VN - Ren'Py - Hillside [v0.16.1] [DarkBlue]

I have no clue how this game is so highly rated with barely anything of substance or progression. Only played 11 episodes so far but can barely go on.

I thought the bodyguard plot/shtick would be exciting but turns out you're basically just playing as a rental dad filling in for a family. The point of MC being a "bodyguard" has no real impact on the story, MC could've been a live-in chauffeur and it would've made no difference.

The story pacing is at some points awkward due to the players no real time comprehension, sometimes it feels like we're jumping weeks/hours/days between settings which makes the character development confusing, tho I feel like no scene is overly drawn out which is appreciated.

The characters are beyond stupid at certain points and make choices only suicidal people would. You're telling me after almost getting killed/raped/assaulted multiple times you're gonna fly out to their PRIVATE YACHT and spend some time there?

Don't play this game if you wanna jerk off since there's barely any sexual content during the first 1-2 hours.

The positives of this VN is not nearly enough to carry the lacking parts. But the LIs look really good, the renders are good and the overall scene pacing feels good.

So... this is one of those (games?.. nah i wouldnt do justice) pieces of art that transcend.

Like any exceptional media, we cannot summarize it in bullet points and do the usual SWOT matrix about the good and the bad, they are complex (not complicated).

This is an experience made by experienced people. The writing, the plot, the scenes are perfectly executed, there's soul in this one.

If you like Thriller/Romance, you are in for a treat.

This isn't my favorite game. I play it only for Emma because she's cute and busty.

And I agree with many of the comments in the negative reviews.

But this is a five star game.

Easy.

Look at the devoted fan base it has created. Those who like this game like it passionately. They are hungry for more.

People complain there's almost no sex after five years of development. True. But there's lots of erotic tension.

People complain that the female characters are illogical, that the structure of their personalities as presented to us is illogical.

Welcome to the real world of real people who are so inconsistent it makes your head spin.

I've met women like these women.

People complain that the women have icky personalities. Many of them do. Their attitudes are sometimes atrocious.

But they have good qualities too. Like in real life.

It's a soap opera.

Soap operas are often full of abuse. And people complain about that too. Too much abuse in this game, they say.

Actually, there's not that much, just a few scenes . . . though the characters talk about it all the time.

The renders are great. The erotic tension is great, even after five years . And people want to know what happens next.

Personally, I only continue to play because of Emma and Kaylah . . . and the story doesn't interest me much. But that's only my subjective view of the thing.

Looking at this from a perspective broader than myself, this is a five star game.

It has a special audience, and that audience understands it.

I think nerinsky2 wrote a reasonable review discussing the issues with this game.
But I'll provide a small summary of my own experience as well.
Pros

1. Graphics are decent.
2. LIs look relatively nice, albeit a bit too similar in some cases.
3. The early bits of the story are grabbing.

Cons

1. An extremely small amount of adult content, and even those scenes are purely kinetic (no control from the player), lack any animation and also lack sound. They are also very vanilla.
2. Very unlikable characters. I mean in a frustrating manner. It is attributed to their trauma in the game but I don't think it is a believable portrayal. There is growth over time at least, but I don't think it is enough. The early depictions are way too jarring to be corrigible to me.
3. Massively verbose and WAY too long. I think if the story/characters were captivating and there was noticeably more payoff (emotional/sexual), it would be OK. But the way the plot is written is just not interesting and there is no payoff.
4. Low player agency. This is sort of tied to the "low payoff" point but I felt like my actions barely had any impact.

The neutral

1. Very forward depiction of violence, both sexual and physical. The renders do not shy away from showing gore and permanent injuries. I personally have a really hard time reading/going through such content, but it might be more digestible for others.

There is clearly dedication from the developer to have spent such a long time working on this project. I think this project is a bit hard to save though. I hope they can use the feedback and experience from this project to make better games in the future.

Hillside is one of the few visual novels that has stood out recently. It does not flood you with needless dozens of characters or try to force something sexual in every movement but alludes to it (smart writing), it allows slow tension to buildup. The cast is small and are actually developed beyond surface level. The other great part of this story is choice matters, and romantic and sexual connections cannot be like a harem rush in many other games.


