VN - Ren'Py - Defending Lydia Collier [v0.17 Beta 1.3] [White Phantom Games]

An excellent game/story if you don't mind a slow burn or thinking. This review is for v0.15.2 and I'd guess there are over 5 hours of gameplay here if you try all of the romance paths.

Defending Lydia Collier is easily one of the most successful crime dramas made into an eroge. Without spoiling anything, it's the kind of game where your character starts out by just trying to do a good thing while making a paycheck, but then increasingly finds that things are not what they seem. The author does a good job of making you feel like you're in over your head.

While juggling that intrigue, you're also given the choice of several different love paths which are also not exactly simple either. You have several love interests with which you can encourage bimbofication and submission, you can do some crazy family corruption, or you can go for wholesome romances.

It's honestly kind of crazy to think about how many different paths the author is managing between the romances, types of romances, and the semi-open-ended nature of the main story.

The only complaint I have about this game is that the graphics are a bit dated compared to some of the stuff coming out now, but that hasn't stopped me from enjoying this game on any level.

I highly recommend checking it out even before it's complete.

This is definitely a must play.

+ The setting is cool, based in UK rather than US. MC is a middle age lawyer and acts laid back and appropriately, showing life experience. Plot is interesting and feels original for this genre. Mockery and humor is existent but not overwhelming. You can feel overwhelmed by the flow of information pertaining to various topics, just like in life The sound is used to good extent for immersion. Laptop and smartphone interface feels good and immersive. The LIs are round characters and loaded with emotional baggage and relatives, letting the player feel good attachment and play loyal. On the other hand, kinky options are there and there are plenty but you can still avoid it completely if you can. Each LI feels like another game. There is definitely min 10-15 hours worth of content if you'd like to try all paths.

- Sex scene animations are scarce and the quality is meh. But this is: "play it for the plot, scenes are bonus" kinda game so it doesn't keep me from giving 5 stars.

If you are definitely tired of young adult college drama AVN trope, then this is the right AVN for you. A true adult visual novel. I felt sad, funny, frustrated, horny in the same playthrough. I recommend buying it on steam to support devs.

One of the finest games I've ever played. Excellent decision influencing the tale and how the characters evolve. Beautiful work of art. And the Steph character is fantastic. It's a lot of fun. Definitely give it a go.

v0.14.1
Longer than I expected, to say the least.

Really, the characters could have easily been a stand alone game I would have played.
I am disappointed that
There was some bloat with the computer stuff that really could've just been made into some scenes the MC viewed without all the clicking around tbh.
It wasn't too horrible and I realized I could just click through real fast and ignore the laptop after for the most part.
I did like that the social media accounts added pics over time. Nice touch.

Models: 5/5
There are a variety of types and all of the characters are easily distinguished. Well, mostly. Many times I was like, "who is- oh. The nametag shows it's that character" lol. Especially for the neighbor (jane?) and Lydia.

Art: 5/5
Everything looks very good in this. No complaints.

Setting: 4/5
It feels like a place, but I don't have a mental space of the world they use. It does seem like a place though.

Plot: 4/5
Tbh the title and overarching plot is just... the day job. Or more like weekend job it feels like lol.
It feels a lot more like a romance than anything else.

Sex: 4.5/5
I enjoyed it and some scenes have some specific options which is nice.

Sex frequency: 4/5

I felt like nearly all if not all sex scenes had story or character behind them. Little to no sex for sex sake with random people.
That said, sometimes I wish there was more sex because I'm greedy like that.
That wall over there? Good sex spot.
Going to open the door? Heh, maybe in 10 minutes... anyway ya.
One thing I kinda wish was there but totally isn't needed:
tldr:
It's worth trying. If nothing else, for the amount of content it has.

Errrrm, What?!?

An adult, interesting story with good writing and adult interactions between believable characters.

I'm only in the beginning of the game, but already see I am witnessing the gold standard for writing and pacing. Damn, please go commercial and make many games

I rarely give 5 stars to VNs that don't have a lot of animation or incredible rendered images but this one tops the lot atm with the number of fetishes, the level of completion and the amazing game scenario. Plus all the LIs are exciting and highly corruptible. Replayability is another major factor as game locks other girls out if someone special is chosen on most routes. Also this is a Brit game with Brit expressions and not a Russian dev setting the game in the U.S. Love the way Steph uses the word 'arse'.

Fantastic! Really, really, really good! Really interesting plot, with really interesting characters! Can´t recommend this game enough!

