VN - Ren'Py - Hillside [v0.15 First Half] [DarkBlue]

Review for Hillside [v0.8]

Contains A Major Spoiler, Contains Minor Spoilers

I love this game despite the fact that there are no explicit sex scenes. The story itself carried my interest better than most of the games I play with sex around every hallway. The story is well paced and satisfying as you attempt to protect our queen a girl being stalked by most likely a bartender or a classmate or possibly even your long-lost twin brother. Probably not but the fact that I spent more than a second trying to actually solve this mystery on my own is more than a success in my books for any developer of these type of games.

As for the technical side, its great. I do not notice much noise or low-rez textures anywhere. There are probably some here and there but the fact I never noticed during gameplay means its negligible. Lighting is great and there are no hiccups from my end so you can count on an amazing looking stable game.

Overall, I enjoy this game a lot. I played it all in one sitting and I never was once bored. If you read this review and were on the fence, get to downloading this game and enjoy an amazing game, just don’t go into it expecting sex filled game.

P.S. Those who attacked Emma will rue the day.

I think this is an awesome game and I really want to see where the story goes.
All in all:
- Nice and interesting setup - its cool to be a tough guy and not some highschoolboy
- entertaining story with promising storylines
- Beautiful looking girls and a nice graphic quality
- it feels like the author knows his stuff and I am looking forward to any more content.

(Game version 0.8)

The idea behind Hillside is not a bad one, the game deals with some subjects considered "heavy", the story goes on at a considerably slow pace and that may bother you who are reading this text now, character development is one of the differentials of the game, the game a system that I don't particularly like to show what the other characters are doing or thinking even without the protagonist around, another thing, the game manages to make the player create a minimum bond to the characters, moral choices has little impact in the short term.

Below are my grades for each category, where 10 will be the maximum score:

History: 9.7;
Character development: 10;
Plot: 9.5;
Graphics: 10;

Note: I did not see bugs and as I always leave the volume of these games at 0, I did not evaluate the soundtrack and effects.

Verdict: It's worth a look.

Review of v0.8
First thing i wanna say the game was released almost a year ago and there's still no sex, so expect this to be a slow burner.
Now that doesnt mean the game is bad.

Pros:
Pretty interesting story tho some characters are a bit exaggerated(more on that later on).
The renders are amazing and the attention to detail is 10/10. The dialogues dont have 1 render for the hole scene.
10/10 models, all the characters look amazing.
Sound effects?

Cons:
The Emma character acts like she is 14, ok i get it that she is sheltered but this is on a hole diff level. Also who puts CD movies in 2021 lmao .
Charlotte's inner dialogues will become even more annoying in the future. She is so skeptical about the decisions she takes that if she wasnt the plot would have moved alot faster.
No animations, to be expected tho since there's almost nothing to see.
Very slow updates.

Its an all around good game i enjoyed it even some characters can get your nerves.I'd probably rate it 4stars but the slow updates dropped it for me.
Def a game worth playing but i'd suggest waiting for more content.
I'll prolly revisit this game in 3 years till finished.
(Somehow i feel this game will have a bad rushed ending resulted by the slow updates..)

I start with the positive, even if it's not a lot. Now the characters all look pretty and the locations vary too. I also liked the basic premise of the story. A bodyguard to protect the daughter of a famous model from a stalker sounded promising. So that was it for the Positive.

I think it seems a little unfair to give this game only two stars but I just can't overlook the many shortcomings. A first minor flaw is the absence of background music, which is not very important.

The characters are very unbelievable, I mean Charlotte has suffered so much in the fashion industry and now no longer trusts any man about what our main character gets to feel from her every time.
Her daughter, who is actually 18 years old, acts like a toddler. Even the fact that her mother is too protective of her because of her own terrible experiences does not explain this childish behavior.
Now back to the mother, I mean, why doesn't she finally leave Hillside with her family and live in a quieter, more normal residential area without the perverse scum that they are apparently exposed to on a daily basis?

I could talk about the main character the sister and the other daughter, but compared to Charlotte and Emma the three are almost normal believable people if you turn a blind eye.
So if there are no significant changes in the characters I see no reason to touch this game again.

