VN - Ren'Py - Completed - Fetish Locator [Week 3 v3.4.8] [ViNovella]

Revised Review on v0.09.12

Probably not gonna change my review again after this, I think the main things have been firmly established now.

So I wanted to revise a couple things after my last review because I think my expectations for this game might have been too high and some of its shortcomings led me to my ranty frustrated review (even though I still gave it 4 stars at the time).

I upped my rating now to 5 stars for a few reasons. But first of all, I want to say, that I think my previous criticisms still hold, but I might have focused a bit too much on them (see spoiler for more on this).

The main thing is, this is one of the games I have enjoyed most of all the ones I have ever tried. The story is intriguing, the animation is just amazing, the characters are deep and complex and interesting, and the range of different kinks and fetishes you can explore here is just not something I have ever seen done in any other game (at least not in such a good and positive way).

I also agree with other people who have pointed out, that even though it's kind of weird that you can fail to achieve a certain goal in a VN after which you get a 'Game Over' screen, you really do have to go out of your way to fail this. I too, only got there after I rejected every single kink just to see if you actually could fail, but that would never have occurred to me if I hadn't forced it.
And honestly, if you do arrive at the 'Game Over' screen because you just didn't want to engage with any of the kinks, well then maybe the game should be over for you then; it's not called Fetish Locator for nothing, being into some kinky shit is sort of a prerequisite. It's like giving a shooter game a bad review because it requires you to use guns; you might not like using guns in your video game, you might even have ideological problems with it, but then you're not really engaging with the game on its own merit because guns just come with the genre.

So yeah, if you actually do want to explore your sexuality, want to experience some kinks you may not have known you have, while still enjoying an awesome VN with great storytelling, great animation and which seems to get better with every update (noticed some improvements in sound design in the last one), really do give this a try, it's amazing.

When I first played this game I was a little conflicted. The renders ticked all of my required boxes, the college setting is always nice to revisit, and the premise was intriguing. I thought it would be more of a dating app that let you hook up with like-minded people, with added challenges. Instead, it turned out to be the other way around.

Let's get this out of the way first. The story isn't the main draw here. Try to think of it more as a coathanger from which the Dev team hang plot elements. And if you have not played beyond a certain event in-game, you might even be tempted to think your MC is kind of a pussy. And by kind of, I mean NOT kind of.

But if you show a little perseverance and play beyond that, you will find much to reward you.

Let me be straight with you from the start (pun not intended) and say that I am pretty vanilla in my sex life. Yes, I have a foot fetish. Yes, I love anal play (done to my GF, not recipient). But as I grow older, I have become tolerant of more and more, even if my personal experiences are limited. Blame it on the internet, if you will. Blame it on a steady corrosion of my preconceptions. Blame it on a sign of the times...

Point is Me as I am now, is a lot more open to different experiences than the Me in his late teens or early twenties. 20 year old me would be disgusted at the idea of kissing a Transperson. 20 year old me would ridicule the perversity of pissing as a part of a sexual experience.

40+ year old me finds himself more and more curious. Perhaps not as an active participant, but at the very least as a spectator.

This game let's you satisfy that curiosity in a safe and inconsequential manner. This game lets YOU choose which fetishes to observe and indulge, by allowing the MC to do it for you. Which directions those fetishes will go and how far you are willing to take them, is up to YOU.

And if your curiosity is piqued, no matter which direction that curiosity will take you, there will be a chance to discuss that curiosity with like-minded people in a non-judgemental manner in the game's discussion thread.

It is why I give this game 5 stars for now and I am excited to see where this game will take me.

I gave this game 5/5 because of the great game play so far, as well as the awesome potential. My favorite part is the idea that it has some thing (or many somethings) for everyone. With the option to skip what you don't want to experience. Usually when I see a "Tag" that doesn't interest me, (ntr,rape), I pass the game by. But this game let's you enjoy it the way you want to so much better then many adult games can. Don't get me wrong I do not have any problems with other people enjoying there fetishes, and this game gives the extra bonus of helping to explain why these fetishes could be enjoyable. This helps some to be more open.

Keep up the great work and know you earned a new supporter.

And to those that may be scared to run into something you may not like to see, I encourage you to try this. Know that if you do not want something you can pass it by.

I'm unimpressed.

Cons: The game lets you choose to name the MC but then decides that you are fixated on a girl named Lydia (a character that is not very well rendered or at all interesting). It may be called "Fetish Locator" but if you aren't into the first few fetishes presented in the game then you can't earn points and the game ends. In my playthrough I was presented with 3 fetishes: cum play, cunnilingus, and feet. The only option for cunnilingus was a woman on her period and I am not into feet, so I failed to achieve enough points to go to a party thus ending the game. I don't see how they can claim that a fetish is "optional".

In another playthrough I went further (by choosing to do the things I wasn't into) and the MC has one moment with his unattractive crush and decides he doesn't need the app and he is promptly blackmailed into doing more and more bizarre fetish activity (once again I don't see how anything can be called "optional").

