VN - Ren'Py - Abandoned - Mirror Mine [v0.19.2] [Lemonkey]

Wow... this game actually left me speechless. It's the perfect example of a 'slow burn', but a very very good one in my opinion!

However, the game received some mixed feedback and I kinda understand why. So even though this is a clear 5 star game for me I'll try to write an honest review.

1. Story:
Let's begin with the story. I think this game shows perfectly how superb writing and a well thought out story can turn an average porn game into an intense erotic experience. Everything that happens seems so 'real' that you actually feel sad or happy for the characters. They act like real people and they experience realistic events.

At the same time, writing a realistic story means that it isn't always pretty. Some really heavy stuff happens to the main characters. This isn't your average happy-go-lucky game where everything just comes your way because you're the MC in a porn game. If you're not into that stuff this might not be the game for you.

2. Visuals:
The renders are some of the best I've seen on this website. Most of the pictures are highly detailed and look very realistic. That goes for personal features like hair and skin, but also things like texture of clothing and home decorations. It almost feels like you're watching a movie!

On the other hand, realistic also means 'not perfect'. I think this is one of the few games where your mom (or whatever you called her) actually looks like an older woman, and not just as your older sister with plastic surgery. A big plus in my opinion! I think small imperfections are an important part of beautiful models, but if you're more into the standard big titted bimbos you might want to look further.

3. Pace and development:
I'm a big fan of games with a slow and steady build-up. It makes the story more realistic, and I also think the sex scenes are much hotter if you first get to know the characters better and slowly ease into it. This is a game with a very slow build-up, a typical 'slow burn'. There is some sexual tension and you're constantly in suspense if something will happen, but it takes a long time before something actually does happen.

Personally I don't think it can take long enough, provided it helps the 'realness' of the story, but I can imagine that a lot of people find it too slow. Especially for those who follow this game since it started almost 2 years ago, it may get frustrating that there is still barely any sexual stuff going on.

--------

So all things considered, I think the main pitfalls of this game are the sad atmosphere and the slow pacing. You might want to consider whether those are problematic for you before you start playing this game.

But if you don't mind, I would definitely recommend this game to anyone! I've been ignoring it for some time because I'm not really into mother-son incest, but the story and visuals were so exceptionally good that I didn't even care about that anymore!

So, this is a game with:

1) Believable relations;
2) Aged mom;
3) Romance taboo vibe;
4) Choices;
5) Sensual pictures;

...

Finally. I found it. Damit, I searched for something like this for, like, 4 years and never got satisfied until now.

The mother character looks great and quite realistic, since she looks like an actual older woman who is attractive albeit with a few flaws. The story is also quite unique as it doesn't use a lot of the same setups that many other incest games use. The pacing of the story is slow as it builds anticipation, keeps you hooked and wanting for more. I think this game has very good potential as the dev continues to update it.

Overall great rendering, models, and story that stands out from the rest.
One of the best mature/milf stories I've seen recently, especially when they move out. The side story with the younger woman wasn't nearly as interesting though (I swear it's not just because she wasn't a milf).

Can't wait to see how this progresses.

VERSION: 0.14.1

Mirror Mine dares what few in its genre have: a serious attempt a forbidden yet burgeoning relationship between a son and his mother; albeit with the option to alter the specifics as the player deems fit, from mere mature neighbor to landlady and tenant. Accomplished via a slow-paced, heavily atmospheric series of predominantly still images with frequent bouts of dialogue interspersed by internal monologues, the game doles out legitimately erotic content in a drip-feed that will appeal to fans of rewards that are justifiably "earned."

Nevertheless, the game is hardly devoid of flaws.

Graphically, the overall quality is inconsistent, scenes occasionally appearing with abundant noise (typically referred to as a "grainy" look) and stark shadows, at others in more natural tones. Given the somber atmosphere, and a complementary musical score that is unique to the title, one might be excused for speculating that this is a deliberate artistic choice meant to evoke a period piece... were it not for the abrupt upswing in quality throughout the latter half of the present release. While this contrast may be apparent, it is hardly sufficient to prove truly disruptive.

