VN - Ren'Py - Completed - AlwaysFan [v1.0] [AtemX Games]

  1. 4.00 star(s)

    Kaintfm

    Not sure how to rate a game like this. The adult content is good enough and plentiful enough to *cough* get the job done as it were, but the story is preposterous and the dialogue is poorly written, where the author clearly takes the position of, “If it can be conveyed with one word, why not use a thousand?”, filling the game with endless and oft-repeated exposition.



    First off, this is a Honey Select game through and through, and a default one at that. You won’t find any unique animations or camera angles here. The lack of variety, and the fact that I’ve seen all of these animations before, takes away from the enjoyment, but this is made up for in sheer quantity. Despite fast forwarding through the entire story (which is terrible) I’m still not finished with my first “Love” run after several hours. This is a LONG game, with a new sex scene every 5 to 10 minutes of reading if not less. Apart from my other gripes, my main frustration is the group scenes where the girls rarely interact with each other, only with the MC. Again, this is likely due to the absence of unique staged scenes with all of them being stock Honey Select ones.



    It's also clear that the author was trying new things throughout, as the pace is occasionally brought to a halt for some seemingly random mini-game, like a block/parry/attack fight scene, or a thoroughly frustrating bit where you’re literally writing in terms to try to find evidence against the Big Bad.



    Finally there’s the writing. In a word, it’s bad. Tons and tons and tons of exposition. Paragraph after paragraph of characters explaining everything about themselves. Huge volume dumps of backstory all at once. It’s annoying the first time it happens as well as the 20th.



    Despite all my complaining, it wasn’t an unpleasant experience. The adult content worked well enough in quantity if not quality, and that is what we’re primarily here for, right? There’s also a great deal of sharing content if you decide to follow that path, and there aren’t a lot of games with this level of quantity of that kind of content. Just don’t expect to be adding this game to your top 20. Just something to wile away the time until one of your favorites gets an update!

    Edit: Perhaps I was too harsh at 3 stars. Took a look at the sharing path, and it's superior to the "loving" and "submission" paths by a longshot. Lots of elaborate group content. Well worth the price of admission.
  2. 5.00 star(s)

    SXentae

    Fantastic nts game with lovely characters and good ideas.

    Only downside is required choices to get to nts path, but the rest of the story makes up for it.
    Would definitely recomment trying it and pushing through the asshole start choices to get to the nts love route wich is great
  3. 5.00 star(s)

    SoggyLuffy

    A simple but a good game loved it, the story is simple and it works perfectly there are different routes the choices do matter.

    different fetishes to explore and the characters are lovable the graphics were not to my liking but this is the first honey select game that I loved, also first netorare game that is completed .
    Likes: AtemX
  4. 5.00 star(s)

    elfing0r

    Alwaysfans have great well deveopled characters that dont feel flat and one dimensional.

    Several routes that while they dont diverge much, allow for different fetishes and ties well together with a good written plot.

    Great visuals, simply a visual novel done right.
  5. 5.00 star(s)

    Mediterraneon

    A true masterpiece of its genre. Rally behind this quality developer for doing quality work, sticking to their plans and not bowing down to public pressure.
    This game in completed form deserves full 5 stars. Top notch art style and animations. Hoping to see much more from Emilie in the future in another game!
    Likes: pitao
  6. 1.00 star(s)

    The AG Initiative

    According to the intro of the game, it was the dev's first. It shows. The dialogue is inorganic. It reads as if someone learned how conversations work by watching movies or television and then tried to recreate those scenes without doing a rewatch. The message would be the same, but delivered in a way I've never heard an actual human being speak. If it was just that, I could forgive it. I'm actually not that far into the game. I figured it might get better as the game goes on and the writer gains more experience. But then the game presents you with either no choice or meaningless choices.