Pros: decent renders, room for improvement.

This is a game with a very good natured tone, the characters manage to exhibit some personality, some are even downright charming. The writing and plot are lighthearted, with quite some humour.

Coupled with good renders, a broad variety of models from skinny to chubby, and a wide selection of fetishes, some of them very uncommon, as this game's main selling (or in this case, pirating) point, you end up with a very enjoyable game that fills a lot of niches and is a contrast to the more misanthropic or mean spirited settings that are often prevalent in fetishistic games.

I would rate this game with 4 stars, but am going to do what everyone always complains about in reviews and give it a star more to compensate for low ratings based on disliking fetishes in a fetish game.

Recommended.

This game is excellent. Top quality. Period.
I noticed that some users did review it poorly, and actually took the time to read those reviews.
Turns out that the vast majority of bad votes come from those that are not open to the various fetishes that can be encountered in this game.
Nothing wrong in not liking something, but this game looks clearly oriented towards exploring many kinds of fetishes.
I mean, why would you download something called "fetish locator" if you want a vanilla experience?
Some rant about not being able to collect enough points to progress the story if they exclude fetishes... Well you actually have to collect only half of the points, considered that you can buy the other half (and money is not a problem). If you aren't able to collect even half of the points on the other hand... Try different options within the same boundaries or maybe realize that this is not the game for you.
That being said, another controversial subject is MC's behavior and personality, some players calling him cuck or finding him weak, or not liking his romantic interest being defaulted to Lydia.
Well, what I actually like about MC's personality is a certain degree of realism. Not all 20 years old guys are the football team captain, having all the ladies around them whitout even snapping a finger. Pete as a roommate incarnates that kind of stereotype, being 50% alpha and 50% douchebag. Having to deal with MC's insecurities adds a lot more depth, eventually letting his personality evolve in a more dominant way, that just can't happen right outside the box.
About MC being teased, denied, blue-balled, and so on... Well, denying pleasure is a staple in building a dominant position, and every girl with the right attitude would never miss the opportunity to assert some power. That doesn't mean she isn't going to pleasure you, it just means that she doesn't trust you (yet). I totally dig interacting with strong girls and having a "fair fight". Dolls throwing themselves at your feet at first sight often lack personality. And well, about Lydia... If you're telling me that you've never had a crush on a girl that didn't even notice you... Chances are pretty high that you're lying, and if you tell me you've never been friendzoned you're lying again.
TL: DR; give this story the time to be developed and I bet it will not let you down.
Well, now if you would excuse me I'm closing this window and opening Patreon to support ViNovella. Enjoy the game!

A particularly bland sex romp story and the same old renders you find in a lot of other games, along with the standard sets you'll find in 50 other games. A by-the-numbers RenPy game that adds nothing new to this site. A lot of weird shit that just isn't my cup of tea also.

Great visuals and an exciting story, can't wait for more content. Characters have multiple story points and seem to develop naturally. I really enjoyed playing it and honestly I've never seen more attractive characters, especially AmRose and Poly, I always enjoy those nerdy/kinky types.

pros
- beautiful renders
- nice scenes "individually looked at "

cons
- inconsistent storytelling

matters of taste
- MC is far too passive
- MC cock is on the small/regular side
- MC has a preset love interest
- The plot seems to force a certain type of fetish on you (day 4)

tl:dr
the game looks nice, but the rest is rather questionable and a matter of taste

Very good game. Beatiful renders and a lot of fetishes to explore(more to cum with future updates). For me the only downside this game has is the extreme passivity of the MC. Everybody around him is fucking like crazy and he just watches most of it or jerks of to sleeping girls. The MC is a cuck.

I have mixed feelings about this game but after the latest update I gave come to appreciate it more. First of all, the game is pretty divisive; you are actively punished if you aren't into some fetishes because you lose out on points. This kind of sucks in my books and the game can be very boring if you aren't into some pretty wild fetishes.

The game also focuses a lot of time on making sex about other characters rather than the MC and I think it's easy to dislike the MC for being a bit passive. Fortunately, in the latest update you can have your MC be bolder and it actually portrays him as a somewhat likeable dude. He is making progress in the main romance and there are quite a few other LIs available. Hopefully it allows you to freely choose which ones you want.

So, on one hand, I like the LIs and the direction the main plot is going in the game, on the other hand, I pretty much dislike everything about the Fetish app and the promoted fetishes are kind of wild. I imagine a lot of people aren't into some of these and it's unfortunate to be locked out of paths just because I don't want to drink piss or do enemas etc.

I think this game deserves a 3. It's worth trying and is quite well made in a lot of regards but is very bold and I feel that it caters to a wide range of (kind of unavoidable) pretty specific fetishes which personally is a big downside.

This game seems to be exactly what I have looking after in a game. Much type of fetishes and you can choose what you want to see for type of content. Amazing
I think this game will be a huge success out there!

So on the pro side of things .... the renders are good, there's some great looking women (Daisy is prob top for me atm), the idea is at least novel and I'm interested in the characters.