Writing quality, across the board, is superior to the overwhelming majority of similar projects; interactions between the cast are organic and, although prone to some excessively verbose passages, the writing adequately instills each with a measure of personality. Unfortunately, this does exacerbate the gravity of any grammatical and typographical errors that appear.


Most noteworthy, however, are the cast. Diane, the "mother" character, genuinely appears to be old enough to have fostered a child of the protagonist's age while, nevertheless, retaining a degree of objective beauty that might conceivably attract his attention. Considering most mother/landlady types are of the "supermodel past her prime" variety, it is refreshing to find a game willing to indulge a realistic approach.


GRAPHICS -------------------------------------------- 5 / 10
+ Decent-quality renders with crisp lighting and deep shadows, perfectly complementing the atmosphere.
+/- "Mother" character remains attractive while possessing a realistically aged appearance that is lacking in similar games; this approach to maturity may not resonate universally as many players prefer the "older supermodel" stereotype.
- Images, particularly rife in the early game, boast a grainy appearance that detracts from their appreciation.
- Animations, what few exist, are created by shifting between an extremely limited number of static frames.
DIALOGUE -------------------------------------------- 7 / 10
+ Well-written script that is relatively devoid of typographical errors and consistently conveys individual character motivations.
- Excessively verbose, at times, prone to employing multiple lines of internal monologue where one might suffice.
GAMEPLAY ------------------------------------------- 4 / 10
- Limited interaction, and meager player agency, consisting uniformly of clicking through dialogue windows.
- Content is limited, at the moment. Erotic content moreso than most.
INNOVATION ---------------------------------------- 7 / 10
+ Atmopsheric visual novel with unique musical score. Does not feature the typical copyright-free tunes.
+ Genuine attempt at fostering emotional relationships between the cast, including the awkwardness inherent to taboo thoughts.
+ Ability to customize the relation and name of most characters, thus avoiding or enabling select fetishes.

SCORE ====================== 23 / 40
A SLOW BURN THAT MAY BECOME AN INFERNO OR MERE ASH
Mirror Mine is an unequivocally unique entity among its genre, tackling forbidden lusts and the dynamics of a family in ruins from a fresh perspective. Although the narrative appears to be dabbling with some dark fantasy and an apparent criminal organization, the grounding in relationship dynamics bodes well for its future. Those interested in romance and will-they-won't-they scenarios are liable to find something of value, whereas those that prefer more immediate gratification are advised to look elswhere. Either way, Mirror Mine has an intriguing premise and I am keen to see what develops.


CONSTRUCTIVE CRITIQUE: Consult with an editor or run your script through an automated spelling-and-grammar check prior to publication; the caliber of your writing exceeds that of most adult-oriented visual novels, don't allow it to be dragged down by easily amended mistakes. Consider more fluidly animating sequences and in greater variety. Free tutorials are available, online and in abundance, for animating with keyframes in Poser. Consider touching up the early-game renders to remove some of the "grain" (color noise). Elaborate on the mechanics at play, either incidentally or via a status screen of some sort, such that players remain aware of how their actions influence events. To whit, a single "+1 Diane Corruption" or "+1 Liane Love" is meaningless without a baseline value (+1 to a score of 13 on a spectrum from 1 to 100 is trivial, whereas +1 to a score of 0 on a scale of -5 to +5 is monumental).

This game is a tough one to review. On one hand, I'd say it does some things quite exceptionally but on the other hand it suffers from a lack of direction and for the most part, personality, that really takes away from anything remarkable that the game does.

So we are introduced to our MC and after a bit of time playing you begin to feel almost helpless. The MC kind of just exists and he doesn't really do anything. He is content to just flow on in life and I can't help but feel he is a pushover. Maybe in time he will develop some confidence and perhaps more motivation if not for himself, for the people around him.

