VN - Ren'Py - Lilith Rising [v1.0.3ns] [Jubei]

I greatly enjoyed the update.

Joubei has done a fantastic job responding to everyone's questions and explaining what he is planning and with a great attitude. I find that really refreshing. He knows what he wants to do and how we are going to get there so he can be clear and we don't have to worry about unwanted surprises. He also listens to feedback so that he can improve his work.

The focus of the game is the story and all the sexually interactions and romances are entirely optional. Tags are pretty much vanilla which is fine in my book as I find more fulfillment in romance, relationship development and dialog during sex than straight up porn scenes. So far the sexual interactions have been nice and renders amazing. The Li's are all beautiful and we have the opportunity to take them all for a test drive, so to speak, before we have to settle on just one.
There have been a lot of questions about whether there is going to be a harem and the answer so far has been inconclusive as Joubei had not decided to implement one and may or may not see a viable path to that happening but hasn't ruled it out completely. I am very happy that he isn't going to turn all the Li's bi-sexual to do that. The elves are the exception and it sounds like getting involved with them creates an automatic throuple. Knowing that upfront makes it easier to decide to get involved with them or not. Perhaps there is a possibility of a harem, not a polyamory, with a throuple embedded in it or excluded if we so choose.
As for the question about incest. It only involves one Li and while it won't have a huge impact on the game I am really hoping for a patch to make that come to pass. It just so happens that is one of my kinks.

The story is just beginning to unfold and it looks interesting. The one thing that concerns me is the pacing. Everything so far has moved at lightning speed and I don't know if that is because Joubei is just trying to get all the main Li's introduced and in place quickly or because it's always going to be like that. We will know soon enough. I hope it slows down a bit but not too much.

He has setup a stable and easy to understand and use interface that looks like it will serve his purposes well. The only thing that troubled me at all was when I played some of the animated scenes I couldn't just click to advance them, I had to wait a certain amount of time for them to complete first. This is really minor and just a personal anoyance, not a major flaw. Once I figured it out I just had to learn to be patient.

Joubei seems to be talented and to have done the preliminary work to get off to a good start. The writing is good, the characters are already developed and have been pleasant, the story has been smooth and consistent and the renders are excellent. I am going to sub to him today to show that I appreciate his work and to encourage him to continue.

Absolutely stunning!
I am totally buffed by the quality of this game. This is a real masterpiece in the making. I really love the intense story and the interesting characters. Not to forget the beautiful nudes and sex scenes.
Thanks for this piece of art and keep up the great work!

This game inspires.

It has a banner lineup jam packed with the beauty and intrigue,
the likes of which we can easily find about many online games
out there, with wondrous bombshells of consumate delight to the eyes
and hearts of gamers the world over.

This game starts in the heart of a young adult,
faced with being the sweetheart of his family
and everyone around, getting to adorn and be infatuated
with his bethrothed, a beautiful friendly girl
who has grown into adulthood being around MC and becoming his best friend.

Yes, this stirrs up a mountain of trouble for MC and his feelings, as he knows they are meant to be, they are, the best couple of friends who have no idea what or when or how the bethrothed part of their alliance, that which has grown up between them, right into a consumate friendship, would kick in and sweep them off their feet.

In this idillic existence, there is turmoil toiling to shatter whatever dreams or hopes these two friendly birds had mounted up against the world.

The babes are awesome, easy on the eye, sweet on the soul, throbbing to the heart and all around mesmerizing to the point anyone could easily let the game take hold of their fantasy and turn it into a flamboyant and entertaining gaming experience.

Game oN!

The renders are great but that's all this has... The story is kinda juvenile and the dialogue is very immature... Most of the female characters look extremely similar and have the same body type with their hair being the only noticable difference... Freja instead of looking strong, looks starved and malnourished... Also the MC's dick looks kinda weird (as in the thickness to length ratio)... The game looks very good and has a decent setting, it has a lot of potential but as it is right now, it's not much

Are you a fan of "Elder Scrolls: Skyrim"? Remember Mjoll? Now picture her when she was 22 and make her twice the badass with that two handed sword. Oh, and actually let the player see her personality and get to know her. That's Freja. A companion you will meet in chapter 2 of what I believe is fast becoming an epic tale.

