VN - Ren'Py - Eternum [v0.8.5 Public] [Caribdis]

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.

This game is just absolute magic, that's all lol. It's got the best story, music (I personally love the music the most), comedy, and graphics. Also check out his other game Once in a Lifetime it's also amazing. Caribdis is a genius lol. Just AMAZING!

Infinity/10

II liked Caribdis's previous game, but this one is amazing so far. It has great graphics, compelling story, a healthy dose of comedy, action, a heist, and a great sound track. I always look forward to the updates.

This game is so good that I binged it in 2 days. Not only that I had just installed hogwarts legacy and chose to play this instead of that.

The story and dialogue is stellar. Theres a good mix of humour and drama. And there's such a good variety to each level. One minute you're in Ancient Rome and the next you're in a college party. And Caribdis ties it all together to create a truly compelling story. Also the sex scenes so far have been super hot.

I'd been waiting to play this game until it got a sufficient amount of development, and I'm glad I did. Not because I think the game wouldn't have been amazing from the outset (it definitely starts out strong, if a little slow with the world building) but because I knew that once I started I was going to be disappointed when I reached the end of what was available and had to start waiting, and sure enough, that's the case. Caribdis is an amazing story teller, whose writing ability is almost certainly wasted on us poor perverts. I've laughed out loud multiple times while playing this game (and remember doing the same for Once in a Lifetime as well), I've been touched, and I have frequently touched myself.

I could seriously play an entire game that's JUST the MC and Luna's story line, as long as it involved more adventures with the family. It's honestly extremely weird to see such an incredibly wholesome, touching, HEALTHY family dynamic in a porn game. I want Luna's dad to be my father in law. (And I LIKE my father in law)

But, while Luna is almost certainly my favorite LI, every single relationship in the game seems well developed and thoughtful, and I enjoy the slow build and romantic aspects of each of the MC's relationships. There are a very few games on here that I will find myself or have found myself playing all the way through multiple times but this will absolutely be one of them. I only wish that when it was completed I could erase my memory of having played it before so I could enjoy it all again.

I think the biggest praise I could give it is that there are so few games on this site that I would ever even consider MENTIONING to someone IRL, much less recommending them, but this is definitely one of them. Top notch work, Caribdis, and I can't wait to see more.

Edited to add: I actually went through and translated the stuff the Russian guy was saying for myself, for my own shits and giggles and I thought it was absolutely worth the time. It's little stuff like that that makes this game special for me. If this was how Duolingo worked I'd probably be better about sticking with it.

Awesome game, definitely one of the best if not the best there is on this site, the story is well balanced between actual plot developpment and characters/relationships build-up.
The music and sound design are top notch and the funny side is the icing on the cake, it is not awkward or onerous.
Keep it up Caribdis, I can't wait for more !

Wow i am so impressed with this novel, it gives you what you want. I like the matrix/ready player one esque setting that you frequently go to. So far the story has been fulfilling the potential it's laid out. God i love that. And there's a good amount of content here to go through. AND you get some sexy time stuff. YES. The relationship buildup is good.

Eternum is a story about a hyper realistic VR-MMORPG, the company that created it and the MC's adventures within the game. It is a lighthearted harem game with a focus on mystery and adventure. It also happens to be my favorite adult VN that I have played so far.

I would recommend this game to anyone looking for a wholesome harem game with likable characters, great humor and a decent plot. I would not recommend this game for people who dislike the harem genre (not following a girl's route only ends up cutting a bunch of content and provides no real value) or have a problem with a tropes found in a lot of anime (while not trope heavy this does have some common tropes like the chosen one trope, the MC's group getting very powerful very quick etc).

-----------

Story:

There are a couple of plot threads when it comes to the story:

- The first plot point is about the MC trying to get better at the game. The founder of Ulysses, the company that created Eternum has agreed to hand over the company to anyone who can find 10 items in the game. There are also 3 special weapons to make hunting these items easier and the MC needs to collect them all to gain power. This by itself is very generic and boring. Many of us have seen it a million times in anime, comics, light novels - it is nothing new. However there is a bit more to the story than just this.

