VN - Ren'Py - Completed - Bare Witness [Steam Build] [AlterWorlds]

I really don't get the high rating of this game. I understand that much effort should be put in the sex scene since it is a porn game. And there are a lot of sex scene in this game. I am all for that. Trust me, my username says it all. But there is a reason people like me choose to read a visual novel like this rather than just straight up watch porn. We want the story, the connection to the character, the chase of the girl and of course the sex. This game barely provide the first 3 things.

Story and connection to the character are barely there. The dev kind just brushed off the background of MC, and his story never develop further than just a hot guy with big cock stuck in WitSec.

The chase of the girl? forget about it. There are no chase. All the girl practically throw themselves at you. Zenda, the girl you met on the train, called YOU and asked you out. Heidi, who had male stalker problem in the past agree on a male roommate without a second thought cuz she thinks you are cute. Which you then can choose to behave like the male stalker by creeping on her while her girlfriend eating her out. Not only will she condone it, but also encourage it. Athena, who is a hardcore biker chick with ton of tattoo and kinda standoffish in the beginning thinks she falling for you after a few online gaming sess with her. The cougar Val, will have sex with you at your first encounter in the afternoon after lunch. Your cousin Sadie, already had a crush on you for the longest time when the game start. Mora invited YOU to play DnD at her apartment after she uber you a few times. No chase for what so ever.

And there are so many "I love you" in this game and there are no build up to it. There is also a time skip element that make everything feel even more rush. Nothing feel earn. And If you choose the harem path (4 girls), you literally say "I love you" to each of the girls, one after another. They will say it back to you and they will say it to each other too lol

Most of the effort were put in the sex scene, and they are alright. Nothing special, most of the animation are quite stiff actually.

This is an excellent game and is worth playing if you're into the art. The devs put a ton of subtle visual detail into every scene, which doesn't always get commented on in the text, so it makes the game feel a lot more alive. It's not always perfect, but the sheer amount of content given to each different route is astonishing. The girls all feel incredibly unique and their quirks come across very well visually. Show dont tell and what not. This game also has some of the longest and most satisfying sex scenes ever, particularly in the poly routes.

That being said, the game does suffer from a little bit of girl bloat. IMO this game should have just focused on the four MASH girls and cut the rest. The biggest strength of Bare Witness is it's poly routes and while what we got was amazing, I would have liked to see more nonsexual interactions between S/M and A/H. I understand that it happens in timeskips, but it makes the initial groups scene feel a little off. Everything after that is amazing, though.

Shoutouts to the "Cuck Queen," who was, surprisingly, best girl.

Well this is an excellent implementation of the tired old genre of Harem games. What sets this game apart is that it (mostly) avoids falling into the traps of the genre.

The characters and the relationships develop organically and you don't need to suspend your sense of reality to follow the story. The writing and art are extremely proficient.

If I had to criticize it, I'd say that this doesn't apply to all of them. The game works best if you go with Athena/Zadie and maybe Mora and/or Sadie. Even then, there's a few disconnects in the story. Sadie's suddenly just there in a few scenes and a lot of important developments happen off screen for her. (Trying not to spoil anything here)

Zenda really doesn't make much sense and is more along the line of "Magic Dick MC" trope. The story would be better without her and more focus.

Either way, it's refreshing to see that something this good can come from this genre. It's just an excellent game.

This game for sure is S tier. The models are gorgeous, and the lewd scenes all flow smoothly with decent length.
Above all, the game had 11 endings. 11! Madness!
Huge respect for the creator. Thanks for the game.

This game will leave you with a good feeling after playing. This is for the following reasons:

• The MC is a genuinely good guy, who is - as far as possible - concerned about the girls and their well-being.
• The girls. Each girl has a unique personality and relationships with the MC / each other are affected by this. Devs clearly have the characters fleshed out and care about writing them well. While most porn games introduce a LI just to add another kink or clichee (like one is into rough sex, one is into BDSM, one is into role-play, one has daddy issues, etc.), this game remains pretty close to what I experience as realistic and the girls are able to communicate their desires and establish boundaries (given that the whole harem setup can be considered realistic at all).
• The renders and art works are absolutely beautiful. And since I like freckles and redheads, this game got me instantly hooked.
• The endings. It shows again that the Devs really gave much thought and effort on this, which can be seen in the differrent ways the story is resolved and the number of renders for each ending covering years of life with the chosen LI. It seems that Devs would have prepared enough story content for several more chapters but have been overwhelmed by coding the branching stories.

So I can give the full 5 stars, although - of course - the game is not perfect, which brings me to the cons.

