VN - Ren'Py - Lycoris Radiata [Ch.7 Public] [Kuro]

One of my favorites right now. This could absolutely be turned into an anime and it would definitely be a banger there too. I don't even care that there's no lewd scenes because both the story and artwork are beyond incredible.

The only thing I'd like to have more are choices since there's very little of that. That being said, I find it interesting when there's the choice to progress as either Ren or Inei, just wish there were more of those and even general choices too.

A criminally underrated game. Beautiful models using HS2, and the story and the characters, while some could say cliche, is executed well and not in any cringe way. The plot is developing nicely, and I'm very invested in the game, despite there not being any H-scenes so far. Really excited to see where this project goes!

this needs more recognition. The writing and pacing is so good it draws me in. The models are 10/10, The girls are likable and has depth. Highly recommended. The premise of having 2 personality was handled so good!

CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED!!

Warning:
Game wasn't designed to be porn but rather a game that has some adult elements (there's an option to block nsfw in setting that should give you the hint). Also, plays more kinetically so choices are far and fewer.

Pros:

1. Unique and riveting plot
2. Writing is top notch with great use of humor and sound effect where needed.
3. Character buildup and arcs are nicely portrayed
4. Renders are great,
5. Music is very well chosen
6. Animations like blinking or moving make it even more immersive.
7. Satisfactory NSFW scene

Cons:

1. I have no complaints. Dev was transparent about what kind of game this was gonna be so I don't mind lack of h scenes.

Verdict: Abso-fucking-lutely for plot lovers!

Barely a sexual game, but it is still a very good game. Everything was great, especially the story and the character. Though I'd really like the game to have a bit more of a sexual approach, but this is not even a complaint, just personal favor. Can't wait to see how things will be unfolded.

Let's start with most important part, in my opinion this game needs 2 additional tags: "Kinetic Novel" and "QTEs" (if that one exists at all).

Throughout the whole game, as of chapter 5, there are 5-6 choices, mostly "be nice" or "be rude". I assume they might make a difference down the line of there will be H scene or not, but they don't affect the story.

Onto girls...sorry, I have to be harsh as well. They're just a cliche after cliche. From the very start of a game all girls are (literally) throwing themselves onto MC. Their personalities are what you will find in every other VN on this site (one is shy, one is overbearing, there's tsundere type, there are crazy in love with MC- ok, this is all girls, literally ALL OF THEM - there is servant, there is "hiding something to protect MC etc.).
If you can think of a girl stereotype, it's in this game.

MC himself, again my opinion, in contrast to what some are saying, starts a bit interesting. Sure, he's a bit edgy, but there's also a bit of actual character to him. He has goals, he describes how he aims to achieve those goals...unfortunately as the story progresses that all changes and you get your typical, run-of-the-mill goody-two-shoes, nice to everyone (very few mentioned choices aside). He loses his personality from the start and is just, well boring.
There's another part to him I don't like, but saying that would be a spoiler so I'll just say I'm not a fan of it and leave it there.

QTEs, as much as I hate them, are not a big problem since they're fairly generous, so despite existing they don't really do much except check you didn't fall asleep while reading.

H content? Minimal. Very, very, very minimal. Also unavoidable. There's a girl I really disliked, with MC even stating there's something fishy going on...they talk about that fishy detail, only for her to say "ok, now we fuck"...MC says no, she says yes, MC says ok and they have sex.

Story is very promising in the start. Bit of mystery, bit of edginess (didn't mind it), bit of crime, some revenge undertones, ton of world lore and exploring the city where events are happening....then whole bunch of nothing later on.
Story, unfortunately, fell into a trap many games on this site have. It looks like it wasn't completely planned so things keep getting added over and over without progressing what was there before. And then it turns into an incoherent mess.
Which is a shame, there were really good foundations for strong narrative at the start of a game.

Positives would include:
- Good looking girls
- Great story (at the very beginning)
- Decent MC (at the very beginning)
- Funny banter (throughout the whole game)

Banter is definitely really nice and despite not liking the game overall (all the negatives written above), jokes mostly did land and I had a good chuckle frequently. That would probably also be a reason why I stuck with it for as long as I did.

I wish dev all the best in finishing this one, and look forwards to next game he makes, I believe it can be great with some more planning and more focused "gameplay".
Sorry for the harsh review.

The story is bland and not interesting enough to warrant a higher ratings at least for now, and the worst part is the MC, i dont mind MC with edgy attitude as long they have a background to justified it, but this MC just plain dumb and thinking that the world revolve around him, so full of himself etc, this reminds me with those edgy MC from some trash isekai mangas.