Besides the MC being stale, the dialogue just trances on and on about pretty meaningless things. The conversations don't serve any purpose most of the time. We don't learn much more than what can be inferred just by looking at the pictures. It feels like an uninspired writer simply trying to fill space. There are exceptions to this and those moments are where the game shined in my eyes.

Another large issue is that the choices early on literally have a correct one and a fake one. If you choose not to do something, the game assumes you did in fact choose to do it. So the writing isn't consistent with your choice. At that point, why even add the choice to begin with?

So you might ask based on my review, why would this game be a 3? And I think it's because this game has potential. I think the foundation is there and I honestly think, although it wasn't often, some of the dialogue between the characters at times was great. Subtle humor, personality-filled conversations for example, with the cousin, made me realize that the dev/devs have their moments and can really put out some quality stuff. I can only hope to see more of the stuff from the latest updates, and less of the droll, slower and less meaningful dialogue of the earliest versions of the game.

The visuals are good, it's not just your standard copy and paste of templates but if I'm being brutally honest it's just not fun to play.
The plot involves some lad putting pressure on your *whatever you label her as* while you sort of arse about the house. The MC is rather unlikeable so it's really difficult to get on board.

It's not even a case of "oh there's very little smut", a lot of games have less and are brilliant but this is just so damn dour to play. There is very little in the way of depth apart from this threat hanging over your *whatever you label her as* and there's almost no choices so it plays out the same regardless

Good visuals
Poor story
Too slow to be interesting

there's some magic in the stories of a hero saving a lady in distress, obviously, at some point we all rise above those fairy tales, and on the path to adulthood, it all become so more complicated, some questions are not easily answered and sometimes things just seems blurry, the MC is in a similar situation, kind of lost, facing a new situation, trying to keep it all together. At the end of the day, it's not a hero fighting a dragon, just a guy trying to not lose what is his. In my opinion it's a darn sexy way to create a forbiden love. (notes: yeah, not much of a fap material, definitely an immersive story, the soundtrack helps a lot; the start is somewhat similar to other games and it looks repetitive in this sense, but it's gets better; the worst part: the game still needs time to develop, but, keeping the level of storytelling and development of characters, its a promised gem) (notes of notes: the "landlady" is really a mature adult and not some 20 yo girl in heat) v0.14

Let me start off by saying this game has great realistic renders, beautifully done.

With that being said though, this game is sorta like a slow mediocre Incestuous Indie film that received rave reviews at festivals but gets a 5.5/10 on IMDB and a 45% on Rotton Tomatoes. It's beautiful renders and the atmosphere gets blinded by the slow storytelling. I don't hate this game, as a matter of fact, it's the opposite, I enjoy it for what it is. It just seems like it doesn't know where it's going, but I'm here to the end because I'm intrigued none the less.

A bit slow-paced, but I enjoyed this game. There are no sex scenes yet, but the build-up is to the future scenes is great.

I loved the renders and the models used. Looking forward to the next update.

Great feel so far.

It hints at incest but how the dev handles it is very careful i feel. Not just go fuck mommy cause she wants it.

The MC acts on his desires yes, but he feels bad afterwards if he does. He's confused yet determined. Mom or sister both are a bit foreign to him and in need of help even if they do not want to admit to it themselves.

This game will keep getting better I'm sure of it.
Renders are very grainy but the camera angles and lighting are spot on. Also poses and model placements are great. Better pc/hardware and I'm sure the dev will turn out way better quality images.

Dialogue is spot on, really good English i found and nice and flowing too. Definitely a game I'll keep playing.

We'll done dev...

[v0.12.6]
I usually rate a game further into development than this, but I had to make an exception because I see only 6 ratings so far and their overall average is less than 4, which is quite misleading because this is certainly an intriguing game and should get more attention. I am an appreciator both incest and a good story with a focus on character build-up, and I have a feeling that this game is trying to address both of them with due attention.

