VN - Ren'Py - Artemis [v0.5.1] [digi.B]

Currently looking like the best VN on this site (in my opinion, out of all the VNs I've played, obviously) but I will say it's kind of close. All* characters have very well fleshed out personalities. Where this project lacks in terms of kinks and lewdity, it MASSIVELY overdelivers in terms of character writing and dialogue. The writing feels very mature and lacks irksome "anime-like" over-exaggerations (whether for comedic value or plot progression) which I personally have an aversion to.

The reason I call this the best lies in the merit of the characters first and foremost. I find solid characterization to be the most important piece of the genre. Why would I be invested in my fictional relationship with a character if I don't care about my protagonist or the love interest? Everyone has different kinks, I can't in good faith call an overall much more erotic or raunchy game better just based on the 'adult' content in it, that would be unfair and unproductive to someone with a different set of fetishes or preferences. Visual novels should fundamentally be reviewed primarily based on writing, and characterization should be the most important factor. (I'd argue for most media, but romance-based visual novels especially.)

With that said, the erotic content in the game isn't particularly lacking at all, and the renders are more than satisfactory compared to their contemporaries. The overall polish of this game is nothing to scoff at either, whether in the cleanliness of the UI, or sheer presentation of the menu. digi.B clearly cares deeply about this project and it really shows.

TL;DR: Characters good. This includes the protagonist. Dev very visibly cares about the quality of their project.

*
This review is of the 0.5.1 version of the game.

Really good western style VN. The story is engaging, art work and animations are beautiful. The game is a real high quality production. I can't wait to play the sequel. The choices are interesting and meaningful and the MC seems friendly.

Artemis is probably the first AVN that convinced me only for the story. Not the plot. I am talking about the story. Which should be obvious if one looks at the tag list.

The sex content could be taken out and I wouldn't even be mad. It would probably be better if it were to speed up the development.

Because this game at this point with Chapter 5 has been in development for over 2 years and only in the last chapter Artemis (The white haired girl in the promo images) becomes an active character.

While the other 4 chapters before are far from pointless, they are dragging out the pivotal moment when Artemis becomes active. By like chapter 3 the pacing is becoming boring. If the chapters would have been half as long and for that now we would be at chapter 8 I would have taken that tbh.

But chapter 5? Oh boy. That one was a hell of a fun ride!!

The game uses expressions, animations and humor combined with its writing in the exact right way.

Artemis? I kinda fell in love with her already. And knowing I will have to wait for years until I will know the full story or that there is a risk that this game might not be finished really hurts my feelings.

Play this game for the story. It might have plots but those are only nice to look at.

If digi.B reads this: If making some of the side girls irrelevant and the games gets made faster that way I would trade them all for it in a heartbeat.

Not that they are written badly persé. But when Artemis was like "Vesper, help!" I was almost screaming at the screen "VESPER YOU IDIOT WHAT HAVE YOU DONE! I WILL HURT YOU FOR THIS!"
And now having to wait for months to find out more is torture.

The story of Artemis having to grow up in a potential hostile world is what counts. And if time skips are necessary to see the whole thing play out. I will be fine with that too. Because I also want to know how this will go long term.

I am rambling. Was a cool game to play for christmas. Want more. Out.

I love the references to Leap of Faith, the "got one at home" moment genuinely made me laugh, alot of the MC's visuals seem more refined than what we had 2 years ago which is nice. Wasn't expecting how much it got me to look at Artemis as a daughter rather than a potential romance partner. I just wanna protect her :'(

This is my all-time favorite VN. I don't know what exactly hooked me, but something here made me fall in love with the characters. I think the way the characters are written and how the tone in general is, it's a very careful balance between comedy and drama, at the same time relatable but also "fantastic".

I love the great character building, the attractive girls, the VERY riveting story. Extremely high production value, great humour, very touching nd sad at times.
This is in my opinion in the top 5 of all AVN I ever read, super good graphice, super good story, super believable interactions. For me, only Eternum tops it, and that probably only because I'm a nerd

Amazing game, I like the story in this game, not only does it present good image quality but there are also interesting choices. I like the Kindra character because of her personality.And also the other characters in this game are very unique, thank you to the developer for making an amazing game.

One of the best story AVN today. I highly recommend it! It has a bit of everything and Artemis is such a cutie! All the AVN's I've played over the years there are very few I replay over and over again. Being a D!K...
Summer's Gone...Leap of Faith just to name a few. This game is in my top 5
and it's just getting started!