The downsides are probably just the MC being a bit weaksauce - like I'd really rather get to ditch the whole Lydia stuff already in favour of one of the better girls and he goes on about some women studies stuff a bit ... also at present it's fairly short and lacking any sort of full on fetish stuff ... but hopefully as it develops you'll be able to really go down the rabbit hole on that one ... so I'll give it a 5 for what it is and hope it keeps on living up to that.

So I just finished the game as it is so far and had some thoughts:

Good things:
- Coherent story that comes together better then alot of VN's.
- Gorgeous renders of interesting looking characters you want to get to know (And make your waifu)
- Interesting premise with lots of room to grow.
- Ability to skip fetishes you dont like.

Bad:
- The entire game is full of fetishes that are either personal turn offs (Futa, Scat, Watersports, Cuckhold) and/or I have ZERO interest in (Femdom, footfetish). So if you're not into that, you dont have much to do.
- MC is spineless and you are just viewing everyone else get laid BUT YOU! Dont get me wrong, I HATE dudebro characters and "Alpha all day every day" types. I actually appreciate a slow build up of MC confidence but come on.. All the MC does is watch other people score and have it rubbed in his face! Hell even being woken up by his room mate's constant conquests and then trying to make those girls potential Love Interests to the MC? Maybe i'm just territorial but FUCK THAT!!! No sloppy seconds here! (which is a fucking shame as Daisy, Min, and Chloe's models are gorgeous but nope.)
- Most interesting character (Amber Rose) seems like she's being set up to be the closeted whore character, the one who turns out to be someone who will "Do anything for points" and its a fucking shame as a quiet character who has an adventurous nature but is inexperienced seems like she'd be the perfect paring for the MC. BUUUUT knowing the trajectory of the game so far... both her and Lydia will probably end up giving their virginities to the Roommate instead and only then will the MC get the confidence to ask them out... which is fucking gross.

How to improve the game:
Make the MC the center of the attention for the scenes.
We dont want the character we are suppose to be self inserting into, to be a meaningless ghost viewing the other male character's conquests. If your going to make the roommate get all the action, make him the MC!

This one is just my personal preference, if the female cast are just fucking their way through the male cast and just happened to get to the MC, then they dont feel special to the MC. And if they are not special, they dont matter so while Min, Chloe, and ESPECIALLY Daisy are gorgeous characters... they are the sloppy seconds of the Roommate...why the fuck would I want them?? I'm not saying they have to be blushing virgins, but dont make us watch, or allude to the fact that the character we want to fuck is currently fucking EVERYONE ELSE. No one wants to think about how many guys their wife fucked before them. Seriously, its like NTR without the relationship

f that changes in the future, i'm absolutely down to try this game out again as there are ALOT of other fetishes that could be fun to experiment with (incest, stockings/pantyhose fetish, blinfolds, bdsm, ect, ect but until you clean up the story, have the MC take a more active roll, and stop having the female cast be unrepentant whores who are only interested in the MC as the "guy we havent fucked yet" then... nope. not worth the time.

really interesting take on a story that provides different possibilities for fetishes for the game, I also like that u can avoid the fetishes u have no desire for and are clearly warned what's coming. great renders and great potential for all types of characters and stories to unfold, really looking forward to seeing more

This might be the worst game I have ever played, at least one that I went into expecting something. The overview does not do the game justice. Half of this game is really shitty foreplay that leaves you blueballed, and shit like pissing; the other half is you watching just about every girl you want to get with fuck everything that moves, but YOU. Even the whole goal of this game, the parties are nothing but watching everyone else have fun. Nothing about this game is attractive if you insert yourself as the MC, its utterly unplayable. If there was an option to where every girl wasn't a whore through and through (Or at least if you didnt have to see it) maybe it might be fun in like 20 years of development once the dev finally decides the MC has earned his dues. And to top it all off they story isn't even good, its really bad. The main character goes from an unlikable turd one second, to a holy warrior feminist the second, and all that does is make him even more unlikable.

I wish the overview would be clearer about just what kind of game this is really so I wouldn't have wasted my time.

The renders are not bad as for game play it really sucks , there should be only one big tag here VOYEUR cause that is all you do 90% of the game you walk around and watch people doing stuff instead of participating , it is disappointing game for all the cool genres it should have , 1 star horrible game.

EDIT: I gave this game another try, and it ended up being one of my favorites so I changed the rating to reflect that. I still think the early parts aren't the best way to start things off but it picks up in a major way.

v0.05.14

Pretty short at the moment but I'm loving the content so far and it even looks great too. The choice branching is off to a good start as well. Hopefully it stays that way.

The name says it all. If you're looking for full sex scenes it's probably going to take a few more updates because "straight up sex" isn't exactly a fetish.

Edit: Don't believe anyone saying that you're only a voyeur.

What an awesome game idea. Really hope this game gets big. One of the few games I´ll support on patreon.
Good renders and an interesting story, only concern i have that the game wil get boring after a while because you already seen everyone naked etc.