    The choices you are given in day 1 give the impression that you can go full romance or train this love-struck albino girl to be your pet, only for you to just fuck in the middle of the night the second night. Zero build-up, zero pay-off. I had only just started caring whether or not she was even a love interest and I'm already being given her full service. What follows is just a string of meaningless sex scenes that no work whatsoever had to be put in to get. If I wanted mindless porn, I'd watch it. I use VN's because I actually want to think and feel things when the sex happens. That just isn't what happens with this one. I get wanting to keep your audience entertained, not wanting your supporters to lose interest by blueballing them. That's what supporting characters are for. You can use those to provide low investment entertainment while still building up for a rewarding main love interest, instead of just, serving up the main girl before we can really build an appetite for her in the first place.

    The graphics are pretty standard for the engine in which the images for this game was created. I was drawn to this game because the main interest has a more unique look. Still just thoroughly disappointed in how she was handled. The full game is around 10 GB, so there's a lot of content, especially considering that games with this graphic-style use a bit less data per image than more photorealistic Daz3d styles, I just wish the content was more impactful. I'm struggling to continue and will likely drop this VN, which is why I'm leaving this early review.
  7. 5.00 star(s)

    burlax12

    This game is amazing! I only found out about it like a week ago and I couldn't stop playing it to completion within a week. It's definitely one of the best for harem even though I wish we could have more special one-on-one moments (like going on dates, etc) with the other girls other than Emilie, that's basically my only criticism in that regard. Toki for example is... very lacking in the romance department. Cassandra is another that seems more interested in hanging out with Emilie more than with the MC IMO. Also kinda wanted to see all the kids that MC had with his harem though, to see them all playing with each other or something like that. Like a big family photo with all of the girls and the kids :giggle:

    I understand that with so many LI's it would be a lot of work to implement date scenes/intimate moments with every single one of the main girls, but well, it is what it is. Still a great game, nonetheless, and honestly the love path with Emilie made me tear up a bit. I've become really fond of the girls that I simply refuse to unlock the sharing gallery, I can't see them be mistreated at all, my heart can't take it :cry:

    Thank you for your hard work on this game, dev. Another one that I will add in my most favorite list of games here. I'm looking forward to play your next game once it's available to be played (y)
  8. 5.00 star(s)

    LfkCn

    I finally finished the game... it was quite a long and fun journey. I initially downloaded the game for the sharing route, but the MC was treating Emilie so poorly that I had to switch to the romance route. After finishing the game, I unlocked the gallery and checked out the sharing scenes too, and they looked good as well. I think it's a game that deserves 5 stars.
  9. 5.00 star(s)

    tarheel3900

    Honestly the best VN I have ever played. Emilie is the sweetest character ever and all of the other girls are pretty great too. The multiple paths are great and can take you from one extreme to another. Thank you AtemX!
  10. 3.00 star(s)

    jgutizz

    So, i think "Average" fits perfect for this game. There's a lot of people who liked this game, its good rating is the proof so i still think you should try this game and see it for yourself if you like.

    With that said, i liked a lot the idea of having multiple routes, girls you can choose to be romantic with or just making them a whore. And my first thought was "Ok im gonna make a full romantic playthrough and then try a more evil one"... Spoiler: i didnt even finish my first playthrough.
    I think the story wasnt bad at all, but i guess too predictable, too obvious, all girls too easy. And i know that this is a visual novel, its not intended you to grind stats or something to get a girl, but most VNs i've played had better progression with chicks.


    TL;DR: Try it, it has a good rating. Me personally found it boring and predictable, i wasnt even able to finish 1 playthrough.
  11. 5.00 star(s)

    docsteel

    Finally got to play the completed game and it's easily in my top 10, if not top 5. I still could do with a walkthrough since I'm on my third playthrough and still can't manage to get all 13 women on board at the same time (supposedly it's possible?), but I don't mind trying again. The animations are great, the story is well done and there is a variety of fetishes represented (thought not all of mine, personally). I look forward to the devs new game--though I'm not sure anyone will ever measure up to Emilie. Best waifu.
  12. 4.00 star(s)

    Fantabulous

    I played this game following the love route because I simply can't be mean to characters who don't deserve it. I couldn't in Fallout 3 and later and I can't in an AVN either.

