VN - Ren'Py - Between Two Worlds [Ch.9] [Drooskati]

(Review as of Chapter 7 )

Story First

For the first few chapters, I was left wondering where the Dev was going. There was amazingly well done slice of life and the TT game was fun, but the build up was slow in coming. I would have been fine with this, but the premise of the game promised much more and it took its good sweet time getting to that.

That being said, when the shift in the story occurred (being vague to avoid spoilers), the payoff was well worth it. By that point everything that followed actually felt like something I was invested in rather than just another cliche plot element. (And lets face it, its a classic trope we all know and love).

The Girls

The renderings are almost all top notch. I would say that Emily's is perhaps a little less glorified than the other girls, but even she was nothing to sneeze at. Skyler and Hannah are probably the two best ones so far. The Dev took the time to really develop them well, each with their own personality and quirks. It was very refreshing to have LIs who were engaging rather than just 'Well, she's hot. Gotta get with her'.

The other thing that demands comment is the relationship dynamics. It actually works. Sure, there are some elements helping to influence things (and it is a erogame) but the dynamics of all parties actually give it a feel of realism. It makes the MC much more likeable when he isn't a bad boyfriend or a bad friend (mostly...he isn't perfect).

The Guys

Kenny and Oscar actually work really well as characters. They help to round out the world, adding to the dynamic of the group and its setting, while at the same time avoiding being a camp caricature. They're likeable as individuals, but also not flawless.

Biggest Gripes

1) This is a slow burn, but there was no warning on that. So if you're going to give this game a try, and I really recommend you do, you need to understand that. You'll get a lot of sex scenes before the story *really* gets going.

2) The DM. Treating the players as he did because they came up with a plan he didn't account for wasn't cool. Bad DM. No treats for you! I'm kidding mostly, but it was one of the few things that stood out. On the same hand, this sort of thing happens and it added a greater richness to the character for it.

3) Abandoned paths. So far there have been a few characters introduced (such as Bailey) which haven't really gone anywhere. Sure, by the end of Chapter 7 Bailey is just starting to get plot, but still. A number of other NPCs who were introduced and it seemed suggested they would be revisited and they haven't. This isn't a deal breaker, but I'm nitpicking because everything else was done so well.

Rare is it that a developer does such a good job on the game that I actually want to throw money at them, but here we are. I'm seriously looking forward to seeing where this game goes, not just for the smut but for an even more rewarding story.

Really enjoyed it - the dev has put so much work into this to create an immersive, detailed storyline - the writing and characterisation are very well done. The blending of the 'real' world with the game-within-a-game is handled deftly. There are similarities to Eternum and I consider that the highest praise!

My only slightly negative remark is that Skylar and Emily are a bit bland compared to characters in some other games out there, but that's just personal taste.

Thanks Drooskati, grateful for your hard work

PHENOMENAL! Great writing, great characters, great art and scenes! Did I mention the great writing? Only complaint is that there's not more to play. Also I like going for more chaotic character play when given the choice to, but making the evil choices in this game makes me feel bad because characters actually have personalities and respond when you do.

A fun Dungeon & Dragons themed visual novel with realistic characters.

Finally! A game where all the love interests don't look like supermodels or have oversized H cup breasts. I'm impressed by the variety of characters in the game that aren't beauty queens.

The realistic characters and excellent animations really set this game above so many others on this site. The game has excellent writing also. The animations are some of the best you'll find.

The story is engaging and fun.

There is a bit of cock blocking during the first third of the game. Two potential H scenes are skipped for some reason. One with Rhaskin (the player is even given options if he wants to pursue this but then nothing happens if you choose yes) and then one handjob in the tent (either from Skylar or Kaylee don't remember which) and the MC wakes them up instead for some unknown reason.

One odd thing is that Skylar mysteriously develops larger breasts late game. Out of the D&D group, the MC's girlfriend Hannah has the largest breasts (D cup) and then suddenly Skylar has bigger late game. She goes from C cup to DD (bigger than Hannah now). I wish I could post screenshots.

There's lots of content to play through. Overall, the game is very well done! The game succeeds in nearly every way!

I highly recommend this game and encourage others to give it a try!

This game just makes me happy on so many levels.

