Recommending Laguna's Favourite Games

[Lagunavii]

A Perfect Marriage by Mr. Palmer Reviewed at Version 0.7.4b

Story - The story here is mixed. While some aspects work really well, others simply do not. On the whole, I believe the narrative is good. It is a nice slow burn, presenting a different take on the netorare genre. Not because, as is usually the case, the couple wants to, but because someone behind the scenes is pulling strings. Where this narrative really shines is in telling the same week from the different perspectives of the husband and the wife. It's cleverly done and illustrates the different influences causing their downfall. It's in Part 3, where the POVs converge and consequences arise, that things kind of fall apart, depending on your path.

Renders - The developer has really gone out of his way to make Anna, the FMC, gorgeous; she is simply stunning, and it is not surprising that many lust after and desire her. There are two other female characters, and compared to Anna, I would describe them as plain Janes. There is nothing striking about either of them. They are not unattractive by any means and are crafted to a good standard, but it is clear where the effort has been concentrated. Environments are few and far between, primarily set at the couple's house or their workplace. We do venture out to clubs and gyms, but these places lack character and often feel empty. Overall, I can't complain too much about the renders; they are all good.

Characters - Our two main characters here are shaped by the player. Primarily through our choices in Chapter 1, and to some degree by our subsequent choices following the fallout in Chapter 2 and beyond. Our MC can be a passive, jealous guy or a confident man proud of his wife's beauty - he remains absolutely naive throughout, though, and I question his choice of friends. The wife's character then evolves from that, though one could argue she is a bit hypocritical. The other supporting characters are all selfish and are really designed just to test our unfortunate couple. I do question the continued behaviour of the characters on some paths, but tension is necessary, I suppose.

Overall - This game only works on certain paths. While there is no doubt it is a slow burn on all of them, I have to question the motives of the characters on the Loyal path. There is simply no reason for some of them to behave as they do after being clearly rejected. Still, on the other paths, this is quite a clever game and offers a refreshing take on the unfaithful genre. While it may feel a bit over the top and asks you to suspend your disbelief at times, it is done well and adds a layer of mystery and intrigue that games of this genre often lack.

While this game is certainly not without its flaws, they are few and far between. I don't think it will be everyone's cup of tea, but any fan of this genre should at least give it a try. The brutality of our MC's downfall is brilliantly executed, and the poisoning of his wife against him adds to it and enhances its savagery. The game at this point is set up to go in any direction possible, and I'm here for the ride... I just wish it would pick up the pace a little.

Acceptable 7/10

 

[Lagunavii]

The East Block by Bobbyboy Productions Reviewed at Version 0.7.1

Story - This game tries hard to stand apart from the typical titles in this genre. Instead of being a hotwife/Sharing/Cheating game focused on infidelity or adventure, the kink takes a back seat to an actual story and narrative. It's quite a fresh take. The writing is not bad by any measure, though it's not exceptional either. Some parts feature meaningful and realistic dialogue, while others verge on cringeworthy. My main issue lies with the pacing; juggling various plot aspects and the game’s growing corruption leads to some moments of boredom, which is more apparent in certain paths than others.

Renders - I find most of the women in the game above average, with a few being adequate. All the models show some improvement throughout the game, although some more than others. The men, however, are a mixed bag, and something seems off with the MC's face; it appears a bit flat. This isn’t a major issue with the MC, but when it comes to the other characters, none of them are particularly striking, making you question why Kathryn would be interested in them. The environments are basic at best, often minimalistic except for a few instances where they fulfill a need; they are rarely populated with anyone other than our MC or the supporting cast. For example, during several subway rides, the car is empty—it's not a major issue, but this is supposed to take place in New York.

Characters - There is significant character growth, but it often relies on common tropes. The development primarily stems from the choices you make in the game, which are clearly explained and telegraphed, making it feel like forced growth rather than a natural, gradual progression. While that may align with the game's tone, the growth of supporting characters is limited; they are essentially present to serve a purpose, which they do somewhat well, depending on your chosen path.

Overall - At its core, this is a NTR/NTS game, though it attempts to mask this with a different narrative, which unfortunately gets lost along the way. I appreciate the effort to distinguish it from other genre titles that often turn into "the cock of the week" story. However, the narratives aren't strong enough to support the game. This is most apparent on the vanilla path, which nudges you toward the kink regardless and becomes somewhat dull.

My main complaint regarding this game is that paths should be determined by sessions rather than requiring players to select an option every time. I don’t understand the major choices we encounter, given their repetitiveness. The corruption path we have built needs to progress; the vanilla path lacks the desire to do so and shouldn't see it. While it's good to provide choices, this feels more like a choice for the sake of content.

I believe this game is at a turning point now. Most pieces have been moved into place and await action, whether involving our couple or the somewhat intriguing plots. I'm interested to see if it can take the leap and genuinely stand out as one of the greats in the genre... time will tell.