    Following this route, I found this game has one of the most romantic love stories ever featured in an Illusion style game. I generally dislike adult Japanese games because they all tend to look the same, the unrealistic looking characters put me off. This one is not entirely exempt of that issue but the storyline, the insane length of the gameplay and the smooth animations make up for its flaws, mostly.

    What I didn't like:

    * The sparse facial expressions, especially Emilie showing an almost permanent evil grin.

    * The ending with the MC marrying all the LIs (if you decide to take this route) is unrealistic, but then this is a problem inherent to "harem" games where your godly charm enables you to stock LIs like you're collecting stamps.

    * There's too much sex. I mean, sure, we're all here for the porn, but when the MC bangs 4+ girls in a single day things become a tad unrealistic, like killing 3 dragons before lunch in Skyrim with a 50+ level character. Something that should be extraordinary and thus a satisfying experience after a nice build up becomes a routine. Moderation, please.
  13. 5.00 star(s)

    HaremConnoisseur

    One of my favorite games, I only played the love and harem route, because I don't like sharing and the submissive route was too cruel for my taste.

    But I just have to say that if you like harem and romance play this game... and Emilie is the best girl.
  14. 5.00 star(s)

    Avenjq

    Story - 9.5/10
    It starts with the MC alone in his flat inviting his recently homeless ex-classmate to live with him and starting AlwaysFan(TM) to pay the rent. Over the course of a few weeks you end up uncovering a kidnapping and sexual expliotation organization hiding behind the corp running AlwaysFan. Joining forces with a young detective whose sister is one of the victims.
    The main girl of the game is too loving. Even if you treat her like shit she will still love you(Don't go too far or you will get a game over). Telling her no to see the sex-mate scenes was the hardest decision in the game.
    Visuals - 7/10
    Its made with Honey Select so the dev can only do what the engine allows but he does a very good job within the limitations. All the girls are unique (except the twins) and very sexy. The chubby ones could use a bit more of the "chub" but thats about all I can complain about in regards to the girls.
    Audio - 6/10
    Its there. Sex sounds are ok. The song selection fits the scenes.
    Choice - 9.5/10
    2 paths. Love and Submisive for most of the girls with optional sharing on the Sub branch. The game gives you plenty of chances to make Emilie your GF on the sharing and sex-mate paths. One of the few games where I completed the love path first.
    Sex Scenes - 9/10
    Solid variety of scenes and positions within both main branches with lots of hot sex talk. Some girls could use a few more scenes but this game mainly focuses on Emilie and shes worth the attention so its not that big an issue for me.

    PS: If you got all of the final 3 scenes in the sharing galery without using the unlock cheat you are a monster.
  15. 5.00 star(s)

    Alex zone

    Wow, I'm really enjoying AlwaysFan! The story has me hooked, especially because the characters are so interesting. All the girls are definitely standouts, they are gorgeous.

    The visuals are also impressive. The character models are beautiful, and the environments are well-designed. The animation is smooth and adds to the overall experience.

    Overall, this is a fantastic game! It easily gets a 100 out of 10 from me haha. The characters are engaging, the story is interesting, and the visuals are top-notch. Definitely worth checking out!
  16. 5.00 star(s)

    lkin

    Only two games on this site grabbed my interest so hard that they became long time favorites, the ones being Once in a Life time and Trouble in Paradise, and this right now is definetly my third one now consolidating my top 3 and i still didnt even finished my first playthrough.
    Doing the romance/harem route and the Karaoke part was just beautiful, and the fact that you made the subs act like lyrics to sing along was amazing.
    For a first project you did an amazing job AtemX and you defineltly gained another follower.
  17. 1.00 star(s)

    くもり空

    AlwaysFan is a linear VN that follows the story of Emilie and MC after they have a chance encounter due to financial difficulties. After opening an AF account and doing photo shoots, they find new friends, girlfriends and enemies throughout their journey as they slowly uncover the shady business behind the industry.

    Story & Writing:
    The story is unique and concise, getting straight to the point without running in circles as many other VNs do. The dialogues are well-written despite some grammatical errors here and there, so the reading experience is smooth. The story manages to make you feel a wide range of emotions as you read, both good and bad, but mostly bad. From a purely creative standpoint, the game is well-written.

