VN - Ren'Py - Being a DIK [v0.10.1] [DrPinkCake]

DIK story is excellent and gives the college experience with alot of different ways how to play it. Cons I would say is some of the forced story conflicts is somewhat dumb.

The storytelling, music, writing, comedy, graphics, scene varation, use of mobile phone/mini games, free roam and lewd scenes makes it the complete package. DrPinkCake is setting a different standard to the VN scene with this.

Massive improvements from Acting Lessons in every regard.

The best, nice characters....good renders, the story is quiet cliché but still enjoyable
Visuals 10/10
characters 10/10
sex scene animations 8/10
Renders 10/10
story 9/10
humour 8/10
just love this game

I'm writing this review only a day after the release of Episode 10 and having played through all of the routes because I have too much free time. There may be a few minor variations that I haven't seen that have probably a few lines of extra dialogue total that I haven't seen but are ultimately negligible to the experience, and rather than basing my rating on the most recent update like some people seem to be doing, an update that, mind you, I think is fine, I'm reviewing the game as it is as a whole from the current beginning to end, which I'm pretty sure is what you're supposed to do, but I digress.

I don't really have much to say about this game that hasn't already been said to death, but I'll say it nonetheless. "Being a DIK" is probably one of, if not the most successful and popular games on this website and in the non-Japanese VN genre as a whole, and for good reason, it has superb story telling, although the story is admittedly not finished yet and it's possible that the build-up may not meet expectations, I'll keep my fingers crossed. It also has great rendering and character design; although preferences may vary, I also think all main characters' are well written and likable, and even a lot of the side characters too, with the exception of a few who aren't meant to be likeable. Last but not least, there's good music to match the gameplay, which I'm astonished more VN's don't do, as just putting the right music into your game can multiply the emotional impact of any scene just on its own, whether it's a romantic moment, eating at a restaurant with friends, or even a party. "Being a Dik" is a story that takes place at what seems to be a stereotypical movie-like American college, there's parties, frats, dumb jocks, popular girls, goofy and idiotic friends, drugs, you name it, but even though a lot of the characters fit into those stereotypes most of them have backstories and motivations that drive them and are fueled by the tragedies and events of their own lives, pretty much every main member of the cast has their own story and reason behind why they act the way they do, many of the side characters do too, which is what i feel a lot of VN's fail to do, make their characters feel human and feel like they existed before the player character came into the picture and that the cast doesn't just exist as a foil to them, this feeling is something that only becomes more clear the longer you play and uncover more about the characters, it is still a porn game though.

If I had any complaints, it would come down to two things: First, update speed. The developer is a perfectionist, and, at a certain point, the cons of such a thing far outweigh the benefits. With the most recent update being only 7 days from being exactly a year apart from the previous one, I'm not exactly sure that the quality of the updates is enough to make up for the scarcity of them, but nonetheless, this is a complaint that will be irrelevant when/if the game gets a full release and is completed, which will hopefully be before I'm old and grey. My biggest worry is the developer getting burned out and leaving the game unfinished, or even worse, an extremely rushed ending.

My second big one is the minigames; some are fun and I don't mind, like Brawler and the Zoey drawing minigame, but for 90% of them, they are extremely annoying and completely kill the flow of the story whenever you run into them. Even then, that on its own is somewhat manageable to deal with, but the problem is that this is a visual novel with different routes, so you are expected to play through it multiple times if you want to see all the endings and content with different girls. For the main girls alone, there are four playthroughs, not to mention the other routes. Because of that, the minigames quickly become overwhelming. It is possible to toggle off the minigames at the beginning, but that's before you even run into most of them and know what you're getting into, and it's an unchangeable choice unless you go outside of the game and use third-party tools. There's also certain renders and scenes that, from what I know, are locked behind succeeding at the minigames, so if you want to see those, you can't turn them off. Ultimately, I resorted to a third-party tool to enable the console and toggle on and off the minigames whenever I wanted, so I could skip them when I already did them on a different save and didn't want to do them again, which was most of the time. Another smaller common complaint that is somewhat in the same vein in that it makes things annoying and time-consuming when doing subsequent playthroughs is the free roam event's where you have to click around and move through rooms with arrows, but I'm mixed in that opinion in that while I acknowledge that it does waste more time, I also kind of like them and enjoy having them as an addition to the game and would be kind of sad if they were removed as I feel the free roam add's more weight and a good time to interact with the texts and social media, so maybe I'm just weird there.