The visuals are clean and realistic enough. Faces look human not like airbrushed dolls, beautiful and grounded. The lighting is soft, and the scenes are staged without excess. Nothing flashy, Nothing grotesque, Sometimes it gets annoying when faces and bodies look artificial and like blown up dolls.


What surprised me is that the story actually holds your attention, It has drama but it is not melodramatic. It flirts with tension and mild thriller beats without overplaying its hand. The pacing is steady. You are not waiting ten hours for something to happen but you are also not being dragged from one shallow scene to another.

This is a rare game, when every part has come together well, the story, the graphics, the characters. If there is a version of this game even without the sex, the story alone can hold people's interest. Something not many Visual novels can say. It's the best I have played recently, and I wish the developers the very best for future development.

10/10

I'm hooked. Great story and graphics. I don't rate games that often and I rarely get hooked on the story, but I can honestly say that this is well done. It has everything, humor, drama, romance (which is refreshing), and action. Excellent work to the team that worked on this project.

I really wanted to give this game a shot, but it’s safe to say this was a massive waste of time.

Let’s start with the writing. If you can even call it that. The dialogue is a painful mix of stilted, awkward exchanges and nonsensical plot points that make no sense.


The story tries so hard to be "complex," but it's just a convoluted mess that goes nowhere. It’s like they tried to pack in as many twists as possible, but none of them land because the writing is so bad.


As for the H-scenes, or lack thereof, it’s just disappointing. The game promised adult content, but there are barely any actual scenes, and the ones that do exist are awkwardly executed and feel more like an afterthought. For a game that has been in development for half a decade, you’d expect a bit more than this. Honestly, I’ve seen better scenes in games with smaller budgets and shorter dev times.

This is something special. I can't put words to it, because of the controversy. It's basically picking out a Great Book in the smut-section from a ran down comic store.

It's just so, Mature. This is adult writing, in a world built bu based people, to an extent. There's one glaring exception and it's the depiction of all men. To unhinged. Not even bros talk like this between themselves.

But beside that glaring exception it's adult, not unhinged genZ melodrama. No insecure wow's seeing a par of breasts. No juvenile fantasy thoughts from a emasculated little boy aged 25, that thinks about unhinged depraved sex but so insecure he can't even act like a grown ass MAN.. It's just refreshing, adult deep stuff without juvenile smut fantasies and retardation.

Even if it's a bit exaggerated, women depicted as utterly defenseless (not entirely inaccurate if you pound for pound break down strength) - It's like all abuse was stacked onto one woman alone and everyone is a abuser.

Writing is near fantastic, i got no real issues with it except the MC's main character syndrome. While the story shows how 'all men are abusers' it also shows 'all women are sluts', Except Charlotte and Family. Every woman in this game except the Family, go directly to slutmode when they see the MC and 3 lines in they all want to be in a bed doing it like animals. So it makes what Charlotte experienced feel exaggerated if all women are thirsty - her experineces seems far fetched if every woman is like that, because the MC can't be on planet with decency and morals. That premise is simply not plausible.

Other than that it's wholesome and enjoyable and good reading. Not so called 'fap material' and to be this good w/o that, should be a 'enough said'

You simply have to play it, it'll teach you to be a well adjusted adult in a fucked up world. It gives nuance.

Absolute garbage. Dozens of hours of blue balls content. I like long games. Lately played Haildicktator and Out of touch (both are very long), which are great in my eyes. Here there is just nothing.

And the thing is, it lures you in. Because the setting is actually quite interesting, and at first the characters aren't bad either. But there is just zero pace. I made it to the first erotic scene, hours into the game, and the b*tch was like "i am not ready for sex yet"..... yeah i am out!

aruzen19's review described the best what is wrong with this game. Women here are just horrible, fucked in the head, delusional, dumb trash, all of them, but in different ways. All they do for the whole time is generate non-stop drama, troubles, and danger for themself and MC.

I can't even imagine a decent man with balls and self-respect who will tolerate and accept these crazy, dumb, and moronic women and treat them with respect, care, and love. I was highly disgusted by this experience. If every woman on the planet were like the morons created by this dev, I assure you that humanity would become extinct in no time.

