Review Version: Ch.1 Finale v9
Overall Score: 97/100
Value: Extremely High
As is standard with all of my reviews I will break it up into 5 distinct sections each covering different aspects of an AVN.
*Beware: Spoilers ahead*
Story
“Color of My Sound” breaks the mould when it comes to AVNs with it’s heavy sci-fi setting and a plot shrouded in mystery. You’re thrust into a vast world with exhaustive lore that rivals traditional novels, and a clear attention to detail when creating the setting for an interesting conflict. The quality is unparalleled, even when compared to more popular AVNs as the developer shows a high level of care.
The plot follows the traditional structure outlined by Freytag’s Pyramid, but impressively manages to smoothly transition between each stage. The beginning of the story is paced rather well as you learn more about the world and experience the inciting incident for the rest of the plot. Impressively, the author avoids overwhelming the audience with info dumps as exposition is woven into the story itself, wherein you’re given key history when it’s absolutely required. This is the type of exposition that some renowned authors continue to struggle with even with years of industry experience.
The author manages to create a universe that feels unique despite competing with titans in the sci-fi genre, such as the Star Wars universe and Mass Effect trilogy. The level of technology takes the approach of being advanced enough to sell the notion of intergalactic travel, but grounds itself by following accepted physical principles (no Midichlorians or Eezo here). Overall it’s a refreshing take on a galactic civilization with the author bringing a unique style to the table.
The story is still early in development but still makes liberal use of political intrigue and subterfuge. At various points you’re led to believe one thing, only for the next few scenes to sew enough doubt as to whether something else might be unfolding. It’s shaping up to be a rollercoaster style experience as you try to unravel the mystery behind the rebel forces and governing bodies of the empire.
Characters
“Color of My Sound” introduces a wide cast of characters coming from various backgrounds, and you’re in charge of ensuring they all get along. As of this review there are a total 5 primary characters that form the foundation of Squad Nu.
Let’s begin with the character you will control: Vayne. The initial impression given by the author is that Vayne is a rather unremarkable musician who is trying to make a living. However, his life is upended when he witnesses a nuke being dropped on his city and enlists into the Imperial Navy. We’re led to believe initially that he joined due to his home planet being devasted, but it’s later revealed that his motivation is rather mundane as he needed a source of income. By the time we join Squad Nu he’s already an accomplished officer with a legendary record… that we don’t get to experience firsthand. While off-putting at first, this style of protagonist allows us to more effectively witness his growth as a character. As we slowly peel away the layers of his past we begin to learn that this larger than life legend is more relatable than he first appears, and gives more credence to future developments of his personality.
Lana Kihel fulfills a similar role to Vayne: she’s a legendary naval officer that has a similar track record. We’re introduced to her as the “Ice Queen”, an allusion to her serious demeanor and tactical assessments. However, as we slowly learn more about her upbringing we start to experience a softer side to her that also feels believable. The already apparent character development is a positive sign that we’ll see meaningful interactions between her and Vayne as she also begins to unravel his past, and apparent guilt.
Mireille Lowell and Blanche Aureus are polar opposite when it comes to personality. Mireille was raised as a corporate spy, calculating and deceptive, while Blanche was raised as in a more welcoming atmosphere to become a tech specialist. These characters serve as juxtapositions to each other, but as time goes on they slowly influence the other’s personality which could lead to rather interesting team dynamics later on.
Finally, Elise is the lady of a Frontier House who exhibits childlike adoration of Vayne and Lana. She serves as a temperance to the plethora of mistrust sewn by the other characters and events unfolding. She serves an integral role to the story as she breaks the already established distrusting atmosphere. While her character has received little in the way of development, her personality could have far reaching consequences on the team and be the adhesive needed to keep everyone together.
Visual Quality
I’ll keep this section rather short as the visual quality of each render is impressive. Each scene contains high resolution stills that serve to aid in telling the story rather than taking attention away from it. We’re given concrete visualizations of the universe we’re in and the technology available. More impressively is the micro-expressions we can see on some of the characters faces at various points which expertly convey their emotions and tone of the conversation. Most importantly, there are no placeholder textures to break your immersion into the story.
Lewd Content
One of the core pillars of a successful AVN is the lewd content that gives it the “adult” rating. “Color of My Sound” wastes no time thrusting you into a sex within the first 10 minutes. While it may appear as a throwaway scene just to keep an audience it aids in the plot later on as we witness Vayne using this exact scene as a coping mechanism.
Overall there are few sex scenes so at the time of writing, however each one is developed in such a way as to seamlessly fit into the story. There hasn’t been a sexual encounter that felt out of place or intentionally rushed, which is a refreshing change of pace from the plethora of AVNs that throw them out like pennies.
Conclusion
Overall this is an AVN that is expertly crafter and clearly displays the passion the author has. Every scene and each line of dialogue all aid in telling a story without excessiveness. “Color of My Sound” has incredible potential to rise to the top of the charts, even rivaling Caribdis and DriftyGames.
Keep up the excellent work Trombe!