VN - Ren'Py - Crimson High [v0.36.1] [Vertigo]

I never provide reviews of games due to two reasons: first it isn't really possible to meaningfully review an unfinished project and second there's generally enough reviews/general information about the game that adding mine to the pile wouldn't really cause a meaningful difference. In this case I think the comparatively small amount of reviews and overall quality of the project deserves more words written on its behalf.

What this game does well:
1. Character designs and dialogue is grounded and interesting. In most cases I can tell which character is talking based on their dialogue rather than the name on top of the box which is pretty impressive.
2. The story itself is intriguing and provides a backdrop for the characters to shine. I would go so far as to say this particular story has legs even outside of the context of pornography which elevates it head and shoulders above basically all of its peers.
3. The main character interacts with the world in a way that is equal parts realistic and tongue in cheek that I found pretty engaging. Your results may vary, but there were a couple moments of internal dialogue that totally caught me off guard in a good way.

What this game doesn't do well:
1. The main character's appearance. There's something really off about their face that I can't really put my finger on that's kind of disturbing to look at. The good news is that they are rarely seen since this is mostly a POV affair.
2. While the story is engaging it's definitely a little ridiculous at times. There were definitely points where I found myself scoffing about how amateur hour the protag is as a detective. Like, you really don't see a problem with getting romantically involved with literally every one of your potential suspects? No issues that two of your childhood friends are not just at the school but could be directly responsible? MC should be sacked, they are not fit to be a detective.
3. This isn't porn, not at this point at least. I think there's one sex scene about 45 minutes in if I remember correctly, but honestly most romcoms have more sex in them than this project. If you boot up this game expect head pats, flirting and that's pretty much it.

But is it even game?
1. No it isn't, this is a kinetic novel with choices that, to my knowledge, just slightly alter the specific scene they are included in. This could change in the future but see point one to why I don't usually review games.

So why Five Stars?
I get it, this review probably seems pretty negative considering how much I rag on MC and the lack of graphic content. Frankly, I wish I didn't discover this game so that I could have read it when it was finished instead of waiting for more updates and providing a review at that point. But that's basically the highest praise I could give any sort of media which is what lead to this review. This game is entertaining, well characterized, well written, well rendered and I can't wait to see more in the future.

Updated review for v0.18.2

The game has really grown on me. I've come to really enjoy a lot of the characters and have gotten more and more invested into the story. There's a lot going on, and I like that.

This evolves from a rather interesting detective story into something more complex as the game goes on. The biggest draw for me is that it's taking it's time to tell a good story. A slow burn for sure, but it's working so far.

I think one of the best parts of the game is the dialogue. As you would expect from being a detective, there's a lot of investigation and inner monologue trying to piece together new bits of information. But there's also a lot of inner monologue outside of that. I think it all reads pretty well. A lot of it is used to add little details that weren't rendered to scenes. A line saying what the MC ordered at a coffee shop, and then maybe something odd that he saw and then moves on to the next scene. Is some of it fluff? Sure. But I like the extra bits it adds and fits with the detective theme imo.

I don't think the game is without faults though. I find a fair amount of the character designs hit or miss, and while I don't mind lewd scenes being spaced out, a lot of the ones we do get don't feel that gratifying to me.

Something worth mentioning: this is a rather linear visual novel with a very large cast. That means you might be waiting a long while before seeing content from you favorite characters. I think it's done a decent job trying to give everyone enough screen time, but it still is what it is.

I think it's pretty enjoyable for fans of slower burns. Check it out if that's your thing.

Review as of version 0.6.2

Really enjoyable visual novel.

The storyline, cast and themes shown are amazing and I'm definitely looking forward to the next release.


Only problem I've got is that I found it before it was completed ^^' just thinking of having to wait for the next release makes me sad :3

Game would be really good if not for the fact that the main culprit gets revealed to the player in first hour or so of the game, making entire intrigue pointless and shattering any sense of immersion as we players are left to simply observe the MC trying to solve the case instead of doing it with them.
It's a single small scene that should either not be included in the game or should be changed in a way that player doesnt get to know who the culprit is.

