VN - Ren'Py - Leaving DNA [Ep. 4.3a] [Impious Monk]

This VN is a masterpiece. (Reviewing ep. 2.)

The characters personalities, dialog, and facial expressions feel real. I’ve yet to see any other VN that uses facial expressions to help tell the story as well as this one. You don’t need an internal monologue to know what a character is thinking when their face says it all.

The story involves a mystery that appears to be very character driven. You get to type in clues, which makes the player really think through the evidence. It‘s a clever minigame mechanic that’s a lot of fun for those who like solving mysteries.

If you like romance, complex characters, and a good story, you’ll love this VN. The immersion factor is second to none.

I’d love it even without the lewd scenes. It’s that good.

(Update for ep. 3.) This one gets even better with the latest episode. I can't rave enough about the depth of the characterization here. This is one of the best written VNs of all time.

fleshed out characters, natural dialogue with interesting girls AND guys (to talk to - don't fret!). in short: natural environment!
great graphics with a lot of attention to detail and facial expression.
if you are here ONLY for the porn, you may find better.
if you are here for good storytelling, you won't!
it's as simple as that!
go, play it. buy it!

Had to rate this. You take any element of the game and they have excelled in it (epi-2). I loved the detailing and mature storytelling. Feels like quite the effort they put into story and it's consistency.
I loved the main character design as well as his personality. Love interests are quite the catch as well. Romance and intimacy is yet to get significant but the glimpses are juicy, especially when Jammie gets jealous and humps that teddy bear to death lmao.
The one with Armenian hotty i feel need to clear some smoke, they were couples and still going strong or trying to but that build up wasn't there leading to sex, I'm sure things get more clear between them as story progresses. Can't wait to see how story unfolds..

The potential for this game is astounding, and every character is believable, except the author decided to make the MC run a Sub 4 40-yard dash but we'll give it to him because why not, Malena being introduced in episode 2 totally threw a wrench in who my end game girl was, which is great because it subverts the expectations set up in episode one, I can't wait to see what happens in episode 3.

This is wonderful.

Characters are consistent, plot elements work around them without compromising their integrity (this is a big issue with many, many VNs, adult or not. Writers force events they want to happen regardless of whether or not it makes sense for the character they are using to be involved - awful internal consistency).

Dialogue is well presented and I caught only two instances of speech sounding like written word (a bug-bear of mine - for how much dialogue there is, having only two is absolutely incredible). Presents a hypothesis about incest in a brilliant way by having legal pros debating it while tipsy in a bar (although that scene did overstay its welcome, Armin's story was funny, but it didn't half go on).

Overall, it is really clever. The characters are great, they feel like real people (always something that should be strived for, even in the most porny of games), the mysteries are handled well and I have confidence the author knows where they're going and how best to reveal them.

I'm just really impressed.

The art is decent. It's not the best, but it is better than all but the tippy-top 1%. Aghavni and Jamie are really hot, and the preview of the muscular girl in the title screen looks great too. I'm a bit iffy on the blonde, but that might just be my taste.

The only real con is the audio. Some of the music didn't jive with the scenes they were playing in for me (subjective) and there was inconsistency in the use of sound effects, and their quality - they sounded very low bit rate. Audio is really important and usually ignored so I appreciate the effort, but at the same time, sourcing some more appropriate tracks and better quality effects might make all the difference. Obviously that costs money so I encourage everyone to sub to the patreon when they can, because I really want to see what this developer can achieve with resources.

Normally I don't care for VNs with lots of exposition but the writing is so fantastic I actually enjoy reading every word. I've finished Part One and there is very little sex thus far but the story is so captivating, I don't mind waiting. If you're looking for a quick fap, look elsewhere, but if you want to enjoy a great story, try this one out.

Ver: PartOne Rating: 4.5*

The only reason I'm not giving this a 5* is that it is so early in development, but this is as assured a first release I've ever seen. The story is well put together and makes sense so far, but there are lots of secrets to be delved into in the future. The LIs (2 so far) are very good and are both someone you want to end up with. There are supposedly 2 more to come, one which we glimpse in passing, and another unknown one. The world the game exists in has obviously had considerable thought put into it.

Okay the renders arent up to Ocean's or Kentyrr stardards, but are very well done. Lets be honest no one can really expect god tier renders right out of the gate. The MGs are particularly well done as mentioned earlier. As far as lewds go, there is only one, and it is a.... weird solo scene involving a stuffed animal. It was fine though. It appears like this is gonna be a slow burn type of thing by all appearances. Time will tell here.

