VN - Ren'Py - Completed - Haley's Story [v1.1 Pre-Patched] [Viitgames]

Spoilers obviously. And focus is on the negatives. Well one major negative, which involves other smaller ones (pacing, characterisation, narrative structure, and on)

Ok so, maybe it's just people like me, but if you introduce CSA as a major part of a character's history (and play it straight)...then that shit tends to hang some heavy tension on the story from that point on until there's a narrative resolution to it that's coherent with the story that's being told. It doesn't need to be all happy in the end, it doesn't need to be realistic, it doesn't need to end well, it doesn't even need to follow a narrative arc. But it needs to feel like what that part of a character's history says about their relationship with the protagonist is addressed so that, if you don't want to make that the be all and end all of your narrative then the player is ok with leaving that where you the writer want them to. That...does not happen here. And boy does that lack of resolution make the sex scenes feel like irrelevant diversions away from that hanging tension that just...doesn't go away. And why would it? The basic relational archetype for bro/sis incest is the brother as protective, nurturing, and "macho" whenever some assertiveness or strength is required for either of the first two...yet the CSA in this story is explicitly about a failure to protect, and one that's so long ago there's not really anything he can do about it. I thought the end point would be what I might call a "modern" resolution: the "traditional" resoultion would be where the protector makes up for past "failure" by getting some typically violent retribution on the abuser, the modern would be making up for the "failure" by way of being nurturing, understanding, ready to do whatever it takes (even if it's just listening or waiting) to help with the healing process. But here the story focusses mostly on the latter...then just drops the thread without ever resolving, well anything really, but specifically without any pay-off -any moment that tries to ease the sense of past failure by tying it to some clear point of her turning a corner in whatever her process is*- while including a random, hard diversion into the former that...also lacks any resolution whatsoever (like really? not even a news article? not a peep nor word in this surburban town when a nominally esteemed educator suddenly drops off the radar? nothing the mum who knows what he did and lives in the area ever gets wind of and mentions off-handedly? ...ok). I went through the story after dropping off most of the other potential LIs pretty early and even the minor diversions that popped up with Lisa (the one I left kinda hanging) felt almost wildly inappropriate. Like, I know you might be going through some heavy shit there sis but let's forget about that for a bit while I play some "will he, won't he" about potentially fucking some other girl real quick. And sure, she doesn't seem to have much problem with it, but I sure as fuck felt having the MC suddenly start acting like adding any potential uncertainty on her end about the security of your relationship was a real fucking bad move given the circumstances. And that was just trimming off one last LI hanging thread, I can't imagine how much more awkward shit might be if you're mixing in a long-term relationship with another girl, and banging multiple other women in with your sister/lover's trying to work through their past trauma.

But maybe worse than any of that (though related), and this might just be much more of a "me" thing but it...it really starts to feel a bit more like some hard taking advantage when there's sex going on with someone who hasn't fully processed their past trauma when you're framed as like a nurturing, parental kinda figure. It makes the sex feel more like something she might not have chosen were she on the other side of that process, cause it could seem like an unhealthy response to an irrational fear of losing the only close, safe, secure person in their life (irrational either because you could always remain as close as you both wanted to whatever happens, or because the typical degree of separation that forms between family as they progress into adulthood is something they could come to accept as natural or ok with more time and perspective). And while that might just sound neutral in the context of a story with this kind of content (just because there's sex involved doesn't of necessity link everything in that area to past abuse), the choices of her kinks in this story seem almost tailormade for making shit seem like a coping mechanism or something. Like, she's taken advantage of by a much older guy and clear authority figure when she's underage in part by him exploiting the innocence you get in teens of that age...and the adult kinks she has with her brother involve wanting to be disciplined sexually by an authority figure for being bad (at times for being a naive yet naughty temptress...which is literally what the abuser said she was doing to him to justify his abuse...like...JFC), being childish, impulsive, and immature, and she approaches the bro/sis relationship by basically saying she can't/won't have any say in whether you two cross the line and would rather have you take responsibility for her sexuality for her so she doesn't need to have any sense of agency in whatever happens, it just happens to her (like...abuse...tends to).
Just...idk how to finish any of that. Suffice it to say that, playing through to the end I started to get an ominous sense that there was going to be some sort of narrative twist where it turns out the point the writer was going for was actually that "incest is bad, mmkay", and that you actually shouldn't have gone along with her pushing of the intimacy boundaries because that was just feeding an unhealthy coping mechanism or whatever. It didn't be that way in the end, but maybe saying I was feeling that sense pretty fucking strongly as the story went on can convey just how...discordant things felt at times.