Pros:
Great render, characters look lovely. Somewhat grounded story and a slow burn that isn't really a problem. The story is generally good and i didn't mind the path it was taking.
Cons:
What killed it for me are the characters. The mother Charlotte up till I played showed no redeeming qualities, her dialogues and actions were just getting on my nerves. She never shared one tender moment with MC but somehow MC has a choice that he loves her.
Also the daughter Emma, her character is 18, but acts like 12. I know she's supposed to be a sheltered child, but come on, going her route made me feel really conflicted cause her dialogue and actions are so childlike.

Honestly the only somewhat fun character is the Sister/Aunt.

In reality unreal

It's one of the more serious games here so:

+ The story is amazing and the characters could easily be real people in real situation.
+ I really love how different and real every character is!
+ The renders are stunning and made with taste.
+ The different dynamics in every relationship is refreshing.

There is a lot more I want to say BUT.... in 0.8, it was just too much drama for me and too much mind changing and swapping of opinions. The game is real GEM but the dramatic aspect of it is becoming too much for me. It's just too real... people in exactly that situation would act most of the time exactly like that.

Really amazing game, but it hits too much of a reality for me, I hope next updates wont be so heart-shattering. <3

Something different finally, i actually like these kind of vn's, there was one like this one before named lexi, but unfortunately got abandoned. When i read the preview first time even before even trying once i got the feeling that yep this is the one and boy you did not disappoint me.
Plot/story ~ 5/5
Characters ~ 5/5
Renders/grafics ~ 5/5
You earned yourself a patreon buddy keep up the philanthropy.

I came across Hillside on a whim, and I can safely say, I've never been so grateful to myself for giving this game a chance. The characters, setting, and circumstances are captivating to my intelligence and empathy. Frustrations and drama are done masterfully and I want more. If you're looking for a game to enjoy- give Hillside a chance!

I love this game. It's so unapologetically...real. Not hesitating to show the horrific treatment of women in our society that folks all too often like to dismiss.

I typically don't get too attached to characters in a WIP, because they rarely get finished, but I fell in love with these characters almost effortlessly. Emma is not my type, but I do really feel the MC's need to protect this girl from the horrible world outside. Surrogate Father-daughter bond is strong there.

Charlotte is a character that I really have to applaud the author for. As someone who has been abused and traumatized, I felt that the portrayal of Charlotte's PTSD, and her inner turmoil over the way it colored her worldview, was very respectful and truthful to how that experience feels for victims. I didn't feel anything but respect and admiration for her, what with all she's been through. Definitely attracted to her, but I love that it's a slow burn, because anything else would trivialize her trauma and be completely unrealistic.

The models are great, the dialogue is dynamic, and character voices are unique. All in all, this is one VN I am happy to give 5 stars, and I genuinely hope that the author continues this work. If I had financial stability, I would donate to Patreon to support this work even more, but I hope this positive review will suffice for the meantime.

This game is....... tricky.

The story is really interesting, the renders look good and the characters are all great.

The problem is that the story is REALLY SLOW. That's not a bad thing unless it's in this medium. The slow burn is fine and feels right, i really enjoyed the story and the time to get to know the characters. But when you consider that in this time of medium you have to wait A LONG TIME for updates, and when those come out, there's usually not alot of content, it starts to get a bit frustrating.

I have played this for a few hours ( 3 to 5 hours, start to finish) and by the end of the current content it felt like very little had advanced in the plot.

This is the type of story that you only enjoy when it's already finished and can play from beginning to end. Until then it's dificult to put up with the constant wait for more content.

On a final note, don't play this if you're looking for adult content (there's almost nothing so far, maybe in the future) or if you want something light and with humor. The story is very interesting but it is heavy on drama.

[Review written for version 0.8]

Hillside is an amazing true crime drama with strong sexual undertones. In the spirit of the best whodunits, my conviction of the perpetrator's identity changes moment by moment as clues are revealed. I can't wait for the next installment.

I put off playing Hillside for a long time because its plot summary seemed to me like the basis for a cheap porno flick. I couldn't have been more wrong. I am very selective of which games I support financially, but against all of my expectations Hillside easily made the list.

I should explain that my rating is based (obviously) on my personal preferences, whereby story is king and sexual content is only a positive factor if it contributes to the story. Gratuitous sexual content is a neutral or negative factor. The raw quantity of sexual content is irrelevant and does not affect my rating.

This game could be excellent or not much at all depending on what you are looking for out of a game. There are things you should know before sinking a bunch of time into it though.

1) After 8 updates there still is no real adult content in this game. The pace is very very very slow. It's like watching paint dry. I take that back, watching paint dry is quicker. There is something to be said for a good slow burn. But that is relative. This may be much slower than you are looking for, or it may be right up your alley.