    That being said, the pacing is awful and some narrative decisions are even worse.
    First of all, I absolutely despise the premise of this game. You meet Emilie after years of not seeing each other, and you're presented with two options: Declare your undying love for this girl you barely know, or rape her. The next day you'll talk to her about money problems and immediately coerce this girl you barely know into selling photos of her body online. Depending on your choices, the next day you can start whoring her out to gangbang parties. Oh, and did I mention that you barely know this girl?

    No matter how you slice it, the opening is atrocious and does a great job at painting the MC as a selfish, low-testosterone menace who is very quick to exploit a girl he barely talked to in high school and just suddenly turned up at his door. I understand the reasoning of resorting to AF (because it's literally in the title), but you're given very little wiggle room to even decide how you want to play. The only "freedom" you have is if you want to post nudes or not, but that's exclusive to the Love route and you're still forced to do OF regardless.

    There are three routes: Love, Domination and NTR. The Dom and NTR routes overlap, so it's technically only two routes. You either go full vanilla or full psycho, no in-between. The only way to "love" Emilie while still dominating her in bed is to rape her on day 1 and then make her your girlfriend a few days later. This is just sloppy writing through and through. I've seen some people giving wild ideas on how to fix the opening, but the solution is so simple, man. Just create a third variable called "love_sub" that gives you a different scene where you seduce Emilie with domination while still saying you love her. That still wouldn't fix how rushed the opening is, but it's a start. It would also give you the option to avoid posting nudes without being locked in the Love route.

    After doing photo shoots with Emilie, you meet other girls and... do photo shoots for them. Look, I get it, it's in the title, but every single girl you meet will open an AF account. This makes them shallow and means you won't see any difference in their storylines beyond superficial flavor text. Meet girl, take photos, fuck. Most of the girls are very uninteresting as well, making me wonder why they're even included. Besides Emilie, I only really liked Cassandra and maybe Natacha. Abby is nice but should've been introduced on day 1, not day 39.

    Furthermore, all the girls are portrayed as poor little angels struggling to make money in a society plagued by unemployment, and their only choice is AF. I love debauchery in the fictional media I consume, but this game feels oddly preachy with its subject matter. It even gives you an incredibly out-of-place scene with some religious people protesting against AF and calling Emilie a slut, before Emilie and MC retort with some bullshit about empowerment. This portrayal of OF models as innocent sweethearts being unfairly hated by the evil prudish society is awfully preachy and disconnected from reality.

    A story with flimsy writing and superficial characters should at least make you feel good as you read it, but for some reason, AlwaysFan's overall "vibe" is weirdly bleak. You're immediately thrown into a conspiracy related to prostitution, rape and human trafficking. That sets the tone for the entirety of the game, with minimum breaks. The set-up of sex scenes does little to lighten the atmosphere, as every sex scene starts and ends the same way with zero build-up. Even Emilie, the main girl, gets no leisure time with the MC until the MMO thing is introduced, and even then we barely play it. All these things result in a weirdly dark game, both figuratively and literally.

    Art & Sexual Content:
    One good thing about the art is that the cast is very diverse. Body shape, height, skin tone and sexual features are varied, giving you plenty of flavors to choose from. That being said, some of the girls look incredibly bland and uninspired. Even the girls at the convention look nicer than some of our cast, but that's subjective.

    Other than that, standard Honey Select through and through. The animations are decent, some very good, but overall nothing to write home about. The dialogue during sex scenes is also bland and repetitive. Facial expressions are just standard Honey Select slop, very uninteresting and lacking in emotion.

    As for the sexual content in general, literally all the fetish content is locked behind the NTR route. As other have said, even if you want to see the sex scenes in the NTR path, the steps you need to take in order to reach them are enough to put a lot of people off. If you want to play as an even slightly decent protagonist, you'll be locked in the Love route, and the Love route is very vanilla. Seriously, even the exhibitionism content only appears twice in two very short and uninteresting scenes. Swinging is also locked behind the NTR route, which is locked behind Robert's gangbangs. And the only real swinging only happens once with Jason and twice with Nicolas. Everything else is just you pimping Emilie and the others out.