That's about all I have to say about the game, and even with those complaints, I'm still rating it 5 stars because, for me, the positives overall far outweigh the negatives. Maybe a more exact number to show my overall opinion of the game would be something like a 4.9, if a 5 was an absolutely perfect F95 game with no complaints, but that should show just how much value I got out of the game. It's an absolute must-play.

Now don't mind me while I go and log off so I can contemplate my life after I spent a little over 30 minutes writing a review critiquing and praising a porn game.

v0.10.0
I'm not surprised that a game of this size has a vocal amount of complainers but this is just getting ridiculous. Being a DIK is, at least content wise, the best AVN by far. The sheer size of this project is hard to beat. Sure, others are doing it more concisely, but this game has been going for fucking years. Revolutionary ideas like this aren't executed flawlessly on the first attempt.
While I agree the free roam sections need drastic improvements, simply writing "sandbox bad" or "mini-game bad" is pathetic. If you're that impatient to watch porn, then go watch porn. The passion that has gone into making this game for this long is impressive. Playing from Episode 1 to the current release will show you just how far this shit has come. The impressive soundtrack that keeps expanding. The writing that constantly improves. The mini-games, while annoying at times, are pretty impressive in their most recent state. Characters being more than just one note. Actions are having consequences. It also just looks fantastic graphic wise.
The longer BaD runs, the more invested I get. Episode 10 (the most recent one as of this review) has proven how much I've personally grown to care about these characters and that's pretty impressive. Getting this invested in drama in a fictional adult game seems silly but man I just love getting lost in it and not knowing what will come next. If no one interests you at all and you don't care about any of the context, then maybe this game just isn't for you; and that's perfectly fine. But with these amount of options, it's hard for nothing to interest you at all.

Maybe it's just me, but I lost interest in this game fairly quickly. I don't relate to the frat boy MC, and the plot is convoluted. There are so many characters and people on screen at once that it often feels like an orgy, without enough room to develop true intimacy with the characters. Granted a lot my issue with the game is simply with the setting. For me, there is nothing alluring or sexy about drunk shenanigans in a frat environment.

The visuals quality is excellent, however, and I have to believe that is a big part of the reason the game is so popular.

Unfortunately though it takes more than pretty visuals to make a compelling porn game. I just downloaded a full save and used it as a scene viewer. Didn't have the patience to get through novels of dialogue with all the unlikeable characters.

This is the pinnacle of AVNs. The template which all other school settings based games are based on. The art is top notch, all the girls are beautiful, The dialogs are fun and even emotional sometimes. The best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be.

Edit - after I've finished chapter 10 I'm even more certain that this is the best AVN out there. Episode 10 was awesome and kinda mentally draining in a good way. | played 7 paths and they are all great. I don't get why people are bitching about minigames - you do not have to play them if you don't want to. the sex scenes are amazing so I don't get why are having issues with the graphics. I know that updates take a long time but it is well worth the wait. Go play it and you'll enjoy every minute !

It used to be pretty cool with a likable mc and an interesting story and all that stuff. but right now its just frustrating with all the pointless minigames and it feels like the story is not even about the mc anymore. that wouldnt be such a bummer if it wouldnt take a year for new stuff to come out. also why do i have to choose between li if its all casual. i would get why the mc would feel bad about dating multiple girls if he wants a real relationship. but he wasnt dating any of the main li in my game right now and he still whines about needing to choose.

Maybe when this came out it would have been 4 stars (but not 5 because of those illogical sandbox sections)

but now its just a mess of paths and stilted storytelling (because multiple years into this game harem is bad and evil!!!!1) including mandatory boring sandbox sections where you talk with people you dont remember because they have no personality beyond their basic traits

In the modern landscape the writing is lower than the vast majority of "highly rated" games, the renders are very good but no longer best in class, the forced sandbox and minigame sections are boring, forced, and drag down a middle of the road experience to something that I can not recommended playing

you dont see people simping over jumping jack flash because it was the first 3d game you shouldnt simp over being a dik because it was your first AVN

Perfect art, perfect story, perfect music , I hoped we get to see some futa or sleep sex along the way but hey that’s my fetishes not all people all in all I highly recommend this game, even the humor in this game is really good , dr pinkcake is a genius, hope to see more games from him

The first thing I wanna say is that my impressions are based on playing without the mini-games. I tried, but I couldn't deal with them. This is NOT a bad point for Being a DIK though, the author had the foresight to make this content optional, and giving options to the player is always a great thing.

