VN - Ren'Py - Halfway House [Ep.11 - Bonus 7-8] [Az]

Review of EP9 (2022-08-21)
TL;DR: wholesome vanilla story with more dick than pussy (at least on the route i went...)

Gameplay: VN, with choices based affection points system.
Graphics: good images, with emotion and everything. Only since EP8 saw few animations. Not fond of the realism, and character design. And i really don't need to see MC's dick in shower and pissing scenes...
Amount of content: seen no sex, though there might have been some if you stick your dick in crazy.
Grammar: few typos, but easily comprehensible.
Story: not my life experiences, but mostly seem like a realistic story. Few clichés, but fresh enough to be interesting. Though it's English original, not Japanese translation, so that adds uniqueness in comparison to stuff i usually read.
Sound: nice BGM, conveying emotion, with few grating sound effects.
Performance: renpy game with a bunch of images - you only need a bunch of storage space, otherwise runs on a potato.

Excellent dialogue, storytelling, and renders. I really love how characters interact with each other especially Emily and the MC. Ashley's story is quite interesting as well.

This game is a must try!

. I really liked this game, because it has a good story and is not focused only on bitching, in fact my choices did not lead to much erotic scenes. I really like games of this type with a slow burn in that aspect. He's also a very funny MC. All the girls are really nice, but honestly I fell in love with Emily lol, her way is really fun and I like how the MC teases her. For more games like this. I'm looking forward to more. Az Congratulations on your VN I hope you have more future games to create after it's finished o "Halfway House" this is a work of art. amazing guys this is a game you have to play before you leave this life for another you will not regret it is a great game that will please all tastes in my humble opinion.

Edit 05/30/2023: Finished Chapter 10 after over a year of waiting and the content is... well it's awful. There's one sex scene that's barely passing. It's clearly using animations easily bought, and the dialogue bloat is horrendous. It's like the author thought, "Hey?! Why have them say it once when they can say it 6 times in a row in 6 different ways?"

They talk and talk and talk and talk and talk and nothing is really being said. It's all banal small talk going over the same idea over and over. Even the very beginning, where he's deciding whether to go home with Emily or stay with the other two girls, he goes over it and over it in his head. Over and over and over, then he talks to one of the girls and goes over and over and over it again and again. Completely unrealistic, and worse, it's just boring. I don't normally skip dialogue but it quickly became too much. The adults scenes didn't even work for me because they're just not that good.

I said in the review below that I might not give Episode 10 a try. Well I did, and now I'm quite certain I won't be sticking around for Episode 11. I'm still amazed this game is supported by so many Patrons given the quality.

I’ll keep this review short as there isn’t that much to say. Just finished Chapter 9 and not sure I’m going to bother continuing when Chapter 10 eventually comes out, which could take quite a while.

Pros:

• Decent renders. Love interests are attractive and varied and the locations are well chosen.
• Spelling and grammar are quite good. Very few noticeable errors.
• Decent world building. Places feel lived in.
• Story isn’t too far-fetched. It’s easy to suspend disbelief.

Cons:

• Too few love interests. There are currently only three with a handful of others who don’t rise higher than mild flirting.
• Three years of development and we have one decent sex scene and four oral scenes. Dialogue during the intimate scenes are good but none of them are all that well animated. Nothing wrong with a slow burn, but this is too slow for too little payoff, especially after three years.
• The plot got off to a decent start but quickly devolved into endless trips to and from random places filled with empty filler dialogue. There’s very little story and the romances are taking forever to get anywhere.

This is an adult visual novel. It’s fine if you want to develop the world before getting to the sex scenes but three years is just too long to wait for what looks like are going to be sub-par animated scenes, at least when compared to the other top contenders out there. The plot has been dicking around for several chapters now with no end in sight. The author should take a few weeks off and outline exactly where they want the story to go and figure out how they want to get there, otherwise we’re going to see chapter after chapter of pointless filler. Even a derivative story is better than no story.

