V6.0 reviewed.
This is a surprisingly challenging review to write because when a project like this is a kinetic novel, I tend to set the bar higher on the story requirement than I would when branching can create all sorts of challenges for the writer.
The art and clean production values are high points here. I know the DAZ clipping gestapo will start their autistic screeching with that statement, but the effort lies in the gap between truly upper tier DAZ artists in the genre and the dumpster tier that pervades so many of the updated-every-month projects in circulation.
Yeah, there are a few examples of bad Photoshopping (grocery bag, I'm talking to you) and clipping, but the art does manage to be generally immersive and appeal to the "V" component of "AVN." Facial expression and posing are the primary areas in need of improvement.
The dev has a few interesting characters with enough mystery about their motivations to be intriguing, but only superficially. Mia is the standout as the wanna-be sister seeking a new family who may not be all there. Especially in the early part of the plot development, she acquits herself entertainingly as domineering Margaret's wingwoman.
The main character (if there is one in a kinetic novel) is somehow less interesting than the antagonist, who isn't really revealed as such until toward the end of the existing content. While this is tagged as multiple protagonist, it's really Margaret's show, with everyone else along for the ride.
The women are generally convincingly hot MILFs, even if their makeup remains flawless first thing in the morning or in showers.
As far as eroticism goes, the game somehow manages to generally elude fappability because the lewd scenes feel schizophrenic. You'll be in the middle of one party having lesbian sex, and then mid-scene, flash over to different characters in an entirely different discussion. While the art is executed well here, the scenes don't really progress heat-wise in a logical way, or worse, they often get interrupted pre-orgasm and the mood is shattered.
This can have the net effect of making the sex feel like a slideshow of often non-sequitor transitions into other acts/poses where nobody ends up satisfied.
That critique aside, I do want to commend the dev on some excellent foreplay art. Too many games are guilty of crashing the plane straight into Pound Town, ignoring the fact that sexual kissing, nipple sucking, and teasing before the act can really elevate the actual sex later. We see lots of tongue-and-fingerplay here, and it's a better effort for it.
Clearly, English is either not the dev's primary language, or he's not very good at it. While there are certainly plenty of projects out there with worse Engrish, and the spellchecking QC is done competently (enough) here, the phrases themselves clearly feel like they were written in another language first and Google-translated. It's not egregious, it's just that the art and overall quality demanded better.
The story itself is pretty outlandish, but goes right to the edge of my ability to suspend disbelief before erring on the side of providing more porn. The girls are DTF anywhere, anytime with zero effort. People in different families discuss incest as if they're trading tips on tax deductions, and a guy with a long suppressed handgun chooses to grapple with a mugger rather than engage him at a distance. Neat.
That said, this latest episode leaves the player hanging with a few hints at the larger plot (as well as the better-than-average art) will likely have me take another look at it.
If the story gets more interesting, and the lewd scenes improve as the dev's craft does, I may even toss a coin to this witcher...