The second is just a reminder of how many LONG reviews this game has. You can like it or dislike it, but writing a handful of lines about something of this magnitude seems inadequate. There's a lot to say, hence the following.

- I'm starting with the audio this time - There's a lot of tracks, a fair number are good and more importantly, play at the right time. This is coming from someone who can safely spout "not my cup of tea" at the some of the genres used, I still recognize their quality. I'd like to single out "Just Peachy" by Bellsmarie, it's perfect for Maya and the "triangle situations". Picking proper audio is an important skill (that many lack), so props on that account. The next step is voice acting I believe, and that would be the real kicker to greatness here.

What do you think is catapulting Slay the Princess to success? The obvious trigger to almost everything, that is picking up the knife or not doing it? Well yes, people are easily impressed, great publicity and the previous title seal the deal, but V.A is also one of the main reasons: "You are on a path"... Look at something like Snow Daze The Music of Winter for instance. You don't need professionals and tons of money, even sub-standard, partial V.A, is better than none.

- Humor - I'm not sure how to sell this in any other way. Being a DIK had me laughing numerous times. Yes, I'm an easy target. Yes, I'm partial to immature or "foul-mouthed" jokes. Yes, I like the reversal of PC culture arguments with satire. Yes, physical humor with dildos cracks me up. I'm not sorry, if it's funny I will laugh, and if I laugh it's funny. Thinking about what jokes should be funny, is a stagnant concept outside the circular logic associated with the terms "laugh" and "funny", ergo it never touches the circle. "Double ergo" it has zero relevance to the circle. "Stretching the ergo", pseudo-intellectuals don't stop Being a DIK from being very funny.

- The free roaming sections - I never took a spatial awareness test in my life, but after Being a DIK, I'm pretty sure I would fail spectacularly at any of them. I took the wrong path dozens of times. I don't know if it's me or the game, but it's definitely the game. Don't you feel any sympathy for the physical integrity of my monitor. What about my sanity?

- Visuals - I'm gonna go there, and address the "pioneer idea" that the girls are not realistic. It's STUPID . What's next? Are you gonna cry cause people don't die, and no one ever fights seriously in "The legend of heroes", after 13 titles... The rapture can't get here fast enough, so one of us gets taken away permanently. Forget breast, thigh, ass, and all other sizes, what you need to do is inform yourself on the product you are purchasing, and act accordingly. I'm not even bringing artistic freedom to the table, or the fact that VN's are ALWAYS an obvious product of fiction. My argument is simple: Don't try to change the very nature of things, acquire different things, more in line with your own taste.

With that out of the way I like the girls (What are my odds, regarding Sage jumping out of the screen, in Quantum physics/theory/tunneling numbers? Wife says it's cool, if it happens), the animations, backgrounds, and the adult scenes. As far as I can tell, is higher quality all around, when compared to some other noteworthy titles that you can find here.

- Isabella - I don't remember seeing any character quite like Isabella in any VN. (If I say how many I have read so far, it will sound like I'm bragging***). She looks like she could grab a 2-handed axe and cut a man in two, if he has the gall of asking her, whether she used milk on her omelet. Forget her emotional conflict, being on guard and "murderous" 24/7, is definitely on the original side of things. She is kind of like a reverse "yandere", who will kill you first, and then give you her sweet side (metaphor, not necrophilia). At any rate, I had fun messing with her, and realizing that was not gonna work.

- Being a DIK shows a ton of ambition- This leads to many problems (I will address some below), but I just love when developer(s) try to go beyond (reach the next step of the ladder), when so many just achieve one success, and sit comfortably on easy money and repetition. (This is especially bad in adult videogames and visual novels). The praise stems from the existence of "things" like One One1 or Yuzusoft, in essence. Never settle, always strive for more.

