RPGM - Cruel Serenade: Gutter Trash [v1.0.1] [Bitshift]

Quick Overview
If you're into gay furry stuff, hypno, masochism, and degradation there's a lot to love.
Writing is a cut above a lot of other stuff in the same genre, really elevates a lot of the scenes.
Was initially skeptical of the art style, but it really grew on me.

Overly Long Diatribe
One thing that I find to be a stumbling block for the design of these sorts of games, where the fail-states are the different erotic scenes that one plays the game to see, is that the player is mechanically disincentivized from seeing those scenes. Games generally give you ways to avoid losing them, and players who play optimally will avoid these fail states with relative ease. This causes dissonance since, y'know, I'm playing these games in no small part to get off. This leads to a very silly, very game-y play style, in which one loses on purpose once, then goes through optimally to see new content, then loses on purpose again. This is annoying for a few reasons. It makes a lot of the content feel redundant (you'll need to play through several times to see everything) and it punishes optimal play (you miss out on the stuff you're there to see). An example of where this is really egregious is the FNAF-like games on here, where you basically have to sit and do nothing at the start of every level to see the pornography that you downloaded the game for.
Cruel Serenade: Gutter Trash resolves this in a really elegant way by having the arc of the game be the temptation of your character towards the consequences for sub-optimal play (getting fucked), making the player's temptation to fail purposefully mesh with the character's. This is not unique to CR:GT, what elevates it further is that the game is allowed to continue, even after set backs or failures. Rather than being shown a black screen with BAD END on it after a failure (at least usually), you generally are allowed to continue, as the player character is increasingly degraded by the failures in a way that recontextualizes everything that comes after. This makes losing a fight or needing to give up on an encounter less of a death sentence, and makes the player more likely to actually keep trying after a setback, rather than just reloading a save for a perfect run. This all serves to give you a chance to actually be degraded, which if you're playing a game like this, you're presumably in to. To have your will as a player ground down over several attempts results in, rather than dissonance between mechanics and the player's desire to get off, creates a beautiful consonance between them.
This is a lot more than I ever intended to write about a game about getting violated by hyenas, and I'm not totally sure how much sense it makes, but I found this game to be a lot better on a design level than a lot of others that function in a fundamentally similar way.

My only gripe is that the game isn't longer, there is a few moments where the game can be luck based for your progression which can be annoying but not awful since you can save anywhere, there's multiple routes that you can miss in the game as well so replaying the game is actually worth your time, this developer has some great great ideas here and I want to see more.

I love this game. It's a really well balanced RPG that's a ton of fun to play!! The art and game play mechanics just keep getting better and better with each update. I would say the story is mainly for gay furry submissives, but the sound/animations of our Bunny fighting back are also quite satisfying. I happily paid $10 to support this creator. Especially since the first game in the series is free!!

A great game for anyone who likes furry or hypnosis themes. Replayed a game a few times to see all of the scenes. There is decent amount of content but I see why for some people that might not be enough. Still there are a couple big content updates that should add more scenes. Lastly I really liked the quality of some scenes in the first half of the game. I'd say it's a 4/5 game but it gets an additional point from me because it was the first game to successfully hypnotize me.

The mechanics of the game, as with the first installment, enhance the erotic aspects rather than slow them down. Very degradationist/ Mind Control/ corruption themed. Good replayability when new updates drop or just for fun.

This is finally a furry game I love and I hope it makes it to the end! I love where its at and going and hope this project makes it to the end! The story is very fun and the different side stuff you are able to do it also fantastic in my eyes especially making the porn! Please keep up the good work!

Good writing, decent gameplay, average rpgmaker porn game tho kinda generic in that front, I liked it, M/M only, has got some story going on, 5 star because you can't be picky with porn games and the kinky stuff in it is fun

I say this after having dropped the game at the very beginning.
Maybe it's just me but I'm tired of RPGs wasting your time on purpose, doing fetch quests and overall just forcing you to grind for no reason other than... I don't know, waste my time?
First map, go pick up an item, bring it to a guy, leave map.
The map is that of a city, pretty big and the fetch quest requires you to go into an alley with no shortcuts because of course it does.
Then the second map... is the same map! What you don't want to do the same thing again? Too bad.
Then you exit the map AGAIN and go look for the data disk in the description.

