English:............6/10
User Interface:.....4/10
User Experience:....7/10
Art:................8/10
Dialogue:...........4/10
Story:..............4/10
Opinion:............4/10................
Avg:.............5.29/10 [2.65/5]
If anyone's read my reviews before, it's no surprise I'm very critical. And for some reason, I think this game is what started it all. I don't know why, just suddenly I had to dissect every issue I have with the stories I read on this site. The overall message of this one is good. "Work to improve yourself." If this actually portrayed it well, I'd have given it a higher rating. But the issues in the story were numerous. MC works at his job TWICE before getting a cushy job from some girl he starts screwing. MC has no real character flaws to begin with. Outside of cheating on everyone he knows. The relationships happen in the blink of an eye. The only character with a character is the manifestation of MC's subconscious. Imogen's dogshit storyline of "You beat up my son, now I'm going to use you for sexual satisfaction and fall in love with you over nothing" actually made me angry. And MC's sister supposedly turning tricks for drugs is never thought of again after she leans into her hero complex for him. There wasn't even a reason for it, she was just missing, in a warehouse, and doing drugs becasuse... Drugs? And those are just the big ones off the top of my head. This being a near-total rework means I have something to maybe look forward to. Full disclosure(no that anyone will read this because this isn't on the front page anymore) I've had talks with the dev and bits of the rework are from my criticisms. Which gives me hope. But we all know hope is a cruel mistress and I'm still ready to be slapped back down.
It's been well over a year since I touched this, so I won't know every, or any, lines that have been changed. So I'm just gonna go through this as I normally do. The game starts up with MC just saying "I've got to put an end to this, every day is the same" Slightly paraphrased. But what? He doesn't have a terrible life. He's going to college. Sure, his house is not the biggest, but its fine. Yeah, he needs a job, but being a full-time student(as he supposedly is) is a lot of work itself. Even though after a certain point in this story he never goes back to school for unknown reasons. I'm glad MC acknowledges that he's uselss. But WHY is he uselss? There's no build up to why he feels that way. This is one thing I do know is changed. I remember MC talked to his mom about Sarah, his childhood friend. LAST TIME, his mom somehow never met her. THIS TIME, she just wants to know how things are. A minor, but good change. And now MC actually has feelings for Sarah? That was never even hinted at before. MC was just good friends with her and actively supported his friends crush. I actually thought that was a good part of the writing. A female character that was just a friend that was pushed to more after, admittedly, poorly contrived circumstances. And meeting Serena is still not good. Nothing has happened to him to make his psyche break. Just, suddenly, a girl appears for no reason. I guess NOW he asks why she looks like Lera. Because having MC not remember his first crush and long time babysitter was kinda stupid. Either way, Serena says MC has been considering suicide. But WE HAVEN'T SEEN THAT. The story is still just telling us that things are, and have happened. The English still has.. Issues. But it is still touched up better than most, I will admit.
Mrs. Bell's weird obsession with MC and her missing daughter are still a part of this, though. "Wow you look like your dad, that's hot." Is not really a great place to start a relationship. And again, MC beats Toni because? He believes? The English really starts to crumble at the cafe. MC also feels weird about saying "I love you" to his mom? Why? I get it for the censor avoidance, but seeing as that's not an issue now, why? And Sarah no longer even seems to have a crush on Mrs. Bell. Which I wish was what was expanded upon. Instead, we get more about MC, the weakest part of this. Kaylie's intro is still the same. MC sits down, says "Don't be sad, you're pretty." Then she's fine and suddenly in love with him. It's weak. I get she's had difficulties, but It's still not good. Lo and behold. Imogen's dogshit story is still the same. "You beat up my son. Please have sex with me." This entire section of the story is the worst. MC beats up a gangster's son. The gangster is convinced to delegate MC getting beaten by his wife. She wants a fuck toy, and you get choice of male/fem dom scenes. Then, after two or three sex scenes with her, you get to choose if she's in love with MC or not. All after the gangster finds out about MC screwing his wife and MC beats him and his gang singlehandedly. This kid has been in one fight and is apparently morbidly depressed. How? Her entire story is the worst and no amount of retooling can change that. Then MC comes home, sees the his mom went on a date with her boss' husband. THAT THEY OPENLY FOUGHT IN THE PLACE SHE WAS WORKING. And MC puffs out his chest and pushes Igor out the door. I don't see the point at which he's actually needed Serena. The ONE time he needed her, she wasn't useful. And the one time she said she did something MC fought a tubby loser. "Dodge and punch." She's already served her purpose. I don't get it. And, because all similar things have to happen around the same time, MC finds Melinda and fights off her dealers? Captors? Boyfriends? The CGs don't match up here as Toni miraculously changes clothes for one frame. And suddenly Sarah's crush on Bell is secret? I remember it being very apparent?