- The alignments (DIK) don't work - The entirety of chapter 4 made zero sense after my previous choices (as DIK). I had no idea what was going on, and why the protagonist was so upset when I payed little to no attention to both girls involved , (lots of Sage, Sage, and more Sage, a bit of Sage, not much Josie or Maya...) You can't have the protagonist act like that after the choices I made. I understand that getting this right is a huge endeavor, but this is a deal breaker at the moment. Hundreds of choices, and a protagonist that decides to think for himself are always gonna clash. I decided to just restart, but I was close to uninstalling the game, on account of my own incredulity staring at my screen.

- There's no main story - More accurately, the slice of life/comedy/ is overwhelming, and drowns the rest, at some point. Again, it's wonderful that the developer wants to do so much, but my brain has trouble keeping up with all the paths taken. That means that when you suddenly insert a relevant flashback/exposition, and backstory to some character, I may not be giving it all of my attention. That's a recipe for disaster, in a title that is obviously driven by the desire to portray interpersonal relationships, and ensuing struggles.

- The girls are following the alignment system - I will give it to you straight, there's only 2 types of girls in Being a DIK (Isabella is the odd 3rd). The first is the "good girl" who has everything going for her except some sort of first world problem. The game wants you to court them and be nice to them. Then there's the "bad girls" who give a "loose impression", and respond positively to, or initiate sexual interactions, faster than the competition. There's a narrative there (regarding the sorority dynamics) thankfully.

I refuse to believe that the writer is unaware of character archetypes in VN's, and incapable of stamping some quick exaggerated quirks early on, just to separate the waters, and then proceed to more complex considerations. Let me point the finger at Jill, Maya, and Josie. They are way too similar, and my choices towards them reflect only one character. I'm not against picking someone based on attractiveness (quite the opposite, I do it all the time, cause in fiction everyone ends up being a "treasure"), but personalities are far more satisfying to consider. What do you think about when best girl votes/posts come around?

- The legal problem Maya faces - I don't live in the U.S, and I don't know its legal system, but this has "90's soap opera twist" written all over it. Bad faith claims, and state provided attorneys are a thing there I hope? The irony of me complaining about this, after my speech on "breast" size above, is not lost on me, but come on, this is bad. Make her infirm and on her death bed. Make her move to the Fiji islands for a year. Or make her the last princess of Mars on a quest to save her race by breeding with humans. Not this. I'm gonna stop here (dead horse...) but I had another dose of the same remedy for Jill.

IMPORTANT: I stopped playing here

- Parting words - The seed of greatness is here, despite some of my harsh remarks. There's no mistaking it, and I think this is a title worth purchasing and supporting. The problem I see happening here, is the foundations of the work being neglected, in favor of new content that pushes the title to finished state, or just aims to "please the consumer". It's a strange comparison, but look at Crusader Kings 3. That game could be legendary, if they were to fix the basics, instead of adding more things for "freshness" sake, and sales (it's also about manpower invested and corporate interests, but I hope the main idea is getting across).

I don't have a score for Being a DIK( I didn't saw all of it), but I'm hopeful this could be a stepping stone to the (hopefully bright) future of visual novels/adult games produced outside Japan. That's what I see here, the seed of growth and possibility. Also I have I mentioned that I really like SAGE, that's important.

***Over 150 - It was false modesty, I'm afraid.

One of the best game i have ever played. Character build up + story + graphics the best i ever feel and rendering are seamless. All girls are properly created but ISABELLA, SAGE and JILL those 3 are my favorite characters.

I love this game. With the episode releasing so soon, I still have no idea where to begin. For 9, I went with Sage path with Jade to see the chaos. For 10, I don’t know. I want to do my recent Rio solo run but also want to see what happens with Quinn player route, the previously mention Sage/Jade path and everyone else. I just love the playback ability. Keep doing your thing Dr.PinkCake

Simply put, its the best AVN out there. While the setting is something that has been copied countless times since BaDs release, no other game that I am aware of has managed to capture the same essence. The pacing, the scenes and the emotions portrayed throughout are very well done. Cant recommend enough.

Oh look, he's doing the thing where he's acting edgy by not giving a super popular VN a 5-star rating!