• Main story is pretty standard and will not surprise you much. Although better than most porn games, it's remains a cover for the adult action.
• The time-skips could have been handled better. Feels like Devs had no real idea how to balance the daily / detailed parts of the game with the main plot taking months to unfold.

In sum, I can totally recommend playing this game (several times), have fun! Hopefully the Devs will keep up their good work!

It’s not my favorite VN on here but I decided on 4 stars because while it does have a blandness in the story and characters, it does so many obvious things so well that somehow so many games just don’t do.

I’ll start with some of my critique about the ‘blandness.’ Other reviews have touched on how the MC is basically given a secret superpower that he’s a chick magnet without really any background or development into how or why. Things just happen, and usually fairly quickly without pretense. Moreover, while there is some uniqueness to the look of the characters, they all generally have a similar attitude and general behavior.

For the good, it’s one of the only harem based games I’ve played that is more down-to-earth in a poly-centric way, rather than just NTR or slavery. There is a development in the relationships and the care the MC has for the girls is refreshing to see. The polish really comes through though with the quality of, the render and animations - a place that many touted games with a similar small dev team struggle to reach.

Finally, while it is a harem game, there’s almost no unique or diverse fetish options. There is impregnation and one anal scene (afaik), but it’s a bit disappointing that with 6+ different girls, there’s not any real unique kinks or sexual preferences that I saw.

To expand on that, there is a very fun and hot that scene at the end with the girls (at least on my route) Why not have more of that? That one scene is better than like 90% of related content out there. If the dev(s) aren’t into suck kinks then I don’t fully get it, but if it’s also because they are into a kink then I’d [desperately] encourage them to create more in those directions.

This to me feels like a platform - this dev [team] should feel good about their ability to create a masterpiece. Maybe for some this is that masterpiece, but to me there is so much potential and I hope they’ll create something even better.

Renders, dialogue, music are all basically top notch. Wish more devs can learn from this one.

Story frankly a bit ordinary compared to the other elements. Highly recommended, be prepared for more than one playthrough.

That was very a good ending. This VN is very thought out. Good story simple but is very great. Best LI Valeria she is a package deal best LI path out there. I dont really mind the harem but I think the single paths are better. This is one of the best VN I played and it ends very sweet.

Review for Ch. 5
When I first started "Bare Witness," I was impressed. The game kicks off with an interesting and unique story, and the character models are very attractive. It really seemed like it was going to be a great experience.

Unrealistic Romance
However, the game quickly dives into the romance aspects, and this is where it starts to fall apart. The romance feels forced and unrealistic. All the girls seem to be immediately infatuated with the main character for no apparent reason. Take Valeria, for example. She wants to hook up after a short conversation in an empty bar in the middle of the afternoon. It feels rushed and makes her character come off as desperate, which really detracts from the experience.

Stellar Graphics and Sex Scenes
On a brighter note, the models and sex scenes are definitely highlights of the game. The scenes are hot and frequent, and the overall graphics are top-notch. This is where "Bare Witness" really excels, delivering visually impressive and engaging content.

Forgotten Storyline
And then there's the story ... almost forgotten about it. What started as a promising plot about witness protection quickly fades into the background. Throughout most of the game, you hardly feel like the events are connected to the main storyline. The focus on the witness protection plot only comes up at the beginning of chapter one and again in the last chapter. In between, there are just a few flashbacks to remind you of the initial story, but that's about it. It's a real shame because the story had so much potential but was ultimately underutilized.

Good gameplay
You might think that I really disliked the game but that is not entirely true. I just feel like a lot of potential was wasted. The gameplay in this one is simply perfect. Choices u make matter and there lots of paths to discover. So you can replay this game a couple of time to find different outcomes if you so like.

Conclusion
Overall, I feel kinda conflicted about "Bare Witness". It starts strong with a unique story and great visuals but falters with its unrealistic romance and lack of consistent storytelling. The sex scenes and graphics are definitely high points, but they aren't enough to carry the game through its narrative shortcomings. All in all, the game is definitely above average so four stars it is.

The game is interesting with various and beautiful girls, who - it's rare enough to take time to say it - change hairstyles many time (after some point, not before where they have 1 model only).
I liked how the "harem" option was in the story so it was good.
The story felt a bit quick/easy and there was no real plot after some point, it was just sex scenes after random little evens. I liked it but the pacing was off.

Heidi and Athena were really two gems, and I would have loved to see more of their interaction, more options, more variety in sex. As it is, the game is good but feels short.

Elite game, story is nice endings are satisfying and the characters look amazing, good variety in choices and characters lots of fun, 100% reccomend, athena bad af. cant wait for the authors next game.

A pretty good game.

