VN - Ren'Py - Abandoned - Hot Springs Academy [v0.4a] [Mirgosoft Games]

First off, this game is NOT ABANDONED. There's a patreon post about v0.5 in September, so I wouldn't call this abandoned yet. Now, this game is fun and light-hearted with a good amount of sexual content.

Reviewing as of v0.4a

Pros:

• A bunch of JKs and gyarus to have fun with
• The models are shiny and well done
• The sex scenes are well-animated
• SFX and VFX are really good
• Around 1-2 hours to complete

Cons:

• Plot isn't great but you're not really here for that
• Not much content to enjoy right now

Conclusion:

Either play it now or wait for the upcoming update (or both tbh). You won't be dissapointed, except for the lack of content for how long this game has been in production.

I hadn't played a game with this style for a long time because they all seemed "clonal" to me, after trying this game I must say that I loved it a lot, it has so much work, animation, designs, how I liked it, it ended very quickly, I think the only "bad" thing I found is the beginning due to the lack of "context" but nothing more
20/10 and god
my favorite girls for now are:
Chika, Kazumi, Natsumi and obviously Akane

The game was great! It is like a less hardcore version of waifu academy with quality similar to the game. I don't mean that this game is just a rip-off though, it also has its own style, characters, and stories that will be worth your time.

Damn, was not expecting much, but i am pleasantly surprised, the game doesn't take itself seriously and seems very lighthearted, the writing is surprisingly decent and the models look great for a honey select 1 game. there isn't much of a story for now but what we have now is a pretty good setup for the future, really like this one and i will be looking forward for its future, an overall great albeit short experience.

This game made me feel something I've never felt playing an h-game before, at least not that strongly; I was genuinely saddened when the "no more content for this version" notice popped up, I was enjoying playing this game so much, that this really got me.
5 stars in all aspects, can't wait for more.

Played the recent .4 edition and after also reading some of the reviews I will say that the story line is very good, or should I say the build up so far to the story line is very good. It may look generic even kinetic, but having taken the time to actually read and comprehend everything while playing instead of skipping ahead to find a spicy scene I can see where the developer is going and I like it. Enough taste of what is generally going on, both past and present and I'm sure there will be more of this as it goes along. Hopefully there will be more involvement with decisions made by the MC soon, sometimes I've noticed developers lean too heavy on building the story at first and leave out giving the MC more control over his actions until people get bored waiting for this to happen and lose interest in the VN. Great Renders and animation. No lock ups or freezes in the PC version I played, Keep up the excellent work and I look forward to seeing more as it develops.

Amazing animations with great potential I'm really enjoying the story so far, A little bit short on content though at the moment but I'm sure content is slowed by having most things so well animated (0.4)

A little bit of a generic premise and setting but the animations make up for it. Most games that use illusion models just use the generic animations but it does look like a lot of the ones here are either made from scratch or at least altered in some way.
The characters also look good and have an okay variety of body types (though they predominantly have large breasts).

This is one of my favorite. It has good atmosphere and solid story. I also like the new reworked with better dialogs. I will definitely keep my eye for future updates and story progress. Keep the good work.

Hot Springs Academy [v0.3a ]

Good game worth playing. Even though I got bored at some parts. Renders are what you see in op. For a Hs game it's good. And quality is increasing through each updates. Story is generic what you have seen in many other HS games. And character models are yep you haveany of these in other games. But game is fun there is humor. And little is sister is my fav she is a tsundere. Hoping to see nice romances too.

Overall I enjoyed the game. Looking forward to next updates keep up the good work dev.

Great game,good sfx that match with render,beautifull shade with the render,nice slow pace story,a very detailed render with how the character around environment like holding onto some object and very smooth animation

play V 0.2.5b in french (which explains my poor written English, sorry)

story: 3/5 Contrary to what I read in the reviews, for me the translation did not shock me enormously, I have seen much worse ones, on the other hand the rhythm is not perfect far from it and the story does not is not amazing

characters: 5/5 They are all very beautiful with a very good diversity of behaviors

sex scene: 4/5 Very good, but we would like a little more

renders: 4/5 Overall it's quite nice, but there's like a kind of "filter" which I'm not a big fan of.

animation: 5/5 They are beautiful, I can't wait to see more

sound: There are, but it still lacks a lot of music

gameplay: 2/5 For the moment it is quite weak, we especially have the impression of just unfolding a story without having any impact

It's rare that a game is so obnoxiously bad that I'm actually frustrated knowing I'll never get my invested time back, but this was one of those occasions.

I've never played a game that tried so hard to turn away new players from the get go. Absolutely dreadful experience. The game's summary includes a line saying, "you will be surrounded by over 30 equally hot and bright girls for any taste from all over Japan and beyond! " And what a crock of sh*t that is. You have zero control over anything.

