VN - Ren'Py - Fractured Hearts [Ch.1 Hotfix] [Turbo Kinetic's]

This a focused, emotional, claustrophobic novel that is based around providing the feeling of incest in an 'adopted family' without it technically being there. There are no choices and no chance of a relationship outside of the 'family' giving it has a very narrow appeal. It's very marmite, if you don't like all three girls in the picture on the overview, the sisters in the family, don't read it, as you're getting forced scenes with all of them. I read hoping for more but the dev has made it clear, that's it.

The back story is ok but everything looks terrible from the MC to all the LI's. Odd hair (MC), skin tones (Emelia/Mom), looks (twins) and expression (Mom) choices. I wouldn't have a problem with this in a normal AVN but as there are no choices, no option to be just friends or any other LI's outside of the 'family'. You will be forced into a scenes with all three sisters, none of whom appeal to me and nothing else is an option.

As for the story, I also don't understand why a 28 year old man who had a decent career and great employment prospects would move in indefinitely with the family. The reason given that they are all broken so they can help each other heal, seems to be there just to force you into relations with the family members. I think the initial story, a broken man trying to get back on his feet with the help of some old friends, had potential but the chosen path is disappointing.

The LI's look terrible especially Emilia! Sorry but its true so does the MC.

Erika is funny as fuck however

I do think this one has some potential but it certainly is never going to win Best AVN either at the same time. Its more of an emotional AVN then it really is about good renders & lewds it seems based on Chapter 1

well... I have an akward thing to confess. I played it for the story surprisingly heartfelt and cute. I really like the shot composition and framing of the scenes! Especially liked the alternating models of the characters as the conversation went from present to past and back again. A smart choice of framing the conversation to show what headspace the characters was in. The pacing didnt feel rushed and it wasent just bam! Fucking! I mean there is some action and its good. Its believably dysfunctional Looking forward to seeing where this goes

For a first effort, it's not bad. The writing is strong and the story is solid. I am not a fan of flashback's to start the AVN but otherwise, we are off to a good start. The downside are the renders. Awkward poses, weird animation and over-morphed characters are a bit distracting, but I think the dev will get better as they go along... but it's a rocky start.

At the end of the day, however, the story is just okay. There is nothing really new or original; there is some drama, dysfunctional families, and sexual tension. It's essentially just kind of a vanilla soap opera with hot chicks. I am also not a fan of forced sex scenes. I tried different ways to avoid it, but it never worked out.

I think there is some AVN goodness at it's core and I am engaged enough in the story to want to see where it goes. If nothing else, it's worth a download if you like AVNs with a story.

Good luck to the developer!

★★★★☆ Models are so-so. Emilia is cute.
★★★☆☆ Grammar needs a lot of fixing.
★★★★★ Writing is decent, all's kinda veritable.
★★☆☆☆ The Story is well expressed, but not really captivating (if you ask me), and as cliché as you could imagine.
★★★★☆ Music, renders, UI etc. are OK.

(PS. After seeing the other reviews (saying "Great story"?) I feel like I need to explain why I rate it as the weakest element of this VN. Firstly, I still don't get it why MC betrayed his friends like this. I believe it was possible (there are some hints like his mother's behavior that might explain the approach taken by the son), and we all do stupid things, but still his decision seems a bit too much. So it's the premise that I don't like, personally: MC does some shit that I can hardly imagine ever doing myself.

Secondly, when I say cliché I mean it. It's like AI was asked to write a VN: it took the most overused story elements and put them here. MC parts, hurting those who loved him - check. MC comes back, winning their love again - check. House full of single women - check. Tsundere, one pcs - check. Kind girl, 1 pcs - check. Ready for sex girl, 1 pcs - check. And so on, you get the idea...

Regarding intriguing parts: Yes, some details of the story remain unknown, and it's interesting to learn about them. But all that's in the past, not really important now. Right? So that doesn't really make the game much more intriguing. It seems the future scenario is very simple: MC helps girls to heal, and (possibly) fucks them in the process; that's all.)

[Ch.1]

Fractured Hearts (0.1) – Early Impressions

Story & Pacing
A solid start to the game with a story that’s clearly just beginning to take shape. There’s enough intrigue to keep you curious, though the pacing leaves a few narrative threads hanging.

Visuals & Animation
The renders are decent—nothing outstanding, but definitely not bad either. The animations could use a bit more polish, as they currently feel a little rough around the edges.

Audio
The music is actually pretty good, but the experience would really benefit from some ambient sounds and a bit more audio variety in general.

Character Models
Most of the character models look fine, but Erika’s model feels overused in AVN titles, which makes her stand out for the wrong reasons. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it does affect the sense of freshness the game is going for.

Narrative Concerns
My biggest gripe is with the opening scene. The game starts with a strong hook, but by the end of Chapter 1 it never revisits it. So not only are we left with a cliffhanger from the very beginning, but it’s unclear when the story will loop back to that moment. Hopefully it’s addressed midway through Chapter 2 rather than saved for the finale.

