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

I just started this and am not sure I'll finish it but while I'm thinking about it I figured I would at least review it.

The art is pretty decent and the models are pretty nice. There is some variety and honestly I think that part of the game is pretty good. The problem is the story. On one hand you meet some characters that are clearly there just for lewd scenes which is obviously the point but I feel like they could almost be swapped out with some of the main characters. The roommates for instance get off to a shit start because they are lesbos in an open relationship...Of all the things I hate it's this stupid obsession with lesbians. Fucksakes not every guy is a simp drooling over two chicks doing the same tired crap. If they were side characters it wouldn't bother me because I would just ignore them. However they live in the same house so anything they do bores the shit out of me early in the game. The throuple lesbo relationship limits the story immediately to "hurr durr lesbians" and so the early introduction of lesbos you're supposed to drool over made me start skipping the dialogue immediately. It's too bad because the models are really nice but it is what it is. As the story unfolded I just started picking negative options to avoid the whole idiotic "we're lesbians are you turned on?" giggles moments.

The reason I'm still playing is there are other girls that hopefully will offer something else besides the same tired tropes. Some of them come of as sweet so hopefully there is something else to the game besides the typical stories. I'm not sure about the witness protection story but at least it stops the horrible calls with the dad which feel like they are supposed to be funny but aren't.

The game will probably hit the spot with most guys who always want the same scenes and don't care about the story and if that's you it will tick the boxes.

3/5 seems fair so far.

Don't know what I expected, but this is better than that.

Story is simple, very simple, but that's for the better. No betrayals here, no big conspiracies, just a guy living a life.

It's fun (some heavy moments aside), girls are great, scenes are great and the only hard thing is rejecting some girls when selecting others.

Great job dev.

First of all this game is so close to 5 stars, but some aspects just don't cut it for me to give it a perfect score, unfortunately. From an adult visual novel, an average player expects average quality in lewd content(adult), scenes and renders(visual), plot and writing(novel); sadly this game falls short in some.

I'm gonna say it first, this is one of the HOTTEST AVN i ever played. The tone is very romantic, dramatic, erotic. SADLY not the best.

Good
-Stunning renders
-Stunning animation quality (high framerate, nearly same quality as renders).
-Girls look different and gorgeous
-Excellent Soundtracks
-Mild Kinks (pregnancy impact unknown as for v0.4)
-Harem possibilty: throuple, quadrouple, quintouple (or i should say Harem condition)
-Some girls have good background which made SOLO paths heartbreaking.
-Dialogues are OK(bit too much on Nerd stuff tho)
-Untried setting and conflict.
Bad
-MC is so passive to the world around it. (it is vague but I don't wanna spoil). Just wanna say he is there to get a dick in the animation. I can't really connect with his experience or his predicament.
-Pacing and plot development is so slow or nearly nonexistent.
-Weak character development and motives forme.
-The dating and relationship aspect is sped up but the main story is stagnant so the reader is a bit stalled and i got the feeling of "huh?" a lot.
-No SFX (would be a cherry on top for fappability)
-Chapters are chronologically spaced out. There are 7 week gaps between each. So you feel awkward and left out, sometimes relationships develop without your participation (like excuse me?)
-As for v0.4, the girls seem unrelated to the main story, it is like another game where main conflict and plot doesn't affect the relationship between MC and LIs.
-Walkthrough is required to fully enjoy the game i think. Game's strong suit is visuals and animations but it is easy with the few choices player has to make, combined with RP system to miss out on a lot.
-Without walkthrough you experience weirdness in coding, e.g. you rendezvous with a character and forget about the date after cuz not enough RP. So lot of PLOT HOLES if no guide utilized.
-Also there is no incentive to not use the walkthrough as choices don't impact or spoil the plot and twists. Choices are just for RP hoarding, getting laid and knockikng chicks up.
- Can't see the upside of solo paths instead of harem paths cuz, you get the single content in harem path also.
- Harem is so easy to expand (not realistic).

In short: Worth a play for eye candy value. So get the guide, go full Harem or go solo Valeria and enjoy. It is touchy at times. Feast your eyes on the visuals, nearly good as porn I should say. If you are looking for engaging story with round characters fiddling with conflicts, don't!

I do not get the high ratings on this one, man.

The renders are really beautiful, but I simply cannot get over the bad writing.
The start of this game is especially rough.

