VN - Ren'Py - Eternum [v0.8.0] [Caribdis]

very polished. I came for a porn game stayed for the plot. the animation is amazing! im not just talking about the sex scenes, ive caught my self playing back a transition bc of how smooth they are. love the characters and that they all have their own uniqueness and like that the girls all have different aspects from cute to well endowed and not just a copy paste with a different face. I also like how the characters looks change from hair length to body type. time to go play once in a life time now bc turns out ive been missing out on good story telling.

This might be my favorite game on the sight. It just does so much right. It has great humor, story, world building, and characters. I can't recommend it enough.

The MC: Very good, he's not some blank slate loser, and he's not some overpowered god. He's a guy with personality, humor, and good banter with other characters.

Side Characters: Amazing I love almost every character you meet, they all feel unique and feel like their own person, every scene with a side character and the mc or even a side character and another side character is always fun.

Story and setting: Very good, it doesn't do anything new but everything it does, it does well. The plot twists aren't crazy and super unpredictable, if you pay attention to the story you can tell but that doesn't make them any less fun when the characters begin to figure them out. That being said, the world is amazing, definitely 10/10. Every new place you go in the real world and especially Eternum is absolutely outstanding.

Animations: Pretty good, not the best I've seen but definitely better than most. Dev also makes good use of music, sound effects, and slight changes to make the characters feel more animated.

Another banger by Caribdis loved the cliffhanger at the end of 0.5 so much lore at the end.
i love all the characters so far and my to favorite girls so far definitely have to be Luna and Alex cant wait for more scenes with them in future updates and cant wait to continue playing in 0.6.
Keep up the Great work Caribdis.

When I saw this game, I had my doubts about the graphics. However, I was in for a pleasant surprise as the story and dialogue actually had some thought put into it. The characters are well-crafted, and their interactions kept me interested in them. I would highly recommend giving it a shot and looking beyond the visuals if they're not your cup of tea. You might just discover a hidden gem worth experiencing.

Immediately picked this up after finishing Once in a Lifetime, the writing for which had not only had me laughing and entertained, but also engaged.
Despite still being in development, Eternum is already raising the already high bar that OIAL managed to set.

I love it all: the art style, the intricate yet self-deprecating world building, the lively dialogue, the familiar and continuous humor, the fleshed out and compelling main characters, and...of course...the masterfully rendered sex scenes.

I wish you could bottle the excellence that you produce, Caribdis, because the world could use much more of it.

[v0.5.0] Very very good game, probably the best game "done" (not finished yet) so far. I played the author previously game and I loved, but this one is a next step. My summary:

- Great story. Very interesting, with a lot of references and easter eggs, a lot of possibilities...

- H-scenes are very good. There is not much freedom to choose how develops the scene or how to end it (but some scenes), but they are in general very well done.

- Good animations.

- The pace of the scenes are good. Moments for full story, time for scenes, I liked.

- Character design very good. All girls are hot and have different personalities, backstory etc. The only thing I would say I dont like its Nancy, as the only MILF, doesn't look like like a MILF. She looks like 25yo and she has 38-39 I think.

- Good sound. Ambient music, sounds. No moans.

- Technically perfect. 0 bugs, stable fps.

This game is probably one of the best or is the best I've seen on here, it just hooked me in with a great story with loveable or shy characters. Love the comedy that's added in here and alot of references to other movies, shows and games feels like rl haha
I can't wait to keep playing and see what happens with the update, this is one of those game I wish would never end lol

Currently replaying to get ready for the next update
Ratings a re from 1-10 with 10 being the HIGHEST

VISUAL ASPECT:
10/10 - HS and HS2 models being used in games like these always is a massive plus to me.

-Orion's design looks good. Not to over the top but does not look plain as well. I like his hair style.

-Annie really looks like a childhood friend you could've grown up with. She looks cute, and when you get to see her scenes, my god does she look so alluring. A feminine allure so to speak. The outfits she has also look great.

-Dalia just gets hotter and hotter every update. Her twintails makes it looks like she'll play with your heart, then with your dick. Her sporty look coupled with her great body makes it hard for one to not look at her.

-Nancy just screams "I'm sexy and I know it". She's confident of her own body and is not shy about it. Although, it is stated that she has larger breasts than Penelope, it doesn't really look like it. But that's not a negative. I love her red hair and her haircut. Her office outfits are also nice.

-Penelope. My dear Penelope. She was actually at the bottom of my preferred list when I first started. I felt like her initial violet outfit didn't look nice. But we immediately got rewarded by her wearing a VERY see through night gown over her hot as shit lingerie and it made me question myself if I was actually blind. Her outfit during the party was very sexy. The gold matches her long blonde hair.