I'm looking forward to the twists and turns to come. Honestly there have been a good half dozen new games released in the last year really worth playing, perhaps we are looking at a golden age of AVNs. This is a fine addition to that new tradition.

Great opening. There are lots of things I love so far.

- The Renders are really quite good. Nicely composited. I also enjoy how the renders are used to tell parts of the story, as in visual storytelling, in a VN? I know! Like intro to the MC, love the way the office is introduced. Very nicely done.

- The girls look good. All the characters are well done. Jamie however, takes the cake. Red hair, green eyes, short and cute! Love all the subtle changes in facial expressions, really helps build the characters and make them feel like actual characters, rather then bland flat people.

- The writing is very well done. Good English. Engaging story that seems interesting so far.

Looking forward to seeing where this one is going but already is making my list of must plays on here! Definitely give Leaving DNA a try!

What a great game. Dialogues is interesting and story is intriguing. Really like talk about the morals about incest. Also like the mini game detective where you identify things.
Story 5/5
Characters 5/5
Models 5/5
Render 5/5
Dialogue 5/5
Definitely recommended to play.

Part One.

Not surprisingly I'm a big fan of a good story and the dev did everything to build a foundation for that.

Cute girls, a good mixture between serious and funny scenes together with good renders. Well, I'm not sure what to think about the teddy bear

For a part one it has a lot of content/play time and I can't wait to see where this story goes.

Lets start by saying this game might not be the best ive evr played and there are games that look better but this one is still great and worth playing.
To go into a little more detail: The Plot seems very interesting whith some mysterie you have to discover and having some information but you cant really know where the story will go and what will bve revealed as you progress your investigation. I like that there are quite some things teased early in the story where you have no idea where this might come in and how it will influence the story. I also like that you play a "good guy". The MC has values and if you want to influence how your MC behaves in every situation this might disturb you but for me its nice to have a MC who is a nice person. Overall the story is nicely written and contains humour, drama and feelings.

I hope you will get to make more choices and influence the story and the MC in some situations and not just choose the girl with your decisions but also have impact in the story.

As i meantioned in the beginning its not the best looking game but its still looking really good imo and the women seem to be designed so everyone has one they like. There is only one adult scene in the first chapter but it looked very nice and good animated.

I really value sound in VNs and dislike silent periods very much but that is the only thing i dont like about this game. I think either add music and sound everywhere or dont bother at all, because ill have to play music in the background anyway. I get that you want to enhance certain scenes but i think that can still be achieved with the right choice of sound and music.

Overall i can only recommend the game and say that you should try it because thats the least this game is worth: a try.

Absolutely one of the better written VN's out there, lewd or otherwise. I don't hand out 5 stars, hardly ever: but this one is on track for that rating if it finishes as strong as it has started.

Grounded, realistic and entertaining cast of characters.

Interesting story.

Beautiful and believable love interests.

Intriguing mystery.

The only thing that defies belief so far... is the cast of honest lawyers.

Try this one out, you probably won't feel like you wasted your time and you'll probably be interested (and impatient) for the next part of the story.

A demo that I'm sooo glad I checked out. I loved it. And the first release was no short of surprising, in a good way.

The renders are beautiful and music is very well done.

The love interests are beautiful and are varied in terms of looks! (even their heights are different)

And the real star: Story
I have never played or even seen a game where you play as a D.A. So that made me even more intrigued to check it out and when I did I instantly got the feeling of being inside a TV show, that's how immersive this game is. The story ranges from being full of mystery, to being somberly, to being wholesome. It's a complete package!

The dialogue feels so believable, realistic, and can be very witty at times!

The expressions also deserve limelight: they are SO well done, it's things like these that immerse you even more into an already believable world and bring you closer to the characters.

The MC himself feels way more mature than any other MC that I have played as, his personality remains consistent throughout and he is a genuinely nice dude.

There is no sexual content YET, so if you're good with that then- *makes deep voice* get ready to experience the beginning of a mysterious story!

Strongly recommended for everyone that wants to try something fresh and grounded, kindly support the developer if you end up loving the game and can afford to!

Edit: Redid the whole thing because this game deserves an in-depth review.

It's really messed up that the game is this good when it doesn't even have any sexual content yet. Not sure I've ever given a game the benefit of the doubt for future content the way I am here. If ya know, 6 months go by and there's radio silence, maybe this rating goes down but in the meantime this is a killer opening chapter (it's 8-24-22 btw, can't remember if reviews have dates). But anyways the game is really well written, with funny and likeable characters, and great minor touches such as very intentional camera placement and reactive facial expressions.

