Alright since
Caribdis liked the weak ass brief review of mine I HAVE to edit it to a complete one (plus I'm awake now lol)
This is an edit for a complete Review as of v0.7.5. Which is a 5 out of 5.
General Overview:
This is my second favorite game on the entire site, hands down it's not even a competition.
I love a lot of games on here for very different reasons; some for Action, others for Porn, others for Writing, and others for Artwork, World building, or Game Mechanics. Eternum checks every box and then some.
So as I do with most of my Reviews, I'll go over a few sections for their strengths if any, and weaknesses if any, trying to be as constructive as humanly possible, with a few sidenotes to top it off.
Plot (5/5):
At first I thought it was just going to be another School story with the Harem tag and the way it started I'll admit. But then it slowly turns into a Ready Player One copy, and yet as you fall more and more into it, and unravel the mysteries, you realize it's so much more. Seriously every time you collect a
Gem of Doom there's an entire fun montage of random, sometimes comical, and cinematic mayhem to get it.
If I had maybe ONE criticism to add to it would be that there's a lack of depth to the tale that keeps me guessing the further you get into the story. Superhuman and Desert Stalker still do this well farther into their tales, and yet for Eternum it feels like it's pretty obvious what the MC is, how more met the eye, and so on. It's hard to explain, not really a complaint just thought I'd mention it could perhaps use MORE depth in its mystery.
Setting (5/5):
Ughhh this game has no business being this good. What's great about the Setting of Eternum being "virtual", is that you can literally explore various different time periods or cliques that will peak your interest, even if it's only one.
You like Hogwarts and Wizards? Check.
Pirates? Mhm!
Medieval shit? Uhuh!
Horror? Oh yeah.
Like there's something for everyone and I feel at least, that isn't really prevalent in bulk for Adult Games.
Some of them may be brief is one criticism I could give, but it's not so brief that it's leaving me scratching at the neck for more. It goes over pretty much everything and leaves a little to be desired to perhaps be explored later down the line? Who knows. But if you're seeking variety, Eternum has it.
Characters (5/5):
Man the characters...I'll be honest, I'm picky as shit when it comes to a character catching my interest in an Adult Game. Looks obviously play the biggest role, but their Personalities are what keep me coming back after I've already checked them off the "I want to fuck" checkbook.
This game is a Harem, or at least it CAN be, which I respect SOOOO much. It's INCREDIBLY annoying to have to play a game like say... Summer's Gone or Leap of Faith and only be able to focus on ONE character, and then have to set up like a THOUSAND different saves to pursue the other characters, and in those games, there's almost ALWAYS a fuck ton of options or a lot of Dialogue you have to get through.
Eternum not only negates that problem with the Harem option, but also makes getting their paths INCREDIBLY easy. I hate games where a choice you made six years ago can effect a path down the line; Eternum doesn't have that issue. You have a few choices, you pick one, you hear the heartbeat, bam you're good to go. Simple, not time consuming, still well written characters. Bonus points to not having so MANY characters either, makes it so that
Caribdis can flesh them out better with proper screen time.
Speaking of the Writing of the Characters, they are all VERY nice and different in their own ways. Not a bunch of horny clones or mindless dolls, they feel real, and I love that. Some games have those issues, Eternum is luckily not on that list.
The EVENTS for these characters are AMAZING too. A dash of Comedy and INTERSTELLAR Romance is always there but not enough to make you pull your hair out from an overdose of it.
I may as well give my own Ranking of the Gals for anyone who's curious:
1. Nova
2. Penelope
3. Daliah
4. Luna
5. Alex
6. Annie
7. Nancy
Even the side characters and people sprinkled throughout the game are hilarious or well written enough to be likeable when they are on screen, a rare sight indeed!
If I could give ONE criticism for the Characters it would be
Calypso not being a Main Love Interest...SHAME on you
Caribdis...
Art (5/5):
This is a short section basically for me to gush over Honey Select for this game in particular. I'm not a fan of the Engine, the Models and Animations in particular. Pale Carnations and Virtues are probably the only ones I can really respect the look of and feel of. Yet Eternum yet again changes my mind~
I cannot express this enough...
I am SOOO glad the MC has a good looking Player Model...I mean Jesus Christ is it a turn off to be an ugly or god forbid generic looking MC like most, not all, but most Honey Select games, a problem even the ones I mentioned above still share.
Now how about the other Characters? Granddd~ Though most Honey Select games don't have this problem at all, it's still good to see that Eternum has beautiful Models for all its characters. Luna is a gem in that regard.
