VN - Ren'Py - Crimson High [v0.43.1] [Vertigo]

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.