VN - Ren'Py - Hillside [v0.15.1] [DarkBlue]

Nice renders generally, fine concept.

My issue with this game is the awful dialogue. Besides the occasional inner thoughts, this VN is almost all dialogue and that dialogue is written robotically without any sort of flair or artistry. All the people in this VN seems to have the same personality type, male or female.

The plot is really boring. The drama is some very tropey bullying, the mother's distrust of men, irrelevant stalker, "scandalous" sister, just a bunch of tired stereotypes. I feel zero tension and the writer does a poor job of making you care about these character's minor issues. Even old tropes could be fun if executed well alas.

And as usual in these porn games, even though the writer tries to present the main character as an upstanding professional/white knight, the fact that this is a porn game where you're literally creeping on a teenager kinda ruins the whole thing. There's no cohesion between his actions and the narration, and the guy just ends up being annoying. If he was just a bit more self aware then he would be tolerable.

This would be 3 stars if not for the fact that it's a straight-up VN with a fantastic achievement system, UI, and available walkthrough mod that restores the textbox and without any grind or bullshit. I give that a +1.

To be honest I was not sure I would like this game at all. I thought it was going to be another big protector game where the guy sleeps with everything that moves and ends up with brain n dead characters.

I could not have been more wrong, as not only are the characters well done, but they are relatable. Not going to give any spoilers, but you really do find yourself caring for the people in this game. Something that is only accomplished by a skilled writer. The decisions are hard to make sometimes as you know what you might be giving up for what you want. I love a true romance-and it feels this game certainly has that element.

the main character is awesome. He is relatable, strong, passionate, caring, emotional, and has that persona of someone who is truly a good person. This is a nice change from the corrupting guys that are all to common.

graphics are great as well as the scenery. It’s fitting for the glitz and glamor of the great Hollywood life and it’s dark side.

the story is wonderful both emotional, passionate, realistic, and explores many issues we have all seen or dealt with. This is a five star game and my new favorite.

This VN is a gem. Wholesome and heartwrenching all at once.

Emma must be protected at all cost. She is such a sweetie. Few characters have ever tugged at my heart like she did.

Normally I would groan at the trope of the "clueless 18 year old girl that is too pure to logically exist", but with context and knowing what the Mother; Charlotte, went through, it makes sense for Emma to be as sheltered as she was.

My only slight complaint would be that Emma seems to warm up to the main character a little too quickly, I feel. But even that can be logically explained as her not having any male figure around, therefore gravitating toward the MC.

Also, fair warning; Some of the subject matter could be a bit triggering for some (stalking, and sexual violence) so if those things upset you, then this isn't the game for you.

However, I would implore anyone that can handle such topics to give this game a try.

So, so great.

5*

Hellside (spoilers)


I steered clear of Hillside for some time because I expected little more than an attempt to piggyback on the success of another well-known bodyguard themed VN.
I'm glad I finally gave in - and Hillside a try.


Visuals

The renders are tasteful and nothing short of amazing.
The dev seems to be a perfectionist who pays a lot of attention to detail.
Posing, facial expressions and gestures are on point.
Clothes, jewelry, furniture and locations (like Charlotte's house) are carefully picked and coherent in style.
Everything about Hillside exudes class and elegance - you really get the impression you are in fancy Hillside.
The production quality is simply top notch.


Sound

While I usually like some (unobtrusive) music I'm actually glad the dev abstained from using any in Hillside.
Instead we only hear some sparse sound effects (knocking, phone ringing), which emphasises the classy and understated atmosphere I assume the dev was striving for.


Characters

The character models are very unique, the LIs attractive.
The main protagonists show diverse personalities and character progression.

I like that the MC is a decent man in his 30s with a good amount of life experience and a troubled past.
I only wished he would look a bit more attractive and less like a bouncer (mostly "thanks" to his croppy hair).

Charlotte is the main LI and an absolute stunner - I can't think of a more beautiful woman of her age.
Considering her traumatic past experiences it's hard to believe she's still in the model business - or at least didn't think about hiring personal security before.
I like that we have to work hard to gain her trust (I have a soft spot for love stories with obstacles).

Emma is the younger, rather naive and overly sheltered daughter.
She clearly behaves like an underage girl, so I assume she's "18" only for legal reasons.
However, she's also supposed to be a fashion designer creating very revealing dresses - which I think is rather implausible.
I highly doubt that a girl who's too shy and self-conscious to wear anything but jumpers would design such daring outfits.

Suzi is the older daughter with some serious anger management issues. She's a kick-ass.

Lucy is Charlotte's bubbly and sexually proactive sister (we later learn there's a reason for her behaviour).

Steve is MC's best friend and serves as a comical relief of sorts (always gossiping and talking about sex).
I didn't really like him because of his somewhat creepy and shallow personality.