Just go play it!
If you wanna read a rant about stuff i think about this game just read on:
- It has a plot! A real one! Not a porn one! No sisters, no mommies, no long lost whatevers! You´re a lawyer and there´s a murder mystery and many secrets! Like a good cop show!
- Choices! You can´t have all the girls! You can´t date 2 at the same time! You have to choose! But i´s ok! Just start over! There is a lot content for everyone!
- Kinks! A few nasty ones... Perfectly avoidable! Big warnings! Thanks for that!
- Proper kinks! Steph is an expertly built character! She as a sub makes perfect sense! The damaged past, the strong attitude! Yes guys; your sub girlfriend will talk back and will break up with you. She´s only a slave in the bedroom. And what a perfect slave she is. You see her go to the limit and it´s exhilarating!
- It´s big. The 3 main LIs have very different paths set in very different locations! You dont get the same party with 3 different girls; you get trips to the mall with one and tropical vacations with another. It fits perfectly with the main crime theme: it´s all part of the puzzle!

Damn! That's what I'm talking about. This is probably the best game on here. The models look great. The story is original and has a bit of a mystery to it that you gotta solve. The sex scenes are awesome. It has a lot of replay value too allowing you to go back and choose different women to be with. Your choices matter. You can be a honest or a cheater. You can make love or break a heart. You can even do the really nasty stuff or keep it a little cleaner and avoid that. It allows for a wide range of appetites and allows you to play how you want to.

I really like the story of this game. You can really fell the heaviness of your choice, which will change the story accordingly.
You can chose 1 of 3 main female characters and she also change her route by your choice which make the game rich of content.

v0.13.7 (or the previous, idk)
strong 4 to light 5 - actual game with romance and sex, mature in nature (as much as you can expect an indie porn game to be). incomplete, but has fair amount of content - especially considering alternative routes.

it's a proper game, well thought out, with distinct paths having unique content, both sexual and plot wise. i did replay and was actually surprised how much difference there is. choices actually matter, even the ones that seem insignificant, so it might be tricky to hop into the one you desire. it's not rocket surgery, but walkthrough is advised, if a little guesswork is no fun, only a frustration to you.
i appreciate the avoidable fetishes, tho it doesn't offer anything vanilla as an alternative, just ends the scene. technically fine, but would benefit immensely from a parallel track with some steam for the normies.
characters are 3d both in decent renders and good writing. very distinct in looks as well as personalities. a bit of uncanny valley here and there, but nothing to scream home about. some cliche, not much. might consider tropey? possibly, if you're on the picky spectrum, because it's all established by the story pretty well.

anyway, great effort by the dev/team, honest to god game, salt of this site. not perfect by any stretch, but very fuckin' decent. defending lydia collier, forever. peace.

p.s. gave it 5 stars, because i root for honest and decent, also fuck you, that's why

Review of v0.13.7 public

In Defendig Lydia Collier we play as a lawyer who is hired to defend in court a woman, Lydia Collier, who is accused of participate in the disappearance of her ex-husband. Alongside with the main story, MC can meet and build-up a relationship with a different cast of women.

Is a very well-made VN. All the main LIs are crafted with distinct personalities, each one have their own background and the MC/LI relationship develop in a unique way in each LI path. And each LI path can also be branch in sub-paths that can be more romance/vanilla or more naugthy/dirty (but still loveable).

The main story about Lydia and her ex is also interisting to follow. The mystery evolves and is hinted in the game throught scenes, dialogues, newspaper news which keep the players attention in every part of the game.

In the technical, the renders are good and improve with the progression of the story. The sex scenes are well crafted and hot even with the lack of animations in most of them. Overral, Defending Lydia Collier may not be perfect, but is a solid 5 star game.

PROS
- The highlight for me is the non-linearity. You can play through actual character routes and experience some varied scenes. Most games would kinda just throw everything into a common route, but I like how the developer made an effort to branch everything.
- It has an actual overarching storyline, it not your typical 'bang your family members' game with badly written English. It's a bit of a murder mystery with an underlying conspiracy plot. I like all political factions and corporations that seem to be entwined in this plot and the way you can get additional background info by reading the ingame articles. I found myself actually interested in the plot and curious as to the fates of Charles & Lydia.
- The development of the characters is pretty well done. They're not mindless sex dolls in a harem to be simply banged and will succumb to your every wish. They can get jealous, they can have conflicts with your choices, they can like or dislike some of the other characters leading to some interesting scenarios. You can even change a character's appearance or behavior to your liking. MC as well isn't some perfect Gary Stu from your typical harem game, he has problems and the girls aren't gonna just fall into his lap for no apparent reason. You want him to be an asshole, you can play him that way. You don't have an obligation to select all the morally ethical choices or be a hero.
- If I made this review a few versions ago, I would complain about the lack of audio but the dev has recently introduced a lot of sound effects, music and even voiced lines which has really made me feel a bit more immersed into the game's atmosphere.

