I never before reviewed a 0.1 version of a game, but do so this time because there aren't any reviews and the dev could probably use some motivation. That, I can provide.
I love the topic and the setting. The Soviet Union was devastated by WW2 more than any countries bar Poland and the Philippines. The loss of 1/6 of the prewar population meant that everyone was traumatized by the loss of friends and relatives, even if they were not traumatized by actual combat. And those traumatized by fighting in the war were traumatized far more than was the case for Western soldiers, because the red Army was either abandoning the civilians to the Nazi horror in the early war period, or recapturing territory with the evidence of that horror later in the war. I hope this game at least shows us a bit of what that must have been like.
The combat role of Soviet women in the war is also little-known and worth illustrating in a game.
So the game already starts with a bunch of stars for me just because it will hopefully educate some people a little about what the war must have been like for these characters. Cold War politics have tended to denigrate the fact that the main effort and sacrifice in WW2 was borne by people just like these characters.
The game earns more stars from me for being so well-written, even in English. The story is clearly set forth, the dialogue is smooth and natural, and the events are believable.
There are some scenes that look a bit odd, and the whole "strip her naked to interview her" scene with the doctor wasn't terribly credible, but the choice to go the "get her naked early" route is perfectly understandable in a game trying to grab the interest of porn-game players.
This isn't a five-star review because so little actually happens in this first episode, but I'll gladly upgrade it if the game continues in this very vein. I'll even support it if it gets to three on-time updates. I'm psyched to see what this dev/team can do.
I love the topic and the setting. The Soviet Union was devastated by WW2 more than any countries bar Poland and the Philippines. The loss of 1/6 of the prewar population meant that everyone was traumatized by the loss of friends and relatives, even if they were not traumatized by actual combat. And those traumatized by fighting in the war were traumatized far more than was the case for Western soldiers, because the red Army was either abandoning the civilians to the Nazi horror in the early war period, or recapturing territory with the evidence of that horror later in the war. I hope this game at least shows us a bit of what that must have been like.
The combat role of Soviet women in the war is also little-known and worth illustrating in a game.
So the game already starts with a bunch of stars for me just because it will hopefully educate some people a little about what the war must have been like for these characters. Cold War politics have tended to denigrate the fact that the main effort and sacrifice in WW2 was borne by people just like these characters.
The game earns more stars from me for being so well-written, even in English. The story is clearly set forth, the dialogue is smooth and natural, and the events are believable.
There are some scenes that look a bit odd, and the whole "strip her naked to interview her" scene with the doctor wasn't terribly credible, but the choice to go the "get her naked early" route is perfectly understandable in a game trying to grab the interest of porn-game players.
This isn't a five-star review because so little actually happens in this first episode, but I'll gladly upgrade it if the game continues in this very vein. I'll even support it if it gets to three on-time updates. I'm psyched to see what this dev/team can do.