The intro on the train was fine, but the conversation with the dad was a little embarrassing honestly. The Uber ride home also had some mildly cringy and unnatural dialogue about gaming and such. Then as soon as you meet Heidi, there’s a really bad gay joke (which is repeated way too often in that first chapter) that ends with Heidi hugging you (a complete stranger?) and you fighting back an erection (from a hug?? Is the MC 14?). Then you go to sleep and when you need to get up for water, you just walk out in underwear? In a house with basically complete strangers who are also women?

I get that this is a porn game, but man.

There are tons of really obvious writing shortcuts too. Like the bartender being surprised that you aren’t indignant when he asks for your ID. But that’s completely normal behavior so why did he make mention of you not getting upset? It’s because the dev desperately wants to portray the MC as a "good dude" but can only come up with the bare minimum of not being an asshole and then having other characters pat him on the back for it.

Then the entire Valeria intro just screams “The dev was scared we’d get bored so he needed to add a sex scene ASAP”.

Athena is initially treated like this super dangerous, scary badass with a motorcycle, but she never seems any more threatening than a teddy bear. It just sounds ridiculous to have the MC who is a foot taller than her and covered in muscles acting like she’s gonna kick his ass just because she wears dark makeup and acts tough.

Mora doesn’t have any annoying or cringy traits thankfully, but in exchange, she’s kinda boring at first. But at least there’s some buildup, some neat interests, a good story with her ex, etc… She’s the most like a real character at this point. (Also the fact that she plays Pathfinder immediately makes her best girl)

Sadie is also alright. She’s nice, has a history with MC, and is written at least somewhat believably (which is more than can be said about most of the other characters).

Heidi is somewhat interesting and her model is gorgeous, but the relationship with her moves at mach speed so it doesn’t even feel meaningful. You’ve known her for like 48 hours and the MC is already talking about how he cares about her? Like you JUST MET!

Same thing with Athena. You’re already talking about being in a relationship with her and Heidi on your second day in the house. Like it’s one thing to have casual sex with someone, but it’s another to be literally confessing your love with people you met earlier that week. It’s like this author has never heard of the words “buildup” or “tension” before. And it definitely reads like someone whose never been in a real relationship.

The worst part though is that the game (ESPECIALLY the whole first chapter) is just chock full of really bad humor — seriously — literally none of the jokes land.

TLDR;
The writing is incredibly unbelievable, unnatural, and unengaging. There aren’t many straight up spelling or grammar errors, but it feels like something written by an AI. The good renders is literally the only thing this game has going for it, and it's not enough to make up for everything else.

Anyone praising the writing of this game needs to read a book -- literally any book -- above the reading level of captain underpants and geronimo stilton, because I genuinely cannot imagine how anyone can play this game and think the writing is even of passable quality.

Wow!

Fun game with meaingful choices and varied paths. The different paths and combos of girls is incredible. It's nice to see unique female characters and see how they interact. Nice to also see a haremish path where the girls aren't just like "sure! lets all hope on the same dick!" - there's actual conflict and jealousy before thingd get worked out.

The visuals are great and the story is fun. I also love to see the cousins character grow and change (personality and physically). She stays Thicc which also is nice.

For sure recommended. A fun game which enough varied paths and girls it will scratch your itch no matter what.

Pro:
+ nice story
+ cute girls
+ first class renders
+ great music
+ good weighing between drama/ happiness
+Mc is not a douchebag

Con:
- None

The game captivated me from the start. and I look forward to the next updates. thank you very much for the great story.


sorry for bad spelling english is not my native

v0.4

You know, when I started this game I didn't expect much. It even took me a bit to get into it. I'm now hooked and can't wait for the next chapter.

The music and the absolutely adorable characters remind me a lot of Leap of Faith. While not quite the same, they both share one thing in common. They're both very well-written and some of the scenes can tug at your heartstrings. Looking forward to the next chapter and thank you!

