Others - Abandoned - Areas of GRAY [v1.1 BETA] [NOTvil]

(v3.0)

If you just want the basic opinion, PROS good renders, intriguing story and CONS multiple protagonists, linearity


So now let's be more specific and talk about what really troubles me ... MULTIPLE PROTAGONISTS.

At the first update you think that this story is about a guy trying to understand the strange things that start happening around him and well it is, but not only him, and the next update you already assume the "control" (not really cause it's pretty linear) of another character with other objectives, of course he is related to the plot (or not, maybe he will just disappear from the story hahaha).

So, if the new protagonists that comes with new updates play an important role in the plot, why am I complaining? The reason is when you have Multiple Protagonists like this, you have to show all aspects of the character, people have to be interested in him / her, I mean, the updates are not that long to focus on the protagonism of various characters, so that it can make them plain and boring, or the opposite can happen, when you get to like the protagonist but in the next update you wont play with him.

And last but not least, the inevitable perpetuation of linearity, yes, this may not happen, but this game will take ages to make it work as it should, imagine making a choice with one character, then when you play with the other, this one will have acknowledge ALL past choices with ALL other characters and ALL variations of this choices. So yeah, that pretty hard.

This game has great potential. Renders are nice and clean (with exception to blurred DOF), pacing of dialog needs a little work (too much clicky clicky), music is nice but sound effects need a separate volume slider, characters look good and varied, story is interesting and gets to the point at a nice pace. My biggest gripe is the writing. It's obvious the writer isn't a native english speaker (using phrases such as "as you say" or mixing up where to put certain words in a sentence) Needs a good polishing before it can be considered a finished product. Definitely one to watch however.

The navigation is tedious - and like in every other renpy/vn or even RPGM game, its pointless. I get it - the dev wants some "gameplay", but this has no purpose because there is just one way to click. And the camera movement is annoying.

In general I am no fan of the seperation of chapters into seperate "games" or playsessions. Then I dont have the feeling that they are connected. (commonly they are not and have no meaningful decisions to make) - But maybe this is just a kinetic novel ... but then the existence of a navigation is even worse.

Maybe it is because it is the beta, but it really needs a proper proofreading.

Then I dont understand why all characters in the dialog box dont look to the player ... why add heads and then there are no faces to recognize them? And its confusing that there are no names too on the dialog boxes. The animated gearwheels look nice, but I get distracted by them - maybe add an option to have no animation.

The art and renders are great. BUT the heavy use of dutch tilts is irritating - so its just does what it is supposed to do, but there are barely (or no?) normal shots. Thats just to much. And that we now play as the girl is strange - I thought Aiden will be the MC...

The story is really slowly progressing and only 2 lewd scenes in this update - and the end is ... different and confusing. But not bad and still interesting.

Way to much rant - it is because I just hate all the pointless navigation in these games. I dont get it why devs add that - there is never a reason for it.
This is still a nice looking game with some problems in usability: pointless navigation and even camera movement sliders. just zoom out a tiny bit and you dont need it, no easy save, no back option, the settings problem, the wired faces decision in the dialog box and no names there.

The art is great and with proofreading the text is fine. Thats because I take my time to complain about these issues and I hope the dev will reconsider or adjust his design decisions to make this the game it could be.

1. So good renders.
2. Very good story line if you ever played the previous game " GRAY".
3. Animinations are so good. I cann't wait for the update.
4. Hope for easy mini-game which not like the "Gray"

Best 1st version ever. Great graphs, animations are perfect.
The story is promising, hoping level is maintained in next version.

One of the best first versions I have played. Congratulations
The environment is great. Characters are lovely and very promising, the light and environments are well done, so are the animations

I'm getting my self ready for more of this. Can hardly wait for the next version of the Game.

Excellent start with the 0.1 release! Very high quality, but very short--about 15 minute at the most. Excellent renders, animation, atmosphere, music, story, etc... I'll be looking forward to further updates.

Gave the introduction a try and WOW! I'm very pleasantly surprised, the art and models are amazing, to say the least, animations are very smooth and beautiful. And the story, well lit's just starting but I have a very good feeling about it. The MC's past seem so sad, feels like everyone who he ever was close with, he lost one way or another, and maybe that's why he isn't much of a people person and tends to keep to himself. Until of course when when his niece and sister comes back, hopefully that'll make life happier for him again (not saying he's not happy with his wife and step-daughter of course, but it just seems like he's feeling that something is missing in his life). I even like that song in the background, it's very calm and soothing but at the same time it's sad, kind of highlights the current atmosphere and emotions.

This is a VERY promising VN, I am definitely keeping both eyes on this one, can't wait for more!

Well, I can't rate this as high as the other reviewers have.

Yes, the renders look good. Yes the story, while a bit pretentious in its writing is indeed promising and of course this is an early alpha, but I still have to criticize a few things.

There's no menu, or rather if you open it, you end your current game and have to start again.
You can't turn off the music, you can't speed up the text, you can't speed up the game. You can't save your game, there's only auto-save.

All in all, I just don't get why anybody would program a visual novel with Unity.
It's just too demanding and that demand has no relation to what is actually happening.

This looks as if it would have worked exactly the same with ren'py.

I'm looking forward to new versions, hopefully with improved controls.
If that is the case and the story and renders continue like this, then I will gladly adjust my review accordingly.

Edited to add: After being told by the dev I d'oh'd loudly because I missed the settings menu where you can regulate the sound and text speed.

I still think Unity is annoyingly slow in this game AND you can't speed up the game itself, but I definitely had to change my review score.

The best game i've have played in a long time - even at this early stage. The Artwork is awesome and the Story behind seems very interesting. I hope this will be continued very fast - i even started a supporting at patreon because i think this will be a great game in further stages.

very good plot fast pace great art work wow wow wow its got everything I think you want in a game and so many characters to include even in 15 minutes of game play you have an idea of where this can go and its to the skys. a lot of games ask you to pick and your choices effect the game too much this one is simple but I think it has the potential to add this to later options how your gonna choose one lady I don't know I have not seen one I did not want to go further with. one to watch

This game really got me hooked on. The story got me in it's trap. The Graphics are outstanding quality. At the beginning before playing the preview I was a bit sceptic, thinking about your previous game with those mini-game elements in it. Don't get me wrong, I love solving mystery's and puzzles, but jumping from platform to platform isn't my kind of thing. Keep up the good works !!!

Best first showing I've seen in ages. IF they can keep this up then it will be a classic. Hopefully it will involve more choices in future as it is currently a very clever novel with minimal choices but with a lovely sense of timing and the right sort of enticements to get you interested...