This is just a nice game honestly! The render quality is superb and it plays a lot with the tropes you usually see in this kind of games. Didn't care much for the foster mom, but the two girls already were a handful so I didn't mind at all. The dialogue is pretty good as well I feel.
After a good lewd start it's a bit of a slow burn for several chapters admittedly, but I had fun all the way through. There's the feel like the story is finally going somewhere, but I can imagine the agony of people following this story for years with the progress being as slow as it is now.
+ gorgeous renders
+ gorgeous girls
+ not-so-classic femdom by somebody else than a milf - yay!
+ really well-done teasing
+ interesting story, albeit a bit cheesy at times, but in a kind-of good way!
+ protagonist is not an idiot!

- a bit more sex(y stuff) as of chapter 9 definitely wouldn't have hurt. There's some sexy stuff and orgasms, just not that much sex.
- the sex rn doesn't *quite* live up to the build-up I feel. It sometimes even feels like the dev doesn't *quite* know what he's talking about when it comes to lewd stuff. At least when it comes to anal.

This game is simply excellent.

-Scenario and story wise it is very solid and original.
-There is just the right amount of teasing.
-Female characters are hot and feel more natural than in many game.
-Each of the characters have a very unique and well developed personality.
-Dialogues are not boring and go straight to the point. No useless stuff.
-Relationship development is not too slow not too fast.


I have my reservation on only two points which I won't hold against the game :
-MC could stand out a bit more, I mean he fits perfectly the personality of Emily (which is probably why she is the only female character with not only corruption points but also love points). However I find him too mainstream for the grade AAA milf that is Samantha (and her two female friends) or the sex starving vixen that is Ashley. A more Alpha/stud like MC would have been a better fit.
-Different path and choosing between characters. This almost made me downvote the game. At one point, you have to choose between Emily and Ashley, the scene with Ashley is 100 times better but Emily is just so sweet to the MC that it almost feel like cheating or treason. When developing such interesting and good characters, you should not have to choose between them.
-

Update: After more than two years, with I think 2, maybe 3 updates or so I come back to this game to find that if anything, it's gotten worse..
If a game updates so rarely, if such a long time passes between updates, you expect each update to drive the story forward, to actually make strides towards an ending, or at least be relevant to the plot in any way.
With this game, there might pass a year between a single update and then the update adds basically nothing.
Just the usual, the MC being a whiny, childish moron, the girls acting like the first day they met him, no development in relationships, nothing, and more and more of the endless, boring, mind-numbing drivel. Instead of something actually happening, the dev prefers to continue on with showing us the most trivial boring shit, as a backdrop for endless, pointless conversations. Like I pointed out in my initial review, I like slow-burn, I like slice-of-life, but this is just tedious and boring. Did I mention it is boring? So utterly boring. Do not be fooled by the positive reviews, there is nothing but filler here, after the first 2 or 3 updates.



I'll be honest, I don't feel like writing a massive review right now, but otoh there are just a few too many now, who make this game seem like god's gift to VN fans, which sadly it is not.

This started out really great, the renders are good, the writing is decent, the MC was relatively likeable for a game like this.

The first and almost unbelievable drawback was that instead of being able to choose to pursue any of the three ladies sharing the home with the MC, the dev decided that you could only have a relationship with the most vanilla out of them (don't get me wrong, I like vanilla games, but come on, a sexy punk girl and a mischievous milf, how could I not want to at least have the option to go for them?).
You could rightly say, that yes, this does suck, but if that is your main problem, just don't play it.
To which I would say, shut up, I can play any game I want and then complain as much as it pleases me.
Okay, but seriously, that is true, and I might have, except that a part of me still hoped the dev would see the light (as others have before) and add more routes and tbh the first few updates were so good, that I would have continued to play it just for that.

So, what changed? Why do I give only 3 stars now and feel tempted to go down to 2?
After those first few promising updates, this game changed a lot. The time between updates grew, and the updates seemed like endless filler.
Nothing was happening anymore, the most mundane and boring scenes played out endlessly.
I mean, what the fucking fuck do I need to see a subway ride where nothing but boring conversation happens? Why do I need to see scene after scene where nothing but boring filler talk happens? Just skip the part that would be skipped in any book or film or tv show and concentrate on the parts that drive the story forward.
I don't have a problem with slowburn, I also don't mind slice of life stuff, but not if it feels tedious and boring to read, It's just not good or entertaining enough to warrant such a large part of the update.

Sadly, this trend doesn't seem to change and only gets worse. So many potentially good games on this site squander their potential, because the devs don't understand that less can be more and that they need an editor to tell them what to cut, if they aren't able to do it themselves.