Kaylah is the hot blonde supermodel who tries to seduce the MC.

There's also a bunch of rather one-dimensional antagonists - which is especially odd regarding Zak, who's only 18 (?) years old and almost seems like a villain straight out of a James Bond movie.


Writing

The English is almost flawless, at least in the first 8 chapters.
Typos are way more noticeable from chapter 9 on and especially in chapter 10.

Hillside is set in a parallel universe of Hollywood in the light of #metoo and Harvey Weinstein.
This is a very sensitive topic and using it as a story premise for a VN with explicit content is a balancing act.

The writer is pretty good at writing believable dialogue and creating dramatic suspense to get the reader emotionally invested in characters and story, but this often comes at the expense of credibility and depth.

In the end Hillside isn't only set in Hollywood - it also tells a typical Hollywood story (for good or worse).

There's the good guy (MC), there are the damsels in distress (Charlotte, Emma, Suzi), the lascivious girls lusting after the MC (Lucy, Kaylah) and the (comically exaggerated) villains (Zak, Johno, the actor, Harry).

During the intro there is too much exposition in Emma's inner monologue (reflecting on how her mom's past experiences have affected her upbringing, calling herself shy and inexperienced).

Sexual harassment in Hillside is displayed in a very exaggerated Hollywood-esque manner.
Women get harassed, molested, beaten up and (almost) raped, often in public.

You get the impression the writer calculatingly (ab)uses these scenes for the sole purpose of creating drama - similar to tabloids reporting on crime and disasters with feigned indignation ("Would you look at that. Isn't that awful?").

Just like James Cameron's Titanic isn't overly interested in the Titanic disaster (and its victims), but merely uses it as a dramatic setting for a corny love story, the writer of Hillside doesn't seem to be overly interested in #metoo (and its victims), but simply uses it as a dramatic setting to tell a touching love story.

This becomes problematic as soon as the writer starts casually switching between flashbacks of sexual harassment and scenes showing half-dressed women of the Lloyd family, which were clearly intended for entertainment purposes.

It also happens after Kaylah almost got raped: Mere hours after this allegedly traumatic experience she's already shown half-dressed and frivolously seducing the MC, which seems rather inappropriate considering the recent events.

How little the dev genuinely cares about #metoo becomes apparent in the reception scene in which Harry Wolff gropes Charlotte's butt.
The dev turned this scene into an actual animation - which makes it crystal clear it's not meant to be repulsive, but titillating.
By watching this animated groping scene we not only become witnesses, but rather accomplices of Charlotte's harassment by Harry Wolff.

I found this scene rather disturbing and disgusting.

All in all I expected a bit more sensitivity and tact by the writer.
Sexual harassment isn't fun and it shouldn't be depicted as such - at least not in the context of a story about #metoo.

I was also annoyed that characters are constantly keeping secrets from each other for dramatic purposes ("I can't tell her because... reasons").

I also think that at the end of the current version the MC's relationships with both Charlotte and Emma were progressing too fast:
Charlie has become almost too friendly and affectionate (kiss). She's even considering a romantic relationship - all while the MC and Emma call each other "sweetheart" and "dad". *cringe* Sorry, not buying that.

What I liked is that on certain occasions both Emma and Charlotte literally "let their hair down", signaling that they feel more comfortable around the MC. That's some clever use of metaphorical language.


Choices

Choices mostly influence relationships (standings with different characters and if you want to initiate a romantic relationship or not).
Other than that there aren't really any meaningful choices - which is fine with me.

It would still have been nice to see some consequences in case you fail to improve (or even hurt) relationships with certain characters, especially Charlotte - resulting in a potential bad outcome / ending.
Instead almost every scene plays out in the same way.


User Interface

Just like the renders the UI is very classy and stylish.
Exception: The (default Ren'Py) settings menu looks rather cheap and out of place.

The dev refrained from using a text box - the font is still (mostly) well readable.

There's a codex with character infos and also a gallery.


Conclusion

As much as I enjoyed the story of Hillside I wished the dev had shown more tact by not only using #metoo as a dramatic setting for a typical Hollywood love story, but also by treating this serious topic with due respect.
Casually mixing up aspects of sexual harassment and entertainment seems rather... questionable, to say the least.
Still, highly recommended - one of the best looking and written VNs right now.

Hillside is a very ideallic type of game and to be honest i absolutely love it.
Another amazing slowburn which in my opinion are the best. Charlotte is this vurnerable supermodel who you will help with protecting her daughter, slowely but surely Charlotte starts to trust you and actually wants you to protect herself.

It's a very heroic type of game. You protect girls and be a hero and the girls start to trust and eventually love you. But it is not that shallow. The mc actually has personality and past trauma's which make him a intriguing person. Therefore the romance with supermodels who cant find good men in the world they live in seems somewhat realistic.