The two main love interests are hot and expressive as hell. I really enjoy Jamie's emotions and facial animations, you don't see those done effectively very often. The side characters have a little wonkiness to them, like the silent girl you say hi to at the basketball court seems a bit too short and young in my opinion, and the others seem a touch plain for a VN where you hope to eventually have sex with some of the cast. But I suppose it's a refreshing change of pace compared to some of the boob/cheekbone/lips+hips slider-maxed characters we see here.

Three very minor cons:
1. Some of the dialogue and scenes can be a bit too realistic to be interesting. In movies we don't need to see the whole car trip when a character travels from A to B. We cut it to keep the moments onscreen interesting to the viewer. Similarly, we don't really need scenes where the Judge discusses courtroom availability scheduling with the MC. I understand this sets up the eventual "Vega" character, but it's too much and too boring to be kept in, imo.
2. On the opposite end, some dialogue, such as everyone being overly enamored with the MC's life at the bar, and also the incest conversation at the bar, skew towards being too unrealistic. Characters seem a little too stiff and robotic in their delivery, rather than casual, especially for friends and colleagues chatting at a bar. Little changes, like maybe just Sara asking too many pestering questions rather than everyone, or more of the table being vocally opposed to talking about incest rape cases while relaxing at the bar, would go a long way to fixing this.
3. I'm mildly annoyed that the intro cutscene seems to have no relation to other events so far. MC's mom is Magnolia and the woman is named Jimena, so it's not his mom. It's not the Amy Mall they investigate later. It's not the incest case Jamie and Sara are working on. It's not the gang revenge murder. This game has like 5 cases, and you open the game with one, and it's not related to any of them? If your updates are months apart, it's annoying to set up threads like this and not even hint at resolving or explaining them. At least in my opinion, maybe some people like that.

EDIT: fixed some ambiguously phrased sentences

Great start! no engrish, characters act sensibly, no sudden paranormal fantasy elements and dialogue feels natural. Graphics are solid too and the game takes it premise seriously. Game is one of those story driven games where it prioritizes telling it's story over getting laid and meeting more girls.

Gonna give it 5 stars to encourage the dev to not abandon the game and encourage more people to give it a shot.

A pleasant surprise. One of the oldest genre tropes in the book but somehow wasn't too bogged down and was actually enjoyable to play through

Outside of a few incredibly lengthy monologues by our favorite beer belly Armenian, I found the dialogue to be pretty realistic and enjoyable with the right amount of quips to induce to right amount of laughs. The character dynamics are also pretty enjoyable/relatable and once again, not too tropey for us to cringe too hard

There's no forced sexual content just to please those special people and it seems to be focused more on the plot which is always encouraging to see....even better when terms are used correctly to add to the realism

I'm glad I stumbled onto this game and look forward to see how the story progresses

Impressive. A good writing, captivate detective plot, mixed with casual dialogues and life scenes, it makes the story very realistic. Also there are nice renderings and likeable female characters. MC at first glance seems like a normal guy, not a sexual tyrannosaurus. Defenitely, I'm looking forward to the next update.

It's been a while to find a dev that actually read some books. A Pleasure nonetheless. All this game needs now is consistency and this will just be a major success. Looking forward to support this game. Still, Just don't be an obnoxious vegan who loves to parade in front of a meat restaurant and we're all be cool

Part 1

Pros
+ Very realistically written characters
+ the character development feels natural
+ Attractive models
+ a serious crime mystery story

Cons
- only one sex scene in part 1.
- story progression slow rolls really hard and there's not that much content yet.
- I strongly feel that a lot of the character development could have been done more concisely. The social scenes feel longer than they need to be for it's function. And the group bar scene feels redundant for plot.
- you need to type in 2 words when prompted for noticing contradictions, as opposed to a multiple choice system like Pheonix Wright. Obviously this system requires the player to be more precise and have a high attention to detail, but I prefer multiple choice.
- File size is extremely big for the amount of content in the game.

Conclusion
I'd say if you're REALLY interested in crime mysteries, give this a try, but otherwise, I would not recommend. My rating only reflects where the game stands in Part 1 and will likely change once Part 2 comes out

What the dev calls a demo is more than many other devs deliver in a year.

Render quality is good and it looks like a really good story driven game.

There are limited LI's but as it is a story and realistic VN, it fits the settings.