Chapter 2 is where I, unfortunately, start to mentally check out from the story. What do we have left? Melinda's hero complex, Bell's obsession with MC's father, Meeting Cindy and also Freya, Lera having sex with MC after one day, and Sarah's voyeurism. After all that, it's just MC locked in a house with up to, what? Nine women that are suddenly okay with a man that's with other women? MC's mom, cheated on by his father and the one guy she's tried to date was married. Bell was the other woman and her husband is awful. Lera's boyfriend was beating and cheating on her. Melinda was about to be used and abused over drugs she used for no reason. And Imogen's husband was a gangster that was more than likely never home and out with other women. All the main women in this SHOULD have extreme complexes about an unfaithful man. But they just roll over and go "Hmm. Okay." The only hints at a problem are when MC's mom meets with Bell and when Melinda is found out. Even then It's a two second conversation for them to accept it. I'm fully aware this is just a site of porn games with girls that have no brains. But shit like that just doesn't do it for me. Or at least rarely does. I know this isn't a complete rewrite/rework. And doing that would be a monumental effort. So the little touch ups I've noticed help. But this one just insn't for me.
Tangential paragraph aside, Chapter two shows MC having sex with Bell. And Sarah, finding them, mentally admits that she loves them both, in her head. Now, I know HS is hard to work with. But her crab walking into the room they're having sex instead of hidden in any way makes me laugh. It's just a funny sight. Then, the next day, Bell (Mary, but her name is rarely used right now) shows up to take MC to see Melinda. And MC's mom, that just said they shouldn't act on feelings for each other the night before, gets jealous of Bell's existence. Pushing that relationship because now she is five years old. And Bell drops the Melinda bombshell on MC so... He gets out of her car and walks to school. Then, after a time skip, Bell ambushes him in the hall to ask about starting a relationship. Right after that? Imogen appears to set up their next sex. This is also meant to be a training scene with Kaylie and Sarah, but after ten jumping jacks, it ends. Then it's a section pushing MC and his mom together. And Sarah getting mad at MC over her feelings for him and bell. All to end on MC's mom assaulting him in his sleep. The typical incest trope of a bottled up mother finally wanting sex for some reason blows their son in his sleep. Because blowjobs are sexually gratifying to the giver? Chapter 3 is just a victory lap for MC to get more intimate with the women he already knows. It even rounds out with his mom say "Yeah, I was cheated on by your father with six other women, but it's okay that you do it because reasons."
Chapter 4 is titled Lera. Not that it's focused on her, just that she's here now. It's especially apparent as a big chunk of the beginning is MC dealing with Melinda. And the English is ESPECIALLY bad too. You're also given a non choice here as instead of MC saying "you're my sister" he either lets her kiss him and stops or stops her outright and she gets mad asking if there's another girl. Why, yes. There's several, actually. But MC lies about two different things here and says "No". And, instead of facing any repercussions or dwelling on it at all, Sarah shows up to reward him with sex. She also tells MC a bunch of girls fell for him after rescuing Melinda, so he asks why he's never seen them. He has been to school maybe twice since then, and time was skipped so no wonder. And again, this chapter was called "Lera" and she was only there to walk out of the house after saying hi. And Chapter 5 opens to Mary and Melinda moving into MC's tiny 2 bedroom apartment with him and his mother. It's also the chapter when MC is attacked by Imogen's husband. A fight that MC just does his "Dodge, punch" combo. Then MC goes home with Kylie and her mom basically says "REMEMBER HOW YOU SAID YOU'D HELP HER LOSE WEIGHT?!" Because that is Kylie's entire character, shy girl that wants to lose weight. This section is the only time it ALMOST reels me back in. When MC confronts Mary and his mom about their relationships. There's half an argument and for a brief moment, I hope there's drama. But after one kiss and one Legend of Korra "Deal with it!" later, all is hunky dory. Chapter 6 is where Lera gets beaten, tries to hurt her ex's pride by winning a competition, loses, then fucks MC after saying she wouldn't sleep with her long time boyfriend. Lera even says she doesn't want MC to fight her ex, then rewards him for doing it anyway. After this point, it becomes a sex fest. Feigning sex as romance and relationship building. There is no plot after this chapter, therefore me droning on would be pointless.
To be frank, I don't see any reworked or retooled lines anywhere. Obviously, it's been over a year since I touched this, but it all feels the same. The idea of the story is, as I've said before, a good message. And who doesn't want a few girls fawning over them, in theory. This still takes place at lightning fast speeds, which will remain the worst issue until MORE dialogue is added. Not just slightly better. Chapters 1 - 6, AT LEAST, need more build up and reasoning. It doesn't matter how much sex or "wholesome vibes" you add to the later chapters if I don't care about the characters. It may not seem like it but, full disclosure, I've helped the dev with bits and bobs here and there and even consider him a friend. He's a good guy with great work ethic. However, this story needs so much more to be anything more than an odd power fantasy about MC's imaginary girlfriend. From what I've read of his NEXT story, I will like it a LOT more than this. Which shows improvement. But this is just not it for me. The bits of humor I get from this are mainly just from poorly translated english. Like when MC says "I had sex with everyone sitting on this table" but there's no one sitting on the table.
I don't know for certain, but I think the English in the version I recieved is going to be updated. So I'm giving the benefit of the doubt with the 6, otherwise it's a 5. The UI/UX is basically stock with minor additions. The art is above average HS and they improve greatly as the game goes on. I doubt he'll go back to update early renders again, but there's only one incorrect image I remember seeing. The one of Toni. The dialogue and story are rushed, milquetoast and safe. They're not as bad as some things on this site, but just need work. As usual, I'll include my last review. It's still pretty valid even with the rework, sadly. If you just want a harem romp, here ya go. After chapter 6 it's all sex all the time. While it's not terrible, it's not my thing.