*and yes that kind of narrative contrivance (where trauma or mental illness or whatever is magically just "solved" at some point by way of finding the correct solution) can seem very contrived, but shit even in reality people do get better relative to how they were suffering before -people who come out the other side of a depressive episode eventually stop wanting to die and start being able to feel some joy and shit, people who overcome addiction start to find a life outside of the shadow of their addictant even if overcoming it is always a process in their lives- and even a narrative aiming for realism can create resolution by focusing on any one of those small moments that naturally occur as shit gets better: take a pause and get a bit weepy when you see your depressed lover smile for the first time in months or whatever.

And also, finally, yeah her becoming extra childish towards the end was both very weird given...all of the above (the story tries to get a lot of mileage out of framing your lack of insight into her healing process like something's going wrong, like she's lying about going to therapy, etc., which makes the shift in characterisation seem like yet another warning sign of shit going wrong) and...well also given all of the above, but this time in the sense that because it's not a warning or a red herring it seems really out of nowhere. And the pacing towards the end really falls off (I thought that was just cause I dropped all the other women but reading a few other reviews that doesn't seem to necessarily be the case), while the ending(s?)...wherever they were really didn't feel like endings or conclusions or natural high or finishing or satisfying narrative points. Which would probably be fine in a true SoL game, but not so much in a game with an unresolved CSA arc and a pregnancy ending in a story that tries to take incest seriously but never even brushes up against the question of biology as it might relate to fraternal twins having a kid (and shit I don't know the biology, it might be totally fine in most cases, but it's usually a pretty big angle when it comes to incest so leaving it entirely unaddressed in a pregnancy ending makes the ending seem even more incomplete/abrupt -and yes I know this game is technically supposed to be coherent as a...idk, really close childhood friends(?) kinda story so anything really heavy on the biology would seem wildly out of place in that context, but you could at least still hint at it within a more conventional-sounding "the doctor did a genetic or whatever test as part of a routine, or because there's maybe some inheritable disease risk somewhere on someone's family line and it all came out healthy" line dropped in somewhere)

Editing to add that the pacing and structure is actually kind wonk from early on. I get why both Haley and MC would push for his relationship with Sandra despite/because of their feelings for each other, but the system of choices ends up feeling much less impactful given the force of narrative inertia if you don't want to go along reasonably exactly with the direction it's heading. You can pick most/all of the choices that aren't in the direction of getting closer with Sandra and still end up spending a decent chunk of the story in a relationship that feels too separate from the one developing between Haley and MC -important because, given both their relationship and the relationship with Sandra are the ones carried by that inertia, the less reason there is for their connection the more pointlessness the player will feel through the story the more they are checked out of one of them. Playing from the perspective of someone who went with Haley pretty exclusively from the start, there were hints here and there that Sandra's role in that context might be something like a "beard" for their covert incesting. But it never ends up committing in that direction, at least if you're indifferent to Sandra throughout. It might push more in that direction if you aren't indifferent to her, but if it does that doesn't really help with having the relationship with her feel kinda pointless to be stuck with if you are.
More generally given how heavy the relationship with Haley is and how committed the writer it is to exploring it, the fact of having other women around seems kinda superfluous. Or at least, given this is Haley's story, it would seem that any other potential LIs should've been included on the basis of their connection to her and her journey specifically as much (or probably even more tbh) as on any connection with the protag.

Also, much as all the focus on negative might suggest a lower score, I'd say the extent to which I've felt compelled to comment on this game is something I take as indicating a fair amount of good and interesting it has in parts of it, even though I don't feel that many of them came off or came together well (or as well as they might have) in the end.

Edit: Lots of spoilers below.