-Luna looks like someone I'd die protecting. She looks meek, fragile, and lonely. It made me want to take on the world for her. Her black hair and red eyes match her usual outfit colors (most if which are in the darker spectrum) very well. She has a surprisingly curvy body as it really wasn't obvious early on and we really only get to see her bare legs and thighs during the Warthogs part.

-Alex looks cool, confident and mysterious. Her tats along with her hair color and hair style complement her look. Her fur jacket completes her 'rider' look. She also looks extremely elegant during the dinner party. Her black dress hugging her tight body along with her killer waist was a sight to behold.

-Nova. GADAMN do I like her style. The eyepatch, the ginger hair, the freckles. SHEEESH. She just takes my breath away, She has that 'it girl' vibe. A vibrant aura envelops her.

STORY:
10/10 - This is not the 1st time a game used the VRMMO trope but it fits very well with the themes being used for the story, Collecting gems in game makes you the CEO IRL? That's insane. Really makes you question why it's like that. What does Orion have to do with all of it. You get a call very early on that you must collect Calypso to open the gates of Acheron. Orion hasn't even been in Eternum that time. How do they know? What does compatibility percentage mean? What does it affect? If Calypso was sealed, then does that mean the players were never really meant to find her? What is Orion's abilities in-game and why was he so buff all of a sudden. The game has a lot of questions. And it slowly feeds you information even at the very beginning. It does a very good job of hooking the player in right from the get go. Being a VRMMO also makes it possible to fit whatever theme the team wants to put in the game. You want budget Harry Potter? Warthogs. Supernatural murder mysteries? Red Herring. Cyberpunk? Ion. The list goes on and on. This means the possibility is endless for the setting and for how the story will go and progress. The pacing is great. Slow enough to make sure the point gets across, but fast as well to make sure that there is never a dull moment.

MUSIC:
10/10 - Run Boy Run by Snake City. Nuff said.

SCENES and ANIMATIONS:
10/10 - It took a WHILE before we got the first penetration scene for a LI. It was Nancy as well which I guessed would be the case since she seems to be the one who's actually open and honest to herself about doing it with Orion. The music that plays during the scenes were perfect. Silverware for both of Nova's scenes made it very sensual. If I Had Tail for Alex's scenes make perfect sense for that playful nature of the song and the playfulness of that scene between her and Orion. Up All Night for Penelope as well. MY GOD PENELOPE. IT TOOK A WHILE FOR HER 2ND SCENE AFTER THE PHOTOSHOOT BUT IT WAS WELL WORTH IT. CAN'T WAIT FOR THE ACTUAL SCENE WITH PENETRATION. All the scenes are well made and extremely stimulating. The angles of the scenes, angles changing dynamically during said scenes. Perfection.

OVERALL EXPERIENCE:
10/10 - Just a damn good game. It just exceeded my expectations. This is already Caribdis's 2nd game and you can really tell the amount of time and effort spent to make this was sincere. I can see how Cari has improved as a developer and as a storyteller throughout my experience playing Eternum and the 1st game. I hope this keeps up. I wish the dev, the team and the game good luck.

Story-wise, this game is one of the best on this site, I am a fan of fictional novels, specially the Japanese/Korean LN/WN, and I can tell the story writer of this game is a LN/WN fan himself cause I get the same vibes as reading a power fantasy novel when playing this game. Ever read Overgeared?
Anyway... there is nothing wrong with the story and more devs should do what the devs of this game are doing with the story. Even without those little adult scenes, which can be counted in one hand, this game is good. But my concern is not about the story. It's the lack of variety. Let me explain why I didn't give this game a perfect score.

First of all, This game is pretty much a linear game. There is not much choices other that the ones where it increases RP if you chose the positive choices, and the choices to continue or discontinue relations with different LIs. Other that that, there's nothing too serious to choose which can affect the overall story; at-least, not till now.

Secondly, there is not much adult scenes when comparing the amount of gameplay there is. Considering this site is mainly based on adult games, this game is nothing special in my opinion in that field. There are other games with the same level of interesting story as this one but with way more scenes that this game has. Also there is not much of a control in the players hand about how the scene is going to be played out (except one or two). Considering the main focus of the game being a fantasy adventure VN I can understand the lack of interest in the variations of adult scenes, but I can just go to steam and play some good games there if that was my intention. Here on this site, My first requirement is some good 18+ stuff which I can properly enjoy with the story.

Thirdly, when I said this game lack variation, what I meant most importantly is how little the player can affect the MC. The MC has a preset personality and the game is to be played with that. There is no REAL choice of how you want the MC to behave towards Female LIs, I mean you do have choices, but the choices are just there to gain some rp if you choose the right option or vice versa. Either you agree with the LIs shenanigans to earn a relation point, or you don't and the relationship doesn't advance. There are other games which have choices which can determine the MCs personality, you can either play the saint, the devil, or something in-between, but this one is a set path which you need to follow exactly to advance. I enjoy letting girls walk all over me sometimes, but I don't enjoy the lack of choices and being forced to behave in an exact way without having any alternatives.

