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.
"...enjoying whatever modium of privacy" rather than "modicum"
"I prode her along that line of thought" rather than "prod"
"You'll think she'll learn to text by now.." rather than "You'd" and a thrice-dotted ellipsis
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).