The story as a whole is as dumb and fake as those characters themselves; just add a boring, pretentious, and stagnantly stretched plot here, and you'll get the full picture.

Visuals vary from normal to nice. Nothing godlike and nothing horrible.

I'm not even sure Dev saw at least from afar what healthy and enjoyable relationships look like. Once again, the whole story and characters are just, yuck. Horribly wasted time.

I originally thought this game had a lot of potential as a sweet romantic AVN with a caring and loving family, but it became totally stagnant and ended up not realizing it. It's a metaphor for a stereotypical virgin that is so afraid of her first time that the longer she waits, the more she's stuck in her head building it up, the more difficult it gets. Thirty years later she lives alone with a dozen cats (or maybe the easy sister of her employer?).

The game is not a slow burn, its a no-burn. There's been almost no progress (physical or emotional) in sixteen redundant, repetitive and cheesy episodes. The horse has been beaten for so long the only thing left is a puddle of gore. I think the author has been building it up in his head for so long that he's terrified of going through with it.

IMO it's a case study of stringing Patrons along. The only AVN I can think of off the top of my head that's gone so long and given so little is Summer's Gone and the MMC in that game is actually asexual if you can believe it!

I hate erotic games that rely on rape and abuse as part of the plot. I don't think they have any business being intertwined with erotica and sexual arousal and they are also mood killers for me.

The main characters in this game all seem broken and shallow caricatures. Not only is there no physical intimacy, there's no emotional intimacy either. I don't know if it's true or not but I read the game's been in development for 5 years. Is this, or is this not, an erotic AVN? Shit or get off the pot. There isn't anything else worth mentioning at this point.

I really tried to enjoy this title, but failed to. It could be a good title, but let's sum it all up:

• A good story combined with good renders are the strongest points of this VN.
• Writing is the biggest issue - it prevents from enjoying the story. It's very basic and very annoying. The best way to describe it would be to compare it with a child that is playing with dolls and is pretending that those dolls are talking or thinking like: "yes, I'm big and strong!", "oh Ken, you're so strong", "yes Barbie, because I'm big and strong!". Ughhh... No, thank you very much - it's not my tea...
• No sound, no music, no emotions, no facial expression (almost).

There is a lot more to this title that could be said, but it's not about analyzing it - it's a short review and the conclusion is - it's simply not enjoyable, though it had some potential (unfortunately waisted).

What began as a thoroughly immersive story about a bodyguard with a lot of emotional baggage getting hired by a 40-year-old supermodel with even MORE emotional baggage -- yeah, it was riveting for quite awhile there -- started to bog down in the weeds of, well, 'emotional baggage'. By chapter 9 or 10, a particularly violent plot point broke out and it seemed like "ah, now we'll start getting somewhere with big ol Bodyguard Boy actually having an intimate relationship with at least ONE of the 3 females he's been protecting and getting all lovey-dovey with!"
But no... despite the promise of a slow-burn romance and its Fruits -- it's been slow-burning itself down to the nub and then some. There are just so many ways the MC and the main LI (the MILF supermodel) can say to each other the basic equivalent of:
"I'm just not sure. But I do...feel things for you... but I don't know... but I really want you... I think..."
"That's fine, Charlotte, I'll be here for you. Always. As long as it takes. Or not. Even if eventually you don't want it. I'm always....here."
"Thank you." (Brief kiss) (maybe a small hug)
And that's by chapter 16!
Weird that the actual sex that happens Visually is quick. Brief, attractive renders with no dialogue, with a side LI, of course. Sex at all happens twice, I think? Maybe 3 times, I don't recall.
As for the "Achievements" -- no idea how we're going to be unlocking any of that (16 chapters and even with mother or 2 daughters, I'm at like 2 or 3 out of 20?) So I guess that's for some 5-year plan, at least..
But all in all, I was drawn on into the story, as slogged as it became. I do hope things happen soon. Somehow. With someone. Strange, too, that the Harvey Weinstein guy would supposedly have SO much clout to own all law across the state. Hmm. THAT's a tad cartoony there. But, eh, go with it, maybe it'll turn out to be believable after all...

bums me out to give what was once such a promising game only 2 stars, but I have to rate this on what it is, and not what its potential once was.