Yeah, the story may seem a little rushed in spots. But the writing style is developing and improving rapidly. The difference between the original release and the chapter 2 update (which includes a rewrite of chapter 1) is like night and day. I believe it will continue to improve but, I will also say, it is already in the top 5% of the 100's of VN's I've sampled from this site.

The renders are top tier. The animations are fluid and sexy. Some of the dialogue is quite poignant, some quite romantic. Best of all, the fight scenes are so good they almost seem cinematic.

Give this erotic fantasy adventure a shot. You won't regret it.

I believe this is a serious development team that will deliver more great content in a timely manner. If you try it and like it, support them in whatever way you can. A positive post or review, even just a kind or encouraging word helps them a lot.

(Review for v0.1.5.1)

Look, I get it, games that have great models but lack in all other areas are a dime a dozen on this website, and a lot of people have been burned on games like that, that are just disappointments. I have too.

But I genuinely believe there is something more here, even if the renders and the models currently is the strongest point. Sure, the story is a little bit rushed but I honestly like where its been going so far and I don't enjoy when games are too much of a slow burn anyway, I just end up getting impatient or even bored.

The characters are a little bit silly but I just feel like that's the intended vibe and there's nothing wrong with that, and again this is something I much prefer over games that try way too hard to be funny, at least this light-hearted, somewhat silly vibe feels very genuine to me.

Basically, I have a genuine feeling that most, if not all, of the problems with this game are just growing pains and I'm willing to stick it out and see where this goes and give it a genuine chance. And the problems aren't so great that I haven't been able to enjoy the game anyway, far from it.

I will be coming back and updating this review if I feel like the game ends up realizing its own potential and coming into its own OR if I end up losing hope with it.

Pros: Great models that haven't been overused in other games.

Cons: Unsatisfying story, structure, choices, dialogue and plot.

Verdict: If you want to see the models, rip the game. If you want to play a game, look elsewhere, if you just want a fap, watch some porn instead.

Okay so the only saving grace for this is obviously the models but really if that's all you're here for then just go find some porn and bobs your uncle. If you actually want a little story then stay far away from this.

First off, right off the start it's obvious that this is made by someone who is good at the rendering side of things but very weak at the writing side (or wanted to skip to the main story too quickly). There is a very small amount of dialog per render and there isn't really any attempt to do any sort of relationship/world building before the horrible attack scene (which honestly I expected to be a dream sequence). That's already been covered by another review but yes.. it's as bad as they state. The other problem is that with so little time spent on dialog and character building we don't really care that these various characters are being killed? off.

If the author had spent more time getting us to care about the MC and the first LI then I'd probably be in a better place.. maybe.. there is still that whole building montage and "The Cultists" to complain about (I gave up at that point).

So yeah.. really great render work but unfortunately a skip for me.

theonly i can say its great job, the history its pretty interesting , the art its really well made, and teh caracters are lovely i sure enjoy freya i think i wait an see how it developed and hope for the best , keep the great job

The adventure begins! ...with a handjob.

Lots of cool action sequences but I didn't come here to look at action shots. I came here for adult content. The models are attractive, the setup works to get us into the story pacing, but the reality is you're building an adult game. Story should be lead by that content, not the other way around.

The lack of choices here makes me feel like I'm playing a slideshow rather than a kinetic novel. Sex scenes should always have more options in a sex game. The only scene in this game gives you three choices:

1. Handjob
2. Handjob (but you resist!)
3. No handjob.

The dark content tease suggests that content is planned, but won't be something the MC decides on, rather is forced to do by someone else. Don't chicken out, let us be monsters.

3 stars. Average.

The plot, renders and graphics are really great. Plus the music is really good! Can't wait for the release and meet the rest of the characters, have you seen the pictures?? And play the full game! Should be really good

Review Version: v0.11| v0.1.5.1
Overall Score: 94/100
Value: (Potentially) Extremely High

As is standard with all of my reviews I will break it up into 4 distinct sections each covering different aspects of an AVN.

Note: I've purpose left out audio quality (e.g. SFX, ambience, soundtracks, etc.) due to how minor of a role it plays in a VN. While some developers take advantage of audio in fantastic methods, overall it isn't as useful of a metric when rating.