Reviewing version 0.3.1. The game was in my backlog for a long time and I’m glad that I finally got to start playing it today. Really interesting story and characters, got me hooked in the first 20 minutes. Can’t wait to see what happens next!
Story:
10/10 Strongest point of this game. Suspense and build up is great from a detective pov. Really love the attention and detail put in to the dialogues and characters.
Art:
8/10 I find the art and the characters a bit rough but, assuming the characters are made by the creator himself, I can work with that. It’d be perfect if there’re plans to rework them in the future but again it’s not a deal breaker or anything.
Sex scenes:
9/10 It’s more a actual visual novel than a nukige and there’re many erotic content so far, not that I care since the story is good. I haven’t seen enough but what I’ve seen so far is good enough for me.

One of the best games I have ever played. Keep it up
The gameplay is fun, and the art style is pretty with very well made expressions and satisfactory. I like the way the story is told and actually this game is my type.
Over all 10/10

I'm enjoying it so far, I'd love to see more of Miko and her Mom and Yukari! I'd recommend adding a UI mention of clicking on the character's Icons in the heart menu to return the previous menu. The last time a game had me this engaged in the story was when I played Lust Epidemic, so I'm very much excited to see the direction this goes!

Crimson High [v0.2.2] review

This is a placeholder review. I want to really do this game justice by writing a good and proper review, but I'm too tired. I'll come back and edit this later.

What it is:
Multiple-choice VN about a slightly pervy detective at a girls' school. There's a murder mystery and the girls seem "special" for some reason.
It's light hearted and funny but also serious at times. It's also very sexy, going all the way from awkwardly charged situations and some upskirts to full on pr0n.
It's still short. Don't go in expecting anything close to a full game. We get character introducions, world building and a taste of some lewds, but not much more.

Just know that if you care at all, even just a little bit, about the quality of writing in your games then this right here is some of the best of the best, top of the line and you need to play it.
If you value high quality visual storytelling and are bored by walls of text and needless exposition then this is also a must play.

There is nothing I've ever been so hyped about as this project. I can't wait for more.

Recommended for everyone, even your dog.

This review is based on the first release of the game, v0.1.


There's nothing to dislike and a lot to like so far:

- The writing: an actual story (not just some random slices of naughty life), good storytelling (almost everything is shown from the MC's POV while he investigates a gruesome murder and meets cute characters ^^), a nice cocktail of genres (mystery, supernatural elements, romance, horror, drama, comedy... This is gonna be a wild ride! ^^), the overall quality of the English (no obvious and distracting mistakes...), believable and well-written dialogues and inner thoughts (why is it so rare to get a smart MC who is neither a boyscout nor an irredeemable creep? ^^), a noteworthy effort on characters' development (even the characters that we haven't met yet, we've got a little preview of their persona ), a mysterious story that allows the player to make the craziest theories while playing and a sweet cliffangher that lives you wanting a lot more!

- The art: even if I prefer well-made DAZ renders over well-made renders done with Illusion games, I don't mind Koikatsu! graphics (plus it usually means more content for the player since making scenes is quicker with Koikatsu!). They don't feel out of place with this kind of story and allow to use some tropes that we usually see in mangas/animes (some cute SD faces to accentuate charcaters' feelings for example...^^). Also, kudos to the dev who managed to add his own style to the mix. Indeed, there is a uniqueness in the character design which is greatly appreciated.

- The gameplay: nothing much to say there. It's a VN with a few choices to make here and there. No sandbox nor minigames which is more than fine with me since that leaves the focus on the story and the characters. The only game mechanic that could have enhance the overall experience would be some "point & click" elements during the two investigative scenes where we are looking for clues (it would be more rewarding to find the clues ourselves [especially if there is a naughty bonus scene/pic to unlock] instead of clicking mindlessly on each given choice ^^).

- Some add-ons that make the game pop: a great soundtrack that compliment the writing perfectly, funny Easter eggs that aren't standing out too much (much better than a dev breaking the 4th wall and interrupting the flow of the story ^^) with one of them promising a harem path.


It feels like the dev has put in a lot of effort to make a really nice first release. Both in quality and quantity, we were kinda spoiled

Needless to say, the dev has set the bar pretty high so I'm expected great things from this game!

Off to a very good start here. The story itself is intriguing enough that I want to see where it's going (even though I have a couple guesses). More importantly, the characters all feel distinct, and the protagonist has a pretty enjoyable internal voice- one that doesn't make him seem like either an arrogant power fantasy or a deviant imbecile. I like that he actually seems like someone who could be a detective- when the characters in front of him say or do odd things, he notices and wonders why.

the prologue or first chapter is great for a start. no issues on my end . just need more content to sink your teeth into to truly see if this is a pick above its peers. i will keep up with the dev updates.