Maybe if in the future, the devs let the player decide how they want to play, I would change my opinion about this game but right now, this game in not up there to my liking.

Maybe my favouite. Very enjoyable story and likable characters. Also i love the eastereggs and fouth wall breaking. Would even play the game if it had no adult content at all. My only critisism would be that you loose character paths fairly easily and without noticing it for quit some time. make sure to check your relationships and save often if you want all the content and dont care for replayability. 9/10

The story is excellent, both the soundtrack and ambiance music are on point. This game is turning into a masterpiece. It leaves you wanting more, you can tell he is putting love into his games. If you haven't Caribdis previous game "Once in a Lifetime", I don't know what you are waiting for!

I delayed playing Eternum after completing Once in a Lifetime, Caribdis' earlier completed game. The delay wasn't because the content was bad, or that OIALT didn't hook me. It was because OIALT showed immense potential, and I knew the dev's new game had the potential to create something that hooked me. I didn't want to have to wait for updates, so I pretended Eternum didn't exist. That is, until I finally caved and played version 0.5. Unfortunately, exactly what I was worried about happened. Eternum hooks you from the first scene and keeps you playing chapter by chapter. Caribdis manages to vary the pace to keep you on the edge of your seat before letting you take a breather. The writing, story, characters, setting, and lore have more development and depth than some of the best AAA titles. Animations and images are rich, full of creativity, and the odd easter egg if you have a keen eye. The worst part is waiting for the next update to drop to resolve the cliffhanger you're left on. Thankfully, updates come at a decent clip considering the breadth of content they contain. Stop whatever you're doing, including reading this review, and start playing this game now. No, seriously, why are you still here? This is time you could have spent in Eternum.

Made this review after playing through v0.5.
So technically this should only be about halfway done, but alas this game is one of the best VNs i have ever had the pleasure of playing, so review time it is, since this dev really deserves all the support there is to give.

In my opinion Eternum especially excels at atmosphere. The game and its writing really managed to take me in right of the bat and it was fun riding the rollercoaster through hilarious humor and some genuinely thrilling segments.
For that alone the dev would already deserve support, rarely have I had this much fun deep diving into the world of a VN. Story is quite good so far, we will have to see where it leads us in the future though, since there is hopefully lots to come still. The comedic parts are especially well crafted btw, this game had me laughing out loud more than once I tell you, but it does not end there.

The characters are unique and interesting, that goes for LIs as well as minor side characters and antagonists throughout the whole thing. Some reviews mentioned unrealistic body proportions, especially for the LIs. While it is undoubtedly there, everyone will have to decide for themselves how much of a bother it is. I did not mind too much, personally, it is still a game.

The animations and the graphical presentation, especially in the world of Eternum are really great, not much to say there. Except maybe that the nature of Eternum leads you to a wiiiiiide variety of differently themed areas. The shear number of assets and backgrounds here is huge. Which makes their quality throughout all the more impressive.
The music and soundscaping is pretty much the best I have ever witnessed in VN gaming. Hands down respect for that one Caribdis.

Referencing other reviews again, there are supposedly some "irreversible" path choices that may seem needlessly unobvious, potentially leading you into missing stuff you will never know about. I personally found for a lot of options, that not acting dismissive or actively trying to not be at events is usually enough to not do so, but there might actually be one or two things here you could miss. Might be off-putting for some poeple in an otherwise phenomenal experience so far. I was not sure if I should have even mentioned it, since we do not know much about the replay value as of v0.5 yet, so it might just come to playing it twice. Not necessarily a bad thing for a great game.

Yep, that's what it is so far. A great game. Like really great. Dev's prior game you could see improvements and them stepping up their game throughout it. Not sure if you can really step it up from this though. It is pretty much peak porngame performance (huehue).

tl;dr and jokes aside this is seriously great graphics and world building, interesting characters and insanely good sound and overall presentation and pretty cool story to follow. Actually so much more than just an erotic game. Gives, imho, your regular gaming companies a run for their money. This really makes you want more and support devs this good and invested. Cheers.

I love this game. The visuals, the characters, the story are all perfect. This is primarily a mystery harem game where the main character tries to investigate a big tech corporation that has taken the world by storm with their new VR-MMORPG game called Eternum. While the plot may sound formulaic, it is not. There are hints of fantasy elements and the game itself is not as it seems.