Note 2: Updates to my review for EP2 will appear in blue. If a paragraph/section doesn’t include any blue text it’s due to that section not receiving enough screen time during the update.

Story
"Tainted" is in the early stages of it's AVN life and therefore offers a brief introduction into some of the main characters and world that the MC lives in. Despites the above statement, the audience is already treated to a well fleshed out introduction and setup for the primary antagonist of the story, which is an aspect of storytelling that several experienced authors have failed to accomplish on a few occasions. It's evident from the start that Jubei and their team understand intimately the skills required to successfully execute a gripping story.

The setting in which "Tainted" takes place is a medieval style era which influences from the high fantasy genre. Within several scenes we're introduced to the existence of magic and alchemy which are staples of any fantasy story, but as to how powerful the more mythical abilities are it's hard to say at such an early stage. However, the audience may appreciate the slow introduction into what types of magic are possible without feeling overwhelmed. Overall it's a textbook example of how to properly convey the setting for the story, so well done Jubei!

Due to the early stages it's difficult to predict how the plot will unfold and which type of writing style Jubei will implement. My speculation based on the current version and from the interactions with Jubei is a "Man in a Hole" (fall, then rise) type plot as the story transitions from a place of royalty to nothing. Whichever plot type Jubei implements it'll be a treat to experience.

There are some concerns I've levied against the the VN, such as the potential use of time skips in the future and purpose of the quest book. Both issues have been addressed by Jubei in this post here.

EP2 expands on the foundation laid out in EP1 (what essentially equates to a prologue) in several subtle – and not so subtle – ways. The more notable of the additions is the RPG inspired elements revolving around the existing quest system, and subsequently, the aforementioned quest book. We’re introduced to two different style of quests, the first of which is a well paced “clear this dungeon” style which heavily abuses the fact that this is a VN. The method in which the quest objectives are conveyed in the first place offers the player just enough information to feel invested in completing it, all the while leaving out crucial information that’s utilized to shock them later on. This style of conveying information and quest development is carried out in the second quest as well while implementing another style of resolution, both of which are complemented by the progression of the plot.

Additionally, future subplots are introduced at a modest pace that feels natural given the setting in which each event takes place. Additionally, already established subplots are progressed bit by bit in a manner which serves as a reminder to a wealth of information we’re already introduced to. It can feel a bit frustrating getting invested in the story as we’re given a scarce amount of info for every subplot (and main plot), but it’s indicative of an author that fully understands the nuances of writing an engaging story that hooks the player into wanting to stay around for the resolutions.

A final note on the story is the method in which meaningful choices are presented to us as we progress through the story. EP2 falls under the umbrella of exposition – the foundation of every story – and isn’t the correct time to start adding variable driven choices. The purpose of EP2 is to continue introducing the player to the world and the people in it, and ensure the player is comfortable with the underlying mechanics before allowing them to make a decision which can potentially lead to a bad ending. “Tainted” is an example of “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”.

Characters
This section is primarily split into two sections due to the time of when the review is published. The first section will discuss the characters which are already present in the plot, and the second section will briefly discuss the characters which are yet to be implemented.

The first ever character we're introduced to is the queen of the castle we're residing in. Her role in the story is difficult to gauge as she serves as a mentor to the MC while also serving in a maternal manner. It's made clear immediately that the queen is vital to the plot, but the exact magnitude is difficult to gauge at this point in time.

Gwen fills in a weird, almost niche, role based primarily on her introduction and development during the intro. To clarify what I mean, she's set up as a deuteragonist due to her relationship to the MC, her skillset in combat, and how she interacts with the rest of the world. It's safe to assume she is a primary love interest for the MC and will possibly serve as the "true ending". (Side note: She is UNRELATED to the royal family, so sorry for those hoping for a bit of incest.)

Jezz is the royal alchemist for the MC's family and is quickly revealed to fill the role of mentor and protector. She's revealed to be quite adept at some forms of magic, but her primary skill falls under all things related to alchemy. Her personality sets off all sorts of red flags as she displays atypical behavior associated with someone the audience could trust implicitly regardless of circumstance. Notably, this appears to be intentional from Jubei to distract the audience from subtle plot developments as we're most likely going to come across key plot choices related to Jezz. Whether she's truly villainous or not seems to be the goal behind her character and is expertly executed in just the first few scenes with her.