Might actually be my favorite non completed game right now, its between this and like 2 others. I adore this game, I love the story, the characters, the MC, everything. The only knocks I can give are incredibly minor nitpicks, like the MC having the generic look of other AVNs, but that is so easily overlooked. Kindra is one of my favorite LIs, even more than characters that are more my type physically like June or Reyna. Artemis as a character has been fun so far, and seeing her grow is satisfying. I am slightly disappointed at some LI's being cut, but I trust the game will be better for it. 10/10

10/10 Story and dialogue (Doesnt need a lot of sex scene to keep u engage)
9/10 Graphic (Haven't rate any game 10 though)
10/10 Love interest (Kindra is one of the greatest girl i have seen, her model may not be the prettiest but her personality is the finest)
10/10 MC (Funny, Charming and very realist)
10+1 Gameplay . I rate every VN 10 cuz its VN (duh) but i will give away additional point depends on its features such as mini game, free roam and collectibles. (the game that set the bar for additional point which is 2 is being aDIK)

Overall 50/52 one of the top tier game at the moment. For those expecting alot of sex scene should looks elsewhere but if u interest in good story and like me broken from the inside u may shred some tears playing this master piece.

I've had fun playing through most of the highest rated games on the site, including genres I wouldn't normally play as it feels great to be surprised at something I would have normally skipped over - and several other titles have done just that.

Artemis isn't one of them. Nothing grabbed my attention or surprised me, the whole thing felt very much like a paint-by-numbers game.

Graphics/Art: Probably a higher point. Rough in the first few chapters by the dev's own admission, but they do improve noticeably. All the main LIs have a nice variety in appearance, this is a big plus.

Music/Sound: While present, I never found it very good or engaging. Perhaps it does the "techno-sci-fi" sounding score well, but if I had to describe it in a word it'd be "forgettable". There are games I won't mention to stay within review rules for which I can IMMEDIATELY recall the soundtrack, this wasn't one of them.

Mechanics: Standard Renpy experience with a few short sandbox segments. Nothing much to write here, it works fine, gui is fairly intuitive, but also nothing special like games with fancier phone systems.

Story: This is what brought it to 2 stars.

I don't care.

I know that's not terribly constructive, but I'm not skilled enough of a scriptwriter myself to explain exactly WHY this is. Perhaps it's the pacing? Everything moves rapidly, from setpiece to setpiece without time for the player to familiarize themselves with their surroundings. Ironically, the dialogue feels longwinded at points - which sounds contradictory, but the substance never feels weighty.

To be clear, this is more than just a critique with the written text. It's also the art direction, the way things are shot and framed as the MC moves through the experience. It wasn't pleasant at all.

As opposed to some games which dramatically change course midway through, I'd say the first 5-10 minutes are a pretty good representation of this game and my critiques. So if you're reading this and still on the fence, download it and try it, you'll find out very quickly whether you see the same issues or can enjoy it.

A lot of effort put into the game to try and be everything and yet not getting the sweet spot on anything. Sci-fi, AI, corporate intrigue, school life, romance, harem, porn, personal healing, humor, slice of life - this game is taking itself too seriously trying be all of these without much success.

Story
At Chapter 4 I struggle to see where the main plot lies. Maybe it’s about the Artemis? Conspiracy by evil corporation TWWR? Emergence of Tony Stark wannabe genius cum secret tycoon Kindra? MC’s personal emotional recovery journey? Romancing within the sorority harem?

If we assess this as a serious Sci-fi story there are many logic holes that make it unrealistic e.g. MC spends a couple of weeks alone to write code and viola an android becomes sentinent? A partying undergraduate Chemistry student, June, deciphering a secret fluid developed by a genius in record time? A part time porn cam girl taking a minute to debug AI code based on a screenshot sent over email?

Ok, maybe we give the Sci-fi logic a pass, it is just a context to engage in romance and harem? Nope not much romance going on either, just MC having superficial interactions with a lot of LIs (9 at last count) most of which don’t lead to anything. There’s barely enough content with Kindra and June to have a serious romance, the rest are touch and go.

Game Mechanics
Artemis has a well-developed relationship points based system with LIs and these points are largely determined by the choices you make. So far, they make some scene differences but doesn't branch the story as far as I can tell.

