VN - Ren'Py - Eternum [v0.7.5 Public] [Caribdis]

Eternum is a rare breed of visual novel. Not often is a story so enticing that it keeps me engaged between the "good parts". The following review is based on the entire game up to 0.6.

The story is well written It is an adult visual novel, and it delivers on that, but it is so much more. The narrative has me so enamored that I could easily enjoy it, even if it didn't satisfy the "A" in "AVN". It does have some slapstick humor moments, but they are very well placed and fit naturally. As a huge fan of the sci-fi genre, specifically around technology and gaming (gaming within gaming? Yes please!), this ticks many of my boxes for what I want in a video game plot.

The visual art has a unique style compared to the frequently reused artwork across many novels. Are there similar models used in renders & animations? Yes, but that is pretty standard across the gamut of visual novels. The novel takes those common assets and makes them unique. The differences can be subtle, but they truly differentiate Eternum from other visual novels. One thing that is specifically refreshing, is a range of character body types. It is not all "barbie-type" bodies - there is a range of body types to appease all tastes.

One place where I have not seen a lot of recognition is in the music. The music is paired extremely well. It sets the tone for not only the scenes, but also each characters unique personality. I have found myself frequently playing the music in the background such as when I am working, doing housework, or even playing other games. (In fact, I have been listening to the music while writing this review). My only qualm about the music, is there is no way to just play it inside the game!

The characters develop organically within the confines of three main pillars: self, environment, and interactions with others. There are no sudden leaps or growth of characters that cannot be traced back to one of the three pillars. As in many games (VNs or otherwise), the main character has the most growth overall, but it can still be linked to something about himself, his environment, or the others around him. Even when he does exhibit a large step forward, it is not a sudden "power crystal in the plot hole" ex machina situation.

While there are choices within the game, I have found that they largely have either one good choice, or the choices don’t matter. That makes Eternum more of a kinetic novel, but that does not diminish the story (nor does it make it any less fun trying to figure out what choice is the best or right one).

Overall this is one of the best examples of what a visual novel can be. It combines well written narrative and dialogue, beautiful and unique artwork, and perfectly selected music to drive a compelling, organized, and downright fun story.

I look forward to future chapters & updates, and could not be more eager to continue playing!

As per 0.6

This review will be short but I hope this count
Tbh no long words needed as if you jump to the game you will get the awesomeness vibe to it and even more the deeper you play.
To make it short this game is truly a not only triple A but quadruple-A avn that anyone should try

A for arts
A for story
A for humour
A for music
A for spice

9.9/10

If only this game has girls sfx/voice over it will be a 10/10
I know giving sound can give polarizing opinion as it attached to girls personality
But given how devs work is so well done I know you'll make it work

This game deserve love.
If you hesitate to try this because for example you only play completed game, you only miss out the good stuff in life.

As with the previous game by Caribis, this game is well made with a proper story, fun characters, none of the "stupid boyish MC having all girls fall for him for no reason", and of course, amazing scenes. There is genuine good writing and humour here, which is getting rarer by the hour.

The only thing that made this a 4 and not a 5 is that it's pretty simple to create the harem and get all the scenes. In the previous game by the dev, you had to make specific choices to unlock points with a character and get some scenes. Here, the throbbing heart icon is a pretty straightforward giveaway of what to choose. That's my only issue with this game, which I guess says more about the overall quality and the expectations on the back of the previous game. Also, would be amazing to see more of the silly recurring characters in eternum as well, like the nod to President Stab in the beginning

(Review is as of v0.6.2 Public)

Eternum should feel pretty familiar if you've gone through Once in a Lifetime, as the foundation of both are the same: you play as a guy with a stupid haircut and a (honestly, maybe a bit too) huge dick, and you'll have your pick of a wide variety of girls, several of whom seem to have made a daring escape from the cantaloupe factory. And as before, supernatural elements and shenanigans ensue. Whereas Once in a Lifetime featured a supernatural cult, Eternum is a world-within-a-world virtual reality that...probably...isn't run by a supernatural cult.

The similarities don't end there. The characters have their own quirks and personalities, the MC doesn't suck in every way imaginable, and the jokes are actually funny. Furthermore, the choices seem more geared toward you enjoying yourself than trying to kick you in the dick because you did something wrong.

I really like the virtual setting. If I had to nitpick one thing about it, it's perhaps that the MC seems to have learned to tap into his powers a bit too easily. It kind of feels like Shirou Emiya in Fate/stay night: he doesn't know what he's doing and he's supposed to suck at basically everything, but whenever he needs to do "the thing", he's somehow always able to do said thing. But again, this is a minor nitpick.