As soon as the game starts up, you are put through what seems to be just an obnoxiously long intro with the school nurse, only to find out that no, it wasn't just an intro, the game is entirely on rails. You have zero control over where the MC goes and when. Zero control over who he talks to, when they talk, and about what. So right there, the diverse cast of girls is pointless, because you don't have a choice of which ones you want to progress with and which to ignore, you're getting all of them whether you like it or not.

I can't believe authors still use such outdated and, quite honestly, trash story telling methods anymore. If you want to write a visual novel, then go do that, don't lie to people that you're creating a game only to give the player - and I use that word really lightly since we aren't playing shit - any control.

The dialogue is 'fine', very generic considering the dull on-rails experience you are given. And although the character models look good, their overall designs are ruined by the fact that they dress like total sluts and flash their underwear and nude bodies around every corner, which takes all the suspense out of interactions with the girls. Usually I'd be excited about the buildup of getting a girl's clothes off, but this game just throws it all at you in the first fifteen minutes. Yawn.

The current English version is such a mess that the game is unplayable. When you try to tell a story in a convoluted way, and lock it behind the wall of an indecipherable translation, anything that should be of value is lost.

Even sentences that seem competently written and like they have meaning lose it, when the next sentence pops up and seems to be a non sequitor to what was just said.

I can not judge the characters, the plot, etc, at the moment because I can't decipher what is and is not happening.
When this is given a huge overhaul in the translation department, and becomes something closer resembling playable, hopefully I'll be back, try it again, and can revisit my review and hopefully give a better one.

A little bit short, buy a very promising game with great characters and naughty stuff. I wish developers got more money to speed it up and make content faster without losing it's quality.

Advantages: plot, characters, person, girls, GREAT animation, girls that are open to have some fun and discover it in themselves.

Great game, very beautiful girls and sceneries. There are many girls and there are all unique and funny. Also the game is nice with the dialogues and situations. The story is very interesting with many mysteries. I love it so far, can't wait for next update.

Time played: 1 hour, reached end of content.

Based on its setting, theme and choice of graphical engine, this game appears to be trying to fill in the gap left by a certain creator who is, shall we say, less than faithful in their release schedule promises. Normally, this wouldn't be a bad thing, as we all know just how much these games "borrow" from one another (pilfered assets notwithstanding), but this game just does not stick the landing.

Positives
+ Really hot girls

Negatives
- Nonsensical dialog
- Poor rhythm
- Not a lot of sexual content and what's there is awkward

I quickly became frustrated with this game since the story and dialog are so poorly done. A huge part of the issue is that the game tries to make the story an important element yet doesn't offer something interesting or coherent. The far less than perfect English is also a strike against it. Eventually, you just start clicking through inane line of dialog after inane line of dialog to get to the "good stuff" and, since there is little of that (at least in this build) you are left blueballed and angry.

There are far, far better games to spend your time in the "school boy gotta slam" subgenre, so seek out one of those instead.

Note to devs: Either get a better writer (and translator), or add more sexy times. Preferably both. Good luck.

Hot Springs Academy is excellent so far. With beautiful animation, captivating characters, and a fantastic, compelling story, this game is well on its way to becoming one of my all time favorites. It will surely only get better from here.

Updated review for v.04a

What I truly love about this game right now is its sense of lightheartedness. It's something I really hope the game keeps as it develops. Boasting a large cast of characters, this has managed to create a lot of fun interactions between them. I really enjoy how they interact with the MC. Though sometimes a bit tropey, I find the dialogue and characters just working really well. There's a scene specifically that I think was wonderfully done. Without spoiling it too much, some of the girls play a little prank on you, the new guy. Instead of making it a big deal, or them all doing it out of malice, it plays out as a light hearted joke with everyone smiling and laughing, MC included, as that was the whole intention. It's pretty simple in the grand scheme of things, but just sets such a great tone for the game and hit all the right spots for me.

Now the game admittedly starts off a little rough with the overused amnesia trope, but it really doesn't have that much bearing on the plot or anything so don't let it deter you. You're also the new guy in school (you've seen this one before as well I'd assume) but the way the events played out felt unique to me, and truly enjoyable.

And rejoice! For once, the MC isn't a huge pussy/nerd/blushing virgin. He's also not some weird edgy tough guy either. He just feels like a mostly normal dude, which sounds a bit boring, but it works well here. He doesn't stop functioning with a little teasing from a classmate, and even has good dialogue that plays into it without being super weird and gross.

Speaking on characters more specifically, seeing such a large cast tends to give feelings of doubt. It's hard to balance out like 20+ characters? But I'm happy to say the dev is doing a good job with it so far. Not only do they interact with the MC, but with each other as well making the game feel more alive. Everyone is getting their own little moments to shine. Again some characters are a bit tropey, but I'm finding myself really getting attached to some of them.

A fair mention that English isn't the devs' first language. Sometimes dialogue does read a bit weird. I was able to look past it pretty easily, and it is being improved as updates come out.