Table-top gaming with friends in the same room: Check.
Table-top gaming with friends in the same room and they're NOT ALL MEN: Double-check!

Isekai story: Check.
Isekai story where the MC can be nice and relatively intelligent and still be somewhat OP: Double-check!

Enjoyable sex scenes: Check.
Multiple paths for a variety of enjoyable sex scenes: Double-check!

Be the best boyfriend: Check.
Be the best boyfriend AND have a harem: Double-check!

Seriously though, The gaming scenes are on-point, the story is compelling, the ability to be either a "villain" or a "hero" is fun, and the characters are rich, unique individuals with their own personalities and beautiful both inside and out.

Only problem is that @Drooskati is putting a lot of effort into making sure the story continues to be strong and consistent within itself, which means now that I've found it, I have to wait impatiently for each new update to the story.

Thanks and looking forward to more.

Ok, Played up to the current Chapter 6 and It's actually not bad at all for a first attempt.....A damn fine job, actually.

The animations are some of the best on any VN I've seen on this site. The Dev REALLY put some effort into making the story AND sex come alive. Kudos! The story is very unique and ti be honest, I wasn't expecting where the story was going heading into Chapter 6
Writing is great and even liked some of the choices we were making. The cast seems like a pretty likable cast and not the stereotypical sluts or douchebags found in many VN's.

Now I don't give 5 stars on any game because I feel that ANY game/VN could use improvement BUT I give this game the highest I can based on my Rating chart. I did end up knocking off a half star for a very, very minor nitpick and that's because Even though I give the Dev credit for creating plain human models with !gasp! normal bodies for the women.......I'm not actually attracted to any of them except Bailey and MAYBE Skylar. But that is a matter of personal taste, so DEV please don't take it to heart.

Overall, I want to see how this ends.

If I have to describe this VN in word it would be "simple" but simple isn't bad, in fact if done correctly simple is awesome, and the dev definitely did that.

The MC feels like an actual human being without sex on the brain or some creep who is ogling every female he sees . no sleep groping or outright rape.
I also really like how he shares his struggles with the The book/ Alorie with his friends, really brings their relationship into perspective.

For the rest of the cast, the characters are done really well, the male friends don't fade into the background, they are neither your typical clown or "Bro" character and i found my self liking them.
The LI's are very likeable as well, Hannah is well, Hanna ! she is awesome. I typically hate when I start a VN with a the MC already in a relationship, typically she is a harpy or you cheat on her. not here Hannah is really likable and their relationship is really amazing, actual communication and no cheap drama ! sign me up.
Sky is the innocent type but not to the point of Naivety, and is trying to spread her wings, which is nice.
Emily and her alter ego stole the show for me, she is headstrong and slightly out of touch with her emotions, without *gasp* hurling insults at you every two seconds, the back and forth between her and the MC is one of the highlights. There is Sky's sister and Bailey but i'm not sure how they will factor in later or even of they should.

For the plot, it's nothing ground breaking but it's engaging and consistent. the table top part is done really well, and again Emily/Kersei the gold hoarder kinda stole the show for me. the slice of life part never felt boring in comparison and develops the various relationships really well, and the interaction between the main cast is interesting.

I like how the Harem isn't forced on you, and it's your choice. and I like how basically the MC and Hannah decide on it together before anything happens. no cheating here. If i had to nitpick regarding the harem is there is no emotional connection yet, but it is still early.

So, to sum it up an MC who feels like a human being and not a dick with a brain, an engaging and likable cast of characters without oversized proportions. and engaging and consistent plot without cheap and contrived drama that keeps you engaged. like i mentioned in the beginning all really simple. but an amazing VN all the same

[Ch. 6] [Drooskati]
Story: 5 (Captivating, actually read all conversations)
Originality: 4 (Interesting approach and character development)
Renders: 5 (Nothing else to say)
Sound: 4 (Fun BGM, and some nice sound effects)
Playability: 5 (Easy to play)
Bugs: 5 (Nothing found by me)
Animations: 4 (Not many, but all 'realistic')
Voice Acting: 0 (None)
Grammar: 5 (I haven't gone through all options, but I haven't found any errors)
Amount of content: 5 (Good amount for the current version, but still in development)

I will definitely be playing the next chapter once it comes out!