For the first 2-4 episodes, Hillside promises to be one of the best renpy VNs to be found anywhere. The renders look great, the characters are engaging, the scenario is interesting and it's all good.

As it goes along, though, the main issue with this game gets more and more difficult to ignore. Sadly, the game author just doesn't have any idea for how to plausibly get these characters together. And so by about episode 6 or 7 or so, character relationship development grinds to a halt. And that's a problem.

This business/development model for VNs requires content updates. But what do you do if you don't know how to bring your characters together? Only thing to do is to focus on story. And yikes does this game lean into that.

The story here gets increasingly convoluted. Something something about corruption and exploitation and beating/raping women and sex trafficking by rich men. Things get resolved by the MC beating dudes up, frequently. Then things escalate. More beatings happen. Rinse. Repeat.

Meanwhile, the increasingly grateful love interests in the game remain grateful but relationships stay stagnant. Nothing happens. (At the end of episode 16, the MC and his protectee hold hands. And exchange a couple of fairly chaste kisses. I adore and appreciate a slow burn, but this point there's more heat in a cat's breath than there is in this.

The main issue here appears to be one of scoping and planning. Hillside completely loses its focus and just never gets it back. I think fairly early on, a decision was made to make Charlotte, rather than Emma, the main love interest in the game. Which is fine. But that's when things really just get lost in the wilderness, too, and the focus of the entire VN becomes the crime story and not the characters.

And that's an issue. Renpy is great. VNs are great. But if I want to play a crime story and beat up corrupt bad guys, I've got Cyberpunk 2077 or GTA or RDR2 or an Assassin's Creed game to do that in, and it's much more satisfying and visceral than any VN could ever be. And sadly, I don't think there's a way to get this once-promising project back where it belongs, either.

It's a shame, but also a cautionary tale. Scope your project. Write out your story and be detailed about progression. And most importantly, know what your story and what your game actually is before you start.

I tried to enjoy the story, but I just couldn’t. The early story seemed to set up some mystery and tension, but it turns out there weren’t any real stakes. The lack of meaningful choices also made the story feel flat, which led me to skip most of the dialogue. This isn’t a slow burn—it’s just that nothing ever builds up.

Its more than a pervy narritive that is serviced by not having your MC be a giant manwhore. The story is good, a bodyguard with a past needing redemption guards a shut in supermodel scared by a person experience. You have the model, her two daughters, her sloot of a sister, and the model's younger rival. The youngest daughter is adorable. Eldest daughter is hot and just begging to be corrupted. The aunt is a tomboy and just horny as can be. The rival is fucking hot and possibly the only character without any wild hang ups trying not to fall for you. Charlotte, your main model is bult like shes the world's top model.

The only downside in this entire narrative is shes a complete nutcase and fuck the level of slowburn on the core family. In the beginning its understandable, but waaaaaay later she still thinks you're just waiting to to assault her lol. Shes one of the most attractive women in the world and shes surprised men want to fuck her and is mad the dude she's in love with also wants to fuck her. Its like she wants some sort of virginal love where a man loves her for her personality, but shes also a massive bitch to everyone. She almost gets this man killed right after he saved her daughter from being gutted. Even dude is like wtf!?!?

Honestly between Kaylah and Emma are the only two worth sticking around for so far, but at this point its gonna take a hard 10 years before Emma does anything sexual and by that time you'll marry and have 10 kids with Kaylah. We are literally 5 years in and Charlotte will hold your had and give you tiny little kisses. Thats it.

I like most aspects of this game, and I generally love the story... but there is way too much internal monologuing. Most games will do an internal monologue as a recap of the story we've just seen or of the previous episode, but Hillside doesn't do that. See, Hillside is the ultimate in 3rd-person omniscient. We get everything, we get it all. We get the dialogue, the action, the visuals, and we get the internal conflict for every decision a character comes to about the MC or the MC's presence... and we usually get one or two of them per scene.