In the plus column it tries several new things with the incest genre, which is admirable and it's good to see developers trying new things.
1) No dead dad or uncle, no romance with mom and 3 other sisters. It's just the sister, and it's been a long time coming (which plays into the fantasy of someone having been into you forever and ever, and is satisfying, especially if they seem to be cool and are attractive).
2) No return after 7-10 years. They've been together the whole time. This takes more work to build realistic relationship with ins and outs and preferences and annoyances, which they do pretty well.
3) Gradual and believable romance/attraction, well written, including jealousies and natural progression over time. One of the best of any game I've seen, with the little things that make up a traditional romance. This is the best thing about the game, honestly.
4) Deals with uncovering old secrets once the romance blooms, including sex abuse, like is often the case - new confidence/security in a relationship brings out trauma from previous relationships.
5) Deals with the aftermath of sibcest with the parental unit who figures it out.
6) Smart, interesting love interest - Haley is fun and interesting and unpredictable (for a good part of the game).
7) Uses a crossover with another game as a key plot point, not a guest appearance.
8) Follows through on how oddly other people feel about the sibcest, and the sibs come across as creepy in threesomes, "Join us!" A freaked-out third point in a triangle that includes siblings seems more realistic than, "well, there's an erection, we better do something about it."
9) People actually have jobs and things to do and those aspects are part of the story too, compared to stories that are like, 'well, I'm between sexual escapades so I'll watch TV.' Work is integral to the plot of them staying together, of the relationships that they build, and of ways that their personalities come out.
10) The MC isn't a dick. He's a normal, nice guy who watches out for his sister and is generally nice to people.
11) Most other males in the game (and there are other males) are not predators/psychopaths or clowns. They're just dudes.

In the minus column (related to the numbered items above):
4) SA: Breaks the problem well and semi-realistically and then deals with oddly. We don't actually know what happens in the end (if you've played Alexandra you can guess). How they bring in the characters from Alexandra is kind of cool, and re-emphasizes those character's personalities. That's cool. BUT! It's a lot of build up and I felt frustrated and protective of Haley (well done) but then it just disappears and she doesn't ever find out. She gets closure through therapy, which is cool, because it doesn't go as planned either (cool). It was unsatisfying. It's a complex topic and healing/resolution is going to vary from person to person, and maybe folks don't want to wander into that, but if you're wandering in, you know. Wander out, don't just turn the lights off.
5) The whole getting a new apartment and then trying to hide it from dad was where I started skipping, it felt extraneous. 1-2 interactions and hard conversations and then let's be done. To be fair, I can't think of a lot of interesting ways to drag out 'Dad found out we're banging' but it is realistic to think they'd get found out eventually.
6) Haley does seem to change personality in the third act. It's funny writing but it's not consistent with who she was earlier.
8) The throuple endings are not very satisfying, the third wheel always feels sort of sidelined. Maybe that's the point, that it was always about the siblings, but it came across as underwhelming. With that much build up the big things that happen later would feel more satisfying if they had more heft.

Very good, the dialogues, the relationship between the main characters, the story - everything is fine. There is no excessive concentration on minor characters, so everything looks very harmonious.
Good animations, Haley is very cute.

I could take the score off for the ending, but why?

Great story/animations, just two things that take it down a star.

1) Story forces you into something early on in the game, kind of annoying considering I was making all the choices to try and avoid it.

2) Random sinister music for no reason out of nowhere

Edit: Haley starts randomly acting like an actual child for no reason and its just weird, knocked down to 3 stars. Finished the game and it was alright, might do another path some other time.

One of the best avn I've read.

Story - 5/5, simple plot with a simple setting, nothing special. But what made this vn great is its well-paced narrative. The MC and Haley's relationship slowly and naturally developed. There's an element of slow-burn romance but it's not a drag. The main conflict was satisfyingly (and realistically) resolved. My only criticism for its story is the rushed ending.

Characters - 5/5, Haley might not be the prettiest girl among the world of avns, but she's one of those that have a real personality. She's quirky, funny, and caring but can be annoying sometimes. MC is also good, he genuinely cares for Haley from the start and has a natural chemistry with her. Other characters are also good and played a role in the story.

Lewd scenes - 4/5, sex scenes are not the best but they're still hot because it's easy to become captivated of Haley's beauty and personality.

Music - 4/5, just a normal bg music, nothing special.