The Animations are also very well done. Along with the
CAMERA WORK my GOD! I feel like that's what really sets Eternum apart from almost every game on this site, even my most favorite, Superhuman. Animations are key, and Eternum has plenty for Fights, Comedic Effects, little details, the works! It just gives it some extra...
personality, something I believe it and Desert Stalker share very well together.
Criticism? Nah, none really. There are obvious limitations to using Honey Select, but that's to be expected. For instance I guess this is a criticism; as badass as Thantos is, I don't really like his flamey armoured design. It looks a little rough/out of place in this Engine while still trying to remain bad ass. Unfortunately that's an issue all 3D games suffer from. I still think he's badass though make no mistake
Gameplay (5/5):
This will be a brief section as there's not much to say on the matter; it's a Choice based VN.
One of my personal pet peeves that will usually lure me away from a game on the SPOT are
SANDBOXES I mean holy FUCK do I hate Sandboxes, God forbid RPGMAKER; in most cases, Succubus Covenant is the rulebreaker there. Note that Eternum does have SOME Sandbox, but it is INCREDIBLY brief, and easy to get past. The Writing, Setting, and Plot usually make up for it anyways.
Criticism...Criticism...well, some may not be happy with how easy the Choices are. It's very plain and simple to get a Love Interest as I've mentioned before, but honestly, if you're that whiny about it just make every one of your Choices permanent and refuse to go back to change it. Problem solved. That way, you can cry about how you missed a Path and a large section of the game to its fullest without boycotting the game
Writing (5/fucking 5!!!):
Holy shit the Writing... It's arguably the best, most defining part of the entire game.
Comedy is a rare thing to hit me even outside of Adult Games, yet Eternum finds a way at almost every turn. Outside of Comedy, the general vibe is heightened by how well the dialogue comes across. Brief inner monologues that aren't JUST horny perved brain remarks (though they're still there lol), THE SEX Jesus Christ the Sex...more on that later but the Descriptions fit the vibe just know that.
The Emotional moments are really well done as well, something I feel that deserves to be heard on here. A lot of slow paced games excel at this don't get me wrong, so it's nice to add Eternum to that beautiful list.
I really dunno what to say on the matter, it's the best section and yet, I can't express enough into words how well it is written. There are so many games on here that just come off as Mediocre or downright robotic, but I've never really seen that from Eternum. My advice is to just play the game and you'll immediately know what I'm talking about.
A criticism...maybe...eh, I can't think of a single one off the top of my head. When I replay the game I'll come back to this and edit it in.
Music (5/5):
I LOVEEEE Music, so so so much~ Most games use a lot of already heard stock music, Eternum doesn't. I don't think I've heard a single song on here in another game other than Thantos's introduction, I THINK that's true, I could be wrong.
Regardless, even if I am, the TIMING
Caribdis puts into when a Song should play and what KIND of Song should play to fit the mood is P H E N O M I N A L, I CANNOT express that enough. ESPECIALLY during the Sex...wowsers the Sex...
Criticism? Pfft, gtfo of here for this section, there isn't a thing I would change~
Porn (5/5):
What the fuck are you doing to me
Caribdis...
Anyway, there are plenty of games that focus solely on Sex, some solely on Romance, some solely on Gameplay. Eternum and many others even do both! But boy oh boy is it rare to get all of these:
1. Good Animations
2. Good FINISHES (Or finishes in the fucking first place...)
3. Good Music
4. Good Build Ups
5. Good AMOUNT OF TIME (some of the sex scenes in these games are just a couple of jumbled loops it's horrendous)
6. Good D I A L O G U E (if any at all...)
7. C U M ?
Eternum checks all those boxes and then some. These fucking scenes...are I N S A N E L Y H O T ! I mean what the fuck??? Just- play the game...I'm already down bad just typing this...you can literally see my writing degrading as this goes on "I N S A N E L Y H O T !" what am I 12...? Fuck me...moving on;
Oh another thing in regards to the Porn is that
THERE IS A GALLERY, and the Scenes are very well paced between eachother for all the characters. You won't have to play hours on end to achieve SOMETHING ANYTHING for just ONE character. There's a lot of Scenes right now for everyone, and it isn't mindlessly forcing everyone to fuck like rabbits, while also not making the characters or the player a nun. Good stuff.
Criticism? I hardly know her
No but seriously if I could make one it would be to add a Gallery Unlocker, like an official one. Not a
bare necessity, but a recommended one nonetheless.
Conclusion:
Play the god damn game... it's a Gem even outside of Adult Games. If you want to ignore the Porn and just want a funny enjoyable story? Go for it! You maybe like Ready Player One but wish you could've gotten more out of it? This game has all that on steroids and THEN some with its own twist.
Seriously, it's fantastic, thank you Caribdis, for this wonderful, unforgettable game...
