Ren'Py - Desert Stalker [v0.16c] [Zetan]

i have lurked on this site for many years (lost my prev account don't mind the new account that's reviewing) playing much of what is released that catches my interest. This is far and away one of the best games i've played.
Scenes 5/5 - not just repeats of the same thing or slight variation but actually different scenarios with payoff for choices
Story 4.5/5 - a couple of parts where it slows down but honestly it builds up atmosphere quite well. for the record i'm normally the guy that would just skip a lot of the text. it felt wrong to do that with this game i was that hooked on the story. ( mind it does help that i'm a fan of fallout/S.T.A.L.K.E.R. already)
ui 4/5 - could have a couple of improvements but does everything it needs to, isn't incredibly buggy (in my experience) and generally rather sleek and what i'd want from a well made Ren'Py game.
models 5/5 - different factions leads to different aesthetics, and a decent variety of characters. maybe could be some more variation in body type but honestly i'm happy with what we have/ may be upcoming

Character: 5/5 they do not look like clones
Story: 4/5 very original, some path could be expanded later?
UI or Controls: 4/5 nothing to fancy but they do their job
Sex scenes: 4/5 hot stuff here

So far game is worth to play, I hope it can be completed.

having played the game for very first time on v0.15c, i enjoyed every second of it. sure some things could be better and i wont nitpick any details, but i take no issue with it given i experienced large content within just 2-3 days.

i also understand other reviews where content being released in versions can be a bit annoying. personally for me, i wont be playing this game again for a long time and will wait for a few more updates to come through.

that being said, i'd love a recap system that takes into account the decisions i've made and the scenes i've seen along my path for whenever i pick this back up.

solid game, 5/5!

I couldn't get into this AVN.
The background of the post apo world is a great setting, but the story felt a bit flat to me from the start. The same goes for the characters, where none of them managed to appeal to me. I don't find the renders to be particularly great either. For me, one of the most overrated AVNs at F95zone.

If you're a harem fan and the characters and their bond with each other aren't essential to you, though, you'll be satisfied.

As with most games of this genre, the story is all over the place. You have the zombies, the mutants, the raiders, the royalty, your wife's sister's family ffs... What's next? Your mother? You bite from all the apples in the basket but never never get truly sated. I understand they all tie together into the story but considering that the game is released in versions, this becomes annoying and disappointing. It just screams "low quality experience".

That being said, I did enjoy the mutant part. That was probably the highlight for me (aside from Ivy giving you access to her sad and depressive journal -that was fucking cringe...) and would like to see more of it.

If you need harem, this is the game for you. If you need anything else, still this is the game for you. Different factions, different kind of women, different ways to progress. Amazing renders with amazing designs.

Very well written game, with loads of story and content, and overall extremely well-done animations. You can see the dedication and love that went into creating this project by the indie team behind it. The narrative is rich and engaging, drawing players into a world full of depth and intricacies. Every character feels well-developed, with their own unique backstories and personalities that add layers to the storyline.

The gameplay mechanics are smooth and intuitive, making it easy to get immersed in the game from the very beginning. The puzzles and challenges are thoughtfully designed, providing a perfect balance of difficulty that keeps players engaged without feeling frustrated.

Visually, the game is a masterpiece. The art style is both unique and captivating, with attention to detail evident in every frame. The animations are fluid and lifelike, bringing the characters and environments to life in a way that few indie games achieve. It's clear that the development team has poured their heart and soul into every aspect of the game's design.

The sound design and music further enhance the experience, with a soundtrack that perfectly complements the mood and tone of the game. Each piece of music and sound effect has been carefully chosen to immerse the player deeper into the game's world.

Overall, this game is a testament to what a passionate and talented indie team can achieve. It's a shining example of creativity and hard work, and I am eagerly looking forward to seeing it completed. This project has immense potential, and I am excited to see how it will evolve. Keep up the fantastic work!

0.15

I CTRLd through this game once just for H-scenes and even then it was good, but I gave it a second chance and read through all the story and holly hell that was a good decision - the game is amazing in almost every department. I would really have to try very hard to find any negatives.