Anyways... Cringy jokes aside, there is a lot of potential with this VN, but much like Mass Effect 2 there is a hyper fixation on introducing new characters, and new LIs in some cases. To avoid derailing into a tangent I'll post my full thoughts in a "good" and "bad" list.

Good

• Each LI is given some kind of background and character arc that slowly develops over the span of each chapter.
• The dev seems to at least listen to some feedback (or something along those lines) as there are vast improvements to gameplay with each new chapter (i.e. navmap for sandbox sections).
• Vastly improved textures in later chapters (goodbye glassy eyes...).
• Interesting mini-games via an in-game phone.
• Good quality animations (aside from the first season being mediocre).
• Ample amount of lewd content fairly early on.
• Lots of varied content each update.
• Seamless implementation of UI elements, such as the MC's phone.
• Varied and unique soundtrack with a built in music player (this honestly was my favorite aspect).

Bad

• Lack of any coherent overarching plot.
• Railroading the audience into play the larger "mini-games" in order to achieve the "best" outcome.
• Convoluted sandbox sections that lacked any type of navmap in the earlier chapters.
• Contrivance of railroading the player into a monogamous relationships for three (3) of the main LIs (if you're going to go this route, at least pace it out better rather than having it "feel" like some last minute decision...).
• Anti-cheat/Anti-tamper code. Seriously dude, it's an AVN built in Ren'Py that has a dev console override, stop breaking people's saves.
• Blatant favoritism with the writing for ALL of Jill's content.
• Hardly any consequences for favoring DIK/CHICK decisions (choosing "DIK" closes Jill's route as a "primary" consequence...).
• Overabundance of side characters introduced each chapter, many of which aren't seen again for quite awhile.

Summary
I'll try to keep this section short to tie together my thoughts...

BaDIK has built a cult-like following with an iron-grip on the AVN genre. While most people will point to Doki Doki Literature club as the pioneer of VN's, BaDIK can be credited with bring in a much larger audience the niche AVN genre.

However, the high praise for the game stems from very similar reasoning that most BioWare fans claim ME2 was the pinnacle of the ME trilogy: the character arcs are incredibly well-written. DPC doesn't seem to have any clear idea on which direction the plot is going, much less what it even is in the first place. After the initial allure of pursuing specific LIs wears of I'm left wondering, "What's the point of this story anyways?".

A more egregious action is the apparent focus on adding MORE characters despite the game already have one of the largest casts in the AVN space as it stands. There have been moments where a side character comes back chapters later and I'm left surprised as to who they are despite the MC clearly remembering them in detail. The cast of side LIs is also made redundant because you're locked in to a specific path in Chapter 8, which blocks ALL lewd content with EVERY OTHER CHARACTER.



Considering how profitable this AVN is for DPC I honestly doubt he'll do anything to improve the overall story. However, like all good things in life must come to an end, so too will DPC's insane income if no real change occurs. I could always be wrong of course, but we've seen titans fall before, and DPC is not a god amongst men.

I played this game since the start. so enough content to keep my interest.
For me a really good game with really nice renders, great story twists and fun I Love this game, and look forward to each update that comes.

I do think this is the best game on the site, to bad the updates are slow going.
But, quality is HIGH!

This actually the Best AVN in most way
And have the number 1 sex scene and animated scene in AVN history
The character is loveable and the college vibes are really cool!
I love this game a lot

Pros
- My girl SAGEEEE! I love her like a lot!! she always make me smile
- This game have the best character design
- One of the best story in AVN history in real and unrealistic ways
- Minigame is kinda fun though
- Not a lot of AVN make me love male character but DIK are family and "Family Comes First" I like all of them (Tommy is Tommy Shelby)
- This game have the best animated and sex scene ,this is number 1#, This is top tier and it's really a FAP Material Devs know how to capture it
- Choice do a lot matter and it's fun
- Cheat mods are cool too
- Derek is a best of the best friend I really love him
- Jocks seems kinda bad at first but not at all later
- Quinn sex scene is DAMMM and Sage too both Quin and Sage have the best sex scene in all AVN
- The Tybalt got revenge hahaha that's funny