Wrap-Up
Overall, a solid start with good potential. Looking forward to seeing how it develops.

Great story so far. The backstory is good and it's pretty easy to understand if the characters are talking, whispering, signing, or just thinking. Cannot wait for the update and get more of the story. Wondering how many chapters are going to be in this visual novel.

Also, thanks for the added walkthrough, even though it was for only one decision. Personally I would have picked the other choice, but I'm glad to see the other ending.

VERSION: Ch.1
SUMMARY: Familiar AVN, but pleasant and overall pretty decent.
RATINGS: (out of 5): ⭐⭐⭐

NOTE: The following categories and scoring method are my own criteria and may require more context. Additionally, scoring is based on the state, and what is in the current version and not what may or may not be introduced at a later point.

1. Character (Model) Visuals......... : ⭐⭐⭐
2. General (World) Visuals........... : ⭐⭐⭐
3. Animation Quality................. : ⭐⭐
4. Character Personality(Persona).... : ⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. Story & Dialogue.................. : ⭐⭐⭐⭐
6. Writing & Grammar................. : ⭐⭐⭐
7. UX/UI, Game Type & Mechanics.......: ⭐⭐⭐
8. Playtime & Pacing..................: ⭐⭐⭐
9. Music & Sounds.....................: ⭐⭐⭐
10. Adult Content & Fetishes.......... : ⭐⭐⭐

Average: X of 50 possible points giving a X% rating i.e. X stars.

PROS: - See my opinions section for details.

1. Fair looking models (LIs) nothing over the top or amazing, just regular.
2. Music is decent, stock standard but fits and does the job.
3. UI/UX is also stock standard, very basic but at least has opacity settings for the dialogue box.
4. Story is actually good, nothing new however or profound, its been done before but its still done well (so far)
5. Dialogue is good also and natural, with emotions that are conveyed well.
6. Characters are unique and special in their own ways, have their own baggage and demons. One cant help but relate to them.

CONS: - See my opinions section for details.

1. Overall visuals are fair, but not great or anything, they do feel kinda dated, but its not horrible or a deal breaker.
2. Some spelling/typing errors that I noticed, the script can do with some revision.
3. Animations during H-scenes only, but while they have high quality renders, they are not good in terms of realism, movement, meshing with bodies. See comments.
4. Sounds are limited to music and no other ambient, environmental etc.
5. Lewd content does no feature at all yet, so can't rate it really.
6. Some visuals make no sense, like size of the counter and table when the MC puts groceries down, its too big, like they shrunk and the house is made for giants, these kinds of inconsistencies are a big no no.

OPINIONS, SUGGESTIONS & FINAL REMARKS:

NOTE: The following remarks are my personal opinions and thoughts, which may provide more context and could be useful to the developer. (Read them or don't)

• Fairly basic AVN with little if any choices so mostly kinetic, but I believe the dev does mention this.
• Animations are not great, they are rendered well but lack the details and realism that make them good. Currently the movements are awkward, robotic and they lack interactive meshing and movement. Notice during the dressing room scene how the BJ does not change here cheeks and even clips through her lips, same with the fingering how the finger goes in but there is no movement on her vag, its just "fake". In these instances, if the dev does not have the skills set for creating animations from scratch then perhaps use of AI tools may work. I find for AVN, AI assisted CG can work well since you can embellish if not exaggerate things like climaxes, ejaculate volume and make it seem at least somewhat semi realistic.
• I don't suspect there will be much in terms of kinks in this game and possibly not even harem, as the premise does strike me as one that revolves around the MC and one LI as primary love interest. This is just my initially feeling, but this can easily be changed, however I hope that the dev does so tastefully and tactfully to not create a mess of the relationships later. Though perhaps the damage all the LIs have faced could be a good way to justify a harem ending?
• While walkthrough is enabled, there are some options that the dev does not held hold you, and you could get different scenes depending on choices in the playthrough, though choices are few and far between.
• Tad gripe but this is just me venting (slightly) that the premise puts the MC in a spot that I question, simply because his ex bestie/not-girlfriend hates him enough to not give him the time of day and our MC can't get a word in edge wise. Sadly though even myself can't figure out why not, why he acted as he did and why she would hold a grudge to this day. Its all a story I know but its a little bit cheesy to and kinda a cliche. Roll on...
• While the MC is kinda likeable, his whole demeanor makes no sense, he looks much younger than he is, he carries himself like a sloth/slouch/bum more than someone who was in the military and saw action. Guys who have discipline and strength of character. He acts like a goof ball when I feel he should have had a more stoic and harder look and feel about him. His expressions and hair make him feel like some comedy animations character and not someone who has lost a lot and paid a high price for it. Even if he is "hiding" it, his complex character should be more apparent to the player even if not to the people around him (yet). <- Just my personal POV

TLDR:

Overall I am impressed and though there are faults the can be worked on easily enough. This AVN wont turn everyone's head, but it does a solid job and I like the premise mostly with its complex characters and relationships. I look forward to see what comes next and may update my review again. I hope to give it a 4 star but the dev needs to make some changes/fixes first.