What a game! This is one of the best written ones ive found so far, awesome story. laughed alot while playing Been playing it for over 7 hours now, not once did i feel the urge to skip dialogues.
Reccomend this game to people that likes a good plot and not just fapping

keep up the good work!

Overall, very enjoyable story thus far (ch.6) with reasonably fleshed out and believable characters. It's a tight-knit friend group with nice diversity, and the romance with Hannah is pretty wholesome. Only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is personally not a fan of any of the other girls' models and Hannah only gets a pass as a redhead, as this is still an adult VN; Alora is probably the only model so far that I truly like. Looking forward to future instalments (and hoping for some Alora action)!

play chap6 with french trad (which explains my poor written English, sorry)

story: 4/5 Very good, a real heroic fantasy adventure! The "realistic" love story is very well done. we feel at times some length, but not enough to drop the story

characters: 4/5 I struggled with Emily at first, who struck me as quite contradictory. The characters are clearly not all developed equally, but still enough for us to discover them all quite well

sex scene: 3/5 I would have liked a little more, I saw more erotic too, but they are still quite satisfying and of a correct length

renders: 3/5 The renderings are correct, the world "fantasy" and very well done

animation: 4/5 They are quite successful although a little rigid at times

sound: Some slump, but most of the time there is

gameplay: 5/5 Enough choices with importance to want to play the game again!

SUPER WHOLESOME. Its all wholesome. All of it. The MC, the LI(s?), the story. Everything. The MC and the main LI have a super wholesome relationship where no one looks to cheat, which isn't to say you can't bang the other LIs. Main girl hooks up threesomes that she's as interested in as you are. The story really starts making sense in chapter 6, so stick it out if the RPG stuff is annoying. I promise it all comes together. I quite like the story, it... wholesome.

The renders and animations are quite nice too. Nothing earth shaking, but quite nice. The girls actually have the proportions of like, normal girls too. YMMV there depending if that's your thing or not. They are all cute but there is nary a gigantic boob or ass in site. The atmosphere is very... erm, accepting of LGBTQ things. If idea of having two best buddies who are dudes who are into each other bothers you then look elsewhere. We don't see that, but it exists and its... wholesome. The main LI is also into the ladies so if that bothers you, well tough.

Its different than pretty much any AVN i've seen so thats refreshing. Oh did i mention its all wholesome fun for the family... so so wholesome.

Overall good game, great storytelling and characters are easy to recognize, what's really impressive about the game is the quality of the animations, they're really fluid so it's quite enjoyable to go through them. Keep up the good work
Maybe one thing that annoyed me that I'll put in spoilers

After pirating and playing this AVN, I immediately bought the Steam version to support the developer because it is so damn amazing.
I really love how the dev manages to balance both the slice-of-life content and the Table RPG presentation. Each Chapter is really long but it never feels boring and dull. I've seen many AVNs that have tried to implement the Table RPG elements within but this is by far the most successful one to do so.
I also appreciate how the character relationship plays out. I always believe that it's always a bad move for AVNs to start with you having a formal relationship with others unless they include and focus on the harem route, and even though the dev states that the canon ending will be harem (as a harem lover I cannot refuse), the relationship between you and Hannah (your gf) is something that I haven't seen in other harem-focused AVNs. Hannah is one of the most amazing female LIs that make you don't wanna lose her no matter what, and the fact she's the one that proposes and "controls" MC's harem (though under the influence of the lady) feels really smooth. The representation of homo relationship feels really natural. I'm a supporter of LGBTQ community so I have no issue with homo relationship in AVNs, and I think this relationship in this AVN is something that even LGBTQ hater can "withstand" (and accept).
The renders are really good especially with Hannah. The animation is also one of the top in the field of AVNs. From normal animations to lewd ones, you can tell that the dev make a lot of effort to ensure the good quality of the game.
The "lack" of walkthroughs and point system might be a little bit confusing at first, but in doing so the dev makes sure that we as players can play what ever the way we want without much bad consequence, which is something that I really appreciate.
Overall, Between Two Worlds is one of the best AVNs that I've ever played with intriguing story, amazing characters, and interesting implementations. There seems to be at least 12 chapters planned according to Steam description, so I guess I need to keep following the upcoming updates.

great game. just played the version on steam. loving the story and when its not only all about fucking and banning. i mostly enjoy a good story and some okay dirty stuff here and there. but great visuel story and grammer is perfect and how the story is told out. <3 happy fan waiting for new chapter.