The king primarily serves the role of a stereotypical leader type figure. It's unclear if his character will be more fleshed out in future chapters, but the initial impression is he's a throwaway character intended to help set up the plot.

And finally, we have the playable character. Discussing the MC for any AVN is difficult due to most implementing branching choices and diverse relationships which each individual audience member can court. However, the MC in "Tainted" appears more fleshed out than most as he's given a believable backstory for his combat skills and his relationships with the current cast of characters. Based on conversations from Jubei, the MC is meant to undergo a metamorphosis throughout the story from a sheltered prince to a fierce warrior. Needless to say it's exciting to see how Jubei will manage to execute this moving forward.
EP2 offers a substantial amount of insight into the current mindset of the MC while also setting him up for future character development. It might prove helpful to view him under the filter of RPG mechanics as he fills the traditional rogue type of role. We’re shown in EP1 his general skill at archery and throwing knives in a safe setting, but EP2 shows that those skills also apply to a life or death situation. Additionally, we’re given more insight into his current personality as indicated by his aversity of being referred to by a title (i.e. “prince”). It’s the perfect foundation to sculpt the character into someone more charismatic with the player’s investment.

Our first party member we’re introduced to is Freja, and my god is she by far my most favorite character out of any AVN. Her introduction immediately conveys that she’s a Viking with incredible combat prowess. Her personality is one that complements the MC’s as both are rash in their decision making and easily impressed by each other’s combat talents. This parallel is supported further as she mentions she’s the daughter of the Earl (Jarl) in her homeland of Jutinland (Jötunheim/Utgard). This also serves the purpose of introducing the player to one of the major religions prominent in the world rather than relegating it to an info dump. Additionally, her role as an LI in the overall story is given believable avenues moving forward to justify her romantic interest in the MC – and conversely, his interest in her. To avoid anymore spoilers, just know that this character is one of the most well-made I’ve experienced in awhile.

Up next is Valery, and her introduction is rather unique given her personality is effectively masked as pessimistic and gloomy. As is prevalent with Jubei’s style of writing, she serves a secondary purpose of being a quest giver to the MC, giving him his first one. It’s only after the quest is completed that we’re treated to her true personality, which is one of determination and admiration of the MC. She also provides insight into the difficulty women face as she reveals a tiny sliver of her background before ascending to the rank of captain. Overall she received less attention in this chapter than Freja, but the foundation has been laid for a further dive into her character at a later chapter.

The final party member to be introduced are twins of elven nature, which offers us insight into both the elves as a race and second exposure for the MC into magic. Due to their introduction later into EP2, there isn’t much that can be said about them personality wise aside from their strong sibling bond. EP3 will most likely expand upon them further alongside Valery.

I hesitated as to whether I should even add the Dark Voice as a character, but the source of the voice appears to be critical to the plot. What I mean by this is the constant comments encouraging the MC into engaging in lewd acts, all the while making hilarious comments sexualizing each character. My best guess as to who this character really is relates to one of the potential antagonists, Lilith, due to her embodying debauchery. Additionally, this would explain the ability of clairvoyance that is used during one of the mini boss battles for one of the quests.

For a brief outline of each character, check out this post by BaasB (originally posted by Jubei ) which introduces the full cast of characters.

Visual Quality
I want to preface this section by saying this: whoever is the art lead needs a raise. It's rare to stumble upon an AVN which fully exploits the benefits of including visuals. Each scene rendered serves a specific purpose in the type of information Jubei is trying to relay without needing to go through a half hour long monologue describing how another character looks or the grittiness of an arena. Seriously, the artist behind "Tainted" knows their stuff and deserves high praise.

An additional layer to the paragraph above is the impressive quality of each character. Another contentious point for AVNs is successfully rigging believable facial expressions for human and beasts alike, and yet each character here manages to appear alive. Even the eyes of each character behaves realistically as they point to their correct source with believable expressions. I could fill this entire review with just this topic alone... but I won't, so just take my word for it that the render quality is a treat.

