VN - Ren'Py - Completed - Chasing Sunsets [v1.01] [Stone Fox Studios]

Sometimes you see a couple tags in a game thread and you feel you know what to expect. And when it comes to tags like the "i-tag" or "romance", I cringe immediately.

Not because they are themes I don't enjoy. If they are done right. Which is very rarely the case. Most "i-games" are just copies of the same "amnesiac dude, mother, 2 sisters" package. And done in the same pointless manner, that barely touches on the taboo subject, so they can just pass under the radar and not spend too much time working on the patch. And romance...well let's just say most game devs on here don't really know how the fuck to write romance. It's usually some cringy, idealized version of adoring vanilla waifu worshiping a white knight. And it ends up being an one-sided power fantasy, pretending to be romance. Which kills any kind of drama a good romance story is supposed to have. Might as well write a romance story about your anime pillow, which is how the female characters in these stories read anyway (fitting for the intended audience I guess).

Surprisingly enough, this one gets both right! The taboo part is not shoved under the rug. It's at the forefront and the combo of sexual tension and conflict it creates, is one of the main driving forces of the plot. And this treatment bleeds into the romance part of the game, making it interesting. With tension, ups and downs, humor, intrigue even a bit of betrayal. And devs were smart enough to use the last aspect up to a point , so it didn't devolve into another (hated by many) genre, but still added to the story drama. I wish they haven't killed it that early, but at least the rivalry aspect remains, which means the conflict part is still alive. The game has villains lurking in the shadows and has done a good job establishing them (the one we know so far that is). And more importantly, it's not a romance story between one Gary Stu and a dozen different girls. There are scenes with other characters but the game reserves the romantic aspect for only two characters (plus MC). So a triangle at most.

Combine all that with some gorgeous renders and you have yourself a good game. One that doesn't pretend to be slow burn for no reason, it actually takes its time to build characters and tension.

My only worry is that development seems a bit slow. I saw that during its first couple releases and decided to let it stew for about a year (maybe more). And yet when I picked it up again, it hadn't progressed as much as I expected. Hopefully I won't have to come back next year again, in order to get a good chunk of content.

Anyone who's interested in a good taboo romance story, unlike most uninspired clones on this site, should definitely keep an eye on this one.

unbelievable game. Graphics are so well balanced, not to much reality and not to much flat design, just so perfect middle ground. And for animations they did fantastic job. No standard error with depth, bouncing and object fling trough something not supposed to. It have almost all unique characters (i recognize only 1 from other game) and it has a lot of unique surroundings compared to other games (even if they maybe free its nice to see different surroundings, and not all same for all games). Story is also fantastic. Love humor during game, its not often see in games. Overall you got your self a supporter. Thx for game and keep up with good job.

A very good story-focused game.

The models and scenes are good, but not the focus of the game, which seems to be the story. And that part is also quite good. Lots of choices which change the outcomes quite a bit, although it's fairly clear that the intent is to get along with everyone. The characters are relatively distinct and the writing is good. Scenarios don't feel forced.

A good amount of effort appears to have gone into expressions on the characters, which always improves things.

This is my review for Chasing Sunsets by Stone Fox Studios version 0.6.

The good

• Renders are looking really good
• Characters have different personalities
• Music
• Writing
• Gameplay
• Big amout of content 5+ hours
• Story is interesting

The bad

• Some animations are bad
• Few important choices

In conclusion, 5 stars worth playing.

I've had this game on my watch list for a long time now but never gave it a chance due to how "generic" the preview images looked. The renders look good, don't get me wrong, but after playing a few games around here you begin to assume what kinda of gameplay you're gonna get based on those preview images and tags. And well those didn't help getting Chasing Sunsets to the top of my list.
Now that I finally decided to stop being an idiot and give it a shot...well, it's excellent. Renders, characters, writing, everything ,really. I won't go into details but I think you should give it a shot too.

I downloaded this expecting just some generic harem game and got out loving it and wanting much more.
Good job devs!

Version Reviewed: 0.6
Every once in a while a game comes along that just ticks all your boxes. This is one of them for me.
The writing in this game is among the best on this site, in my opinion. It's a bit of a slow burn, but the character development and worldbuilding more than make up for it. I'm always appreciative of games that help us get to know the characters and their motivations instead of just mindlessly banging anything with a pulse.
One of the things that stands out to me the most about this game is the attention to detail with the characters' expressions. I'm not sure I've run into another game that does it so well. It gives the characters so much life.
As far as "incest" games go, I feel that this one does it fairly realistically. You don't just have family members jumping each others' bones right out of the gate.
If I had to have any criticism about this game at all, it's that there isn't a lot of variation in body shapes. They are quite realistic proportion-wise, but it still would be nice to have some differences. Two of the characters (who I'm pretty sure aren't related) have almost the same face even down to the makeup- the only real difference being skin tone and hair. Again, this is a really minor complaint and I wouldn't even knock the game down a quarter point for this.
Overall, this is quickly becoming one of my favorite games on this site. I encourage anyone reading this to give it a try. It's an experience that is rare to come by in these days where most games are made up of the same old recycled tropes (shower peeping, yoga, massages, etc.)