Overall, Haley's story is a role model of what an AVN should be with its well-written characters, good dialogues, and interesting story.

really enjoyed the dynamic between the mc and haley. Their relationship seemed really organic and it felt real which is something not easy to do in these games. The only thing holding me back from giving this game 5 stars is the lackluster animations

Just a quick one.

You won't get much help from reading this review I guess.

I can just say that I liked this story a lot.
It seemed very realistic.

And I legit wish Haley was real and my sister or girlfriend.
I love her teasing, humor, fun personality.
The other characters are interesting too.

Definitely worth a replay.
Slowburn, Sex, a DECENT MC lacking the anoying horse dick stereotype.
And a fun/interesting/tense story around the "how did MC and Haley start a relationship?"

Overall it's a good VN. The good and bad thing about this VN is Haley. Haley is the only character really intersting and unique as you can see her personnality through the text. It's good and bad because all the other characters pose as NPC at best, annoying at worst.

Why am I forced to date the black girl (forgot her name) at the beginning for example.

But well, Haley's story is worth playing this game overall that's why 4/5.

pros: girls are hot.
cons: everything else. The protagonist is forced into a mediocre relationship, with a girl who's far too good for him, and then ends up spending the story getting closer and closer to his sister. No choice about that either. I have a problem with anything with mandatory infidelity, even if it ends up with a happy ending. (Not sure about this one, since I won't play to the end.)
There isn't really a plot, just some people working at a job.
Sex scenes are ok. Nothing special.
The girls aren't one dimensional nymphos, but, at the same time, they don't appear to have much identity outside of the path of the protagonist's cock. I have no idea what they like to do, what (most of them) do for work, what they're working towards for their future, what matters to them, etc. It makes them really uncompelling. Just like the game as a whole.

Starts pretty good but by the story's midway point I kind of started hating the two main characters, which prevented me from finishing the game.

Disclaimer, it's a siscest game, so if you're not into that then run for the hills. All in all the sex scenes are... pretty good, but not particularly hot or memorable. I can't exactly point to any that I'm going to remember in a week's time.

Now I need to get into minor spoiler territory to explain my rating: Haley has repressed sexual urges from something that happened to her in her teens, and she wants to act on these urges by being submissive to a daddy dom. She wants this person to be her brother. Sounds like heaven.

This situation might have actually helped her heal (along with therapy) and have been hot at the same time, but the MC absolutely refuses to explore anything of the sort with her in a way that almost makes it look like he's just not that into her. It's seriously weird. Maybe he's insecure. I know I would be if I was a potato head with extremely limited facial expressions.

Anyway, lost my boner, it's not coming back, and this is a porn game so that kind of shit is important. 3*

This is a good game which unfortunately goes downhill in the last third or so.

To start, Haley is well written and is a nuanced character, until the third arc that is. There are other characters but it's Haley who stands out because, well, it's her story.

The plot can be broken down into 3 arcs. The incest arc, the SA arc, and the final arc.

The incest arc is done very well. Both the MC and Haley show restraint at first and you can clearly tell that they are fighting between what they want and what they know they shouldn't do. There are also several choices in this arc which can affect the story, mainly regarding relationships.

The SA arc had the potential to be amazing but didn't even get close to living up to the expectations. I'm honestly baffled how the writer could line up so many ducks in a row and then not even try to shoot a single one. Some examples:

- Haley has repressed thoughts about what happened, but simply never talks about them. Ever. We the players never see what Haley is actually thinking about the situation, nor do those thoughts affect the story at all.
- Haley's mom knew of the situation and appeared to blame Haley for it. The mom is never confronted and this is never followed up on.
- A second, similar victim of a different SA finally admitted it to herself because she was worried about someone else becoming another victim. This is mirrored exactly with Haley and the Predator's stepdaughter, but then nothing happens with this plotline. It goes as far as to have Haley meet with the stepdaughter twice, but she says nothing each time and then the plotline is dropped completely.
- Haley goes to therapy and we never know what happens inside nor get any indication that it actually made any difference.

These plot points were set up and the MC was pointed in their direction only for every single one to be yanked away. It's almost like the writer just decided that he didn't like the plot and wanted to remove it entirely.