Apart from that, the MC has become an absolute douche nozzle. Seriously, can't stand the guy anymore.

Man, after writing this rant, I seriously want to go down to two stars, because it is infuriating for me to see something that could be so good become something so mediocre and boring.

After the 9th chapter I can say that it is one of the top VN games ever made. Every detail is perfect, the story is very interesting and original. It's a rare point-of-view game which allows you to identify yourself with the MC better. And the female characters look very realistic, not some huge tits on tiny bodies as usual.

This is only the third game I have given five stars to.

Really good production values, both in the quality of the renders and in the compelling narrative.

Slow production is a bit frustrating but that doesn't detract from the quality.

It hurts me to give it a 3, one of my favorite VNs, but after a hiatus of almost 9 months, episode 9 falls short, the MC still does not evolve almost nothing, after 9 chapters, Emily each episode that passes, it becomes more childish, the fact that this VN does not give you another romantic option, has always disappointed me.

I will organize my ideas and try to explain in several points:

Pro:
- The best renders I've seen, the level of detail, design, lighting, poses, etc, 10/10.

-The story, despite having very little eroticism, is very pleasant to read, the dialogues feel real, the humor is perfectly integrated and the characters have that, personality.

-The use of Ren'py is perfect, nothing out of this world, but he uses it in a very clever way.

-I love the girls of the house, and Luis is a well developed character.

I would love to give more pros, but with what has been mentioned, I think I will cover a good part of it.

Cons:

-The lack of decision making, this VN almost touches the level of kinetic, basically your decisions are aesthetic, they don't impact, they don't change almost anything, and nothing at the relevant level of the story.

-If you don't like Emily at all, you're screwed, she's basically the only love relationship you're going to have for at least these past 9 episodes.

- You will see many beautiful women in the game, but you will never be able to do anything to them, when I talk about beautiful women, I talk about designs like Ashley's sister, the nurses in the club or the woman in the tattoo shop, etc.

-I really liked Emily at the beginning of the VN, despite her extremely childish personality, I'm sorry to say that with the passing of the chapters all that only gets worse, this would not be a problem, if the game gave me the opportunity to have a romantic relationship with another character in the story, but not is the case.

-The consistency, from chapter 8 to 9, almost 9 months passed, and honestly it was not worth the wait, visually it is still wonderful, it still has all the quality it always has, but the chapter is short, and full of meaningless fillers, zero development in the relationship between the characters, and as always an eternal and annoying blueballing.

- Last, this is more personal, please AZ, let the character fuck, let him make decisions, let him do what he wants, and then he assumes the consequences of his actions, really, I'm tired of seeing such well-done models and sexy, and the MC does not do shit, It can't be that the only time I'm going to fuck, it's going to be with Emily in the final of the VN, it would be extremely crappy.

I love your work, you are an inspiration for my future project, I hope to get close to your visual level, but that does not exempt me from being able to criticize so many things that hurt your wonderful work, please be consistent in the deliveries of the episodes, and let the characters develop, cut all the filler and focus on the main story, is my very very humble advice, greetings.

Sorry for my "engrish"

Edit: 05/28/2023, ""Episode 10"", 15 months be the "developer" late to give an update, 15 months, earned more than 2500 dollars a month from his patreons, is becoming more cynical, lazy, simply the developer, who once started with enthusiasm and was creating quality content every 4 months, is now just a parasite that lives on his patreons without even trying, a complete disappointment, his story was one of my favorites, now I simply don't care, half a chapter every year and a half, it's a joke, I hope the business ends soon, he doesn't deserve the money that people are giving him.

"Halfway House" is an AVN for players who value story above all else. This is a slow burn that, presumably, will one day pay off massively for patient players, but for now remains an experience focused on teasing and characters trying their best not to cross any lines. The title is filled with highly erotic situations and dialogue, but any players seeking frequent depictions of sex in all its glory are likely to be left frustrated.

I have been playing "Halfway House" since episode 3, so must admit to experiencing some frustration myself, but have to award this game 5 stars because I trust that by the time the dev delivers his final update, this game's lewd content will be as satisfying as all the other content. It must be said already that what lewd content is in the game is highly suggestive, erotic stuff. The interactions with the woman who runs the halfway house are particularly hot.