2) The renders are decent. There are a few standouts, but most are the quite generic 25 year supermodel. The stand outs in my opinion are Lucy who has just a slight pudge in her belly that makes her adorable, Emma because of her somewhat naïve nature that is reflected in her face, and Suzi's roommate with her blemishes and freckles.

3) The dialogue can get overworked, especially between the mom and the MC. There is way too much effort put on how she really just hates men and the MC in particular. Yes we get it, you don't need to spend chapter after chapter re-iterating the same thing over and over. The other thing is this plays off of the old 'let's not communicate with each other or it will ruin our plot points' style of writing that many people find irritating (myself included).

Right now this is more of a story and not an adult game. So go into it knowing that you're not going to be getting adult content out of this.

Pretty Good Game . Nice story telling and character building. It's not just a game with mindless sex scene and Fap materials. And also hope to see this game to be completed. Pleas don't abandoned this project.

And many would say that I gave 5 star rating to every game that's not true. I only reviews those games that I believe is a good game and I only reviews those game who deserves 5 star in my opinion.

Thanks Developer/Developer's for delivering such a Excellent Game.

Thank You Guy's ❤

Phenomenal story and the graphics to match......it's a slow burn as far as sex goes, but I've been so pulled into the story it doesn't matter. My only annoyance now is having to wait between updates......

Keep up the amazing work.....you've got a gift for this....can't wait for the next chapter

V 0.8 : I played the game without skipping the dialogue, so that means that the story was inetersting enough to catch my attention. However, at the end (of V0.8 version), I have to admit the game needs improvement.
Emma is too childish, even with the tragedies that Charlotte has experienced, it is as if she lives on another planet without Internet, without social networks. I would suggest, if the author wants to continue to exploit his kidish side, to move the story to the 80s, (we will have to think about removing cell phones and PCs), this could explain that his mother managed to maintain it in such an airtight bubble. this would also explain the relative impunity of men, because once again in the age of social networks and the me-too movement, how can we still imagine this kind of story ...
About the graphics, they are quite good, except maybe the MC on which I do not stick, it is not at all on the same level as the other characters. It really deserves to be reworked. The head in particular, but the rest of the body would also benefit from being a little drier. It's barely if you don't see him with love handles when he comes out of the shower ... not really something to make you dream of.
But at the end, I have to admit I enjoyed it and I'm waiting for the next update !

There is no sexual content so that's minus one star from the start. First, a good story doesn't have to include tons of drama. All of the girls are either victims of sexual assault or some other kind of abuse like blackmailing and bullying with MC seeming to have some of his own mental issues from his past. Next, one of the main propellers of the plot is the miscommunication between Charlotte and MC. This, I believe is a cheap trick used similarly in soap operas to extend the plot as much as possible. The last downside of the game I should mention is Emma. She's unbelievably childish, sheltered and naive that it's off-putting, her behavior is similar to a behavior of a toddler. This game actually deserves two and a half stars, no more and no less but since that's not possible, 3 stars is the next most appropriate rating. All of the pros of this game comes from the quality of the renders, girls are gorgeous especially Kaylah.

I recently saw the game but am glad I saw it. It was clear from the start that the developer put a good effort into his game.
The story is good and deep with some mysteries. The characters and the drawing are also very good.
Although there is no sex yet but I am enjoying the game and the story.
VERY RECOMMENDED.

review after v.0.8

I usually don't give 5 stars (tbh this game is more of a 4-star rating), but i really enjoy this game despite the many flaws i'm going to mention later, and i think more people should play the game and support the dev.

Other reviews have already mention the basic plot of the game so let's get straight to the pros and cons list

Pros
- beautiful renders and models
- a lot of content
- really interesting storyline and excellent writing
- not many models which means you won't need some insane walkthrough to play every outcome
- It's a different story and not again an 18-years old who makes it his life mission to bang his family and the entire town that is the norme nowadays
- the girls are getting along and there's no unbased animosity between them. Sure there's some jealousy here and there, but nothing too much.
- frequent updates