It's well-written. It's funny. It seems to want you to enjoy yourself as you go through it. Isn't that what it's all about?

[v0.6]

● Story/plot - 10/10
● Graphics/visuals/renders quality - 8/10
● Animations - 10/10
● Music - 9/10
● Characters - 10/10
● Amount of content - 10/10
● Overall 5/5


● Story/plot
It is the best asset of the game and I cannot wait to reveal it all. Idea was great and execution was even better. It is hard to find VNs with a real good and original story and even if someone gets good idea it ends with untapped potential. Tbh I'm not sure it that is all your idea or it is based on something but if it is yours then you should trademark is somehow because it has great franchise potential. Can you imagine TV series base on that story?
● Dialogues
Caribdis is one of the top in both, stories and dialogues. Not much to say here, quite realistic emotions with great sense of humor, keep up great work here.
● Foreplay
Just like I said above, Caribdis is dialogue master and foreplay scenes are sometimes even more erotic and exciting then sex itself. It is not straight-to-raw-fuck-like game but it comes with great feeling and atmosphere which is not an easy task to do so.
● Music/Sounds
It is not perfect yet but top class for sure. Many productions has no sound at all and if they have it is just some looped crap. Here we have really nice sounding scene adjusted to current events, creating even better gameplay experience if story and all I said above is not enough.
● Characters
The only thing I do not like here is I would like to see them more "magic MC's dick resistant". I find them all great written, each with own personality and full of emotions. Each of them has really nice background story, own hobbies and goals, somehow unique also in relations with each other. And what I'm saying here is not just about main girls but there are bunch of others met during the story which I am not even able to name them all. Really amazing job here.
● Amount of content
As it was my first time I played Eternum (I was kinda delaying it for months) I wasn't sure how long it will take to finish (v0.6). To be honest it exceeded my expectations. At some point after hours and hours of play I was sure it will end in second but I kept playing and playing. The inevitable finally came but it was quite a long journey I must say. If we consider "content" as a variety of stuff to do then there is not much of that (like phone, equipment, mini-games etc). There is small roam at the college party but that is it I guess. Does it affect overall experience? No. Not every game has to have all variety of this stuff and as we know it consumes A LOT of creation time so it is better to focus on the story.
● Locations
This is just WOW. That was a big challenge based on the given game plot and it's unlimited potential. Space station? No problem. Wild west? Sure. Cyberpunk city? Medieval? Early 1900s? Ancient Rome? Magic school? We got you covered! Variety of places and each one with own great story that could be a game on it's own. Tbh it is mind-blowing how much work was put to that...
● Models and renders
Overall I would say they are great. The minor things to make them even better is to pay more attention to proportions, especially girls (they can be sexy af with little smaller breasts and hips) but also MC's (later in game looks little buffed but his forearms are thin). Some places could be better organized, look more alive but I guess appetite grows with eating and I need to remember about render time needed for each scene with additional stuff in it. Caribdis has his(?) own style and I loved it since "Once in a Liftime". Another plus goes for clothing, many games pay attention to just girls clothing making MC look like a clown but here it is all in symbiosis with the story. Awesome job.
● Overall
All I said above putting and mixing together gives us one of the best AVN created so far. I will be honest, I spend all weekend doing nothing but constantly playing this...


● Harem
Personal preferences, not sure I like harem or not. I guess the problem with Eternum is that MC sometimes confess too much and it is either "I want to be with you"->sex or the opposite. Something like "it is just for fun" dialogue would be great or some info at the beginning of the game that it is harem game(is it?). For now I am not sure if I will hurt them all at some point or it is fine to play along with them all.


● Enormous breasts
Not a big fan, quite opposite actually. Personally if the world in story is based on real one, I like to feel kinda immersion, with realistic dialogues, physique etc. Sure, it is AVN and great bodies is a must but Penny/Nancy/Calypso would be considered as a disability in real world... The other girls even have insecurities about theirs breast despite fact that they are perfect/more than enough sized. MC's dick could be little smaller too but yeah, one of those games.
● Male friends
I wish there will be AVN one day where there will be more than one jester/unable-to-get-laid best male friend, where player will be rival with some other normal male friends for the girls... I know it would need a bit more work then just make MC and all girls wanna fuck him but yeah... One day maybe... At least Chang on his own is really nice character, fun but not jester for sure.

