VERSION: 0.08 (beta)
In attempting to describe
Love and Submission it's astonishing the extent to which the mind harkens toward its similarity with a more mainstream gaming franchise: Borderlands. Not regarding its graphics or gameplay, certainly, nor even mechanically but in terms of their cross-genre foundation. Where Borderlands is principally a shooter with minor RPG elements,
Love and Submission is primarily a visual novel with light erotic elements... as opposed to an erotic visual novel.
The disparity between narrative and erotica, roughly 98% and 2% respectively, serves to differentiate
Love and Submission from the masses though only slightly to its credit. A story-driven experience can be among the most rewarding, allowing the player to become thoroughly invested in the characters and their relationships, yet that premise relies on articulate writing and therein the game falters.
Typographical, grammatical and formatting errors are evident from the onset, as the introductory sequence prompts the player to furnish their "landlady" with a name.
"You address her with"
The author is seemingly unaware that the preposition significantly alters the meaning. "With" implies a reaction, emotion or employment as in "
You address her with respect/fear/disdain" whereas the proper preposition of "as" signifies a role or purpose, as in "
You address her as madam/chief/mother."
A minor issue, to be sure, yet reflective of the script as a whole: a barrage of miniscule flaws that erode the integrity of the experience, particularly in a game so reliant on its script. Take the following, by way of example...
PUNCTUATION
"Well nothing beats experience huh?" as opposed to "Well, nothing beats experience, huh?"
"Quick inject the anesthetic!" as opposed to "Quick, inject the anesthetic!"
"Oh Steve?" as opposed to "Oh, Steve?"
GRAMMAR
"The more I look at you, the more you remind of your Dad..." as opposed to "The more I look at you, the more you remind me of your dad..."
"Can't believe how my hair used to look like." as opposed to "Can't believe how my hair used to look."
"I need to take a shower soon or I'm getting late to my appointment." as opposed to "I need to take a shower soon or I'll be late for my appointment."
"Did she drank those bottles all by herself?" as opposed to "Did she drink those all by herself?"
"I can't feel me legs..." as opposed to "I can't feel my legs..."
"Did you... just... took a picture of me?!" as opposed to "Did you... just... take a picture of me?!"
"...who teached you to fight like this?" as opposed to "...who taught you to fight like that?"
"I advice you to stay at home." as opposed to "I'd advise you to stay home."
SPELLING
"discorveries" as opposed to "discoveries"
"Davinci" as opposed to "da Vinci"
"movenight" as opposed to "movie night"
"investitgating" as opposed to "investigating"
PRONOUNS
"...that he/she is not able to recognize his own motives." as opposed to the gender-neutral "...that they are incapable of recognizing their own motives."
Bear in mind, these are but a few samples of the errors with which the script is rife. Frequently distracting lapses are also made into meta-commentary, from tutorials and notes concerning the development to outright author-inserts via every conceivable medium (Veqneyworld, VeqDonalds, Veqbucks, Voogle, Veqmart, etc). Even the quests aren't spared the brunt of the author's egocentrism, with notes such as "
Time to get some breakfast, which fyi is not necessarily healthy." As the aforementioned contributes naught apart from informing the reader of the author's opinion, why is it included in an objective-driven note?
This cavalier attitude is further exemplified by the transition screens; appearing frequently, particularly in the early chapters, they serve to funnel the player through what would otherwise be a void of interactivity with a black screen that states "
Later."
Except when it says "
later..." in a significantly larger, bold font.
Or "
Later" in a small font bereft of emphasis.
Unfortunately, the game is inconsistent even in that regard, failing to employ these time-skipping transitions when truly required. To elaborate,
Love and Submission lacks a genuine time mechanic, the player can idle for literal hours without altering the in-game world even slightly yet any action may shift the time-of-day considerably. Attempt to clean some boxes in the morning, after having spoken with your mother, and the player will discover it's impossible; the task (shifting six boxes) will simply take too long. One may discover the electronics store was closed "
earlier in the day" despite having accomplished nothing more than walking into a room and dropping a laptop. Fixing the light in the backyard, which the protagonist doesn't accomplish, demands an entire day.