Lewd Content
Since I know almost everyone reading this review is doing so to gauge what type of lewd content and how much of it is available, I'll save you the hassle by saying there is only two (2) lewd scenes in the introduction. The first is with Gwen and doesn't involve significant physical contact while the second is a spicy scene with Jezz. Now that you've been warned, please avoid cluttering the thread with comments saying "not enough lewd content".

This section of the review will undergo revisions as more lewd content gets implemented, but since the game is still in it's infancy I'm not counting it towards the overall score.

EP2 adds two (2) more lewd scenes which are obtainable by the character. The first is a BJ scene, and the second is vaginal, both occur with Freja at various stages of EP2. A key thing to note is that the animations are almost exclusively from the first person POV and utilize a pseudo-animation style that is 2-3 renders being repeated with a delay. Jubei has explained that these will most likely be swapped out with true animations after the game is completed, or if budget permits.

Additionally, the first lewd scene doesn’t contain any consequences if you chose to pursue it or not. However, the second scene does set a variable which may have consequences later on, prior to the harem route becoming an option.

Conclusion
I typically don't leave reviews for VNs except for those that left an impression on me (whether that's good or bad). "Tainted" is exhibiting the hallmark traits that make an AVN memorable and playable well after completion. Jubei appears highly competent when it comes to storytelling and I sincerely hope him and his team see this project through to completion!

To Joubei directly: it's awesome to see you taking an active role within your community and giving detailed responses. When this project makes it big, don't let yourself get overwhelmed by responding to everyone. Also, while it's beneficial to listen to feedback, stay true to your vision of how the story should proceed, you have the creativity to truly make it shine!

*Edit: Fixed a minor error under "Lewd Content" and increased font size for easier reading*

*Edit2: Added Freja's entry to the character review. Included a link to Jubei's Patreon page where each character has a brief description.

Tainted
Review as of version 0.11

Renders: Excellent
Sandbox: No this is a kinetic AVN with cosmetic choices.
Choices: Choices have no visible long term consequences at this time, but affect how a scene plays out.
Humor: Limited, but there are a few moments. The scene development leaves limited opportunities at this stage.
Story: Fantasy medieval. Action is will paced and draws you in to play all the way through the intro.
Characters: MC is a contradiction. Skillful but sheltered and overly controlled by his emotions. Character development was very limited in this short intro. Gwen gets a bit of development. Most character introduction and development is yet to come.
Author Support: Patreon, Buy me a Coffee, no Subscribestar
Sexy Bits: 1) Sleep fondle 1) BJ. Both are good, if a bit forced.
English: Excellent
Music: Well fitted, doesn't vary. Volume is set at a rational level (uncommon in RenPy for some reason.)
Quantity: Short, you've got about 10 minutes of play depending on your pace.

This is basically an intro at this point in which you learn the setting and a bit about the MC.
Uncommonly, it starts out at a professional level which is very promising. There is nice attention to detail in the screens, menus, posing, etc. It feels polished. The more controversial tags are not present, this is a 'wholesome' game by F95 standards.

Positives
Story, pacing, interface and polish

Negatives
There's a long road ahead for this game.

Recommended if:
You like medieval fantasy swords/sorcery harem AVNs generally.

Not Recommended if:
You hate the idea of playing an intro and watching the game develop into the future.

With the caveat that this is only a stage-setting intro at this stage and things could easily change in the future - the intro is indicative of a game that will be five stars.


======================
UPDATE as of 0.1.5.1

Summary: The update is a solid extension of the original very solid release. New characters, advancing story line, and an additional mechanic. It is living up to the promise the original release showed and maintains the same high degree of polish.

Details
-------
The author has added Itch.io to support options.

Characters
Character development is done on the MC and four new (hot/female) characters are introduced.
- Freja - A ginger viking warrior introduced very quickly who gets significant development.
- Valery - Leader of a detachment of scouts. She is set up as a second love interest, so something to look forward to next release

Sophie and Silvia (magic users) - these two appear elfin but don't have time for extensive development.