This is one of the best games I have ever played and not just as an adult visual novel but any types of visual novel games I have played. It satisfies the thirst of anyone who loves anime, games, and power fantasy stuff. It has a charm that hooks me every time I play it, no matter what scene I’m in or what mood I’m feeling. It’s a pretty polished and well-thought game that clearly knows what it’s doing. And the graphics and characters are amazing. The characters have such charisma, like even the side dude Cheng is a blast to interact with. And the girls, man, those are some impressive character models you got there. I have two favorites, Dalia and Nancy, but Penny and Alex are also close contenders. That shows how awesome all of them are. Heck, even the girl whom the MC met at a brothel has an interesting personality. My favorite scene is the conversation between Axel and the MC under the rain before the MC visits Alex. And on top of all that, the music is just perfect. Chef’s kiss, nothing more to say. I have nothing but praise for this work and I’m really looking forward to the next update. Thank you and best of luck. Solid 5+ out of 5 stars.

This game is a true masterpiece, whoever made this, is a freaking genius. This whole work is just amazing, characters' personalities are extremely carefully designed. You can even feel what kind of person they are, simply from their phone text style. Story goes smoothly, almost has no logical mistake. The emotional development between characters are just so realistic, so perfect. I've played lots of games like this, and this is definitely one of the bests I ever played. The idea, the music, the art, the story... Incredible!

A really great game. 5 stars because the girls are beautiful, the story is intriguing, the plot is fun, the world is fun...

It's a harem story by design apparently, and the only thing you may find strange is that girls seem to have no interest in keeping clothes while they are close to the MC almost from the start. But in a porn game, is it really a flaw?

As of 0.6 it's very fun to play, and has many funny scenes. I expect this game to remain of that level of quality up to the end.

Animations -12/10 absolutely the best animated game I have ever played.
Story - 10/10 Half the time I find myself firing this game up just to continue the story.
Sound - 10/10 Never really cared much about sound, until @Caribdis showed me how much sound can improve your gameplay experience. Never played another game with such masterful execution in this regard.
Models - 15/10
All I really want to say is wow. Best VN i've ever played and I hope you'll keep making them for a long time. I just learned you did Once in a Lifetime, so now all this makes sense.

I play lots of AVN, some of them is good, some of them is mediocre, and some of them is truly one of the best... and one of the best is Eternum. Its interesting that the author/developer knows lot of references in the real world especially Anime, Mythology, Video Games, underrated Books like Eros & Thanatos which is kinda like easter egg in the game, I'm just amazed that there's a lot of real world input in the game which make the story better. The rendering department of those 3D and 2D animation is truly one of the best if not the best in the whole AVN's, Storywise yeah one of the greats also.. I like the comedy and lots of action pack in the story! Characters is amazing too, I'm more of Penelope fanboy but all of them is great! I highly recommend this to gamers that want a high quality AVN and if you're one of those horny dudes out there.. you need patience to play this game because this like more of story driven game and not "unlimited fuck to easy girls type of AVN".
Lastly I'm just amazed, hands down to the genius of Caribdis.

First of all I've been following Caribdis work ever since i finished "Once in a lifetime" the story is good there are a lot of funny moments and the character design most of them are memorable and lovable, Eternum on the other hand is in my opinion is the best i played so far, the SAO kind of genre makes it more interesting, the story is great, characters all lovable and i think what really makes Eternum great is the amount of effort was put into the game aesthetics, the cut scenes for me is top tier, the game is now in ver 0.6 and i am very satisfied with the H-scenes the action and story. I am looking forward to the next update.

Great work Caribdis

This is really the best VN game i've ever seen, i actually forgot why i downloaded it lol, and to get past 200 characters , there is my tier list of girls
1. Nova (She is ultra cute and helpful, in one word - best)
2. Luna (She is ultra cute and creepy but in a good way)
3. Annie (Sometimes she is super cute, but usually just cute)
4. Dalia (I messed up with her once and it took too long to understand how to fix it, but she is actually super cute)
5. Penny (She is just cute, and big booba is respectful)
6. Alex (She is rude And i dont like tatoos)
7. Nancy (Just cuz im not a MILF person)

So, I just had the most amazing experience diving into the world of Eternum, and let me tell you, it's a masterpiece that's etched itself into my heart. From the mind-blowing artwork to the captivating storyline, this visual novel takes you on a ride that's both exhilarating and heartwarming.

I have to start by gushing about the art in Eternum. Seriously, it's like you're stepping right into a dream world. The attention to detail is out of this world, and the characters? Oh boy, they practically breathe with life! The art alone would have been enough to get me hooked, but there's so much more to this gem.