The graphics are nothing but excellent and what an amazing insight on the disgusting world surrounding the entertainment industry by the way.

All in all 5 stars well deserved

Just with a quick glance at reviews and comments, I see two sides. Players complaining about the lack of sexual content and players praising this as a "slow burn" masterpiece of writing. While to me, this has horrible writing but the lack of sexual content is the last of its problems.

The whole premise of this is laughably silly. We have an experienced MILF of a celebrity who had a bad, violent experience with a man within the industry. And that left her scarred and man-hating. And you have to wonder, how exactly was she a famous star without having to deal with stuff like that all those years? And that's the least of the nonsensical stuff you'll encounter.

The name Hillside obviously is a reference to Hollywood. So this not-Hollywood celebrity is obviously well-off and has a daughter. That daughter of said celebrity, is of age and yet acts like a maladjusted person living under a rock. How many kids of rich celebs do you know who, instead of partying somewhere with lots of booze, coke and molly, they don't even know what's that funny feeling they get when they enjoy the touch from a person they are attracted to. There is sheltered and then there is "I don't have TV, internet, friends or even pillows to rub myself on". The girl is written in such a weird way, that not only makes it non-realistic but the interactions turn outright creepy. She is also rendered like a blonde barbie doll but the dialogue keeps having her seeking validation about her appearance from that Gary Stu of a MC.

Which brings me to the major problem with this. This game pretends to be about deep connections and the consequences of abuse/harassment and yet, amusingly enough, it's more sexist than the fuckfests we usually see here. The women are all doe-eyed waifus waiting for the big, strong Gary Stu to protect them. While they are supposed to be navigating that dangerous industry for years. They keep asking for validation about their appearance from a random guard dog, like they are not pros who have made a career out of selling the very same thing to the public.

And just to highlight how much of shiny white knight this dude is, most other males in this, are crazy rapists. I'm talking serious lunatics who will attack, try to rape and physically hurt women in plain sight, during celebrity galas full of people. How is that for good, nuanced writing?

Anyone with just a tiny bit of knowledge about cases of abuse/harassment in those circles, knows those are very complex, nuanced subjects. Trying to write about them, in a silly male power fantasy, with the perspective of good and bad of a 5 yo, is anything but good writing. With or without sex in it.

My review of Hillside [v0.10]

Hillside is a pretty wholesome daughter-raising-simulator without any sex scenes (so far).

Story
You play as a bodyguard hired by a female supermodel, living in Hillside (Hollywood), because her daughter is receiving letters from a stalker.
As a result you move into the same house with them, follow the daughter around everywhere and sometimes escort the mother to events.
The main story is split between Hollywood-stuff going on with the mother and school/stalker-stuff with the daughter.
Overall the story is realistic and entertaining.

Writing
The writing is kinda bad overall.
Most characters are written OK and some even realistically (the mother's sister and her model friend).
The mother itself talking to the MC often feels like a Barbie & Ken doll talking to each other though.
The daughter is even worse and written so poorly, she comes across as mentally-retarded.
If you accept her as mentally-retarded girl however, she suddenly becomes very well written.

Audio
The game has NO AUDIO by default (-1 star for that and the writing).
Luckily there is a great audio mod for it though.
The mod adds lots of different music tracks, that fit the game well and it plays them at the right moment, rather than just randomly running them in the background.

Overall it is a pretty entertaining game that could be 5 stars if the writing was better and it had audio.

A very long, very tedious exercise in writing, which never get's to the point it strife's for. The writing itself is barebone detective story, which takes the topics of abuse and harassment in the model industry in the most kids gloves way I had ever seen. The characters are nothing to write home about, renders are decent, but not state of art quality. It is presented as a bad/good path kinda experience "protect them or fail", but in fact it is a kinetic novel where choices do not change the storyline.

It is an option to waste an hour or two, but nothing more than that. Average in everything, good in nothing.

Also, there is no sexual content whatsoever, and I am not sure what this game is even doing on the NSFW website.

I reviewed this already but seems it got deleted. this is for v0.10.... If you're here for a fap THIS GAME IS NOT FOR YOU!!!!! This is a slow burn visual novel with adult elements not a porn game. The renders are good. The dialogue is great. The story is excellent. If you've paid any attention to the news coming out of hollywood not about entertainment than you have the plot to this game. i recommend making saves for each route because this isnt harem. As of now there is no sex scenes. There are flashbacks of attempted rape and abuse so if youre triggered by women being harmed (not used as a kink in this game) this is a warning. All in all 5/5 so far

For me, this is another one of those i started playing to get my dose of sexy lewdness, however as the story has progressed i find that i am not bothered by the lack of it. The story has me interested on its own, so far it hasnt needed a constant series of dick wetting scenes. I cant wait to see how it progresses and i will be excitedly awaiting the next update, i look forward to the day the MC gets to kick someone's arse. Top marks to the dev on the work so far.