In terms of writing, the story is interesting and well written - its the kind of story that makes you want to theorize about the motivations of the characters, the world of eternum etc and I love that about it. The romances are sweet and the girls are all very likable and I am very glad to see that this is a harem game. The renders look beautiful - the in game worlds of the mmorpg look stunning and I cannot wait to see all the new worlds the author comes up with. Sexual content is very low - we have penetrative sex with only 1 girl that matters and is not a throwaway character.

My main criticism about this game is the gameplay. Specifically the way the choice system works. I dislike the gameplay loop of losing paths of the girls for all kinds of trivial reasons and having to roll back to figure out where you messed up. I think the closing of a girl's path should be a deliberate choice or due to consequences that have a real impact on the girl. The current design is immersion breaking and just ruins the fun. I ended up having to use a walkthrough and I hate that I had to do that. That said it gets a lot better as the game progresses and you dont have to rely on random guesses anymore.

Another criticism I have about the game is the way the sex scenes are handled. It does not feel organic and it follows the overused trope of a sex progression ladder (handjob -> blowjob -> sex ...) you find in so many other VNs. I find this very silly and while I understand that the premise of the game is unrealistic, having a harem is unrealistic I cannot help but wish that this game took a more realistic approach towards sexual interactions.

But despite my criticisms and what I think are flaws with the game, I cannot help but give it a perfect score. This is one of those games where the little imperfections and annoyances simply do not matter because of how much fun it is. I cannot deny just how much I enjoyed playing this game - playing it and getting immersed in the story made me completely forget all my nitpicks. This is a very special game and for that it gets a 5/5 from me.

(Spoiler free review, probably nobody will care to read this anyway but why not lol)
It's Ready Player One but better. Really enjoyed the writing and story so far (just finished 0.5). The characters are pretty good and different and have interesting and fun dynamics with each other.

The story definitely elevates this above just a normal porn game. It's got funny moments, sad moments and happy moments, and the sex scenes are sprinkled through pretty sparingly. I felt the pacing of the sex scenes through the story made enough sense so that they felt a bit more natural than your average pron game. A bit unfortunately though, the plot completely revolves around the MC. It didnt really bother me at all but it does take a bit away from immersion imo. I still really enjoyed the story and the mystery aspect is really intriguing.

The only thing I have to complain about the characters is it all revolves around the girls (who are all great btw). Not that I wish there were gay options, just I would have really liked to see Chang be more involved in the plot. He had some pretty funny moments and I also like the bro archetype character in stories. Again though, all the girls are great and I genuinely have trouble picking a favorite between them (though it's probably between luna, nova and Alex so far).

Small nitpick about the gameplay, there are "relationship level checks" throughout the game and if you don't have a certain level with a girl at that point you can get locked out of some of her scenes for the rest of the game. I feel like without a guide or save scumming it can be kind of easy to miss out on some content, which I don't really like but it's not a huge deal (I just save scum a bit).

The 3d models are pretty good too. The 3d model games in this genre can look really terrible imo, but these genuinely look decent for the most part.

Overall great game, best I've played from this site.

Now, this is the first review I'm writting here on F95. But if any game deserves it, its Eternum.

This is like the Ready Player One sequel many people would have liked (myself included). Just, interactive, and with gorgeous ladies to interact with.
The world building is beyond excellent. The script, the plot, the real world references, the well placed humor... And the characters. Everything is perfectly tailored.
And the female roster is awesome, each and every one of the Love Interests have their own traits, motivations, personality... You will have a hard time picking only one (fortunately, you won't have to if you dont want, as this is a harem game).

The only downside at this point is that story ends at version 0.5 for now. And you *will* end up hungry for more once you finish the current content (which is quite vast for being still at such an early release anyway).

Believe me. Once this game is completed, this one will be the Benchmark that any other AVN will have to be measured with.

I'm rating this because it is nothing short of criminal that I have played this as long as I have yet never bothered to rate.

This IS the definitive adult game on the internet.

End of.

Play this. Then play Caribdis' other game when you're done (Once In A Lifetime). After that, throw him some money. This dev deserves it.

Hands down one of the best VN out there, great visuals, immersive story, music, top notch humor, I found myself having the same reactions as the MC at some points which made it even funnier, def worth a shot.

The best game out right now. An amazing story with top notch writing, humor sprinkled in where appropriate that is often hilarious, and of course the girls and lewd scenes are some of the best you can ask for. Always looking forward to future releases, the wait is worth it.

Different level...
Once in a lifetime is one of my top 3 games on this site.
Eternum blows everything out of the water.
Caribdis is extraordinarily talented in his use of the HS2 engine, writing, plot progression & most of all, you care about the characters.
This game is already amazing, once it's finished it will be the benchmark that all others will aspire to.
incredible work mate.