Background / Character Renders
Background is one of the strongest areas in Artemis, it’s very well designed to detail especially when it comes to futuristic scenarios like the secret lab and Artemis. The nature scenes are rendered in enough detail and convincing unlike many other developers who do a sloppy job.

Character renders are on the side of realism (probably Daz3D with some sort of mod). MC looks cool and pleasant looking enough, but many of the LIs (e.g. Kindra, Naomi, Zoe, Paige) look alike in certain lighting and angles.

Character Development
MC’s recovery from emotional trauma is the best out of the lot, though I do find it very distracting because every time something serious tugs at heart strings, the next moment it’s broken by an ill-timed attempt to be humorous.

The majority of the LIs including the two main ones June and Kindra are what I call drama queens in real life - overly dramatic at anything and everything, swinging wildly depending on mood, exhibit ADHD symptoms and generally immature for their age. I don’t know if this is because of some preconceived notion that the developer has of tattooed individuals of being “wild”…

The only normal LIs are Claire, the law school albino girl and perhaps Artemis? I don’t know, maybe all this is to show players the ladies have character and are spontaneous, but personally I find them unrealistic and slightly unhinged, people I would avoid like a plague in real life.

Sex Scenes
Very little, lots of teasing but only a few actual scenes as at Chapter 4 and they aren’t engaging at all. There is very little dialogue, basically you just click options for different sex positions followed by a short animation and click the “cum” button when you are done.

BGM and Sound Effects
Decent BGMs that complement gameplay with a few sound effects for important scenes.

Conclusion
I don’t know what to make of it… I walked into this game having seen the 4.8 rating in F95 expecting a legend, if not at least a moderately good 4+ star experience.

The game tries very hard to get everything right and I get the sense the developer puts in a lot of effort into the finer details especially in areas like background, model, dialogue and story, but the results just don’t show when all of them are put together.

It’s not erotica or porn as there are hardly any lewd scenes and those few are short and mechanical. It’s hard to pass for a serious Sci-fi with so many unrealistic holes, it sort of works as an average harem romance novel… at least the MC is dating and flirting with a lot of LIs. The humor is neither here nor there, passable but not impressive.

This is one of my favorites VNs. It has a unique kind of charm in the writing and render setup. The story moves away a bit from the mainstream themes, which makes it refreshing. I don't know what the future holds for it, but I have complete faith in the developer to steer it in the right direction.

I'd like to start by expressing my admiration for the exceptional quality of this visual novel. The story is fantastic, with interesting and quite funny dialogues that are enjoyable to read. The protagonist of the story must be the luckiest I have ever seen. He starts off in a bad situation at first, but soon ends up surrounded by amazing friends like June and Kindra, who is the sweetest and funniest character ever, and the INK girls, each of them being unique and interesting.

The graphics are stunning, you can tell the devs put their heart into every detail. The female character designs are breathtaking, my favs are June and Katy, but among so many beauties it's difficult to choose. Cassandra is very hot but she's the hateful one in the story. Artemis only appears in one chapter so far, but she is so adorable!. The environments in the game are beautifully done and even the game's menu design is sleek and polished, complementing the overall aesthetic. The animations are fluid and realistic, which is truly impressive.
The music seems to have been carefully chosen, setting the perfect mood for each scene.

I don't have much more to say, everything in this AVN is of great quality, a deservedly high-rated game. After playing the 5 chapters of the current version (0.5.1), I ended up totally hooked on this visual novel; I look forward to the next chapters of Artemis, let's hope there will be many more and at this level.

One of the best AVNs out there.

The preview images for this game does not do enough justice for the beautifully sculpted story. The characters are all uniquely designed and not a single one of them are thrown into the plot for convenience. This is only further complemented by the extraordinary writing; MC interactions and conversations flow smoothly and draws you in as if you were right beside the characters dropping in on their talks.

The pacing is never awkward and develops good romantic buildups. One of the best features of this game is how detailed the facial expressions are on the renders. Besides being breathtakingly well done, the characters are able to convey much more raw emotion through their expressions. further complementing the excellent writing and subtle, witty humor. The story takes you through a rollercoaster of serious, sad, funny, and sexy moments with its unmatched writing, impeccable model renders, and enticing sexy moments.

While other reviews complain about the lack of sex scenes, I believe sex scenes not being a major focus only makes the story that much better. Characters are able to be properly fleshed out and grow into the plot before getting dicked down. The devs understand the importance of buildup and execute it perfectly. This game is nothing short of a masterpiece and truly deserves a much higher rating.

