well developed. The animations were done well. My only regret is that it got over pretty soon I think around 9-10hrs was the total length. But since it didn't have any grinding and such I wasn't bored throughout the game. I really liked the MC, he wasn't an all mighty god, he wasn't the strongest in the game. But he held himself up pretty well. I really liked the game and would surely recommend to all who does like a story in the games. they play. Good luck with your Future projects DEV. All the best.

That's remarkable and memorable game. Despite the fact i'm more of an fan of hentai games, i've never been so absorbed in the story and gameplay of any other game like on this one.
The story is not confused, easy to understand and get in, and during the whole gameplay there was the thrill and anticipation of what's about to come next. All different emotions it bringed me, from laugh to sadness, i really was about to cry on one moment.
How i expected the voicing is not fully, but you gonna hear a bit of speaking on some cutscenes from time to time, still it's nice and rare effort among the 3d games.

During my gameplay i've tried to be honest and kind with the others on my choices, and to rely on any kind of help i can get. So that led me to the "good ending" , which i liked. With it i've unlocked( except 1), all of the sex scenes, which are two or three from any heroine, showed on the preview pics.

The story was focused on this war between the two empires, at which you took the side of the invaded one, but still i wish there were some more monsters and side quests you could encounter. The overall look of the game really looked to me like something came out from the "Witcher" franchise.
It took around 15-20 good spended hours to complete it, i had fun

Just finished the game and found it to be very enjoyable! It was certainly a hidden gem, I didn't expect such smooth animation or a genuinely interesting plot! Wish there was more Kyra content I will admit, she was delightful and my favorite LI. Similar complaints to others about the somewhat awkward execution of sandbox in the game, but nothing other than that (albeit I wish the game had lasted longer). A really fantastic first game for the Dev, and the voice acting was a pleasant surprise (more of that please!)

This is a review for version 1.0 (Completed). Overall a good game. I honestly enjoyed the story more than any of the sex scenes, both because the story was good but also in part because the sex scenes weren't all that interesting. Would definitely play a sequel if there was one.
Besides the 'okayness' of the sex scenes, my one other complaint is how shoehorned in many of them felt. I think there could've been better build up overall, some tension building.
I loved the climax of the story, there was a very Lord of the Rings moment that you'll know it when you see it.

Gameplay: Sandbox point and clicker, choosing between locations and choices.

Writing: Absolutely excellent, the characters show emotions well. There are multiple endings as well.

Art: Good models, and animated scenes. Big fan of the special effects, and scenery.

Audio: Music and occasional voicing.

Wow wow wow wow, wow.
This game is excellent, of course its not perfect but i enjoyed every second of it and thought about it even when not playing.
The pros:
- Sex scenes are videos, and not just a few pictures.
- Interesting plot. seriously, the level is of an expert.
- Graphics and especially the girls and even the MC are amazing, i loved every bit of it. The small details to make everything look as real as possible are so so so good. Sometimes i would stop playing (and fapping) and just watch, admiring.
- The "futa" part is avoidable and not main, not sure i saw it written, so if you dont like dont worry. If you do like then it is in a good taste in my opinion.
- Diversity on the girls- their looks and personalities and more.
- Cutscenes and voice acting, and the music and effects were divine.

Surely there are more good things to say about the game, but i will stop here.

For some, these are cons -
- Most of the time, the game is not going too into details about the sexy stuff that is going on, so if you come mainly for an erotic novel it may lack a bit.

Yup i am not sure i have more at the moment, and even that con isnt really a con for me, personally.

I honestly came for the sexy but stayed for the plot! Enjoyed every second and i hope that this game was successful for the developer and that he will make another game!

5/5

when i started the game my first fought was damn not much game play here and i was right.
but damn got to say that a lot of work have been put in to the stories.
cut scenes was really well made caught me by surprise
nice voice acting and choice of music
liked the model designs a bit for every type out there

all in all enjoyed it from start to finish rare i can say that

One of my TOP favorite games, the animation, art style, graphics, sound effects are all on point. It's an excellent and well written story with both an interesting MC and side characters I highly recommend for an interesting time and fun game

This game is amazing. The story is well written with both an interesting MC and love interests. The game does not fall into the trap of making the love interests static points with the only real difference between the start and the end of the game being that they went from not having sex with MC to having sex with MC or being completely sex crazed. Rather most characters change alongside the story making them much more interesting.

Another positive point point is animation the sex scenes feel good, although I would have liked to see more interactivity if that was possible, and the cut scenes with voice acting are probably some of the high points in the game.

I did encounter 1 bug, in the later stages of the game I had the problem that the tavern music/background sounds started playing over every scene, although I think that this bug is save file related.

The last positive point is that, well the game is finished. It felt short, but this is mostly because the writing was so good that you want more and it felt like the story was setting up for more (so maybe a sequel). At the very least I hope that the Classy Lemon will remain in this universe for their next game.

I really wasn't expecting such a masterpiece going into this. The art and animation is incredible & the story will get you quickly invested in the characters and their stories. It actually feels rewarding to get a sex scene.
Fantastic effort and a *very rare* example of a Dev that gets stuff done! A complete game, finished to a high quality without the geological timescale patreon-milking.

I stumbled on itby accident, but let me tell you, it was worth every minute I spent playing it.
- epic story in medieval fantasy setting
- plot was planned thoroughly, and even though sex encounters were often "sudden" (it's a porn game after all), they didn't interfere with the atmosphere and atmosphere of the story
- animations, music, voice acting - suprisingly good, they added a lot to immersion of the story
- "anime eyes" might be a bother in the begining, but you'll get used to them in no time
- satisfying ending, and now I'm off to check what other ending are there

Review for 1.0

Truly a gem on this site for me. Loved pretty much everything about the game as it hits a lot of things I like in AVNs

It's a fresh spin on the medieval fantasy genre that I think is very enjoyable. The overview gives a good description of the game. You play as a commander of a mercenary company, and it is very refreshing after playing as so many horny teenagers in other games on this site. The MC is competent, has good dialogue, and as you would expect from the leader of a mercenary company, he knows how to fight and isn't constantly getting his ass kicked. A big plus for me.

The story and writing overall is very solid. It's interesting, and because of the more unique take on fantasy, gives you that sort of mysterious fantasy vibe that I love. All the supporting characters and love interests are great as well.

I'm also happy to say the game did a great job with the ending. Everything came together in a satisfying way, while also leaving room for more in the future in a good way. There's a lot more of the story that could be told, but your aren't left with a terrible cliffhanger or anything.

Now while the renders perhaps aren't the best around, I think the rest of the game really does make up for it. The animations are actually a lot better than most Daz games on this site imo, and paired with the good sound design, make them really stand out. Environments and backgrounds are actually done pretty well. It's really only the character models that might throw people off I think.

I have a couple critiques, but mostly minor stuff. I think a lot of the non-sex scenes could have used a few extra renders. Just a couple different angles as characters talk and scenes progress. It's something that seems smaller but goes a long way imo. While I didn't really mind the women having larger eyes, it is a bit jarring when the men look normal. The last critique is that there were a lot of creampie scenes, but rarely ever showed the "aftermath" shot of them. This is more of a personal taste thing, but I felt a little blue balled every time it happened lol.

Still, all minor stuff for me, as the game overall is very solid. If you like AVNs that have a focus on story and good writing along with the lewd stuff, this is a great one.