Cons
- Burke << Please get rid of this disgusting guy
- Many female character are too consume to the past love and I really hate the part that mention there old love a lot
- Why Jade still sticking with burke?
- Burke with Cathy? Cathy is smarter than that and Burke is ugly hell
- Burke with student? if student is one of the LI or even Riona, Mona or Quinn this will be really disgusting

My opinion only for the first episode (couldn't force myself to play more than that):
Can't believe this game has so many 5-star reviews, if it was on a different site I'd say it was voted up by bots or something. Heavy spoilers for Ep. 1 ahead.
Before I start complaining about the specifics, a quick general review : the 3D renders are very good, the music is good, the gameplay is mostly a VN with some annoying minigames and point-and-click style segments.
You get warned at the very beginning that this game might make you feel angry. I've naively assumed that meant unfair situations or the antagonists being real dicks (diks). Nope. What infuriated me was the MC. At every step he behaves like an insane person and because the EP. 1 is pure railroading (I went back and replayed with the opposite choices, got the exact same result) all the "choices" are just meaningless options that don't change anything.
The MC knows martial arts, can play a guitar, is good looking (some people even compare him to a jock) and he says he's used to being bullied!? After getting led-on by a girl he had a crush on she reveals that she has a boyfriend and that what she did hanging out with MC was wrong; MC continues to try and get together with her like nothing happened. After arguing with some jocks the MC is given a wedgie by one of them and just accepts it, like any person with some martial training would. MC's treasured guitar gets stolen from his room and all he does is tell the receptionist that he had a "falling out" with his roommate, without reporting the theft to the campus security or the police. Even if the MC beats up the roommate for letting someone steal the guitar, the MC is the one to leave and look for a new place to stay instead of kicking out the shitty roommate. When caught stealing panties from the girl dorm, the trained fighter MC gets overpowered and thrown out naked by two girls. Later, after being tasered, kidnapped and assaulted for the initiation for the frat-house that tricked and humiliated the MC, he just accepts it and joins the fraternity!?
So far the only LIs in the game are the girls MC interacted the least so they didn't fuck him over yet. One LI led him on even though she "has a boyfriend", another LI makes the MC do her some favors after learning that she's been given some of his stolen things, and the third LI rapes, tasers and helps kidnap the MC in his sleep (if you don't think that's rape, consider the situation where a guy gets on top of a sleeping girl, grinds on her, and tasers her when she starts to do anything; just because the sexes are swapped, doesn't make it less of a rape).
After the first episode the most appealing LI options are the rich girl who pities the MC and the librarian who seems to hate him. I guess there would be other girls later on, but if this is any indication of how they're written, I'll pass.
I suppose this game has some appeal for players with a humiliation fetish, just didn't expect such a game have a 4+ star rating. That, or people just skip all dialog to look at the renders.

Great game. One of the few games out here that isn't about a hung hero with some bogus mind control powers or a demon friend. The story is pretty good, mainly thanks to the characters. It makes you want to play it and it's actually fun AND sexy at the same time. Minigames are skippable from the get-go go so that is a big plus, no mandatory grinding minigames for money, etc.
One of the top games on this site, and my personal favorite when it comes to 3DCG.

I'll start my review with a general feeling from playing this game: it's pretty fucking good. And i say that after playing at least a half hundred AVNs, so my standards for a good AVN are high. BaDIK was actually the very first AVN i've played and was the reason i got hooked up to AVNs.

Story:
A bit slow at the beginning but picks up the pace rather quick and stays fun and entertaining, unlike some titles that start out great but losing in quality after a couple of updates. It's a basic college drama, but wrapped up in an interesting form. The choices are actually matter here, and i especially like that some of them will bite you in the ass way, way later. For example, getting in an affair with a certain teacher and then gettings close to a certain girl which turns out to be the teacher's relative. You can guess pretty well how this can backfire. I feel like there's a greater mystery involving drugs and drug dealers, the glimpses of which you can witness throughout the game, specifically interacting with Quinn. The most obvious one is at the end of the current version, which i won't spoil here.