Although I don't detest the "fun", yet totally unrealistic incest-themed adult (or more like porn) games - what am I saying, I actually like many of them - I think it's high time, some devs took incest seriously and tried to introduce some touch of realism in their games. I've seen (or rather seeing) it being done between siblings and father and daughter recently (can't name those games specifically in a review, site policy). But I think, the relationship between mother and her son never got much attention, maybe because it would seem quite difficult to make it real without turning it into something disgusting. Like I've read some comments saying, jokingly, yet rather truthfully that, you must not make the mom look old, you must not make it feel real, incest is fun, but it becomes repulsive when it becomes real. To, that I say, well relax my friend, no-one's trying to usher in the age of incest and no one's trying to condone it. It's just the effort to explore the human psyche, the different shades of emotions, some darker than others, nonetheless real. And if that's not your cup of tea, you should be delighted that there's an abundance of "not-so-serious" adult VNs for you to choose from.

This game makes the bold move of trying to introduce a taboo relationship between a mother and a son from a standpoint which is as realistic as possible for an adult VN - let me attract your attention to the gravity of this undertaking. I think the strongest humanly bond is the one which ties a mother to her child - and of course, there are natural inhibitions just as strong set in place to make sure that it doesn't deviate from what it should be - but the question is - could it? Even hypothetically? That's the question I think this game is trying to address. I don't think it's going to be easy, but if it manages to pull this off, it would be outstanding. So, my salute goes to the dev, who could muster the courage to do it. Of course, his audience wouldn't be that big, but I do hope, those who are looking for such a game, find it.

The art is spot on, but that's the only thing going for it, the lady is perfectly well aged, but there is nothing else, no options, massive click fest, and really nothing else plus no animations, if this game had animations it would be fantastic, even with all the lacks with this type of art being animted it would make it fantastic.

This is what I have been searching for. A story that takes its time. Just like A Wife and Mother this is not a VN for those looking for a quick release. This is going to be for those who like to take their time and get to know characters before anything too sexual happens. I can't wait for more!

Sorry But this one I'm just not feeling or even interested in, renders are okay, The mom looks decent but yeah this one didn't leave much of any impressions both positive and negative. Hate to be mean but the writing wasn't smooth crisp, its just didn't flow, felt like reading an old outdated medical encyclopedia, but instead of being invested was mind numbing and lifeless. Some games you just have an instant connection weather through characters, image's, game mechanics, music, sadly this had nothing for me wasn't engaging, had no soul/life/spark/lighting its just plain and dull. I got so bored I just Kept clicking for what seemed like an eternity. This Game is a never ending Wall of Text the writing is shit, virtually zero to no lewds, peek in the shower, and you can grobe a second character way at the end. Sorry this game is not for me Nothing Fucking Happens.

My Rating of this Game (V0.1) is:

Pros:
-Great Renders
-Nice Story
-Good looking milf

Cons:
-Nothing

Total Rating so far:
Like the Look of the mother,believe this will become an Interesting story.
Worth the download

Eye of the Storm v0.1
+
++Choice of names/relationship
~ i always appreciate when you get the choose your name and the way the mc is realted to others.

++Decent dialogue/vocubalary
~ some minor flaws in the dialogue, overall it seems very good

++renders
~ the mother looks like a real mother, not overaggerated or anything out of proportion. The MC seems in phsyigue like an average guy so thats decent.


-
--They personality of the MC
~like you start of as a whimp, and decide to being useless by playing games instead of taking action.
(but thats just preference i guess)
--storyline/background
~maybe show the background of the mother and the MC a bit more. To understand the characters a bit better.


That being said; i like this game, i can see great potential for this game. At this point it can go a lot of diffrent ways and I hope future updates wont disappoint(im sure they wont)
Anyways, ill keep following this game for a while and see where it goes.

(PS i hope this game will focus mainly on the relationship between mother –MC. Perhaps even impreg in future updates.)

Keep up the good work!