Based on version 1.13.1 on 06/09/2023
City of Broken Dreamers is a game that deserves it reputation as one of the top adult virtual novels on F95 and perhaps of all time. With a rock-solid sci-fi story, gorgeous renders, and well-animated adult content that is arrived at because of the story rather than as the sole focus of it, there’s not much that I can criticize. While you will likely miss out on some of the content without several playthroughs and the use of a walkthrough mod, these are mere nitpicks in light of the game’s strengths.
Like the authors previous work, Depraved Awakenings, equal attention is paid to the story as the adult content. You play as a Ghost, a type of mercenary for hire who ends up switching sides once you learn who the mark is. At 13 chapters, there’s a great deal of story to go through, but it’s never boring and in fact is so good that I finished a second playthrough while fast-forwarding through what are usually considered the “good parts”. While the game is strictly linear, there are a few twists and turns given the choices you make on your way to the ultimate goal that will change the playthrough slightly. Do you allow the succubus-like Victoria to lead you by the nose, or do you fight against her augmented powers? Your choice will affect how she, and other love interests, treat you as you continue through the story. There is fun to be had in playing with the different ways the story branches off even if it inevitably returns to same linear path.
The music and sound effects. First, they exist. Not a given when it comes to these kinds of games. Second, they’re excellent. The music varies throughout the game, changing from scene to scene in ways that make sense and increase the tension, or sexiness, of different scenes. The techno beats play well against the sci-fi backdrop of robots, androids, and mechs, and augmented soldiers. There’s also a music player available in the menu so you can pick and choose music as you see fit, or just to listen to which I found myself doing quite often. Several of the songs are catchy enough that I decided to download them and them to my collection.
Still, who cares about all that? This is an AVN, and what’s the main question we have? That’s right! Does the adult content work. So does it? Yes, yes, and yes again. I can break down my collection of AVNs into 3 categories
1. Story only. Those whose adult content just doesn’t work for me but that has a strong enough story that I’m willing to play through it entirely with my pants on.
2. Decent adult content. AVNs whose adult content is good enough that it works for me once or twice, but isn’t good enough to hold onto for repeat viewing.
3. Excellent adult content. AVNs whose adult content is so good that I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve revisited it.
The third category is a rather short list, and City of Broken Dreamers falls under it. All of the love interests and side characters are beautifully rendered and unique, and while some of the animation can be a bit awkward, most of it is top notch, with numerous bits of dialogue and different renders leading into and out of the animated sequences resulting in a believable flow from one position to another. While this is not a harem anime, you will still end up with multiple group couplings, more and more as the story progresses. Even the adult dream sequences, usually cringy add-ons to rope in players in early chapters before the story has had a chance to take root, take place late in the game and have a good excuse for existing given a particular character’s psychic-like abilities. It doesn’t feel like a cheat the way dream sequences often do in AVNs.
When it comes to City of Broken Dreamers, I have a difficult time coming up with any legitimate criticisms. The game is not perfect, but I’m at a loss as to how to improve it without the author putting in hundreds of extra hours. The story is believable and does not require any suspension of disbelief, the adult content is gorgeously rendered and animated with multiple stages, growing in length as the story progresses, and the music and sound effects are top notch and well-used to enhance the experience. Perhaps a built-in optional walkthrough, something that keeps you apprised of what tags your character is getting for each dialogue choice, would be nice instead of having to rely on an outside modder, but that’s all I can come up with. The game continues to enjoy a spot on my hard drive of games that I genuinely look forward to being updated. I can’t think of any higher praise than that.
