Desert Stalker v0.16 Beta Review
I don’t usually write full reviews, but for this game I have to. This is single the best AVN I have ever played, and my favourite project currently in development.
Graphics, Animations, etc…
This game looks PHENOMENAL. The characters, the environments, the facial expressions - simply everything. There are so many little details in every scene that showcases just how much the dev truly cares about their project. Where a lot of other games use the same copy & pasted character models for background NPCs, here every individual is uniquely crafted. The characters you are interacting with use body language and facial expressions incredibly well, and you’re never stuck on just one identical image for several lines of text. An example of a small detail is how if there is a transition and the scene fades to black, there are a few frames during the transition where the character moves or slightly changes their expression. That example may seem really small and insignificant, but the care taken with so many little details that might even get overlooked by some players ends up leading to an incredibly gorgeous and refined product.
Other than the still images, the VN uses animations. These aren’t only limited to intimate interactions, but sometime entire story cinematics are included. These are absolutely incredible, and while some other high-quality projects on this cite may come close to or even match the quality of Desert Stalker’s animated scenes - none are able to surpass it. I don’t actually think it is possible to do anything better using Ren’PY. I always end up scrolling back and watching these cinematic more than once just to soak up all the details.
Lastly, the background music and sound effects are great. They never get too distracting, but do a wonderful job of setting the atmosphere and overall vibe. Great job!
World & Story
The world that Desert Stalker exists within is intricacy crafted and filled with surprisingly many secrets along with a ton of lore. The setting is post-apocalyptic Egypt, and the world is much more gritty and grounded than I was originally expecting. While civilization is starting to make a comeback (in some parts at least), there are several factions you interact with and the overall world is harsh and unforgiving. It is dangerous, and the lay of the land is that only the strongest survive. Thankfully for you, you’re one of the strongest MOFOs around, though this is done in a way that still makes the MC feel down-to-earth and not some demigod with otherworldly superpowers or anything crazy like that. You are one of very few individuals that do interact with several of these settlements, and as the story progresses get to learn more about the current world, the past, and how everything got to this place. I personally find the world and story super interesting and can’t wait to find out more.
The world is violent, and this game doesn’t shy away from that. There are injuries, dismemberments, decapitations, executions, cannibals, and more. While you can tailor your experience with in-game settings, it isn’t a gore-fest or anything like that and the game not shying away from the violence and horrors of the post-apocalyptic world is one of it’s greatest strengths. That said, it is not like every settlement is a kill-or-be-killed slaughter fest. While you might find cannibals or mummies in one area, others will be safe and for all intents and purposes “civilized.”
You will have to make choices throughout the storyline, and more often than not there isn’t a “good” or “bad” option. This world exists in the many layers of grey outside of the typical “black and white” story in which most VNs live. You make choices based on what you believe is the best and/or most fitting for your MC, and then see where choice takes you down the road. It sounds simple, but this game truly does a magnificent job of this and it really adds a lot of replayability. While a lot of VNs have several “paths” to take, they often funnel you into one of a handful of pre-determined routes. This game’s world seems to change slightly with every choice you make, and each of those choices exist together in unison. This mosaic for lack of a better word is really refreshing and gives your actions a certain weight that I find lacking in other VNs.
Characters
There are several characters you meet and build relationships with, both within your family as well as various factions that inhabit this world. Each character feels unique and special. There are a LOT of characters, they are all very well designed and written, and you can greatly change your relationships with these characters with the choices you make. These aren’t your typical “pick the right choices to get enough points to enter a relationship with character X” kind of choices as are so common with other VNs out there. You don’t need a guide to know how to get onto someone’s path. Instead you can just make decisions based on how you feel your version of the MC would react.
One example that I’ll provide without giving many details as to avoid potential spoilers is that eventually there will be a certain side-character that really doesn’t like the MC. She is also conflicted with the duties associated with her job, and uncertain as to what path to take forwards. In this example there are several routes you can take. On one side you can support her in leaving her job and gaining more freedom over her life, and through your continued care and support this can allow your relationship to blossom into a beautiful, warm, and caring romance. On the other side, you could drill home the importance of discipline and loyalty, have her fully commit to her job, and then degrade her at the workplace to the point were she is just a glorified hole for you to use whenever you please. You can also push her into either direction without ever getting sexually involved, or just avoid getting involved at all by telling her to bugger off right at the start. This example may only be about one side character, but your choices permeate throughout the story and those paths you set characters on continue to be followed with every update. Every time you see this character, you will see them in a context that you helped put them in. The fact that these choices aren’t one-off instances and instead weave together to form the fabric of the entire world on such an immersive scale is very impressive. With enough small stories like this, soon the entire world is filled with little reminders of your choices. This makes it feel like your choices have more weight, as they truly do make the world you as a player create unique to the decisions you made up to that point.
Potential Concerns
The game and the story are still quite early in its lifetime, and there is already a LOT of things for the dev to keep track of. So many characters, choices, paths, lore, and possible player choices, etc…. It is all incredibly well done and the dev has not given me any reason to doubt their ability to handle this and much more thus far. However, I have seen several other VNs get to the point where either the quality severely diminished because the dev got overwhelmed with too many things to keep track of, or simply got abandoned/scrapped simply because the scale was too large or ambitious for the dev to be able to handle. I really hope that Desert Stalker gets to avoid that fate, and will be joining Patreon with a pledge as soon as my financial situation allows me to.
TLDR
As I wrote in the previous sections, the world and characters are incredibly well crafted. The writing is great, and the visuals/audio are spectacular. The gritty violent unembellished apocalyptic world opens more doors (and kinks) than any other VN I have ever seen. The weight and consequences of your actions and choices make the experience feel unique, special, and personal to you - all without getting overwhelming, tedious, or decreasing the incredibly high quality present. Which characters live and die, what your relationships with these characters are, which alliances are formed, enemies are made, etc…. Depending on your choices, the world feels like your world and the MC feels like YOUR character. The story of the relationships between characters and how they change with regards to your choices would in isolation make a great VN. The story of exploring the intricately designed world and piecing together all the mysteries of the old world and what happened would be a great standalone VN. But these two narratives intertwined into a single package that is Desert Stalker it is absolutely fabulous. A true 10/10 AVN if there ever was one, that raises the bar for the entire genre. If you're going to try anything on this site, you might as well try this.