This is an interesting graphic detective novel, I think the dev has done a nice job of setting things up while we try to guess "who did it".

I have no idea why anyone would rate this game 1*. It is not a 1* "game" . It is not a porn game, although it might one day have porn in it, atm it has a few nude shots. and couple hardcore flashback scenes and that's it. But it is well written, has very nice graphics, and compelling characters with unique personalities. That does not make it a 1* game. It might make it "not for some people"

I am fortunate to have just started reading it, so the story had a chance to develop. I would recommend the game, and will follow it.

It's a very good game, good luck developer
both the characters are very good and the story is very well established
I can say that it is a good game in this respect.
but the story is another good one, I can tell you that I like everything about this game in general.

Love this game. In this forum, there are so few games with such a good story, with real-life type of heroes and not typical pornstyle game, but with hot erotic stuff. Perfectly revealed characters that you can empathize with or hate. Social and family issues that are well integrated into the story and not annoying. One of those games that I wait for updates every time. Thanks, and i hope the dev will continue in this way.

Each character has got an arc that pulls us in. The foreboding doom lingering right across the next scene, the next image, the next sentence just lifts up the story telling aspect of the VN, it makes us want to know what lies ahead and at the same time, hold on to the current scene with all our might lest something happens to any of the protagonists. Somehow it all gets connected and makes complete sense. There's an unpredictable predictability in the way the story is told. Kudos to the devs!

a great game with a decent storyline
who wants rough sex or every 5 min wants to fuck someone else in bed is wrong here.
who likes very good graphics and decent teasing characters with a certain emotional depth will find his pleasure here.
Some emotions are a bit jumpy and serve rather to artificially prolong the arc of tension but never that it feels extremely unrealistic or annoying rather teases
keep it up...

Really good story. animations are currently not available. but it will be soon. the images are very good.

Elections are not very effective. usually story driven. I hope it gets a quick update. It has a really impressive story.

definitely give it a try. Waiting Impatiently.

This game is amazing, rarely have I been this invested in a story in any VN ever! There isn't a lot of lewd content here yet. As a matter of fact I didn't encounter a single lewd scene involving the MC, just a short scene of another character masturbating. But the thing is, I didn't care at all. I'm super invested in the story and I would play this game without any lewd scenes at all. Having pretty much deepthroated the game's story and writing, I should probably mention that it looks really good too! It's seriously worth playing, my only complaint is that it's not finished and hitting that screen that tells you you're at the end of the current build really sucked!

Version: v0.9.1

I'll start off by saying the game is really good. Currently it has about 6h of gameplay, no sex scenes so far (except 1 masturbation with 2 frame cycle) but it doesn't mean you should skip the game.

The good:
One of the best aspects of the game, besides the clean and crisp renders and cute models, is the characters. They are full of expression and character and I really liked it. Every new frame they have a different render for their expression and it adds a lot for conveying the feel of the scenes. Well done on this part!

Another well crafted aspect is the premise of the game and the development of the story. It starts really good by planting in your brain few possible suspects for the antagonist which makes the cogs in your brain spinning and draws you into the game, well at least it works for me, by teasing your brain with the mystery and the unavoidable process of trying to fill in the gaps.

Some cool and small additions to the game are the achievements, which make you have some sense about how far are you in the game and if you missed some content.
Another one, for me, was that this game (finally) has some realistic body proportions and not some melons on the chest and on the behind.

The less good:
So the things that less impacted my game play was that there is no soundtrack and no animation, its a shame but not a deal breaker, especially not with some good writing and characters.

The bigger caveat is the lack of choice, or worse, giving you choice and then taking it away by throwing it to the garbage hehe. Straight from the get go, when you are given the first choice to make, you are given 3 option, pick any of them, but nothing of them happens. From this moment on, I had a feeling the game would keep on that track.
And down the line, as suspected, you face again with numerous choices which are empty most of the time, Even choices that seem important, like keeping a relationship with some girl are getting denied.

I can see and understand how those choices could ruin the buildup of the story and maybe push the player farther from the feelings the MC "should" have towards the main characters and by that the climax moments will be less impactful.

Anyway, I assume it will be changed and some action would be possible.

Great game so far, wish the dev good luck. You have a nice thing here.
Highly recommended.

This protagonist is a guard dog that rolls over too easily for his employers. Despite this, he is capable.

The dialogue was a bit over-the-top, but was far easier to read than certain other games. There's so little boot-knockin' that it should have the "no sexual content" tag. The glimpse of two very minor side characters fucking, doesn't count.