CONS
- The laptop & phone gameplay can be frustrating, especially affecting replayability as it would interrupt you when skipping already-seen dialogue. The phone would forcibly pop-up excessively during the early stages of the game, even when there is nothing to do on the phone. I feel like you should only enforce phone usage when there is something story-related to read, else keep it on the corner of the screen. If you get a text or something, you can use an exclamation mark/envelope symbol/ingame sound/whatever to point that out (this is how most AVNs deal with the phone mechanic).
- Sex scenes in the early-mid game seemed to be a bit rushed/quick and the dialogues were a bit awkward. But I think this is something he fixed thanks to feedback in the late stages of the game. Regarding animations, there is a couple of premade animations thrown in here & there but no custom animations unlike many other modern, popular AVNs. Are animations really worth the time investment though? I'd rather have the dev spend several hours of his dev time progressing the game's story than animating 1 sex position that can be easily skipped with 1 click. I think this is a very subjective topic though.

My intended rating was 4-stars but I honestly think this game is a bit underrated and deserves a bit more support. I wish him the very best. Please give DLC endings deserving of its quality.

v0.13.7 Bugfix Public

Meh.

The models ans animations are alright,
The blonde cop you meet is okay too.
Those are about the only things I liked here.
The story and the gameplay were both so mind-numbingly boring that I had quit playing because it was starting to feel like a chore.
Normally when the story bores me this much I'll bare with it by just hitting the skip button, but this one also requires so much random clicking with the phone and home/work PCs to progress that I lost all motivation to even do that much so i just uninstalled it.
Not sure how this game is so popular tbh, but to each their own I guess. Definitely not a game I'll be coming back to for a second playthrough.
Dunno what else to say, hard pass.

5/5 but flawed, very intruiging plot overarching individual storylines with 3 different main LI's. Uniquely done story with news articles and a who-done-it murder plot you unravel as a lawyer.

Pros:

- Written well, English is done well, things are soewhat logical and realistic.
- Girls are attractive and varied (not just massive boobs for every girl)
- Choices matter in most cases
- Decent chunk of the game complete
- Different fetishes
- Multiple routes
- Interesting story

Meh:

- Sex scenes can be good but they're static renders and overall they just didn't grab my attention that much, not bad though.

Cons:

- Some of the dialogue is just pointless time wasting, talking about what you're going to order and chit chat with the waitresses etc.
- Not fully complete

Overall, definitely check this game out. It's one of the better games on here.

This game has a great storyline and a lot of compelling characters in it. I honestly almost gave it 4 stars instead of 5 but that's only due to the fact that several scenes are mutually exclusive. You have several love interests in the game but you have to make choices as to who you'll pursue early on. That's normally a negative for me but honestly, I'm using it to understand Ren'py better to move from branch to branch.

The characters are also well realized. Each main branch (Steph, Vanessa, Ellie) haves something unique about them. Choosing between them is the foundation of the game, even with the wholly separate narrative around actually defending Lydia. There are also side and complementary characters/LIs as well.

In terms of sex scenes, again without spoiling the storyline, Steph starts off as easily the most explicit, however, characters that I initially thought were more vanilla have scenes and scenarios based on their lives that touch on several kinks and fetishes including cuckqueens, rimjobs, public sex, cheating (MC having sex with someone who has boyfriend, there's no NTR). I was pleasantly surprised at how some of the story progressed. Some seemingly wholesome characters actually are pretty depraved. There's political intrigue, assassination plots, and even voice acting in later sections.

Check the walkthrough if you're okay with spoilers. I would recommend only using the walkthrough to help make decisions, not reading ahead. The reveals are actually pretty well thought out and worth seeing cold. This is true for the sexual scenarios and the main storyline.

Again, I initially wanted to give this a 4 because of the branches but I realized I'd spent hours playing the game. I loved the story but hated the branches, however, some people love replayability and it's been fun personally modding the game so I can do all in one playthrough.

The care involved in telling a complete and believable narrative should not be overlooked. You are quickly invested in the outcome of what happens with each character.