PROS
- Renders are amazing and the models are so very well defined. The lighting especially is really on point. And the animations are just as good as devs making 5 digits on Patreon. This game is seriously underrated.
- Realistic relationships, none of those classic harem tropes where the girls are completely okay with sharing the MC with everyone with a vagina and it turns into some girl collecting simulator. There are some consequences if you mess around too much. But there are also group paths & scenes for those that like it, but it makes some narrative sense rather than just being purely fanservice.
- Quite often in daz adult games, the girls all look like pornstars or supermodels with unrealistic proportions that wear makeup 24/7. I think this trope has been relatively avoided as some of the girls just look natural. And gotta say, some of the best scenes where when the girls didn't have makeup on. Probably an unpopular opinion, but thicc bbw Sadie was kinda cute and unique, lowkey wish she stayed that way rather than changing her body so she looks like everyone else.
- Valerie.
- No blueballing here, the lewd scenes are well spaced out throughout the game.
- Great music selection that fit the scenes.

CONS
- Outside of accepting or declining relationships with the girls, the dialogue choices don't really have any plot-related impacts. It's loosely a kinetic novel with options to select sex scenes and who you want to be with.

Chapter 1-4
8.5/10

Really beautiful romance game. The main story seems purposely unimpactful in a good way. It serves too push the game forward In time but the main focus is on the women and It works well.

On my playthrough, characters didn't seem overly complex. This is both good and bad, it doesn't give you some extreme emotion to latch onto but at the same time the game isn't a massive one. Forcing tragic character backstories on the LI's could backfire due to story length so I think it's good how Dev did it.

Li's are incredibly sweet though and I'm fond of the intimacy level (It was done really well) e.g a newly loved up couple would be holding hands and kissing a lot which helps with immersion and connecting with the LI, ALOT of games seem to forget this or CBA to add the scenes in.

Music is a strong 7.5/10 - Some good vocal tracks which bolster emotion and + BONUS POINTS for Lexi

Sex scenes are great, and Bare Witness probably has the hottest scene I've seen in a game with MC, Athena, Heidi and Mora.

The only real negative I would say is the early game content. I would love for there to be a few more dates and scenes between MC and LI before you actually make it official - It kind of comes out of nowhere and devalues it (Athena) Doesn't have to have any impact of the plot of course, just needs some silly/cute scenes to endear you more.

Conclusion:

Loved it ALOT. Not many games of this quality where the LI's and the main plot are "separated". It's a breath of fresh air, it gives the player a better sense of control instead of waiting to go through scenes to see the LI you are actually interested in. Give this game a go, I can't wait for the final chapter. Thanks Dev/team.

I love the story so far, not original but well told.

Renders of the girls are great except maybe Sadie, I don't like the proportions on her body. Also many different renders of locations and assets have been used which is good.

The different paths to follow (solo paths, throuple, quadruple) are fun to play and I really like to paths of Zenda and Val, their stories are well written. The story of Val got me emotional and explains her behavior.

What I disliked a little is the forced choosing of the girls, in chapter 4 I think, I know this isn't a harem game, but still... it came quite abruptly however I understand the reasoning behind it.. no need to drag the story on and on.

Lewd scenes are hot ( quadruple + mile high club ) and feel natural.

A little note from me as bushlover.... 6 girls and only Val has a landing strip....come on .
Would have loved to see a little red strip on my ginger beauty (Mora)!

Keep on the good work dev, eagerly awaiting the next chapter(s).

There are spoilers ahead.

Fist off the MC is so much of a character as he is a tool. He's whatever he needs to be to make the scenes work. For example, right from the start you can say on of his hobbies are gaming, playing games like Fallout and Bioshock, even wanting to start an MMO with another LI. But then comes a scene with another character where she want to play an RPG with him and he magically doesn't know what an RPG is because if he did the scene wouldn't play out the way it's "meant" to. His personality is all over the place and it's not handled well. There is another earlier scene where he finds out two of the LIs are already sleeping together. A situation I'm not thrilled about to say the least. But anyway, he can't even have a conversation about it with them without choking on his food. But conveniently he makes a cocky joke about his penis with one of them because again it's what's needed to progress with that character at the time.

The visuals are nice and the girls are different in their own way, They can be pretty tropey at times but you'll have that in these games. The relationship building with them is pretty hollow though. The choices pretty much just consist of do you like me? Want hang out? type of choices. It's not so much getting closer to them but more the game asking if your interested in them or not. Once you make your choice you pretty much just along for the ride. You either show interest or pretty much just avoid them altogether. A pick your poison kind of deal. Not that it really matters in the end because from the very first meeting with 99% of the LIs they are already swooning over the man standing in front of the. There's no chase at all. I can't comment on the animation quality because I didn't make choices that led to them and couldn't be bothered to play long enough to find any.