Above Average 6/10

 

[Scotty Doesn't Know]

Dam I thought I was critical with my long winded reviews lol. I prefer this type of review though, as creating a VN project should be held to the highest standard! We seem to have so many developers now trying to make a quick buck, including many foreigners who cannot speak English properly but have some background using 3D art. The sad thing is, instead of having talented writers learning to make 3d art to create these games, we have the opposite - 3d artists trying to write and failing badly.

Writing requires a serious amount of talent, which most don't seem to realize. Creating characters with different personalities, having their own arcs, building a story around them and goals. That's tough and takes many months for a skilled writer. Connecting plot points while also giving multiple choices that matter, just makes it even tougher. Sadly at least 90% of the devs have no idea how to write with proper grammar, let alone build a satisfying story. That leaves us wasting our time trying out so many VNs, hoping that the next will be to our liking, made with talent and pride. There are so many poor to average VNs available these days that we almost get used to mediocrity. I remember the days when there weren't that many out but you knew that there was a high chance they would be good. They were passion projects by talented individuals.

Even when you seem to find a good dev today that does all the right things and shows potential in creating something memorable... so many of them turn to the dark side and get greedy. They stall and delay updates to get more money per month, use superfluous dialogue to pad the runtime. Use fake choices to make people think its not kinetic. Even the playtime of each update seems to get shorter, while the dev takes longer to release the update. This is a big problem when people are making these VNs for the wrong reasons or they realize they can get more money for doing less work.

I wish it was harder for people to create and release these type of games. Maybe have to go through some sort of process to see if its to a certain higher standard before it gets released. Its very discouraging having to search through the rubble to find a diamond. Of course some people are just after a quick session which is fine but that's not really going to keep the industry afloat in the long run. People want to be immersed in a great story. This reminds me of movies these days, there's an endless supply from every corner but so little are really made well, with a good script or have good acting. Quality dies when there's too much quantity.

Thanks for the reviews, they are helpful when there's so many available. I have around 1TB worth of VNs. Probably deleted the same amount over the 10 or so years I've been aware of these games. So it all helps in deciding which ones are worth a try or not, especially with how much time it takes to go through each one.

 

[Lagunavii]

Dam I thought I was critical with my long winded reviews lol. I prefer this type of review though, as creating a VN project should be held to the highest standard! We seem to have so many developers now trying to make a quick buck, including many foreigners who cannot speak English properly but have some background using 3D art. The sad thing is, instead of having talented writers learning to make 3d art to create these games, we have the opposite - 3d artists trying to write and failing badly.

I found that writing my reviews this way kept them more on point and less ranty or praisy - don't get me wrong, there's still a few of mine that are both. But at least this way I am focused on sticking to things and the reviews are a little more fair - I say fair... I've actually discussed this with TonyMurray before, but there's a lot of shit Ive played and didn't review - Mainly cause I wanted this to be a display of the best I played, not everything. But I have since moved on to document a lot more with the Monthly Updates.

Writing requires a serious amount of talent, which most don't seem to realize. Creating characters with different personalities, having their own arcs, building a story around them and goals. That's tough and takes many months for a skilled writer. Connecting plot points while also giving multiple choices that matter, just makes it even tougher. Sadly at least 90% of the devs have no idea how to write with proper grammar, let alone build a satisfying story. That leaves us wasting our time trying out so many VNs, hoping that the next will be to our liking, made with talent and pride. There are so many poor to average VNs available these days that we almost get used to mediocrity. I remember the days when there weren't that many out but you knew that there was a high chance they would be good. They were passion projects by talented individuals.

Writing really requires an amount of talent which you are correct in saying most don't seem to realise. They think they get a pass because it's a Visual Novel and the visuals will be able to carry them, which It never can - You can have the most prettiest game in the world but if your Dialogue is full of typos, grammatical errors and in rare cases with these game programming/syntax errors. its just going to be a chore to get through... add bad rendering to that and your just pumping out shit.... Its a shame because there are various projects on here that's idea and principle should be a slam dunk... the execution is just so far of the mark its embarrassing

Thanks for the reviews, they are helpful when there's so many available. I have around 1TB worth of VNs. Probably deleted the same amount over the 10 or so years I've been aware of these games. So it all helps in deciding which ones are worth a try or not, especially with how much time it takes to go through each one.

While I don't think a review should ever stop you playing a game - you are an individual after all and your millage may vary... if my reviews have helped you pick a game out of a massive list or even introduced you to one you were not aware of... its done what I set out to do. Its me who should be thanking you, though for taking the time to read and your thoughtful response.

 

[R1k0]

A Perfect Marriage by Mr. Palmer Reviewed at Version 0.7.4b
Renders - The developer has really gone out of his way to make Anna, the FMC, gorgeous; she is simply stunning, and it is not surprising that many lust after and desire her. There are two other female characters, and compared to Anna, I would describe them as plain Janes. There is nothing striking about either of them. They are not unattractive by any means and are crafted to a good standard, but it is clear where the effort has been concentrated.

You praise the developer so much, but for what? He just applied a DAZ3D figure from the store. "It is clear where the effort has been concentrated", what effort, download and load the model into the scene?

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