Amazing girls (I personally like the most Nadia and Emillia), a lot of fappable scenes, a lot of content, missions, story that make sense, animations are amazing (there is a ton non-sex animations and I'm not even mad that "dev is not spending this time on sex animations"), renders are sharp and high res even on 34' screen, this game is 3,5 year old and it has amount of content that 3,5 year old game should have, and even though we got intimate with a lot of girls there are still girls that you're waiting for like Queen, Yuna, Zion (I think that was her name) so it's not like with future updates dev will just make threesomes of already "conquered"girls but there is still a lot of potential for teasing the players with new girls.

Looking forward to future updates, but already amazing game, if I try to place it somewhere on the scoreboard - in top5 of all the games I've played

[v0.15c Public]
Okay, what in the actual fuck.
This game is absolutely amazing. Who cares if it's Ren'Py. Any of your thoughts on Daz3d means fkn nothing here. And that's saying something coming from someone that worked in DazStudio for a decade, and is sick of seeing Genesis 2/3/8/9 models. The atmosphere/lore/setting/story/decisions here makes Ren'Py/DazStudio games look like the best thing since sliced bread.

The H-Scenes are fantastic. Tons of decisions to make. Choices definitely matter. You can be a good person, bad person, something in between, or just do what ever the fk you want to, and just deal with consequences.

At first it takes a bit to get into the story. After a while, I was thoroughly enjoying the game all-in-all. Really liked the H-Scenes that would happen, and how you can approach them is fairly comprehensive.
But.. then I got far enough in the story, and what the hell, I didn't give a flying fk about the h-scenes anymore, I just wanted to play for the Story.

I'm not stretching the truth what-so-ever here. This story, atmosphere, and setting, could easily be it's own game without any of the adult content, and it would be fkn amazing. The adult content is basically the whipped cream and cherry on top. I quite often (in these games) skim over the text, so I can get some brief context of who/what/when/where and why. After a certain point, I was reading every single word, every single note, every context that can be given, everything. There is just so much depth, and unique ideas and concepts used that it's almost a shame that it's in an adult game, as too many people are gonna miss out on it.

And What the heck is with the release version being at v0.15. This game has a colossal amount of content for version zero point fifteen....! I kid you not, this has more content then most COMPLETED games on F95.

I went into this game after reading some reviews, thinking most people gotta be blowing this one out of proportion, or it just suits certain types of individuals that are more likely to write a review when they've finally came across a game with their niche content.
Boi was I fkn wrong.

If you haven't played this yet, your missing out big time.
My only recommendation, is to play when you got a couple of hours to actually read the story. Please, trust me, when I say it's worth it. There is a point in the game where you start to play as more then just the main protagonist, and you can switch and play as Others in your household. That part of the game is on another fkn level. I don't want to say too much about it cuz I don't want to ruin anything.

If you haven't tried this game out, you are doing a massive disservice to yourself.

I want to write a more indepth review. But I feel like I'd be spoiling it in some way. Just play the game. It's a 10 Star game.

Even in its incomplete state at april 24, this is one of the best games I have been able to find in the site. It's not just fallout with sex (you can mod fallout for that), this is so much more.

The game is very ambitious, presenting very radical choices from the start. You can do some brutal things if you really want, you'll lose content though. The author seems to notice this and instead of adding different consquences for every choice, he just stops giving such radical choices.

Which, you know, it's understandable. This is not a high budget videogame, this is some guy making the stuff from home. And as such, it's outstanding.

You can expect cool renderings, interesting characters, able to evolve, a history that adapts to your liking. I really like some of the ideas, like the fact that some characters and stories change depending on how you tell them. And it feels meaningful because in some way, every possibility fits the characters even if the actions are completely different. That's because there is very clever character building here.

I recommend the game. Give it a try. But play slowly because it takes some long time to update.

I enjoyed this game very much, especially the writing which is rare in these games, and also the choice structure and how many meaningful choices you have there are few games with the same structure but in the end, I realized there are no games like this so I'll stop looking for one and just sit my ass down and wait for updates.

Make sure you know what you’re getting into! Desert Stalker can be quite bleak and gory at times, but it’s a great game otherwise if you don’t mind.

Personally, the only thing that bothers me is how young the wife/mother looks, but I’m nitpicking at this point.

Loved it. The characters look great, and the story is strong so far. I look forward to future updates. Hopefully, it continues to be a great game in the future. More forcing the younger daughter to service others would be hot.

One of the best games in this site no debate.

pros:

+ Renders are top notch
+ Story is interesting
+ Non linear and choices matter
+ Scenes are pretty damn hot
+ Ain and the queen (I mean come on)
+ Music and atmosphere are amazing.
+ Characters are all beautifully made and unique


cons:

- Cant really think of any... Just would like to see more h content as there is not that many right now since there are many girls and devs have to split development time for each.