You end up in a scrapyard of sorts, hyena gang ambushes you, scripted fight, alright.
Then you explore... and the enemy chase you down with your same speed ensuring they will catch up to you the second they spot you, since they chase you with perfect accuracy and matching your speed.
Now, that wouldn't be too bad... except the escape option is disabled.
You're forced to fight every single enemy you encounter.
And the combat is basically a loop of "use skill until mp runs out, concentrate, repeat until fight is over".

And this is where I dropped it: if a game cannot respect my time from the beginning then I can't expect it to respect my time afterwards.
If the creator is reading this please stop with this idiotic gameplay choices: tired of western games wasting my time with tedious activities just so maybe I can see something interesting later.
Either cut down the tedium or make the tedium fun.

Honestly found this game in the series to be quite lack luster in terms of content. Half of the game isn't even implemented with a pop up saying "only so-so path is implemented" leaving a feeling that you're just playing some sort of visual novel without any choices instead of an RPG game, especially an RPG Maker game.

The fights are a lot more improved compared to the previous installment and most other adult fighting games where sex doesn't always result in an end game screen. Some of the fights still do which still leaves that bitter taste in your mouth causing you to backtrack a ton if you're not saving often.

Overall though, I wouldn't really recommend it. Most of the scenes are very lackluster compared to previous along with some very infuriating gameplay and map design choices and a lot of the core gameplay just seeming to be lazy balance design rather than compelling decent gameplay.

As of v.05 this a pretty fun game with lots potential. The intro is a bit slow but after 30 mins the game starts to have a good amount of sex. Some sex sounds but it is limited and it is still pictures. Really unique for a gay furry game.

Updated/Edited Review; from v0.6.2 and amended after v1.0.1
In my previous review I'd wish for this game to have taken some inspiration from "Circlekame" and other hentai games, with clothing damage, and sexual combat. As at the time I thought that was the direction this game was heading, now, after playing the Club and brothel stages, I've had a change of thought. It feels like Mezz's fate is predetermined to a life under hypnosis and brainwashing, as such I feel that the inspiration focus should also be changed, with the mechanics I feel should reflect that vision, from a different game's mechanics, then what I previously stated. So I suggest Pandora's Forest, by Shiganoma, and their "Uruk Enkidupu" and "Cosled Del Bull" stages would fit this game more, (though I would still like clothing damage and better sexual combat.) As normal, straight Hentai games have set a fairly good, precedent for minimum quality. Such as fetishes include "Glory Hole," "Molestation," "Sexual Harassment in/out Combat," "Tentacles," "Clothing Damage," and "Alt-Clothing." And this game has only a few clothing options, such as Nude, Street Clothes, or Bunny suit, however none of which can be seen in combat, nor in the combat stills. What I see at the moment is that there are no actions, to make this game more appealing and based on the fact that they are being sold not as games, but as chapters, I don't feel my optimism for this being a good game, will ever be rewarded.

You have a few moves, "Focus" (your energy regen skill), "Hard Knocks" (a random 3 hit attack among the enemies), and "Hard Times" (a random 7 hit attack among the enemies) for combat. While out of combat, you have "Patch Up" a healing skill, but leaves you with less energy (your energy bar gets fully restored after a fight, and you can't runaway from and combat interaction) when you enter combat. There is no full Health and Energy restore function, (such as a bed/sleep function,) outside of a complete loss, (which can only happen 3 times, till you get a Dead End). And no gangbang fetishes here, nor taking care of multiple people, in combat sex, (as you "serve" only one person until they cum, then you can "serve" a new opponent when THEY engage in it). You will struggle to keep your health bar up, and your enemy is always RNG, hardly ever a skill issue.

