Review of v0.36
There is a tremendous amount of promise to Luminary Protocol already and I'm very much looking forward to playing more. In its current state, I would normally give 4 stars, but it did one rare thing so remarkably well that it earned that fifth star, but more on that in a bit.
The writing itself is capable, there was the occasional typo or grammatical error, and a possible hint of slop (one cannot fail to see the word ministration in this day and age), but it served its purpose well and never distracted me from the story.
The setting, story and characters are definitely the highlights of this game. I'm very interested in where this is going and every character interests me. The main character actually has character: he's likable, interesting and, most importantly, doesn't do stupid things to advance the plot, yet he feels like a real person. There's a hint of his potential power-wise, but it's still a subtle thing. I simultaneously approve of the slow advancement and the tantalizing promise of much greater capabilities to be found in the MC.
The art assets are tricky to review. I've done enough work with genai to be impressed with the accomplishments while still frequently distracted by the limitations of locally generated NSFW art, particularly when animating. But if you accept those limitations, and focus on what you are reading, the art adds much. The SFW art is quite good and definitely adds to the experience. Most jarring is character inconsistency but that's just something we have to accept and you just have to choose to not let it bother you. The dev was clever enough to even have an in-universe explanation for it (glamours). So far the LI focus has definitely leaned towards more mature women (and that's done well and realistically), and there are some potential 18-25-yo LIs, I hope to see some LIs in the 25-35-yo middle ground as well.
I was less fond of the "dark fantasy art", seeing a slideshow of a blend of sex and violence isn't my thing, but I appreciate the need to establish the perilous world into which the main character has been thrust. I simply stuck to the reading and accepted it for what it was.
The remarkable thing, however, that earned that bonus star was something I think is truly special. He thrust a group of people who cared about each other into a dangerous, unknown situation. And each of them are capable individuals each with different strengths. This develops a wonderful us against the world dynamic that I absolutely adore. While I selfishly still kind of hope for the MC to be a step above, I never want the reliance between the five of them to end. They may let select others into their circle of trust, but it's clear that this must be done carefully. And, like the MC, they are all sensible. I like rational, hard-working main characters and these people are. Their love towards and dependence on each other is the story's greatest strength.
Outside the game, I'm also impressed by the thoughtfulness and candor of the dev. They seem to know their capabilities, where they are inexperienced, some of their and their tool's limitations, and what sacrifices they need to make in some aspects of the development process to still produce good overall quality based on their strengths. I feel this shows maturity and a sense of focus that should aid in seeing the project completed.
There is a tremendous amount of promise to Luminary Protocol already and I'm very much looking forward to playing more. In its current state, I would normally give 4 stars, but it did one rare thing so remarkably well that it earned that fifth star, but more on that in a bit.
The writing itself is capable, there was the occasional typo or grammatical error, and a possible hint of slop (one cannot fail to see the word ministration in this day and age), but it served its purpose well and never distracted me from the story.
The setting, story and characters are definitely the highlights of this game. I'm very interested in where this is going and every character interests me. The main character actually has character: he's likable, interesting and, most importantly, doesn't do stupid things to advance the plot, yet he feels like a real person. There's a hint of his potential power-wise, but it's still a subtle thing. I simultaneously approve of the slow advancement and the tantalizing promise of much greater capabilities to be found in the MC.
The art assets are tricky to review. I've done enough work with genai to be impressed with the accomplishments while still frequently distracted by the limitations of locally generated NSFW art, particularly when animating. But if you accept those limitations, and focus on what you are reading, the art adds much. The SFW art is quite good and definitely adds to the experience. Most jarring is character inconsistency but that's just something we have to accept and you just have to choose to not let it bother you. The dev was clever enough to even have an in-universe explanation for it (glamours). So far the LI focus has definitely leaned towards more mature women (and that's done well and realistically), and there are some potential 18-25-yo LIs, I hope to see some LIs in the 25-35-yo middle ground as well.
I was less fond of the "dark fantasy art", seeing a slideshow of a blend of sex and violence isn't my thing, but I appreciate the need to establish the perilous world into which the main character has been thrust. I simply stuck to the reading and accepted it for what it was.
The remarkable thing, however, that earned that bonus star was something I think is truly special. He thrust a group of people who cared about each other into a dangerous, unknown situation. And each of them are capable individuals each with different strengths. This develops a wonderful us against the world dynamic that I absolutely adore. While I selfishly still kind of hope for the MC to be a step above, I never want the reliance between the five of them to end. They may let select others into their circle of trust, but it's clear that this must be done carefully. And, like the MC, they are all sensible. I like rational, hard-working main characters and these people are. Their love towards and dependence on each other is the story's greatest strength.
Outside the game, I'm also impressed by the thoughtfulness and candor of the dev. They seem to know their capabilities, where they are inexperienced, some of their and their tool's limitations, and what sacrifices they need to make in some aspects of the development process to still produce good overall quality based on their strengths. I feel this shows maturity and a sense of focus that should aid in seeing the project completed.