Yeah this is fucking good. The characters all feel very different and none feel particularly too one-dimensional, and the dual mysteries of the past of our "two" protagonists is done wonderfully for the reader. Good soundtrack, renders are also fairly good. The writing is good BUT littered with small grammatical errors all over the place. Perhaps the only other setback one could make is that the NSFW scenes are fairly low quality if we're being honest - but simultaneously, the story is great, and to me that matters way more than just good sex renders.

Still, this is fucking good. A mystery indie VN done right, for fucking once. Kudos to the developer.

Found this game after 15 minutes of scrolling on itchio, was sceptical at first, but now i absolutely love it. both ren and inai are absolutely cool, the dialogue and characters interactions are amazing and mig (mirai is goddess)

Great MC:
-acts different, thinks different (not all goody two shoes like all the other games)
-bit paranoid , "trust is not for me dawg "kind of character
-emotionally unavailable
- doesn't know love (from what the main MC personality remembers) he is about to discover all that
-not a simp
-not typical MC from all the other games i played

Deep story line:
-story is main thing of this game
-the is a lot of it, prepare yourself for long reading (which is not a bad thing for once)

Game with big potential with very good setup for further development.
If you like VN's focused on story be sure to try this one.

TL;DR = This VN heavily focuses on story. It is very good.

Story: 5/5
+ Plot is really good.
+ I dont want to mention any big spoilers for this story, so I will only mention this: This game is serious rollercoaster. It has amnesia, schizofrenia, assassins, super powers, deadly schemes between families, crazy girls, super cute younger sister and a lot more. I really enjoyed it and want more.
+ There are some situations, where you can choose whether main personality handles certain situations or whether his alter ego will handle it. The outcome is quite different and entertaining. This game has some potential for 2nd playthrough.
+ I also liked the humour in this game.

Art and sex stuff: 4/5
+ Renders are good.
+ Girls are very cute.
- Unfortunately this game has small amount of lewd content. At this point you are only developing relationship with girls and obtaining "love points". There are only 3 sex scenes. This is only downside of the game.

Gameplay: 5/5
+ This typical VN with choices.
+ It feels like choices has impact on the gameplay and that is good.
+ Game has good sountrack. During action sequences you hear thriller music, during banter with girls you hear silly music, etc.
+ English is decent. (I only noticed some typo here and there)
+ Game has also QTE (quick time events). You can get different outcomes based on your speed. That is really good gameplay element.

To sum it up:
I liked this game and I will definitely recommend this game.
If you want your games to have good story, then this game is PERFECT! Go for it.

Chapter 4 Review

Now entering the game from an art perspective I appreciate the diversity of the characters' appearances. People can have their own opinions on the art style and having a preference towards a different kind but for me I can enjoy varying types as long as it’s at least decent and I personally like the art style.

Now going into this game I read up on some of the other reviews and I totally disagree with some people being put off by the main character’s personality. I personally needed this breath of fresh air from the usual weak passive protagonist or the overly horndog mixed with normal joe schmoe personality. I’m not saying that people that have those opinions are like the protagonists that I described that I didn’t like but I do think the reason why they don’t like this more tsundere protagonist with a bit of attitude and banter is because they can’t see themselves in him. Which I feel like it’s unfair cause at the end of the day it’s a CHARACTER and an interesting one at that. I personally like this personality because it leads to more interesting and different dialogue than we’d usually get when playing the usual porn games we get on this website. Playing those type of games have become so predictable that I don’t need a walkthrough ever I know which ones to choose which ones give me the points for my characters and the choices are boring and predictable but i’ma choose them to get them points.

With that out of the way to add onto the other characters on the cast. I enjoy the wackiness of the side characters. Literally all of the important ones that have had enough dialogue to shine i’ve taken an interest in. What I also like is a good amount of them aren’t one dimensional which is heavily showcased with the grandfather character. I really enjoy his character and his relationship with the MC. Their scenes are really enjoyable and were a highlight even though the cast with varying personalities is honestly what I believe the spotlight is mainly on in my eyes.

Something else I saw as complaints was the lot of text early for the set up of the story and the edgy backstories. Start with the text early, in the description it literally says “A story driven Visual Novel.” To really make you fully grasp the character you’ll be following and his setting and the characters around him I felt like not only was it well done but it was necessary. There’s plenty of games out there where if you want a quick fap and want a lot of sex scenes it’s there for you. This ain’t it, it’s a anime-esque type of story where there’s some nsfw scenes here and there but it’s not a focus and I enjoy that. For me when the sex scenes are more enjoyable to watch is when there has been build up and I feel the enjoyment of the character dynamics between the characters involved before it happens. Now for the edgy backstory up to now i’ve been praising it completely. I do agree that it is a bit edgy I think when the first two times I was like you know what it’s fine. However the third time is when I was like okay I get it buddy. So I don’t really mind the backstory and I actually think it makes the story interesting and his motives interesting but sometimes I do feel like they push it a little to much.