Cons
- The game follows the cliche of naive young sister, dynamic older sister, reluctant mother and slutty aunt, that we see in so many games
- Emma is too childish. There's a difference being shy or introvert or inexperienced, but here she's supposed to be an adult, but she acts completely like a 10-years old. She wants morning hugs from her mommy, they tickle her, she blushes at any form of intimacy, etc. I hope dev will finally stop this and start making her act according her age. There's a good opportunity here after what happened with Zak to prove that's she's ready to show to people that she's not a child and people should stop treating her like one.
- the transition of some scenes is a little rough. e.g. you see two characters interact and next render could be a week later without any warning.
- no music (i don't mind that much but i can understand why it would bother some people)
- There're only a few intimate scenes so far, which wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't already a v0.8. It should have at least a few sex scenes by now.
- I'm not a fan of how this game depicts abusive behaviours. It's very out in the open when in reality, most of those would happen behind closed doors. A famous person wouldn't just grab a famous model in the middle of a party and try to rape her when there're so many people around. Even if this game tries to point out that the way Hillside works, it allows these behaviours, realistically it's not believable. I think dev should try to handle this things better and not have the obvious "haha, i'm an evil dude with power so i'm gonna do anything i want without any consequences". I would prefer if the bad guys would use their power and connections to bring a girl in a difficult situation (e.g. either you let me fuck you or we release you from contract and find another girl to replace you) rather than their muscles. And maybe Charlotte in order to provide for her daughers agreed to some of them, but hates herself for that and tries to warn Kaylah to not take the same road.
- i find it a bit weird that with all the technology and money they have, they still watch movies in dvd-players or Emma only has one pair of running shoes. Small details but still...
- MC is a mystery. We don't really know a lot about the guy and so far he's just following orders or trying not to be offensive. I think it's about time to find out about his past, his personality traits, what he likes, etc.

I might add stuff in future updates, but overall you can see why i think this game is more on the 4-star rating but nevertheless, i enjoyed playing this game and i can't wait for more.

Fantastic game! In short:
A game with stunning characters who have different, well pointed out and complex personalities and great looks and are not the cliche, standard harem characters that jump onto you right away. The renders are beautiful. The story, while not taking you too much away from itself beeing an adult game, takes you in and is very exciting. You connect with the characters and everything feels realistic (there is also jealousy - something you rarely find in adult games). The english is actually really good and the whole concept is working very well. Great build-up so far, without blue-balling. I am really looking forward for the sexual content coming and how the story progresses.

Easily one of the best games on this site!

In detail:

PRO's:

• Great Story and balance - the story is really exciting, while not beeing to extensive and all over the place. There is no grind and placeholders to distract from the fact that the game is an adult game. That leads to the next point:
• No blue-balling - while there is a huge build-up with two of the main characters the protagonist gets some action with the third main character.
• Focus and character dev. - the games focuses on three main LI's - a perfect number to stay detailed in character development and on the other hand have three very different characters to fall for. The three of them are very different in behavior, looks and personality. I think this is one of the greatest strengths of this game. There is also a variety of side characters who are sexy and interesting and fit the story. One more thing I want to add here is that the clothing of the characters is breathtaking. Absolutely beautiful!!
• Beautiful renders - while not doing soemething over the top and beeing too exaggerative (games with such graphics never make any progress) the standard of the game is very high. The models are hand-made and each one is a stand alone. Only the protagonist could have got a bit more attention.
• Realism and setting - the premise of the story - falling in love with a famous actress who is acting like an ice queen almost not reachable gets me personally totally excited. I find absolutely no joy in all those harem games around here, where every LI jumps on you in no time. The LI's are also jealous of another and I am really looking forward how those conflicts are solved.
• Development and updates - the updates have a very good pace and are full of content (maybe not always in terms of sexual content - but the game is still in the build up). The dev's of this game give me reason to believe that the game becomes finished once.
• Sexual content and scenes - very good so far. Beautiful details, beliveable physics and good content. There could be a bit more content though. The main content with the two other LI's is yet to come - I hope the dev's find a good balance between story progression and sexual content. It could definitly shift more in favor of sexual content, especially later in the game.

CON's:

• Protagonist - could have got a tad more attention. But he's alright.
• Big premise - the game is great so far, has a beautifully detailed build-up and a variety of different characters. I really hope that the dev's can keep this level of detail and do not rush the game or the sexual content. For that I would highly recommend to not add more characters and stay focused on those already implemented.
• No gallery - just that.

After all, this game is an easy 5-star game and I can totally recommend the game to anyone and especially to those who have enough of all the harem games that are just all the same.

Wish the best of luck to the devs, a big thank you and keep on the beautiful work!!