Charlie wants to get closer to the MC? She has to break into an internalized conflict of how that makes her feel first, how months ago she would have never trusted a man, but here she is with a man that makes her feel all the good things, and she has limitless positive descriptors about him. Yes, he can be violent at times, but he's like a claymore... point him at your enemies and watch him unleash hell to protect you.

It's not just limited to Charlie of course, it's not even limited to just the LIs for that matter. MC does it as much as they do--moreso if you add up all the dialogue options for every route. Am I good enough? I'm just some ex-army bodyguard that got his last mission team killed and the last girl I loved and protected died under my watch. Am I too old? What would others think anyway? I'm old enough to be her father, she should be looking at boys her own age. Does she hate me? Seems like she does, and it seems irrational but she's been instilled with this fear/hatred of men since she was a child. I can't change that and I'm not sure if I can ever breakthrough.

Most of the conversation in this game is incredibly terse, and a lot of the characters are so walled off they shutdown before they ever really get started, only to wind up the internalizations. I genuinely wonder how short this story would be without the inner monologuing.

Don't get me wrong, I still love the game and I'll probably play it to its conclusion--provided the dev continues to update it, it feels like the update cycle gets longer and longer with it--but it just strikes me as odd how short or mildly repetitive the actual conversations are, and it's largely there to kickstart a monologue you've heard before.

Looks like gold, plays like a waiting game.

+Stunning visuals: Renders are polished, lighting is cinematic, and characters are attractive.
+Real character writing: Emotionally grounded dialogue, complex personalities, and genuine relationship arcs.
+Professional vibe: This doesn’t feel amateur, it has structure, polish, and clear care in production.


-Teasing fatigue: Constant build-up, zero release. Every scene that leans sexual swerves into drama or interruption.
-Painfully slow pacing: Dozens of hours in, and actual sexual content is minimal or route-locked.
-Emotion over intimacy: For a game on an adult site, it avoids intimacy like it’s allergic to climax.
-Player blue-balling: You’re not playing a romance VN, you’re trapped in an emotional purgatory with great lighting.

Hillside is a masterclass in building tension and a case study in how not to resolve it. Only recommended if you enjoy the edge more than the climax.

This is one of my favorites! So I'm tempted to give it a lenient rating! I like this theme, I like the characters, and we get attached to them without any problem. However, I have to admit that the updates are a little too slow and that this story is going around in circles a bit. Okay, it's a slow-burning game, but still! Something is not coherent at a certain stage of the plot's development! Let's not forget that the main heroine (she is literally superb: bravo) is still 40 years old!!
Okay, she's hurt, bruised, weakened, but at her age, she also has a real maturity in life. I'm really expecting a lot from this story, and I sincerely hope the developer will also show a bit of the shirtless, full-abdom MC to raise the temperature among the girls, a bit of solitary pleasure or candid or accidental spying to provoke that rise in erotic tension... in short, something a little more substantial than holding hands on rare occasions. Slow burn, okay, but we must realize that by overdoing it, we can end up either cooling the whole thing off or sinking into the ridiculous and the grotesque.
Finally, if the development remains serious and commits to a little more latent eroticism, it could become a must-have, but if it gets lost in sentimentality... and be careful, it's only a short step to ruining everything, and the next update will certainly be the axe! Courage and perseverance to the developer.

I think some of the negative reviews are totally fair, This is a slow-burning game that I think has slow-burned enough. Every chapter seems to have the same flaws that we keep re-hashing, the characters don't seem to grow that much, sometimes the characters are illogical, like the MC thinking Charlotte is the one but also totally fine with banging Kaylah and there's no inner turmoil, so why do I have this at 4 stars instead of lower?

I like the characters, and while they act illogically, I think Charlotte, Emma, Suzi, etc are charming in their own ways, and I ENJOY playing the game. Now I do think that maybethe author needs to stop with the slow burn, enough is enough, but I think the models in this game are ridiculously attractive, Emma isn't as attractive for me and it's weird when the dialogue says she's so pretty, or prettier than Suzi when that is absolutely not the case, it's still a flawed but good game, I don't think it deserves a worse review than this.