Now for the plot where I don’t want to spoil to much. What I will say is the reason for the title of the game and that whole reveal/plotline was extremely fascinating and made me spend all night going from chapter 1 all the way to the end of chapter 4 adding a bit of diversity. Now there being notable choices is gonna be very interesting and I truly believe from what i’ve gathered so far they will be making a impact later down the line. I think that’s gonna be really good and i’m not even a guy who cares much about branching choices since I saw it coming in as a visual novel so the fact that this is introduced is gonna make things fresh and I know i’ll love it. Definitely worth my 5 stars the only gripe I have with it is the overabundance of the edgy backstory flashbacks. Definitely play it if you want something fresh in the porn game genre.

Really cool concept storywise and I like al the characters. The buildup of the story is also well done to keep you interested plus I like the humor of the dev. Probably not the game for you if you are looking for quick, good and many sex scenes, but more if you are looking for a nice read

Ch 4

Solid VN with good visuals. You'll probably enjoy it a lot more if you're a weeb (like myself). The story is edgy, but as someone who can't stop craving for more shounen manga, this one's right up my alley.

Lots of cute and crazy girls (mostly crazy), so that's a plus. Visuals are quite good but there are no animations, which brings me to the H-scenes. There are barely any. But I personally don't mind as I got invested into the story and its characters (this is definitely not a porn game). The music complements nicely with the story. I'd also like to mention that I liked the quick time events. They add a bit of immersion and are frankly quite easy to do, if you're on a pc and have a mouse.

To summarize, I like the overall aesthetic of this VN. It's entertaining. Good luck to the dev.

Played up to Ch.4. This game is hard to rate because of the nature of itself, we have an MC with a dark traumatic past who seems to be slowly evolving from a total asshole to what i hope it will end up been a semi decent human being. So thats why i believe anything between 2 and 4 stars would be fair ratings, im here for the long run and decided to rate it with 3 because im enjoying the ride and understand that it will be a slow process with the Mc constantly changing. I also understand that not everyone will like this type of story and that in the current state of the game its hard to swallow but this being a game about changes im willing to gamble on its future and recognize its potential and the dev skills to come through.

Good stuff: Game focuses heavily on story and character development.
Beautiful models and visuals in general.
Good audio and sound effects.
So far story is good, well written and engaging.

To be improved: The game lacks significant choices.
While the LIs looks gorgeous, at the moment they are barely being introduced and there isnt any meaningful interaction with them, would be nice to develop them further and at least get to know a little more about them (personality, a bit of backstory, etc).

Bad stuff: The start of the game is rough, huge text wall with a massive story dump, it focuses to much on the MC and its really hard to put up with him.
LIs need more depth, it would help the game flow a lot to give them more time between story dumps and the almost unbearable MCs monologues and interactions.

TL;DR: This game is not for everyone and i cant blindly recommend it. I would rate it 5/10 on its current state BUT im willing to bet it will end up being 8 or 9/10 if the Mc starts evolving, at the moment his personality is dragging the game down.
There is a huge potential here to be a great game of transformation and growth with a good story and cool visuals but i cant rate it higher until i see it come through. Some rework on earlier chapters to give LIs more screen time and depth would also help the game flow big time.

The only good thing preventing me from rating it one star is the render quality and the female model in the game. Top notch renders with some hot girl design there.

The writing is - how to put it subtly - childish.

1) Firstly, it is a story that requires you to swallow a lot of setting in order to take it seriously. A lot of those setting is pushed down our throats by reading dialogues between characters- which makes 90% of the dialogue incredibly boring. On top of that we need to bear with this baby MC who denies what everyone trying to tell him all the time - so we have excessive amounts of lines like "oh no way you must be lying" " i dont believe you" "fucking kiddo!" which honestly take away a lot of fun reading this.

2) Failed design of personalities. The MC has the IQ and EQ of 15 year old high school kid, who think he is the best in the world and acts rudely and irrespective to everyone around him, yet demand everyone to respect him. Typical example of how one bad MC can ruin the whole game.
Everyone else is stripped of any real character design or personality because they serve the purpose of serving the MC only. All they do is evolving around the mc- none of them has their own character arc.

3) Overly use of awkward comical moment. Apparently the writer is trying to lighten the tone by inserting comical relief here and there -yet they are really out of place and make me cringe instead of laugh. People laugh when idiots do things seriously or when serious people do idiot things. We only feel awkward when you try to make idiot do idiot things.