- The second plot point is the MC's investigation of Ulysses, the company that created Eternum. On his first day playing the game the MC notices a classmate (a minor antagonist) get banned in the game only to notice he died in real life which kickstarts the investigation. This results in the MC trying to ask several questions - what exactly is Eternum? How can it be so realistic if it is just a game? What is Ulysses really up to? Why does the founder want these 10 items? And so on. This is what makes the story interesting to me.

Overall the story is well written and interesting. While the story can feel a bit formulaic it is extremely polished and competently written. It fits the overall tone of the game well.

My hope for the story is that it continues to lean more into the mystery aspect so it can feel a bit more unique. And after the plot twist at the end of update 0.5 I have high hopes.

-----------

Characters

This is first and foremost a harem game. If you dont follow the harem path, you are simply losing out on content with no upside whatsoever. Thankfully the characters are one of the game's biggest strengths.

- The Love Interests: There are 7 possibly 8 love interests. All of them are extremely likable and have their own unique personalities and quirks. Usually when I play harem games there might be one or two characters I like less than others or some characters I dislike and find annoying. That is definitely not the case here - it is one of the only games I have played where I would be genuinely upset if I had to give up even one of the girls. The reason for this is the game chooses not to focus too much on unnecessary drama/conflict that evokes negative emotions within the player. This may sound like a negative but for a harem game like this it works very well and makes the game/romances just so much better. The Love Interests may be a bit too perfect but I think for a harem game like this, it is what you want.

- The Main character: Orion, the main character is confident, assertive and likable. He has a few horndog tendencies but that is to be expected given it is a harem game. I can buy that he is popular with women and it does not feel frustrating playing from his perspective.

- Other Characters: All the other characters are decently written and serve their purpose well. The non antagonistic male characters are eccentric and fun. The villains are well written and certain characters like the Founder of Ulysses and Eternum's main AI Idriel are very interesting.

-----------

Renders and the Setting

The game is beautiful and very creative when it comes to the renders. A lot of the screen time is dedicated to playing the vr mmorpg which has a diverse set of servers ranging from cyberpunk to medieval fantasy. The game looks beautiful and the renders for the most part look great. If you are picky you might notice issues with minor things like shadows and lighting but I dont care about this and to me this is a beautiful game.

-----------

Overall Thoughts:

I have a few nitpicks - the plot might feel formulaic, I do not feel a sense of danger or urgency in terms of the plot, as of v0.5 the game is still a bit light on sexual content with the 8 girls that actually matter (7 main love interests + 1 important girl) but these are just nitpicks that do not really matter.

Overall I just had a lot of fun playing it. The lighthearted tone, wholesome atmosphere and likable characters makes smile when I play this game. And the plot, the beautifully rendered worlds within eternum and the mystery elements keeps my interest while playing.

It is easy to see why this game has such a high rating and I think it is well deserved. Overall this is a solid 9.5/10 for me.

chapter 5—the best one so far, holy shit. i've been playing since 0.3 but man, now i'm convinced this deserves the 5 stars i've wanted to give it.

the story is simple and the vr game trope has been done tons of times now, but this is executed so well that it doesn't feel ordinary. i admit i didn't like the characters' looks at first but the game's playful style pairs with it nicely that it's grown on me now. keep it up, Caribdis!

also: these songs are fucking epic

+ Great story writing...I'm immersed.

+ Good dialogue...not lame or lost in translation.

-- I'm not a fan of every girl having the same body shape and/or skin coloring as every other girl. Where's the variety? Why does EVERY high school/college girl look exactly like Penelope who is the story's photoshoot model?!?

+ Great humor

+ Some very nice animations.

OVERALL:
Excellently done on all fronts. This is a professional-level VN. Check it out!