The game does have quite a few choices as you play but again it's really just down to picking who catches your eye and weather or not you want to see some extra lewd content. The overall story plays out the same way regardless of the choices so they to feel shallow. At least to me. There is also a lot of annoying explanatory text. "She blushes" "They are sitting on the couch talking." You sit down next to them.". All stuff you are literally see right in front of you that doesn't need to be stated at all. It adds nothing to the scene, it's just pointless filler to add more lines of text I guess. These are "VNs" but many dev seem to forget about the other half of their medium. This isn't just a written story, there are visual that go along with it unlike just the written word. The reader doesn't need to be told what actions are taking place because they can quite literally see it happening.

The game also started out as a faceless MC, much more immersive if you ask me. It doesn't last very long though, the dev just stopped for whatever reason and goes about showing him every chance they get. It sucks really because he isn't particularly attractive. Maybe they got lazy, maybe they changed their "creative prosses" but I hate it personally. He isn't very relatable for me to begin with an now it's just like I'm watching some random person go about their day instead of being the MC. It actually jumps between first and third POV, when it's convent for the scenes layout. Up until the first time jump and the dev just switches to full on third person, that's where I stopped. Another area of the game that is just as inconsistent as the rest.

There is a back story about the MC being in WitSec that shows up a little later in the game but it isn't really used much at all. Again I stopped relatively early so maybe its more prominent later but it was just something that came up in passing to remind the player that there is more than just run of the mill interactions with the characters.

TLDR: The game has to many inconsistencies to be engaging. That paired with the overall lack lust and boring scenes left me feeling uninterested in what was to come. It's average at best.

From what I've played so far (up to ch. 4), the game is great. The renders are beautiful, the variety of routes to choose is a big thumbs up, as it has something for everybody. The animations are definitly one of the best ones out there. I recommand everyone to give it a shot !

Version: Chapter 4

Good:
Presentation; visuals and music are nice.
LIs are both distinct and likable, with every major stereotype present.
Animations and dialogue make every sex scene feel very intimite and loving (no bimbo fuckdolls being degraded in this game - strong focus on romance)

Less good:
There is a partial harem path, but you need to stack the right girls in the right order. If you leave out one of them, you can't just mix and match between the rest.
The plot is weak and doesn't make sense/skips for no reason sometimes, and in the middile of the game there's a sorta-epilogue?
Moralizing. I do not wish to be berated by a porn game. I don't want to deal with the risks of unprotected sex in porno or care to have them told to me multiple times - I'm here to mastrubate, not be told about STD testing or why it's bad IRL to creampie girls that aren't on birth control.

I still strongly suggest you play this game and look forward to the dev's next project.

Excellent game, the characters are extremely varied physically and psychologically.
The plot is interesting too, without becoming too present and spoiling the game. Don't be fooled by the stereotypical introduction (a young guy who arrives alone at college), his story is less banal than in many other games and not only do we learn more during the game but it evolves.
I highly recommend

I'm surprised this has so high ratings. The renders may be amazing but writing wise this is bog standard "play as the stud that girls wanna (and do) fuck ". Zero 'chasing' or 'conquering' the heroines. They're either horny whores who want the D, or the insecure cutesy that need a man to lean on (as well the D).

I've waited a long time to review this, even though I played it from the start.

TBH, at the beginning this was a bit too much like many other games, well done with great looking girls and the usual super-cocky and super charming MCs, it was all fine but still it got a bit lost in a sea of similar games.

Now, why rate this with five-stars, if this is true?
Let me tell you why:
1. The girls look great, but they don't look completely superhuman with massive tits and asses.
Heidi fe. has a cute face, but I wouldn't call it beautiful, Sadie is a bit thick and heavy-set, even now, Zelda has very strong and striking features, but again, not necessary conventionally beautiful. Mora is so covered with freckles, if you aren't into them at all, it would probably be a turn-off.
Athena is pretty much perfect physically, unless you have a problem with tattoos, but she has an abrasive personality at the start.
Val... well, she is actually just about the most perfect milf I could think of, considering I'm into brunettes.
None of this is a complaint, it is the opposite, rather. By not making the girls perfect, always sweet, always obedient etc.. this makes it way more rewarding to manage to win them all for you and fan-fucking-tastic actually manage to get up to 4 in a relationship with you and each other.