The love interests are cool and the animation's nice.

The different paths available also make this game pretty replayable.

The different endings with each path really make the last chapter of the game rewarding.

My only complaint is that getting Mora's poly paths unlocked is pretty difficult.

All said and done, this game is pretty good.

I'm looking forward to AlterWorlds next game.

A pretty great game that gets better and better the further you delve deeper into the story. Graphics are great, and quality is pretty amazing. There are more than 8 different achievable endings that makes the game interesting. The story isn't something too far fetched from real life scenarios where it is relatable to many people, but has a hint of adventure in it. Overall, great game and would love to see the creator expand the game further, or just create new projects later on.

love it love it love it. unusual harem game where you can end up with four girls and two other girls induvidally. the story is full of suspense. The idea of witness prtection is genius, i kinda suspected something in the first chapter when he talked about where he was from or simply almost saying his real name. kinda sus. The girls are really adorable and lovable. also love the taboo with sadie, kinda kinky and i dont even need a patch for it. i am not really into Zenda tho to be honest she is kinda posh and pretentious. too classy gotta say.

This visual novel boasts impressive renders and models, creating an appealing visual experience.
The characters are well-developed and contribute significantly to the story's charm.
While the narrative is generally engaging, the ending feels a bit rushed, detracting slightly from the overall experience. Despite this, the multiple endings are mostly satisfying and provide ample reason to revisit the story.
Overall, it's a good visual novel and recommended for those who enjoy exploring different outcomes through multiple playthroughs.

Incredibly wholesome game with a good story, deep, interesting characters and a good narrative that results in meaningful relationships with the protagonists you encounter.

The animations and overall look are really beautiful and the intimate scenes are always meaningful and don't feel like they are in the game because it's expected.
Can definitely recommend this game as it has a lot of replay value and one of the best games on this platform.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Alright, where do we start….

When I laid my eyes on Bare Witness for the very first time, I thought it was probably just gonna be a mediocre game or something. Its description doesn’t help either. It sat on my bookmark for a few days but eventually I had to download it. I gave it a try anyway because I was bored at that time and people on Reddit also keep mentioning this game. Man, I was wrong. I am actually completely hooked with this game.

Let’s talk about the graphics first. It’s not the best, but it won’t hurt your eyes either. Typical DAZ made games above 2020. Good thing F95 provides preview picts so you can check it by yourself.

Now about the story. I usually start with a summary on my previous reviews but I’m just gonna get to the point this time. It’s decent, not that bad and not that great either. The entire WITSEC thing is just weird and silly, I don’t quite remember if U.S Marshals Service works that way in real life. The fact that Joey Smiles was released from jail and start killing some deputy and a WITSEC participant without his face being put in FBI Top 10 Most Wanted list right away is just stupid. But then I remember Far Cry 5, sending only six marshal deputies to apprehend a nutjob with armed militia behind him without a proper backup is way more stupid than this, so I just kinda let it slide (not really).

Silliness aside, the women are mostly gorgeous. Their solo paths are worth to try, not sure about harem paths because I don’t really like harem. Each women have their own story and struggles so choices matter there. Talking about choices, you’ll be given many of them it’s guaranteed not a kinetic AVN.

Their endings thought, holy shit this is one of the very few AVNs that have perfect endings. Most importantly, no cliffhangers. Heidi’s solo ending is probably the perfect one among others, a little bit longer than other endings too. I’m not sure if there’s a bad ending in this game but since I just finished 3 out of 11 endings, maybe there’s one. I think you can even go for a monk run but I’ll try it later (yes, you can reject or just avoid their paths entirely for that).

Overall, Bare Witness is a good game. I think it could’ve been perfect if AlterWorlds scrapped the entire WITSEC thing or made it less silly (try take a shot everytime I write the word silly). Is it recommended? Absolutely yes.

One last thing, I actually wanted to give this game four stars but because I feel really satisfied with the endings, I decided to give it perfect five stars.

Edit: Okay there's actually a bad ending, quite funny too. Just tried Valeria solo path and damn I think the ending is longer than Heidi's.

It's hard to say anything bad about this AVN, but there are a few things for me keeping this from a 5 star game so let's get those out of the way first.

For once, there is the right amount of LI's unfortunately, only half of them are worth the time. I am not going to go into detail on the ones I didn't like, because it is all a matter of opinion, but between arrogant, ugly and related, three just didn't make the cut for me, So really, it reduced the re-playability for me. I also was not a fan of Heidi going so hard at the MC.