The last arc dealt with Haley and the MC trying to hide their relationship from their parents and get a new housing situation. This one was easily the worse of the three arcs. The game became a full on kinetic novel at this point with no choices. It also, in order to keep with it's internal timeline of weekend visits, therapy on Wednesdays, and other appointments, had tons of unnecessary events happening that just bogged down the story. Some of these events were literally 3 sentences long because the author seemed unwilling to just timeskip past a few days, so they would shoehorn in random stuff each day.

But the worst part of this arc by far is the complete Flanderization of Haley. Haley went from a nuanced character to a comic relief character who didn't take anything seriously, ever. She went from a silly but normal person to someone whose entire character was silly even when it didn't make sense. Her constant jokes and quips got old extremely fast and were often in unrealistic situations. I couldn't stand her by the end of the game because she came off as trying way too hard, all the time. I thought at first that her constant joking was maybe a defensive mechanism against the SA that would be eventually torn down, but no. This meant that a very serious story was being told with a completely unserious main character who didn't give it the respect that it deserved. No wonder it didn't work.

Overall the game started out good but as it went on it was clear that the writer seemingly lost the drive to follow their own plotlines or even keep their own main character consistent. It's a shame because if them had given the SA arc the attention that it required it could have been a unique and very impactful story. They laid out all the pieces for themselves and then just
didn't pick any of them up.

A firm 3/5 for me
See other have some very similar opinions as I do, and have voiced them well so I wont bumble around too much

+Everything and Everyone looks good
+I like how the MC and Sisters relationship built up
+Didn't notice any big spelling or grammar errors (I'm not the best at either so whatever)

-Didn't like being forced into a relationship(not Haley). I can see how it added some drama to the story but I personally just didn't particularly care for Sandra, nice gal just didn't appeal to me
-I kinda just stopped really caring about what was happening after a certain point, and I know that's a personal thing but still. MC and Sister got together and I kinda felt like it was complete, and Wasn't interested in anymore drama happening

A firm 3/5 - Like the Pictures and the Animations, but left the story after a bit

Haley's Story might as well been called "The brat and the beta".
Guys, if someone treats you like Haley does the MC, grow a spine and kick her out.

This game contains plenty of sex- and erotic scenes, if that's your main reason for playing these games, you'll be satisfied. If you're looking for actual characters and a story arc, you'll be left wanting.

Graphically, the game is pleasing to look at. Its scenes are generally well-done, and the animations are fluid and mostly look great. Some animations have very jerky or unnatural movements, but these are the exception.

Spoilers below.

This AVN is much more on the kinetic side of the spectrum. While the early game offers choices, they're mostly for players to choose which paths and endings they're on. Other choices are meaningless in the progression of the story, except for the choice if Hailey should grow her pubic hair or not. This choice is respected for the rest of the game.

The first mistake this game makes, is forcing the MC into a relationship with Sandra. Haley will make her move on the MC, cheating on her own lover, and the MC will cheat on Sandra. Not only Haley, but every love interest requires the MC to cheat on Sandra with them. It's only halfway through the game where it's possible to break up with her, but by that time all other paths will have been closed.

The game's second mistake is not incorporating Haley's trauma from sexual abuse into the actual story. We could've learned how it shaped her personality from a young teenager until now. How it still influences her decisions and behavior today. We could've learned to understand where her brattiness and abrasiveness comes from, why insulting the brother she loves so much gets her off... But that's not what we're getting. The middle third of the game deals with her abuse in a very shallow way.

The third mistake, is that the game isn't consistent with Haley or the MC's behavior. Except for the constant that Haley will always get her way (unless she drops the issue herself, or changes her mind), she'll switch between being dominant and submissive. She'll hint toward the MC that she likes getting manhandled, but the MC rarely mans-up enough to actually do it. The MC also switches between being a doormat and being assertive. Though he'll only be assertive in favor of Haley. Like standing up to their father, and pushing Haley towards therapy. He'll never actually put his foot down against her, and can't even sleep one night alone without pining for her.

I'm conflicted... It was awsome at the beginning, with a touching plot I must say, sadly, it looks like at 60% of the making the developer decided to abandone it for some reason leaving many things unanswered. I just don't get it. Even with that, It was an enjoyable experience. Haley's personality is very unique, I understand now why it is so recomended.

Overall, I'd give it an 8/10.

The interactions between the two siblings are the core point of the game. The romance is adorable: they talk with tenderness and joke around; you can see it through their physical affection, like playfully biting a nose, hugging, kissing a forehead, or giving a foot massage.