Why restrict player activities with a non-existent mechanic? Why anchor certain actions to arbitrary time limits?
Effectively, the player is forced to repeatedly return to their room after achieving a single objective in order to sleep, followed by clicking through the same four lines of dialogue such that they can repeat the process of accomplishing one more objective. As the game nears its conclusion, day after day, click after tedious click, the experience is reduced to little more than this inane process.
Faults such as these are a genuine shame given that
Love and Submission might otherwise be redeemed by its narrative, featuring a cast of generally likeable characters and a relatively intriguing premise based around superhuman abilities, century-spanning conspiracies and a pinch of relationship drama. The graphical assets are of consistent quality and rendered in a manner that is aesthetically pleasing, free of artifacts and moderately detailed. Furthermore, although there are less than a handful of animations in the present version, each conveys movement in a fluid manner and with superb looping.
That it takes an hour from the moment the first such animation is seen until the player is shown another and, at best, another hour thereafter before anything more titillating than a topless woman appears is liable to exhaust the viewer with a dearth of erotic content. By the midpoint the average player will have endured more time staring at the protagonist's limp genitalia in the shower than at the entirety of the female cast in any state of undress; there's something to be said for "understanding your audience" and, in that respect,
Love and Submission offers very little to maintain the interest of its players.
GRAPHICS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7 / 10
+ Assets are of consistent quality and composed with some artistry.
+ Renders are free of any overt artifacts. Lighting is consistent and creates an even tone.
+ Animations are fluid. Motion seems realistic and includes minor details that move beyond the focal point of the image.
- Blur in certain scenes, ostensibly to simulate depth of field, can be overbearing and creates a myopic appearance.
- UI is prone to employing low-quality assets and text that is inconsistently formatted.
DIALOGUE ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 / 10
+ Decent characterization and easily understood motivations.
- Typographical, grammatical and formatting errors are overwhelmingly abundant.
- Meta-commentary and developer-related inserts shatter any semblance of immersion with their frequency.
GAMEPLAY ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 / 10
+ Environmental interaction is crisp, with shifting perspectives for various rooms depending on the player's point of entry.
- Tasks demand too much in-game "time" to accomplish, lack verisimilitude and are unfulfilling.
- Tedious progression due to content limitations and arduous process of navigating the home; no quick-access for specific rooms once inside the house.
- Quests objectives are often vague and require the player to consult the log for more precise directions.
INNOVATION -------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 / 10
+ Integrated changelog, accessible via the main menu, is a welcome addition for those interested in the development process.
+ Decent array of non-linear options and ability to refrain from pursuing certain relationships.
SCORE ================================================= 20 / 40
A PROMISING ENTRY FOR FANS OF A STORY, PERHAPS LESS SO FOR OTHERS
It is, by any measure, too early to accurately determine the merits of playing Love and Submission, yet inasmuch as this version indicates the developer's intent it is fair to say that the focus is on the narrative. Players looking for simpler, more approachable or merely less exhausting methods of viewing erotica are best served by other games, though that may alter as the development progresses.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITIQUE: Consult with an editor or utilize any of the free editing-software available online; simple grammatical and spelling mistakes should neither be allowed to appear in such prevalence nor to so thoroughly devalue your work. Consider removing the arbitrary time limitations on activities, allowing players to accomplish multiple objectives in a single day and mitigating the tedium of repeatedly sleeping. Provided it does not deviate too far from your intended design, consider adding more erotic content and allowing the player to access it earlier. If nothing else, you could take a hint from similar games and include art (related to the characters or otherwise) accessible via the computer/phone, posters for the protagonist's bedroom or a "secret/bonus" room. Consider reducing the amount of references to yourself as they appear narcissistic when used to this extent. Also, a shovel is a tool comprised of a broad blade attached to a long handle, typically employed with both hands; a spade is an exceedingly similar tool, albeit one designed for digging rather than moving loose material; the item you task the player with locating in the garage is neither of these, it's a trowel.