Then there is the story. It was just okay. The writing was really good and the dialogue seemed to be spot on with good banter and playfulness throughout. The underlying story, however, didn't do it for me. The biggest problem for me was There were other issues with the story and there were a couple gaps or time skips. I don't mind a time skip, but more than one it just seems like there was not enough story to connect the sections.

On a positive note, the pacing, despite the time skips, was pretty good and as I mentioned, the dialogue was pretty good. Each LI had their own voice and it was pretty well done. Also, it was just about the right length. Sometimes I think devs drag out these way too long, and while this one could have been a little longer if felt right for the story. The dev time was also pretty good, I mean it has been 3 years since the launch and we have a completed AVN and the endings were all pretty good too. They were not rushed together in an attempt to just wrap up the AVN.

Plus the graphics where all pretty good, animation was solid, LI's, for the most part, were hot. Overall, a really good production.

If you are looking for a well written, good fapping and a complete AVN, look no further. It was a lot of fun to follow this from the beginning to the end and to see a well done project. I am hopeful the dev moves on to a new project.

Nicely done!

It's okay. Decent renders, mediocre animations, better than average writing, but that's not much to say since most porn games' writing is shit. This is merely a tiny bit less shit.

Suffers from writer-inserting though. As in every character is basically a mouthpiece for the author. The awkward references, the rants the characters go on about society and concepts, all of the make-believe dialogue between the characters, it's all the author using the characters as a thin veneer. Kinda like a guy forcing two dolls to kiss, there is a single hand behind all of the different talking heads and they feel less like separate characters. Becomes pretty obvious and kinda takes you out of the story, however minimal the story is.

Also, good god there is too much "i love you"-ing. And I say that as a guy who says that shit 24/7 when in a relationship. Author can't seem to find a way to show affection between characters lol.

Furthermore the main story is plain not good, not that I was expecting much from it but yeah.

The cons first:

• Main story is pretty contrived. Not especially bad for a porn game, but falls into a weird space between slice-of-life and fantasy / sci-fi / drama. Game kind of feels like it wants to do both and can't balance the two.
• Some strange time-skips, rather early in the game. Feels like the developers may have realised their original plan was too ambitious: can't do every day slice-of-life detail when the larger drama plot may take months to unfold, so we jump ahead to try and keep up with the main plot, which hurts the individual romance plots and overall character development.
• No real drama with the main plot. Despite all the time and effort put into it, it just doesn't pay off. Like a standalone In Plain Sight episode, but the timings are off. It consumes too much time whenever it just kind of gets brought up every once in a while, but no real stakes are ever established. It could probably just have been dropped entirely, as there's no payoff for the plot itself nor is it critical to any of the romance plots.

So why 5 stars? The girls. The girls in the game are unique, and not in a quirky, each-girl-is-a-trope way many games do. Each girl has a complex personality and different relationships with the MC / each other, especially between the harem four. The developer clearly has these characters fleshed out and cares about writing them well.

This especially comes through in the sex scenes. (Good writing? In a sex scene?!) Each girl's personality comes through in the sex scenes as well! You can tell they have different sexual preferences and proclivities, and again, these aren't just trope-y (i.e. one girl is into BDSM, one girl likes it rough, one likes it gentle, etc.). For example, one girl has difficulty orgasming and can only orgasm at most twice before being overwhelmed. These details come through in scenes that in many games would just be a generic rotation of positions for each characters. Another reviewer mentions disappointment that only one LI in the harem does anal. I actually found this a positive, that the LIs are sexually different and they're not all just the same slutty cliche or two. (Also a non-harem path has one of the harem LIs do anal.)

The sex scenes also have breaks and conversations, in a realistic way. There's even a scene in the HS path where one girl stops it because she's uncomfortable with the dirty talk, which prompts the characters to resolve the issue in their relationship. This then changes their dynamics in future scenes. The sex scenes are themselves part of the story, and not just inserted into the game by the developer to "sell" it as a porn game. The scenes are still quite hot too, despite these concessions for a little bit of realism in our porn game.

The endings are also mostly excellent. I can't say they're all perfect (Zinda's is a little bizarre) and the main-story resolution is rather poor - though props for it being resolved in different ways in each of the endings. What's really good though is the sheer number of renders: much of each ending plays out as a slideshow, covering years of life with the chosen LI(s). It is an extremely effective way to bring closure to these relationships, in a way that isn't overly tedious with hours of dialogue. We also see parent characters show up for the first time, and it is clear the developer has thought these characters through, as they seem like complex characters though they only show up very briefly.

The developer's care for their characters and for consistent, quality character writing makes this game stand out amongst others on this site. Putting aside the structural issues with the main story, this game is well worth trying just for the romances and I hope more developers take note of this excellent writing for inspiration in their own games.