I liked how the game handles your general attitude without overdoing it. DIK or Chick, it's not game-changing but some interactions are clearly made to match your DIK or Chick affinity, like flipping off Jocks after the fight with a big dude, and just walking away after the same fight if you're Chick. Some characters can comment on your affinity, like when Bella is talking to Sage. Sage says that MC is a great guy and Bella says: - "Are we talking about the same person?" (DIK) or "I see" (Chick). You're getting pretty mean dialogue lines if you're a DIK, while Chick is nicer to people (i guess, i'm a DIK all the way and only played DIK routes cause i'm kind of an ass myself xd). Humor in this game is great, i'm not an easy person to get laughing but some jokes were right up my alley.

Graphics, animations, performance, sound:
Are great, all of them. I don't know if the game was reworked at some point (pretty sure it was not), but even the first builds were awesome. Hell, even some 2022+ released games suck ass in comparison to the beginning of the s1. The only thing that might be annoying is occasional lag spikes during auto saves, but it's tolerable. Sex scenes are top tier, one of the best in the AVN industry, and gets better and better with each update.
I don't play AVNs with sound but first time i've played BaDIK i've been playing with it, and it's great. Added some tracks in my playlist.

Gameplay:
Is good. Mini-games are fun, free-roam can be a bit annoying at times but it gets better with the fast-travel implementation, which is not available until like s1ep5 or so. Some management here and there, which i find rather annoying and tedious most of the times, mostly because it's done bad. Not the case here, i even liked the party management in s2. Some mini-games have funny consequences, like aiming the ball at Tybalt (fucking bitch) and knocking his teeth out. I genuinely laughed doing that. Excuse me if that part wasn't a part of a mini-game, it's been some time since i played s1 so i don't remember everything.

Characters:
Are interesting, almost all of them.
One of the best MCs i've seen so far. Not creepy fuck but actually thinking human being. He's not perfect in any way, has a footlong dick (of course) and a dumbass at times, but he's being reasonable, admits his mistakes (most of them anyway) and you can shape his behavior quite a bit.
Sage is my personal favorite, she's fucking great. Easygoing and fun, supportive when necessary, sexy, smart and... well fuck, she's a perfect girlfriend, especially for a DIK affinity. She likes bad boys. And a redhead, love me some redheads.
Bella is my second fav, the Ice Queen. Kinda has a stick up her ass but getting close to her is an interesting experience. That kind of a woman is a partner for life. She's extremely smart, attentive and actually kind to people she cares about.
Side girls are also pretty damn great. Lily, Nicole, Rio (my favorite side girl), Cammy, Quinn (second fav), Sandy. They all fun in their own ways and get enough screen time so the solo path is actually enjoyable. Unfortunately some side girls are getting tossed away, Cathy for example. I liked her really. More than i liked Jade tbh.
The not-so-fun girls are Josy-Maya and Jill. They're just too vanilla for my taste, nothing really special about them, which isn't bad, just not for me.
I kinda wish that there was an option to avoid Josy and Maya but they're quite important for the story even if not on their path, so i'm not complaining. What i didn't like about Maya is her using MC, dry humping him and knocking him out with a fucking taser. C'mon dude, that shit ain't cool, imagine if roles were reversed, a guy knocking out a girl with a taser after dry humping her. Really creepy shit. I know she was kinda forced to do that but damn girl, use your fucking brain for once. MC is not a saint either, dating and possibly fucking a girl (Josy) knowing she kinda has someone already but this horse crap Maya pulled off is too much.
As for Jill... well, i've got nothing to say really, she's just too vanilla. And going behind MC's back telling that he was bullied when MC didn't ask her for it is not cool. She clearly doesn't know a phrase "The road to hell is paved with good intentions".
All the DIKs are cool dudes, i don't even have anyone i dislike, not even Tommy. He's a dick ofc, but he's funny. Derek is like a goofy brother, i like him, good friend altho with a loosy mouth when drunk.

Conclusion:
Great, cool, fun, awesome and excellent. Give it a go if you haven't already (heretic). Honestly 5/5 in my book, and while nothing is perfect, this one is as close to being perfect as possible. The only downside is a long ass wait for another update, but i rather wait a year for a juicy refined update than getting half-assed 200-500 render long pieces every few months.

this game is one of the best game on here i would think so after playing acting lesson i had to check the next game by you i really love your work I hope you continue with your work I know you work hard been waiting almost a year for next update and I'm just exited to see what come next