The story is engaging, the characters are varied and likeable, and the art is superb. The title has at least two branches, possibly more if you include sub-branches, so there is replayability. The MC is a bit dopey, but he's not a jerk, which I find refreshing.

The quality of the writing is also above average--both in terms of the technical aspects and the creative aspects.

The game is very super duper to make and everything is perfectly drawn as it should be and the characters are perfectly made more of these games and it is clear that the developer put his soul in the box and follow the game as always more health in our times with a crown and a lot of fans

the characters are young, realistic and flawed with rough edges and room to grow. the relationship dynamics among the core cast are established, interesting and consistent; it feels like a little family. the game has something in it for everyone depending on the chosen route. the premise and setting are also original and unlike any other VN i can think of. the renders are quality and the female characters are beautiful in their own different ways. the writing is good, funny and sweet. the dev must be a petrol head because there is an interesting mix of cars in the game. the game has a slow pace and isn't for anyone after instant gratification. the story is pretty small in scope. some games here feature huge conspiracies or magical powers, this is at heart a coming of age story. the only complaint you could have is the wait between releases, but that is really a compliment that you are eager to continue playing the game. a deserved 5/5 stars and please support the dev if you are able.

The game looks great, but there is so little content between the 11-12 month updates that it's a major letdown at this point. Still, and interesting story with pretty renders, just hate that it seems like it will be 5 years, at least at this rate, until we get anywhere with the story and sex scenes.

Excellent character models - expressiveness is particularly noticeable here in my view. The animation is the only let down here, being less good than the stills, but not terrible enough to be actively negative. Some other games have smoother animation which feels a lot worse than what is present here.

Very good writing which gives each character their own personality, although they fit quite neatly into their stereotypes. Perhaps that is a good thing?

The game is top quality, with great attention to details. Renders and animations are well done. The models are nice. Ashley has super beautiful face, especially when without piercings. All the bodies are sexy, from petite Emily to older and bustier Liz and Samantha. Young girls have natural compact boobs, not watermelons, a real blessing in the world of adult VNs.

The story is non-standard, interesting and with generally good, veritable psychology. It develops at every turn with new intriguing elements. Every character is interesting and makes me want to learn more about them.

The only thing I would criticize is a bit weak implementation of the love path. Main love interests have "Corruption points", and let the protagonist do more with them as the plot develops and he expresses attraction to them. It's alright. Even better, Emily has also "Love points", but if you choose to lean on them, she still remains like, "Oh, it's embarrassing... It's too fast". I would prefer adding more romantic stuff in their dialogs on the love path, and more progression from "embarrassing" to "normal" about lewd stuff, even if there are not many corruption points, because love path in real life opens girls to sex as well.

Anyways thank you Az for persevering hardships and developing this masterpiece. It's worth it.

[Ep.8]

Admittedly, I am not really a fan of the MC and the story is just kind of meh. I mean it just seems to be a day in the life of the MC and not a lot of heavy lifting.

IMO the MC is just unlikable. The girls are great and I like Luis and the other NPCs but the MC... not so much. He's not bad just kind of meh. His shtick just got a little old and there are not a lot of layers to him.

Regardless, this is a great production. It is really well done. The interface, graphics, renders, scene blocking, pacing, writing... I mean it is all really great. A couple minuses for an extremely slow release schedule, but the dev at least communicates well with the Patreons.

Looking forward to some more releases.

One of my absolute favorite VN games. I really hope the developer can continue coding again. If that happens, I will become a supporter.

But to the game. The characters are really believable. the main characters at least.
The dialogues are well written and really gripping.
I think i played through the first 7 chapters in one sitting and I cant wait for chapter 9.

Renders and animations are very decent. Nice job with the Porsche ...and the Lancia ... oh my... the Lancia.
To my surprise the story was what i enjoyed most. When the MC went to his checkup with Emily, i didn't even had my hand down my pants.
This is one of the best i played so far!

Decent, not great. The characters are pretty good, other than that there is not very much there. This is a slow burn which I usually prefer, but there isn't much else to keep you occupied in the mean time. In the later chapters character development appears to have stopped and I'm not sure if I'm interested enough to keep playing upcoming chapters.