Alright, let's talk about the story. I was honestly blown away by how invested I became in the characters' lives. The pacing is spot on – just when you think you've got it all figured out, bam! A twist comes along that leaves you hungry for more. The writing is so good that I found myself laughing at a fuckin screen. It's a rollercoaster of emotions, and I was totally onboard for it.

Ever felt like you've stepped into a story? That's exactly what Eternum does to you. It's not just about reading words on a screen; it's about being a part of a world that feels as real as your own. Making choices in the game feels like making them in your own life – they matter. And when you care about the characters, those choices take on a whole new level of importance.

I can't ignore the elephant in the room – the mature parts. Eternum handles them with elegance. The scenes, they're woven into the narrative in a way that makes sense. And the animations? They're like a cherry on top, adding that extra oomph to moments that are already electric.

I always believed that caribdis was a top notch developer and he outclassed ANY OTHER vn with this one. I specially made an account just to give this game a 5 star. I can not wait for it to be completed.

This is, in my opinion, the best game on this site. Caribdis just doesn't know how to mess up.
From music choices to personality of every character, there's not a part that isn't enjoyable, the scenes are hot as fuck too.
It's not a coincidence that the last time a game from this site made me write a review was also a game from Caribdis, which is not something that happens often and I've played pretty much everything that's popular (and some not so popular) on this site.
Also, I discovered 2 of my top 10 favorite songs this decade from this game, which is insane considering it should be just a porn game.. But is not, It's an actual, genuinely great game that leaves you with this weird feeling when it ends, the same a very good book does.

Truly, the only two bad things about it as of now are:
1.- I can't get enough of it, so I'm left with this feeling I mentioned until the next patch.
2.- It has made me pampered and now I find it kinda hard to enjoy less fleshed out games.

If anyone knows of other games that have this quality (Specially in the character writting department) do please DM me about them, I'll be very grateful.

God damn. I absolutely LOVE Caribdis. They are so amazing at creating the best stories. I swear the plot of Eternum is so good and, personally, I think it rivals some of the triple A games out on the market in terms of story telling. Genuinely such and amazing game and creator. The ability to make something not only have the sexiest H-scenes in any H-game I've played, but also the ability to make it intense as hell is seriously insane. I'm so, so glad I've been able to play through this game since its inception. It's turning out to be even better than Once In A Lifetime. I can't wait for the next update and to see what your future holds Caribdis.

Cheers thanks for reading this long ass review lmao.

Great game!
Love the story and different elements taken from other media.
Like the horror game part and alien story.
Art style is great with interesting characters and some nice variety.
Can't wait for the next update.

Nothing short of amazing.
This game is probably one of those that really makes the Western Visual Novel niche shine bright.
It has an amazing cast of characters, the story is very entertaining and the developer, himself, is really friendly.
I highly recommend the game to anyone who wants to enlarge their VN catalogue with amazing games.

Excellent game with a nice variety of characters, personalities and situations that make it interesting.

Renders and sex scene wise, this is some of the best 3DCG content out there. The animated scenes are hot, and the build up to them is really solid most of the time. Choices can matter, and you really have to pause sometimes before you make a decision.

This game is def. worth playing to get off and for some of the plotlines. Just go in knowing alot of things dont make sense and ideas are all over the place.

This is definitely one of those games that I look forward to every day, wishing Caribdis all the best so that continue to create more content for everyone to enjoy.

Really Really good. The characters, interactions and attention to detail in the animations and expressions really sets this game out from the rest.

The story at it's core is nothing new, but it does it really really well, with beautiful renders to make the world feel real.

+ bonus for it being funny and scary at times

I love this VN. I love the story, I love the game-within-a-game aspect--I would play a game like this without the prospect of h-scenes--I love the characters, I love the smoothness of the animations when offered, I love the musical selections, I even tolerate the MC.. mostly because while he is the central character and he has plot armor, he isn't a full blown Gary Stu laying waste to the servers of Eternum or the town of Kredon while staking a claim to their women!

Okay, maybe he's collecting a small harem with his mighty rod.. but that's OK! It's not 50 going on 500 with an MC who only proffers time upon who he deigns worthy. Seven is FINE!

So is this VN female-heavy? Of course! The MC is male, and games with male leads they need to be female-heavy on the supporting roles to target a wide audience. BUT! This collection of characters is a TEAM! They wouldn't do any of what they do without each other and everyone is an important part of it!

I usually give up on VNs that find ways to turn me off, have awful gameplay elements or gameplay elements too tedious to accept. After all.. just as the juice MUST be worth the squeeze, the lore must be worth the bore. I enjoyed Once in a Lifetime and played it to the end, but this... this is a masterpiece. Well done, Caribdis!

5/5, will play this to the very end