There is very little enemy variety as you have three enemy types (they have names, but I just call them "coats"), Purple coats (the main mobs you'll see, they have a double attack), the Green coats (They have no attack, but to drug you), and the Yellow coats (which will only attack every other turn). You have three in combat sex scenes, Straddle, Standing Wall Fuck, and Lick Dick. All the images are stills (like 3 or 4, with no animations), that lead to the same "Knocked Down" state (that is what I call it), with you only able to use Items (Discarded Keys breaks you out of "Mind Control" and if you get up, you are open to an attack by 2 or more mobs often).

Mezz isn't much of a character, nor has he developed much as a character, he isn't even "cocky." If he had quips that fell back on him, I could enjoy his fall, and he uses a Polearm, making the perfect stick puns and jokes, easy! Something like, "Hey doggy, I’m feeling pretty stick-tacular today" to then lose and the enemy repeats his line back to him like, "Hey Rabbit, I too am feeling pretty stick-tacular today, in your ASS!" At the start of a new fight, after a loss, Mezz could tell himself, "Its okay, I wasn't top of my game then, but NOW I am!" To boost his ego. To then get beaten down, again, and again. Maybe even with his lines becoming more sex related, as a coping mechanism. Like, "Doggy, "DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE GAY RABBIT?! He found a hare up his ass!" But there isn't any, he gives up after cumming three times, (while in combat,) or when you lose all health, three times. Where is the "cocky" or the "skills" for that matter?

As far as progress goes, it started as a game that loved to waste your time with an equally weak story. As in the beginning the only "fun" you had, was with the sexual combat which was weak as you only had, "Beg," "Flatter," and "Serve" as a response to your opponent's dialogue. Now it is a little better, but not much. In the Club you can find use the Left or Right Arrow keys to relieve your client. In the street you have to play keep away while finding clients. And in the brothel you gamble with RNG, where if you tie (even on 21,) you still lose. And then there is Khazeem's HQ, you unlock the ability to stun-lock your opponent, with one of three moves, "Tease: Lick," "Tease: Ass", or "Tease: Stroke". However you must then "Serve" them with the interactions previously mentioned, ("Beg," "Flatter," or "Serve").

Overall it was okay previously, because it was still updating, it did waste your time, but I hoped it would get better, it didn't. Now it can't use the excuse of being lackluster due to being an opening act, as THERE IS an opening act before this chapter, both of which now seem "finished," and the Dev will be adding more chapters, not content. Future chapters desperately need outside inspiration, like other Hentai games. Standing Pictures, striping mechanics, and definitely better sex mechanics, as those would do this game justice.

I was actually one of the earliest tester for Cruel Serenade back when it was 1.0, where I did leave feedback on Bitshift's FA.

Now, is the game worth it for $10? I'm not too sure, as Star Wars Battlefront 2 Pandemics was sold for 15 and it was not only a completed masterpiece, it is still unrivaled in Galactic conquest and Space Battles. If it was a $5, I'm more inclined to being deserving.

Now on to the game (which is still incomplete). The gameplay is slightly improved with the regeneration of Mana, more NPCs to interact and adds an anti crowd ability. Aside from that, it doesn't really stray that far from its predecessor. It goes something like this.
1. You enter in an unknown area where you will be approached by a group of 3 Mooks. Cue cutscene.
2. On the way, you will receive a special powerup that is required to beat the boss battle.
3. No substantial upgrades on equipment.

Considering the slut option is still unfinished, I'll consider the story on what is completed. Honestly, it's neat.
I can say the gameplay aspect of the game is the only thing lacking. And that's pretty much it for my review.

I payed for this on itch.io very nice standalone game and a good sequel to the second game. The dev says their is more content updates on the way. The writing and art is good, the lewd scenes are done really well too.

I went into this not expecting much, I'm not into furry or the almost pixel like art style. I have to say I'm impressed with this one. The story, plot, and erotic lines were executed so well it made the art style work and I couldn't stop playing. I'm eagerly awaiting further updates and future games from Dev Bitshift.