    The domination route was the only one I had some fun with, but the love route is the only one that makes sense, which is why it disappointed me. I really wanted to enjoy the love harem, but the lack of chemistry between the characters and the absence of variety in sex scenes was just awful. Even the domination route is literally the same story but with different flavor text, like calling the MC "Master" instead of "Darling." Other than that, there are almost no differences in sex scenes between the two routes.

    The lack of kinks wouldn't even be an issue if the sex scenes were at least good and rewarding, but there's no passion, no emotion, no nuances, nothing. I like Emilie, which is why it sucks having to choose between abusing a character that I like or pretending like I love her when our relationship has no chemistry and sex scenes don't feel intimate. The only time that the sex scenes are kinda nice is towards the very end, after finishing the main plot and taking some days to relax with Emilie. The NTR path is probably decent if you really like that type of content, but everything else is just shallow despite the dev claiming that you won't be short-changed for choosing a non-NTR route.

    The photo shoots are also completely dry and boring, as expected. There's literally nothing hot about seeing photo shoots in a porn game. The real action happens outside of the photo shoots, making me wonder what's even the point of the premise. This could've been an actually decent game if the same characters were introduced in a different setting.

    Gameplay & Technical Aspects:
    Standard VN gameplay. Surprisingly good BGM and sex sounds. Other than that, the game is well-coded and I didn't get any bugs or error screens.

    I could talk about the terrible route system here, but I'd be repeating myself.

    Final Thoughts:
    I honestly can't think of a reason to recommend this game unless you like the premise (for some reason) and don't mind any of the things I criticized, like the botched writing, uninspired characters, repetitive sex scenes, etc. Actually, you might enjoy this game if you're very into NTR and just want something new to play. Otherwise, I don't think it's worth it.

    After previously dropping this game twice, I finally understand why it has good ratings. A lot of people dropped it on the first ten minutes because of the introduction, so it's almost like a filter. The only ones who played past the introduction are the ones who were already following the development and didn't mind the setting. I, on the other hand, recently played a phenomenal VN that raised some bars for me, so I can't give a higher rating despite really liking Emilie and a few of the other girls. This could've been a great game in a different setting and with more care put into the characters and sex scenes. Hell, if the whole game felt like it did in the final scenes (and didn't force us into the OF bullshit), it would've been a great experience. But as it stands, Emilie deserved better. Everyone deserved better.
  18. 5.00 star(s)

    wuckfit123

    The games itself follows an interesting topic, which is centered around the MC being a manager to one or several OF models. Now I know the stigma around OF girls these days are very negative, but surprisingly depending on how you want to play it, it is a very wholesome VN.

    Like many other VNs there can be several routes you can follow with the girls. You can choose to be a loving manager/boyfriend type figure, or you can assume a more dominant pimpy role. The vibe of this game can be cozy lovey-dovey, or dark and depraved, depending on your choices. Both of these routes feel fleshed out.

    The LIs are great, Emilie and Cassandra are my favorites, and by the looks of it the dev's as well. Which is great, we get so many scenes with them.

    Writing is solid, but if I had one to nitpick, maybe the grammar feels a bit too formal and stilted at times. Like it's fine to read, but really young people don't really talk like that. But that is just a small issue, In context, the dialogue still runs fine and I was still able to immerse myself within the story.

    Hope more people discover this gem! And I'm definitely looking forward to the dev's next project
  19. 5.00 star(s)

    Dice13K

    What do you ask for? This probably has it.
    Interesting plot? Yup.
    Good characters? Yup.
    "Fun times" and lots of them? Yup
    Variety? Yup
    etc? Yup

    Frankly, if you like good ren'py games here, then play this game.
    If you're kinda meh on ren'py games but like good games, then play this game anyway.
    Likes: AtemX
  20. 4.00 star(s)

    Anteron

    Overall really good. Hot characters, especially Emilie and some other ones, too. Only downside is there are minigames, and pretty many of them, but you can go back and redo with mouse wheel back. This is also one that has no blueballing or such.