As of Ch 5:

Interesting concept. Very nice visuals. Good story. Some pacing... quirks (maybe it's just me, but the DnD sessions drag a bit. That said, I haven't had a 4+ hour session of any TTRPG in a decade).
Very interesting characters. Well written gay-best friends duo. Lots of choices that do seem to affect things. No errors or bugs that I've noticed.
On the negative side - I do have concerns about running off story because of the choices. I've written gamebooks and know how many permutations even half a dozen choices can create. Hope the dev can keep up. The DnD parts are for the moment... a bit sub-par, compared to the otherwise much more interesting real-world shit going on, but it seems this is intended to change.

Good game, I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Got my attention thanks to lovely faces of the female protagonists.
While I'm usually seeking adult games for the themes that are hard to find in real life or "real life" porn, this game is making me reminiscencing about the nerdy times, and delivering the sweetest, imho very realistic depiction of the first threesome. Also I don't find split between slice of life and roleplaying reality disturbing at all, it shows dev's experience in that field for sure. Plus public sex or at least indecency is always a major turn on, no dispute about that. Also I don't really care about so frequently mentioned animations, but they seem to be way better and frequent than usual here.
Let's state some very subjective objection, that kinda follows me most of times - while I really adore faces of the heroines, they kinda seem to have the same very womanly body type. Still within realistic body proportions though.

I absolutely love this game. It doesnt look too nice when you first look at it imo but is pretty convincing while playing it.

First things first the Story: I really love the feel good relationship experience you get while playing the game. A loving functioning relationship with the typical activities you would except, like dating just spending time together havinf fun with friends and of course fucking. At the same time there is the DnD aspect which keeps the story interesting and diversified until the main plot is revealed. So imo the pace of the story is really good and you get eased into the whole mystery of the main plot. Im really interested to see where this is going because it feels like now (Chapter 5) its really going to get started. The writing is also absoluetly well done and really enjoyable to read.

As for the renders they are done really well and count to the best ive seen so far. Alongside with the transitions the game looks really good and the sex scenes are super well made. As far as looks go they are not really for me none of the girls you can get involved with so far really does it for me and i think they could look much better, mainly their faces. Thats mostly personal taste tho but the women in this game arent the hottest imo. The kind of realtionship you have with the main girl can make you look past the fact tho and as its mostly the faces that arent too hot the sex scenes are still good. I think a big part is the hair that look often stringy and kinda weird.

As far as choices go there are some times where there are very few choices to make and so far they dont seem to have too much impact (besides denying or accepting having fun with other girls) but its still enough to let you feel like your involved in the story but i would say its the bare minimum. Would be great to have more choices with some that really have impact and some that are just flavor choices.

I also enjoy the sound and music of this game and can say overall this is a really fun game to play and has one of the best gaming experiences ive encountered so far. Even tho the girls in other games are much hotter looking i have to say this is a must play and i look forward to seeing where this goes

I don't know how I didn't find this game sooner, but on the plus side, discovering it at chapter 5 gave me a lot of content to play through.

Strap in, this is gonna be a long one. TL;DR- great writing+great characters=great end product. The rest is in spoilers so that you don't have to scroll past a frigging essay to see the next review, if my thoughts aren't of great interest.

Version Played: Ch. 5

Main Point : This game isn't really a 5*. i give it 5* however because of a promise of excellence. Currently it's more like 3.5/5.

Writing is good, and so are the renders. Animations are among the best I've seen in RenPy adult games. Not too many sex scenes though.

What is lacking however, is plot cohesion/development. For a year or of development all we get are some glimpses into a plot and what it could be - nothing noteworthy actually happened yet. And the latest update didn't even bother with exploring the story at all, all it did was lewd it up (nothing wrong with that in general, but I get the feeling this is more of a narrative-driven than lewd-driven game).

I would like a bit more player agency/choices, but I understand too many branching paths are quite a pain to deal with and keep track of.

Overall, you should play it - but it hasn't really gotten to the meat of it, so far it's just nibbling, and some games get there in their prologue, and here we've had 1 year and 5 chapters.