The story, writing, and scenes are easily worth of 4 stars. What gives it the final star is that each branch, taken on its own, would be enough for a full playthrough without feeling hollow. That there are 3 fully realized plots in addition to the main storyline is a credit to the developer. Also, anytime rimming is in a game, I'm happy about it. If you're interested in a game with an interesting plot and a wealth of sex scenes to suit you, definitely pick this one up.

Overall: Extremely good game with great story, charecters, lots of content and hot girls. Easily N1 on the site. It's worth at least 3 5-star games.

This game is extremely well-made. First of all, the story. The author did a great job by creating a wide and intersting alternative London. You can read a lot of news pages and actually learn something about a real political system in UK. The detective story isn't boring at all. It's like you are reading a detective novel by Boris Akunin. You can also choose not only the girls but the story-line too. Although there aren't drastic changes, it's for the best (about it later).
The girls are HOT! But at the same time they look and act like real humans. most of the charecters (including side ones) have a unique charecter (how to say that differently?). And even the same girl can have several paths (love and sexual). There are a lot of paths, so you will probably start a new game 3-4 times even with a walkthrough (or decompiled renpy).

Version 0.13.4 or 5

This game is absolutely amazing. It is one of my top 5 games at all. In general I am looking for beautiful girls with big boobs, blackmail stories, kinky sex like BDSM, water sports, whipping, breeding, toys, male domination and some light abuse of the girls. This game fits my taste perfectly fine:

Pros:

• Beautiful girls. In fact Steph is one of my alltime favourites in lewd games at all. The tits in this game are delicious.
• Kinky story. The Story of Steph shines here as well and is one of the best you can expect in this genre.
• Different paths to play the game with different kinks and completely different girls. So your decisions have a real big impact.
• I really like it when you can mindfuck, blackmail the girls. This is possible in some ways (could be more imo).
• Big amount of content and therefore motivation to replay it often to see all paths.

Cons (if any):

• The non sexual part of the game is quite big. So I tend to skip lots of it, when I replay it. However, it is a part of the atmosphere as well. A little bit more sexual content in relation to the rest would be nice.
• Some of the women look a bit too old for my cup of tea.
• Many beautiful women are introduced in the story but you are not able to fuck them (or only in a short dream or something) no matter what decisions you make.

Suggestions:

I really enjoyed the side quests where you can fuck some random girls. Imo those side fucks with no to little impact on the main story could be implemented more often. The pizza delivery girl for example would be a nice opportunity for example. I think some nice conversations / returning jokes could be developed from this as well. For example “why do you order pizza that often?!”

So yeah be able to fuck more girls in this wonderful game would be nice. Anyway 5 of 5 without a doubt!

I give this an average rating, because the game is just that. The visuals are pretty good, but the writing seems very after the fact to me.

It's as though the story was built around the fetishes in the game, which on a positive note, there are a lot of them, and good ones at that.

Maybe I'm in the minority, but this just didn't grab me the way I thought it would. I liked the idea and you can tell the developer puts in time on the images. The lack of quality in the writing is what really lets this game down though.

YMMV, it's definitively not a bad game, but it's nothing special either. This is of course only my opinion.

Revised after the last update v14. This is starting to get a little boring to me. I don't feel the story is going anywhere, and the writing it slipping a bit in my opinion.

I'd give a 2.5 if I could, but it's not worthy of the three I game if before. Maybe things will turn around and I'll revise this again, but as of now I cannot give more than 2.

I've followed this game since pretty early in the process and it keeps exceeding my expectations. The renders are good, the story intricate, the sex scenes are satisfactory (so to speak). The only downside is that the English is not always correct, but patches come quickly and thanks to a lively community of fans most errors are corrected before general release.

If development keeps going the way it is, this is easily S-tier product. Multiple, well thought out relationships which move fast enough to stay interesting but not so fast that it's jarring. The amount of kinks not just present, but that are ELECTABLE without ripping out large content swathes is amazing. Paths you really didn't see coming open up, and I rub my hands with glee.

I'd like to highlight how the author uses side plot devices really well. For instance, you can get a handgun, or say no. This opens RADICAL new choices, both bad and good, in certain scenarios. Hell, at one point, you can get an STD, and it can seriously impact your relationships. It's amazing how a genre based on sex never seems to have STDs play any role.

So why 4 instead of 5? Well, 2 reasons. One, you have to use your phone and laptop as 2 different info sources, and frankly, there's no reason for it. Second, while the section of the game where you manage a team is interesting, I never really felt like I knew what the goal was, and having pop ups asking "am I sure?" just tends to slow things down.

I really am looking forward to see how this ends, and for the dev's next project.

PS Game is set in London, and the dev does a good job of making it feel as such. Good set and background choices.