how much i would give to like this game, but i simply can't. like someone earlier in the reviews wrote about the fact that the story is about the MC/Jayce. how can this work if the sis is already fucking with her gf. (with the dull reason she imagined it would be the mc)

is that the reason for making MC's first sex scene forced? just to make things even? i didn't liked that at all. and because thats the main plot of this game i have to say that i just deleted it. the forced M/F/F "relationships" are just a huge turn off.

btw the thing with mc's mom and jayce father. why you show us (the player) this sex scene if it has zero relevance to the story? just delete it, or give us the chance to skip it. IRL i wouldn't be interested in seeing my parents fucking either. (and i know it's NOT ntr, it's just not my thing.)

without changes in jayce behavior or her relationship to her gf i don't see any reason to rate this higher.

Just finished playing the update and everything about it is superb. The visual and the plot is top notch. The way they approach things from a different angle from the usual is a breath of fresh air. There's humour, drama, some mystery, and of course romance. It has enough sex scenes but the way the story for each LI works is enough and makes the wait worthwhile. However I am a bit sad that one of the girls I like is not a LI, I understand the reasoning but still.

What I like the most about this game is every character acts. Yes, the beginning premise may sound outrageous to some but honestly, I can see it happening but not to that extent and is explained later on. And yes they did some mistakes, they are flawed but they try to redeem them. After reading some comments, I'd ask you to give them a chance as you won't regret it.

That's about it, I can't describe how much I like this game. One of my favourites. Highly recommend it for those looking for a vn with a bigger emphasis on the story and good visuals.

Cliche writing, bog standard fuckfest with zero consequences, and more plot holes than a modern Star Wars movie. The only saving grace for this game are the renders. In addition the false drama (which could have been avoided by a single chat) permeating the game is a pale distraction from an underlying story that makes zero sense with more nonsensical twists than a Shyamalan movie.

I don't recommend it to anyone who likes a game with more than pretty pictures. If that's all you are after then have at it.

It's one of the great ones. The review concerns chapter 4 and earlier.

Plot
The story is really good, for me it finds the rare middle ground between developing mc relationships with girls and progressing the overall plot. Girls are interesting and varied, the overall plot is interesting enough without being too stretched and boring.

Graphics & scenes
The graphics is very good for vn. Girls look realistic without exaggerated body features. Scenes are ok, not too much of them but they are driven by the plot which is expected from that type of game.

Overall would give it 8/10 (where 1 is trash, 5 average, 10 masterpiece) so far, hope it keeps this level in future updates.

Still early in the game but while the game is pretty nice to look at the forced scenario of m/f/f is a turn off. If two people who say they secretly love each other sleep with someone else I don't think it's that serious. In the sister's case she is "secretly" in love with her brother but sleeps with another chick to dull the pain? ok. The brother sleeps with her friend after being told that they have a weird sexual relationship that has something to do with him. The whole "pretend I'm her " thing is dull and get's worse when the sis reads about it in his journal. Personally I think she has mental health issues and love has nothing to do with anything.

Honestly the game is a mix of the dev wanting to make some kind of love story between the mc/jaye but the game is spent largely fucking other people and she was involved with her friend and is obviously bisexual. None of it fits together because there is so much effort spent to create a backstory about how they love each other but neither of them seem worthy of giving a shit about. If there were real choices the story wouldn't be a problem but all the effort is out the window the moment the mc has to fuck other women because you have no choice in the game with some characters.

I think this is what makes the game stupid for me so I gave up having to read walls of text about how they love each other while the game just forces you to play as though you could care less. I gave the game 3/5 before but after trying it again I lowered it to 2/5 for the art and the story loses another star for being pretentious crap while the game plays out like a typical porn story. I wouldn't be surprised if the mc/jaye/tara get married at the end it's that dumb.

One of the best VNs out there imo. This is a hidden gem that could even compete with the famous BeingAD and Acting Lessons. Came for the ladies but stayed for the story. The game has incredible writings, good visuals and many paths to choose for replays. With the uses of animation, this game will even be more excellent.

If God made adult Ren'Py games, he would make Chasing Sunsets. This game surprised me in more ways than one and I became deeply invested in the characters and story in ways that your typical AVN just doesn't achieve.

The renders and animations are fantastic, right up there with the best this genre has to offer. The writing is what really takes this to a different level. This is not a quickie VN, but if you're a sucker for a great story then give it a go.

I would say your enjoyment of this story really depends on whether or not you like the stepsister character. I personally don't, as she seems to wildly oscillate between caring deeply about the MC and treating him like he's some sort of monster. She seems more of a plot device than a viable love interest or even an interesting character, as her reactions seem purely to manipulate the MC towards particular directions. For example, the MC leaves home because after he confronts a man who tried to rape his stepsister, the stepsister, I kid you not, gets furious at the MC, claiming her attempted rapist respects her more than the MC does. Yes, she really does seem that stupid and irrational, and she doesn't seem to get much better later.

