VN - Ren'Py - COTE: Red Sonata [v0.12.2] [steinercode]

(I'm never watch the COTE)

3/5 decent game, I recommend trying it out.

This game is decent. It is still under development and short. The most experience we get from this game is reading a unique story that is not based on the actual anime, with some choices we can make. Some systems are interesting but still seem pointless right now like money systems, phone, and laptop we can interact with but little things we can do about it, so it is basically a simple Visual Novel game right now.

The story in this game has 2 feelings the first one is chilling and relaxed simulating how it feels to be a character involved in the anime and it great, and the other is a serious story from this game which is not whole of it, still have to look more in future update. But overall this game's story is enjoyable, it's decent.

Another very impressive part of this game is art, we can see it created by AI but instead only AI art, it mixes AI and actual artwork and it turns about pretty well, it doesn't make players distract from AI art and makes the players be more focused on the story. Even tho there are a few art that are still broken by AI-generated, so would be better if in the future all broken art gets fix.

This is personal but I do like the feeling of being a clueless main character in this game and having time with cute girl, rather than have back story so in the middle and late part of this game talking about main character's back story made it a bit boring for me.

I'm thrilled that you appreciate the concept and unique design. Adding more tags will undoubtedly make it easier for users to find what they're looking for, while a gallery feature could provide a visually engaging way to explore the content. I'm excited about the potential for these enhancements to elevate the user experience even further. But one thing is missing right now. A deep story/thoughts. It feels like a rush story.

As an avid fan of COTE, I couldn't help but share my thoughts on this review even if it the game doesn't have much content yet.
Anyways having experienced the light novels, anime, and manga, I have high expectations for this first COTE porn game. Although the content is limited to a prologue, i find it a bit too short and it can be completed in less than 10 minutes for fast readers like myself, or 15 minutes for slower readers.
Now, let's dive into the review.

Firstly, I must express my disappointment with the main character's design. COTE is known for its exceptional character designs, with each important character feeling unique and attractive. However, the protagonist we play as in this game is simply a bland character, resembling the default anime characters we've seen countless times. In fact, he appears even more unremarkable than faceless hentai protagonists.
Despite the first-person perspective, I believe the developer could have put more effort into creating a visually distinctive main character.

Moving on to the narrative, it loosely follows the anime and other sources, but since we are experiencing it from a new character's perspective, it is likely to take its own unique path. However, due to the limited content in this version, there isn't much to elaborate on.
The biggest issue with this game is the main character's incessant chatter. In the beginning, he rambles on about random quotes and topics, which, although fitting the COTE vibe, becomes monotonous. My advice to the developer would be to reduce the excessive dialogue, especially since most of the gameplay involves the character talking to himself. It felt like a waste of time reading through it, so this aspect definitely needs improvement.
Now, onto the art. Initially, I was skeptical about playing the game due to the AI tag, as games with AI-generated art tend to be lackluster or uninteresting. Fortunately, the developer uses AI to enhance the quality of the drawings rather than relying solely on it, which is a positive aspect.
With only four-five choices available in the game, most interactions involve the main character being either rude or kind, and I preferred the former as it added depth to the character.
After playing the game, I question why the developer released it prematurely, as most of it consists of the main character's ramblings and brief interactions with Horikita Kei and Ayanokoji. It doesn't feel like the main character is truly integrated into the school environment, as he simply enters the class, talks to one person, and then exits, having interacted with only three characters from the show.

The introduction of this game lacks depth, leaving players feeling disconnected from the world and characters. The pacing is rushed, making it difficult to follow the storyline without prior knowledge from the show or light novel. Despite its flaws, there is potential for improvement, especially in expanding the prologue to create a more immersive experience.
My current rating stands at 2 out of 5, but this may change with future updates.