Choices
As before, Choices are not impactful to the story other than adjusting what order scenes unfold. It is possible to bypass some minor dialogs as well as the H scenes based on choices, but if you don't flirt with the pretty girls you deserve the lack of nooky your lack of interest indicates. There are a couple of H scenes centered around Freja (three if you count simple nudity) and build up for some future shenanigans with Valery. Sophie and Sylvie are highly appreciative of the MC saving their asses (read that how you will) and it would be surprising if the author leaves them unattended to in the log run.


Mechanic Update: The game adds a map mechanic
The map allows the possibility of ordering quests or a bit of sandboxing in the future should the dev choose to.

Story
The story is developing well and quickly.

Downsides/Criticisms/Room for Improvement
Limited - the release pace could be faster. Enough time went by between releases that I had to scroll back a bit and quickly zip back through to remind myself of the story.

Don't expect meaningful choices, sandboxing, decision based/active character building or dungeon crawl.
- - -
Overall the rating remains at a five. If you like story centric swords and sorcery harem fare with solid graphics, this will be right up your alley.

I understand the reasons for the lower rating on this VN but liked it anyway. It feels generic in the intro but I'm hoping that it builds upon it instead of falling into it. The character models look great and the overall look iis OK. Nothing negative in the technical front. It feels like there might be sandbox elements introduced in future releases, but I'm hoping that they don't do that.

edit rating
it´s now much better after some changes
if it continued like this i don´t see why it shouldn´t become later (maybe halfway the game) 5 *
can´t wait how it will progress with the story
tasklist has no really use so far i mean you can´t do anything other then whats given by choices (talk to queen, take your bow etc.) like go out without your bow or something like that maybe it will have later more means (i don´t know if freeroam planned where the tasklist would have a use)

The character models are nice, and the backgrounds are mostly ok. The story sounds interesting enough, but the writing doesn't click.
MC is the prince of a country but he somehow believes that Jezz is out of his league? Gwen is either his fiancé or his sister but he feels shy around her (more then she does). His behavior during the attack scene was horrible. He wakes up to some loud noise and without knowing what it was he says "someone is going to pay for this"? This line felt so out of place there.
While I understand the event is set up so he can't save his family members, which will give him his motivation, but the way it's depicted looks bad. Like how he is just sitting on his ass and watching the demon catching the queen then turning and running away. It was shown that he can't damage the skeleton guy but he doesn't even try to save her.
The scene with Jezz doesn't make any sense, and MC-s reaction to it is just stupid. "I'm not ready"? Why not "WTF are you doing when people are dying out there?"
Then he vows to return and save Gwen and immediately starts restoring a house and settle down? And then he has a dream about Gwens horrible fate. She was turned into a maid...

The quest log would make sense in a sandbox game but currently the only scene when you could choose the order of the listed objectives was when visiting the king's room after the tournament. Unless the game turns to a sandbox after the prologue, the quest log is useless and should be removed.

The sound imitating text should be removed, changed to some description of the sound or change to a sound effect.
For example what does cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck want to symbolize? While I have some ideas, but it's not something evident, or something that the MC finds strange, so instead of adding to the immersion it pulls me out of the scene.

All these issues could be fixed, since the game is in a very early stage, or at least avoided in future updates. As it is currently I'm afraid the writing will drag the game down which could otherwise be very enjoyable.

In itself a fine start I think for this game. The graphics are very good and look really clean. In addition, the game uses animations which is a plus on its own anyway, and these animations were also really smooth. All in all, the graphics were pretty good, not exceptionally good but really good.

The story, on the other hand, is a bit off. Firstly, I never find it that strong to see fighting women in a medieval game. It is not historically accurate at all, even though it is very cool and could be done in the present day, it just doesn't fit the genre. The story does have its positives but the dialogue between the characters is not significant and it feels a bit empty.

Indeed, very few important things are said and not much seems to be happening. The characters (love interests) also don't really have a personality which might be why the dialogue feels so insignificant.

As a result, the player does not yet really feel a connection with the characters in the game and so it does less with the player when something happens to the characters. I would recommend the dev to build up the characters a bit more first so that the player builds up some sympathy.

If it was just down to the story I probably would have given 2 stars but the graphics and animations easily lift this game to 3 stars.

wow, it's only a short version, but the world setting and opening is really engaging, so I'm looking forward to the next updates in the future.

hope the story will have many different branches both good and bad to be able to make choices