Due to the different types, there's something for everybody.
The writing might not be perfect, but it is good. It tends to be very romantic, even sappy at times, but I personally happen to like that shit.

I also find myself actually liking that you can't have all the girls in the harem, sure it is nice to get the whole rooster at once, but this feels more realistic, as if it is almost possible (it probably would be, at least with Athena and Heidi) and still so incredibly hot.

This game has just about the hottest foursomes and fivesomes I know of, at least on par with the best of them. I won't lie, that is definitely one of the reasons this one rates so high for me. I like watching the girls enjoy each other almost as much as the MC railing them.

One thing I do have to say though, if you are one of these strange creatures who don't like the girls in a harem to actually interact with each other in the bedroom or "gasp" have actual feelings for each other, this game is not for you. The girls here are actual characters, not just meat-sheats for the MC's giant dick.

One last positive thing, the game has a lot of content, but the devs kept it within reason. The next chapter will be, as far as I know, the final one and will bring the story to a close.
I love how the devs kept themselves grounded and didn't make high-flying exorbitant plans only to then fail in realizing them.

As long as they don't go and make you decide between which LI has to die in the last update, this will remain one of my favourite games.

Bare Witness is like a telenovela in which each protagonist has a traumatic past waiting to be revealed in some post-coital dialogue but without having much impact on the overall story. The MC is a womaniser, just every woman goes for him, even background characters we don't even know the name of. They all wink, flirt and want sex, as quickly as possible and for reasons. And a creampie please, because that's what makes women's hearts beat faster.

As you can easily see, this is too much and too thick for me in many situations. It almost feels like a parody, but I think it's meant in earnest. And if it weren't for the good music, super renders, diverse characters and an interesting plot, I'd be less than convinced. But on the technical level this game is very good.

And I have to remind myself that there are VNs that are not heavy fare. You can spend a nice evening with them and ignore the logical contradictions and non-choices, just fly along and switch off. You can do that wonderfully in Bare Witness, because there are no real obstacles, no moral dilemma, just a lot of sex and superficial drama.

Very, VERY good stuff here. Renders are great, lots of beautiful LIs. Sex scenes are nice, would be nice to see a little more variety or even some outfits ..sex scenes and even animations are nice, but a little lingerie or heels would be a great add from, the everyone always just gets naked thing.

Why 5 stars, well..excellent english and character development. Very interesting interactions and story. BIG PLUS - my first round I focused on Val, the MILF in the story because I love MILFs and this one isn't a "Landlady" so its an actual LI in a non incest driven story. HOLY CRAP - hot, endearing, sexy, and an actual relationship. She is beautifully made and written. Double his age...wait DEVs don't allow those as permanent LIs, you have to accept the 20 year old later on and move on from your older lover. Nope, you get to cement it in the best way and seems like it will continue. Bravo dev for doing the thing very few do.

Excellently written, great story, beautiful renders. Simply wonderful.

Ch.4

I've played a lot of these games and lemme tell ya one thing. It's one of the best (if not the best) harem games I've seen. You can't have all gals, but you can have up to 4 (I think ?). Very hot and great group scenes in ch. 4. Incredible job from developers. Amount of different poses and angles, plus smooth animations..just wow...update was a fckn blast !

My one and only whim - no anal on this path. 1 scene in whole game on a different route to be precise. "Sacrifice" was made in favor of Pregnancy fetish I guess.

If I understood right - 5th chapter will be the last one. Still I wanna see much more from this dev team and I wish them all luck !

Please release your game in Steam, Imma support ya !

Stop reading, go play !

My review for Bare Witness Chapter 4.

One of the hottest VNs that I've played. Great renders, animations and soundtrack. The story is a little bit fast paced but it's understandable considering that the developer only plans on five or six chapters if I am not mistaken, however, it doesn't mean that it has less content. It has lots of great sex scenes with lots of gorgeous women. I loved Heidi's nipple piercings (can't help but include that in this review hoping for an option for genital piercings in the future for the women). The story about an MC being in a witness protection program is rare so it's kind of refreshing. The story is well written and each character has their own unique personality and story which makes it easier for the player to find connection with them. I have nothing but good words for this game considering it's their first. Keep up the good work and thank you for creating Bare Witness.