The story feels more like a slice of life: the drama is minimal, and the plot doesn't have significant developments, which is fine. Still, the scenes got a bit repetitive, and the ending felt rushed.
The dialogue is written very well. It's not cringy, has good humour and few mistakes.

The visuals are nice. Our main girl Haley is beautiful, in particular her lovely red hair with that braid. There are a few other attractive girls, but, unfortunately, I didn't get to see much of them. The sex scenes are good, but not very diverse.

To conclude, this game is far better than your run-of-the-mill ones, where you fuck a girl after barely talking, and everyone has an enormous dick/boobs.

I really enjoi the game i play this game far back when it was not done.
now i just played the full game
i like the story of these game its nice and enjoyable.
Pros: good story, solid characters, the graphics are pretty nice to i like them not the best or worst there are fine enough.
Cons: sex animations are bad and boring this is a adult game after all so thats importante, the endings they were very weak could had been better for sure most endings looks like the game end out of nowhere.
Overall solid game i enjoi playing the game.

The first thing appreciated is that the game is complete, which can't be said about many games. That being said, the game's plot starts to decline at the halfway point with the "twist," which is entirely unnecessary, and by the end, it becomes a drag to get through.

The visuals are nothing spectacular, but Haley's model is excellent, so I give it that nod.

That being said, the best part of the game is the characters. Not all of them are hits, like some side characters (only Sandra and Adrianna have any depth to them), but Haley and the MC are what save the game, despite the "twist." The connection between the two feels genuine, and both are likable. It can't be stressed how bad some main characters in these games can get, especially the MC character, but this is one of the few MC characters that doesn't come across as an asshole and/or a complete moron. Unfortunately, both of their characters take a hit at the "twist," which is unfortunate, and it takes a while for them to bounce back.

While this is not a masterpiece, I can appreciate how a COMPLETE game gives likable characters that make the game worth it despite the story's decline.

Haley is a really lovable character. She can be a bit selfish and imposing, but it's always focused on keeping the bond between her and the MC strong (and it is her story). I enjoyed the day to day events and banter with the characters, even when the choices were fewer and far between towards the end (on the Sandra/Haley path, but I felt most of the decisions were set once the ending autopilot kicked in). Loved that the story worked in poly relationships rather than just having a "choose one" final choice at the end. It was also fun to see Haley and Sandra bond and become more intimate over time. Like many have mentioned, I wanted more depth and follow-up to some of the side plots, as well as at the ending/epilogue for some of the routes, but I still enjoyed the story enough to feel that it was worth the time investment.

This is probably the best game on this site and the fact that it took this long for me to find it is criminal. I think I might genuinely be done with f95 because its been a week since I finished this game but I can't stop thinking about this game and how it makes me feel. Jesus christ.

The story and the characters are absolutely phenomenal. The game is called "Haley's story", and yet the dev managed to fill a world with lovable characters but never forgets who we're playing the game for.

There's a bit of lag when animations load up but I think my laptop just sucks

To keep it short and simple: there is a surprise rape* revelation in this game, yet it is not present in any tags. Heavy gut-punch out of left field that completely shifted the tone of the game.

It is not shown as there are no scenes of it happening, but it is canonically stated as something that happened and is thus completely unavoidable.

Also stated at some points as it being "consensual" though looking at the circumstances things get very murky. Add to all that the fact that the game's resolution to events are woefully underwhelming and this game managed to go from something I was enjoying quite a bit to becoming a complete shitfest.

To someone like me, the broken expectations hit so hard that it made me lose trust in the developer, as a couple of other devs have as well due to how the contents were managed. And I'm honestly sad to say this, but there it is.

My rating is a reflection of how the content was presented and how it made me feel as a reader. For deeper analysis of the game, please refer to the other ppl that have reviewed this game and go a lot more in-depth in their takes.

Still, I do feel that my low rating is entirely justified due to me coming into this game expecting one thing and then receiving a visceral gut-punch out of the blue. Had it been tagged with the appropriate rape tag, I might've still played the game and given it a much higher rating after adjusting my expectations (despite my utter despise of LIs being raped or having a rape backstory, regardless of if it is shown or merely stated).