4) Lastly, after crawling through a few hundred thousands words worth of incredibly dull dialogue, we only get less than 5 mins of NSFW scene which is not even animated. Very, very demoralizing.


The only saving grace is as I said before the models of the characters. Girls are hot but MC is too insufferable.

If you like reading some VN or watching some harem anime with cool looking MC, i think you might like this.

The story surprisingly interesting. The 3D models is gorgeous. It's rare to see some game in this website with not only good-looking female characters, but also good-looking male characters. Renders looks good. And the character is memorable with their personality different from one and another.

At first, i don't like the dev decision to remake the story, but i guess i was wrong, because this new story give more personality to the main character, and it fit really well for the later part of story.

If there's something that this game feels lacking, i think it's their choice of music. Some music doesn't fit in some scene. Some bgm in this game really give NCS vibes, with their nightcore? like music.

But overall, this is great

I'm gonna start with what i think most already got from the description, the screenshots, and even the name:
This one wants to be edgy.

And the start ticked every box:
Memory Loss? Check. Taken in by some master assassin / martial artist who's just training the next badass killer without ever talking about feelings? Check. Secretly Heir to some magical secret? Check. Is somehow always in danger due to that secret? Check. Decides to keep his identity hidden and do some secret agent stuff? Check. Rude to every guy and all the girls weirdly take his side? Check. I could go on.

Gotta be honest, i nearly dropped it 10 minutes in. The things above, coupled with a typo here and there, nothing creative happening, and just really nothing redeeming it.

So, if you're in the same boat as me, give it a bit more time. As evidenced by my rating, it has a lot more to give.
For me, it started when the people around our edgy MC who hasn't known Love or Friendship are made aware of this - and try to help him. This is not the usual Celebration of strength and power above all else. Everyone here has their problems, including the MC. And no one is able to overcome them by themselves. Which makes the Characters all the more human and believable.

The novel does a few other things right. Keeping the air of mystery, by feeding us snippets. That don't go anywhere yet, but are starting to connect. Slowly. Like it should. This also ties in wonderfully with the Characters, because they are being given time to flesh out. To take some decisions themselves.

There's also some creativity sprinkled in, at a place i did not expect it, and have rarely seen it so far: in how to approach the characters. We are not only given choices on who we want to pursue, but also how we want to pursue them. Which is ... ambitious, and great if it works out. I'm also somewhat worried this will impact the development speed negatively. But let's wait and see on that.

There's a couple more things i like here, for example how weird and stupid things somehow get with the "extended" family. Or the beautiful visual design. And i don't mean the characters here. The rooms, the emblems, the clothes.

But lets tie it all together. I went in, expecting something edgy. Something ... mid.
What you should be expecting is a weak, formulaic start, that pretty quickly gives way to something else. Something that's still a bit edgy, definitely influenced by anime, and something quite human. Something good.

I really love this game. It has a fascinating story and settings. And I like the humour in dialogues.
I also have something to say about MC's personality. From the player's pov, I have to admit that MC truly is a little rude and egoisetic. But he has his principles. He wants to be away from his family knowing that he isn't the right one they need and he will only bring them dangers. Has MC ever hurt any of the LIs out of his own volition? Never.
More than one person has said MC isn't worthy any of his LIs. But I have a different opinion about this. MC has no crush on any girls except Luna so far. Where does this whole worthwhile talk come from for someone who doesn't want to have a romantic relationship with those girls at all? Love doesn't come out of nowhere. That's why I'll be patient and let the story play out.
And from the writer's pov, I think an MC with more character flaws is more charming than an MC who is kind, polite and perfect from the beginning. I'd love to see him grow and overcome his defects with the love of his family and friends.

Review of the story up to chapter 3, part 2

I hate this fucking MC, he's such a big baby. He thinks he's so tough, but he's mostly pathetic. So, no, this is no game for me. I can stand, and really love, the MC being a devil in any sense, but this is so bad. I want to wanna be the MC in the games I play, but here I only want to kill him. Still there are a lot of others that like this, so don't feel bothered about my opinion.

Only good are the renders, but doesn't help to raise my 1* to 2*.

I still wish you good luck game and please try to make the MC a little sympatic. Now he isnn't worthy any of his LIs. They are interesting at least. But the lewd scene was really, really bad.

I have to admit I diidn't finish playing the last part but I didn't have any feeling that the story were getting better. So when I say Chapter 3, part 2 in the beginning it isn't excactly true because of the reason that I mentioned. I couldn't finish as there were some things that made me cringe too much.