I originally thought this had hit a perfect balance of lewd and story, but some recent updates have added more lewd scenes throughout the beginning. I'm probably one of the only people who is going to complain about more sex scenes, but the new ones felt a bit out of place (or perhaps rushed from a plot point of view). I hope it wasn't just done to appease people complaining about lack of lewd content, as the game is starting to give me fuckfest vibes a bit. Those typically are not my thing, but I'll trust the process for now. Despite my misgivings, the animations really are top tier for a honey select game.

This is something you should be paying attention to if you're a fan of these types of lewd games. It's ambitious, but I'd say it has set a really good precedent for things to come. Hoping to see this continue developing into something nice.

As of V0.2B
Spoilers ig, also TLDR down below (my second review I’ve ever made, hope this all makes sense lol):

Renders/Models: 5/5
Ive always been drawn towards any VN using HS, and i gotta say the models and renders here are good, if not great quality. The girls look fantastic and colorful and the settings themselves are well done. It feels alive and not empty for the most part. The MC design is generic, but we rarely see him as we are in 1st person POV the majority of the game, so nearly the entirety of the game is solely cute, sexy girls in our sight.


Animation: 5/5
The animation is great. Non-sex animations were impressive especially, theres one where we get pushed in a pool, which was a pleasant surprise. While not absolutely mind-blowing, there is effort in them. Overall they feel natural and fluid imo.


Script/Dialogue: 2.5/5
I understand that the creators first language is not english and unfortunately it does show, at least for the beginning start of the game. As of this update I am of understanding that they had help from their patrons with their translations, the improvements are noticeable comparing their initial release of the game and to this recent update. I hope they continue improvements to their translations, as to make the dialogue less awkward and flow more naturally between conversations with characters, as well as our MC’s inner monologue.


Characters: 3.5/5
Starting off with the MC. He’s bland. Not really bad but not really interesting other than his amnesiac/fainting moments, his monologues don’t really add anything of substance to his character, but you see his way of thinking. As of right now hes a generic, bland dude who is supposedly top of his class. When it comes to sexual situations he is assertive and willing to put in the work instead of just sitting/standing like a statue, so that’s a plus. He has motivations, getting into a university with getting a harem being secondary.. When he talks/monologues, he does it alot, detailing any situation that happens in his line of vision, so it can be a little bit annoying for some people.

For the girls, we have a good portion of typical archetypes: the genki (energetic) girls, the athletic strong girls, the reserved and strict girls, the slutty/gyaru girls, and so on. A rather bloated cast of girls, almost all falling into their stereotypes as with most hentai-esq VNs. Great designs, very colorful, but not much to say in terms of their personalities/character. Likability for each girl is dependent on your tastes in a girl I suppose.


Plot/Gameplay: 3/5
In my first playthrough I’ll admit I skimmed through the dialogue as there was (what I thought at the time for me) sooo much needless text/monologuing, the MC details everything he does/sees. I played through a second time for this review so I can carefully read and take in the story and context as for why the MC is here at this Academy, which is full of Waifus. The game is set in Japan, and we start off with our Hero, our Sigma Male, Chad MC starting his first day at his new school. We, the MC, get transferred to this academy not under the pretense of academics, but espionage. The MC has to investigate why the academy is not in good standings and needs to figure out how to improve it.

The pacing itself is weird. One moment the MC blackouts upon entering the school, next moment hes getting jacked off by the sexually frustrated nurse, next moment we’re suddenly at home. Then the next day we find out we actually went through our first day of school unconsciously. Piecing together memories of the day before of our introductions with the girls at the school, we go through our second day apparently going on a second tour around the school. You get the point, the pacing is weird. We basically skipped the first day of school and went through our second day as if its our first day again. The MC has these blackout episodes a couple times, and it can be assumed that something medical/traumatic is involved upon entering this academy, so I’ll give the benefit of the doubt that there’s a reason why the pacing is the way it is and why we go through these sequence of events in this order.

Onto gameplay, not much to say. Just your typical VN, just going through text until you get that juicy content.


Overall: 3.7/5 (just gonna round it to 4, cuz why not)
This a dialogue heavy VN, that as of this update seems to be linear in plot. The models used are good, the girls are quite sexy. No complaints about any of the girls design, only meh design is the MC himself. The animation is great, there is effort shown in their quality, which I know isn’t saying much as it is HS.

Dialogue is rough, there is small improvements in translations as you move forward, but it still feels unnatural when the MC talks with other characters in certain scenes, or just talks in general. Characters are colorful and bright in terms of design, but their personalities are stereotypical to an extent, whether that’s a plus or minus is up to you. Plot is eh, pacing is kinda slow and a bit all over the place, but is somewhat coherent if you actually pay attention.

TLDR: 3.7/5
Its decent. Easy on the eyes. I honestly like it. Its something to keep an eye out for as the potential is there, it just needs alot of polishing. Major concern is how the creator(s) is gonna manage 30 girls.