For a game of this caliber I'm honestly surprised the devs don't have more supporters. Anyways, go play the game if you haven't already, you won't regret it.

one of the GOATs, especially if you like certain taboos, looking forward to more of it, even if some people think its being drip fed, ill wait, ill pay if needs be!

Great models, good slow build, lots of vareity ,really shaping p to be something special

This is perhaps the best AVN I've ever played.
It does a great job with the dystopian setting and the role of our MC as a somewhat mercenary yet the struggle of power between him and the queen.
The story set in a dystopian Egypt is getting better from time to time and with (at least) three factions that seem to be at each other's throats it sure as hell won't become boring.

The women are sexy as hell and while some are a bit generic like the younger girl in our household, most of them have a great story set, i.e. Kateryna or the queen.

I don't like sandboxes that much, but this is fairly straightforward. Really cool and original setting and story, and the renders are top tier. Easily one of my top 10 favorite ero games, probably in the top 5.

Not a big fan of the heavy gore tho, though there is an option to turn it off, I should probably have chosen it, but I like to see everything even if it is not my cup of tea. seeing beheaded corpses is not something I want in my porn game.

But overall a great game!

Absolutely amazing game in every aspect.
What I thought was just a r*pe simulator with a very dark setting turns more and more into a game with a very interesting story and even world building, while of course providing more than enough sexual content to satisfy the average user.

One of the best VN games I've ever played if not the number 1 best!

Visuals: 10/10 - The artwork is breathtaking, with stunning landscapes and detailed character designs that bring the desert world to life.

Story: 10/10 - The narrative is gripping, filled with mystery, and unexpected twists. it keeps you on the edge of your seat through out the game, the story telling is top-notch

Gameplay: 8/10 - The gameplay is intuitive and enjoyable, offering a mix of exploration, puzzle solving, and decision making. some areas could benefit from more depth, but overall, its very enjoyable.

Music: 9/10 - The music perfectly complements the desert adventure, each track, from haunting melodies to adrenaline-pumping beats

all in all, a very fun game that will keep you hooked from beginning to end, cant wait for the next update.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Funny that the dev doesn't put the word "Mad Max" on the description because I can feel a big influence from that movie in this game compared to S.T.AL.K.E.R. Anyway, I'm not gonna rambling about that, let's dissecting this game one by one.

The Graphics:
I don't have much to say about it, it looks great. Quite similar with FreshWomen, Race of Life, and Chasing Sunsets. So if you care about it, this game won't disappoint you.

The Story:
Oh man, when I got introduced about this game on a subreddit, I thought this game looked cringy and wouldn't satisfied me. But no, this game is the total opposite of that. You started as a Stalker (no, you're not playing as Strelok) tasked by the Queen of Zeta (no, she's not Sidorovich) to get an old statue around post-apocalypse Egypt for her personal collection. On the way back from Cairo, you'll faced multiple choices, characters, factions, and your family which consisting you wife and two of your daughters. The worldbuilding of this game is also very great, it also has free roams, main quests, and side quests that you'll get along the way depending on your choices. As a honorable stalker among Zeta, you also have a personal house with multiple rooms and also dungeon that you can access. Oh I almost forgot, this game actually has gores and other disturbing contents, something that I haven't seen in a video game for a long time since the Manhunt series. Desert Stalker has approximately 18-19 hours contents at best so you won't get bored by it, don't forget that the game is still in production.

Sex Scenes:
The sex scenes are great, one of my favourites among other AVNs. My only complaint is that few sex scenes are kinda slow, like fucking a virgin for the first time despite the woman has experiences (gotta make them rougher, buddy). By the time I wrote this, there are multiple scenes that I haven't unlocked yet and I already finished my first playthrough.

Choices and Consequences:
Well this is the most interesting part, this game offers you multiple playthroughs. Some characters could be locked forever if you don't play your cards right. I just finished my first playthrough and there are multiple possibilities and sex scenes that I haven't unlocked yet by the time I wrote this review. So yeah, it's a must and mandatory, I will start my second playthrough later.

Verdict: 5 out of 5, just like that. I usually don't give five stars for still-in-development games but this one is one of the exceptions. Good job, you earned my respect.