It's definitely one of the highest quality games on this site, or even one of the best I've ever played.
I could make a list of everything I liked about this game, but it would be huge and many other comments have probably already said it.

The character animations are some of the best I've ever seen, damn, even the game's menu. I confess that I spent a few minutes just looking at the menu animation.
So I'll give my personal opinion about the game instead of describing it.

My main motivation with the game and what makes me anxious to continue is seeing my android learn everyday things and getting emotionally attached to her.
It makes me want to protect her from everything and always be with her.
I'm always anxious for a scene with her to appear. The day-to-day life with my android is the main reason I'm playing.

However, I must say that this game has a lot of the "corporate drama" theme, with several mega corporations fighting for power or playing dirty with each other and emotionally shaken characters. They are at a party to have fun, but they are reminiscing about their ex-boyfriends and getting sad.
It's a game where even the psychologist leaves crying after the consultation with the client.
It's as if everyone in the game has a trauma... That doesn't make the game bad for me, but I would prefer happy moments with my android, but I know that not everything is just flowers and joy.
I hope the developers always take moments of peace with the characters after a long drama, without remembering tragic things at every corner. Because I'm definitely loving this game.

Awesome story, animations are among the better I've seen. The subject of activating a gynoid in our world is a very interesting one and I like that the author is giving that the weight it really does deserve.

The women are very interesting so far, and can easily offer favorites. I know I have mine.

It's a real treat when you take a chance on a game and it turns out to be absolutely amazing. Artemis is one such game. Its character writing, design, and animation is excellent, and the evolution of the plot around the enigmatic android herself has been very intriguing. I can't wait to see more.

Artemis takes the risky decision to make the MC a victim of emotional trauma. This can sometimes feel frustrating as you watch the MC cower to his trauma in early scenes, but it also serves as the foundation for deep reciprocal relationships between him and the main cast. A stark contrast to many other games in this genre where the MC is the stoic emotional rock that grounds everybody else. It's a nice breath of fresh air.

As for the eponymous android, the game takes a slow burn with her over the first few chapters. However, this allows for these aforementioned bonds to form between the MC and the main cast. When we finally meet Artemis, the writer has established enough characterization that they're complex enough to properly handle "first contact" with a true AI being. So far, the developer has handled these first moments really well, and it has been enjoyable watching Artemis learn and understand the world around her. I'm keenly interested in seeing her story unfold and what kind of person she becomes, and how she interacts with the rest of the cast. I almost couldn't care less about future sex scenes with a sexy android lady, surprisingly enough.

Speaking of sex, Artemis (the game) offers a nice collection of sex scenes with decent animations, ranging from casual flings to more significant moments with close friends / lovers. The girls all have their unique charms, and I'd say they're all attractive (especially in later scenes where the dev clearly develops more mastery of the 3d software). Things are developing a little slowly with some of the women, but I think that will pay off in future updates.

My only real complaint is that two girls, Katy and Zelda, are seemingly exclusive from each other for some reason. I don't really see any narrative reason for this, and it seems like it wouldn't be too difficult to just incorporate both sets of scenes into the story if the player wishes. I guess the MC just doesn't have time for 1 extra girl while already spending time with 8 others (9 with Artemis), plus extras like Zoe? This also pops up again at the end of current update between Naomi and Kindra+Artemis. It's frustrating having to choose between these excellent scenes when they don't really clash with each other narratively. This is especially true with the game leaning more towards a harem situation anyways, with multiple ladies acknowledging and being ok with a lack of commitment / open relationship. Ah well, a relatively small blemish on an otherwise excellent game.

Such a great visual novel. Very well written. Can't wait for the next update to come out. I can tell you for sure that for the entire time I was going through this VN, I didn't want to shut it off. The story kept me engrossed the entire time.

I wanted to like this VN but the story is so stupid that I couldn't continue.
be aware of spoilers!

- he was with cassandra up to 3 years ago
- a 3 year meltdown and therapy.
- the day he was done with therapy he got kicked out from the rent-room.
- somehow he had money up to that day. but that was it, now out.
- and somehow he got this ex (I assume during this 3 years) that helps him find a job, the same day
- and the same fk day he also meat with someone from school, that he didnt talk with 10+ years
- and of course she get him a place to stay, and what a place in the middle of nowhere (and she was out running)
- and now he get invited to do a blowjob contest. and other weird stuff.

its ridiculous. impossible to enjoy such story without getting frustrated.