[Reviewed [v0.4.1]; Final version at the time of review]
Christmas Eve is a good game that demonstrates the creator’s talent but is hamstrung by substandard production. It has a decent core experience but is rough around the edges. Unfortunately, one of those edges is the sex scenes, which brings the experience down considerably.
Positives
Story: You, a long-time widower, and your daughter are driving to a cosplay convention several days before Christmas when a winter storm causes you to crash. You are then forced to take shelter in an unoccupied house. As it turns out, the house is a frequent vacation spot for romantic couples. This makes it the perfect place for your daughter to reveal her hidden feelings to you.
Like much of this game, the story first appears basic and easy to understand. However, as the story progresses, more elements are introduced, giving the narrative slightly more depth. The unique relationship between your daughters and deceased wife is explored through flashbacks; you and your wife’s long-time friend have an unspoken desire for one another and a young girl with a troubled family situation seeking stability and compassion. Sadly, the game does not capitalize on all these story elements; ultimately, you may leave unfulfilled.
Characters: Solid all around. They are sometimes a bit one-note and bland, but they have distinctive voices and personalities. Their relationships with the MC and each other are well-realized and believable, helped by the writing quality.
Writing: Functional at its weakest with some really great stand-out moments. This might seem like meagre praise, but writing is an oft-neglected aspect of production. However, much like modelling, animating, or any other creative endeavour, it requires much work to be average. The fact that the writing in Christmas Eve never falls to a mediocre level, while sometimes even managing some clever lines here and there, is worthy of being celebrated. Said cleverness is found in the dialogue, which is occasionally thoughtful and engaging and helps the characters endear themselves to the player.
Mise-en-scène: This aspect punched well above its weight compared to the other elements. The creator was knowledgeable enough to arrange scenes in ways that were aesthetically pleasing or trying to embody a certain feeling. One such example is the use of close-up shots. Done poorly, they could be awkward and ugly, but they were executed in a way that created a sense of intimacy with the girls and the MC. Another stand-out moment is the Christmas gift scene, A simple scene with all the characters that show how lighting and composition can create a beautiful scene of people who love each other enjoying each other’s company.
Neutral
Setting: A mixed bag. There are two main settings. A picturesque lodge leased often as a vacation/getaway spot. And the house where the main character and his “family” live. Ironically, the lodge is a boring location. Its sterility and near-flawless interiors make it seem like a movie set, but it is not particularly impressive. On the other hand, the house seems warm, inviting, and lived in; pleasant, but not too much so, with all the furniture and personal touches that make me believe that this is a place where people live. Altogether a much more exciting place for our characters to interact.
Negatives
Sex Scenes: The fly in the ointment. What, ostensibly, we’re here to experience. And what, unfortunately, brings everything down. The sex scenes have two main components: images and animations. The single pictures attached to particular text are fine, but the animation is sorely lacking. It’s two images roughly switching back and forth, a poor simulation of moving imagery. It looks all the while like two wooden puppets smashing against each other. This ends up curbing much of the player’s enjoyment.
Additionally, they are animations rather than scenes going back and forth, meaning it is difficult to skip through them using the “Skip” button or mouse clicks. This means you are forced to experience them in all their “glory.”
Conclusion
A valiant effort that falls at perhaps the most crucial hurdle. A good game marred by poor animations that make sex scenes awkward and unwanted, a near-death sentence for an adult game. It is only through the efforts of the character, story, and dialogue that a good experience can be found regardless of this deficiency.