What kept me playing for a while was the quality of the story during its good moments, and how realistic everyone generally acts in the story (porn scenarios withstanding). However, it seems too focused on the MC/stepsister relationship for me to maintain interest, and tries way too hard at times to be deep and emotional. So I'm rating it 3 stars.

Just finished the current content (Through chapter 4) - wow, this was a really enjoyable story so far. Very curious to get more of it. Was happy to sign up on their Patreon to donate some money toward the project and studio.

The best thing for me on this game, besides the relationship development between the MC & Jaye is the slow burn and the well-told emotional angle of the relationship development between characters. So many VNs go way too fast into sex and relationships, and this game bucks that trend by properly developing a solid story and its surrounding cast, while also allowing the player to make choices to progress the relationships with desired characters. I was engaged the entire time in both the general narrative as well as the relationship being cultivated by my decisions with Jaye and the other girls.

I also have to praise how these characters have to tip-toe around things a bit because of the subject matter of the relationship (at least due to my own choices in the story) and I think that matters a lot. By the point where things start to happen between certain characters, the reaction of other characters in the story to the "goings-on" will continue to impact the believability of the story (not to mention the excitement level of it due to the 'taboo' nature) so I'm really happy to see how well the story-telling has been handled in that respect.

The earliest chapters didn't have very good animations, but the renders were top tier, but by Chapter 4, the animations were also excellent alongside the still renders.

Strongly recommend the game.

This is probably the best VN I have ever played.

The emotional story telling is beyond anything else. The characers are likable, the chemistry in all of the relationships feel believable. The lewd scenes are really erotic. The take on the familial relationships works, and doesn't feel like another ridiculous rehashing of a tired taboo.

I really can't recomend it enough.

My hope for the future is they get successful enough to include Voice acting for the female roles and that we get the harem ending that I that the MC deserves.

Absolutely the best adult visual novel I have ever experienced! The story is incredibly engaging. It invokes emotions that make it quite immersive and the writing feels so natural, mature, and realistic. The flow feels just perfect for me, just like a great movie. Oh, and the visuals......MMMMMHmmmm!!

0.5b
I love the story, its interesting, and I think is well told. I will forgive the tropy drama stuff at the begining of the story and the flashback thing if the game had enough content but it clearly dragged the story.

More things i dont like:
There are quite some unavoidable things, that are already kind of predefined and are part of the story and can't avoid them, for isntance knowing so little about Tara i wouldn't fuck her, but its set as part of the story. The relationships with a couple of girls are also unavoidable and the game is suppossed to be about choices, and well those are made for me, and i dont like it. Also usually when that happens is because there is nothing happening with main characters, it happens in 90-99% of the times a game pulls this thing, and this game is not different.


After completing chapter 4 there is a handjob, and an almost handjob, and almost sex. That's not how acumulated sexual tension works. Pinching her nipples?, is that all you want to do to a girl that you have wanted for years?
The scene is way too vanilla, a total disapointment.

I Give it a 2 for the way the game is done, but the actual sexual content its concentrated in episode 4 which is the last one, and it is not even sex, and apparently there is something missing. If you make a storya bout that, the release has to match the expectations, and the release is bad, im betting that is made bad on purpose, cause previous scenes were done way better.

When the game has more, maybe it will raise to 4, but for now, nope, its one of those blueball fest stories.

I love these kinds of games, which is kind of doing it a injustice as this feels somewhat different from nearly everything I've played before. I love how story driven it is, it's not simply about the sex and the fucking. It has so much charm, attitude, character and the facial expressions are so spot on and just perfect.

I wish the game was a lot bigger already because I just can't wait to play the continuation of this, I rarely feel sad I have to wait to see how a porn game plays out, yet here I am. Thank you for creating this, extremely appreciated. If you're not simply looking for a game completely overloaded with sex, but enjoy story and obviously isn't appalled by "incest", this could be a game for you as well. If all you want is sex, don't come here and unjustifiably downvote it simply because it wasn't the genre you were looking for.

I've not been able to get this game out of my head since playing it. I even replayed it within a few days, which is rare for me.

This is one of those rare games that truly excels through its characters and the stories they share, and one of the even rarer ones that has a real emotional impact upon the player. The renders are beautiful and while some of the earlier scenes don't hold up as well, the later scenes are exceptionally crafted.

While this game has many characters to pursue and interact with, the true heart of the game is in its two main LIs. And by 'main LIs', I really mean 'the main LI and the secondary LI', because similarly to other games of this type, Chasing Sunsets does very much incline the MC and by association the player towards one of these characters. While Mallory is an excellent, charismatic character, it definitely feels like Jaye is something of the correct choice... not that I have a problem with that. Although both are pursuable for now, it remains to be seen whether a cutoff point will force a choice.

Speaking of characters, facial expressions are masterfully executed in this game. Jaye and Mallory in particular are so vividly expressive that is hard not to love them.

5/5 would exacerbate my crippling loneliness again.