ver played: 11c
Desert Stalker is an extremely high quality game, compared to others on this site. The worldbuilding, backgrounds, music and areas are all exquisite. The array of characters is excellent, as well as the various quests you play and even the way everything is laid out to you in the journal, the way you progress etc. It services a variety of tags, but the more 'off putting' ones can be safely turned off and ignored. As it is, the world of future Egypt, Zeta, and the people who inhabit it, the main character, his family, the people he meets on his adventures and his interactions with them, all make for a very satisfying, engaging and enjoyable visual novel.
The story itself is complex and has many stand out moments with lots of key characters and factions on their own paths, and at the center of it all, you, and it's damn enjoyable interacting with and seeing what you do with each of them.
Julia very nearly broke my heart. That whole arc was amazingly well put together and was very heavy. Shani and Ain are great, so is Zahra, Queen Merneith is enticing, and so are the others you meet on your journeys. But the girls that stick out to me the most are Yuna, Kyra, Merneith and Ain.
10/10. This game has a long way to go and certainly more greatness to come.