So this game is more soap Opera than interesting story. It started strong in terms of execution of sex scenes but then trailed off. In the early story sex was animated. The long the game was in development the fewer sex scenes were animated at least on the paths I took.
The game also tries to be all things to all people with fetish after fetish explored. Why do developers do this crap? NTR fans don't want romance and faithful partners. Harem fans don't want partners that demand monogamous relationships. Subs don't want dom storylines and Doms don't want sub storylines.
Yes there are different women for different kinks but if you fancy a lass and it turns out she wants you to lick her feet and dink her pisss and you are not a sub that is a REAL turn off and disappointment. Because you wanted to bang the hot chick. This game is almost always a disappointment with regards to what girl has what kink.
I would rather this game all all about a kink I don't like so i could skip it then waste the time i did finding I really didn't like the women kink pairings.
The game isn't bad per say but it is poorly designed because too many devs think a kink is a kink so i will appeal to more people by adding more kinks and it doesn't work that way conflicting kinks in the same game is off putting what it isn't is enticing.
If you can get past the boring long-winded story and the worsening quality of the sex scenes. And the models you like hit all the right kinks then the game is great but i suspect that a lot of people just drop off silently as too many models fail to match a given kink for the player.
PROS
- Coming from someone who hates sandbox/grindy games, the gameplay is well designed. Its pretty much just a VN but includes some RPG elements with the stats and skilltree. Although not having enough of a stat may lock you out of some paths, it doesn't force you to redo monotonous, routine tasks to gain stats. The dev also provided cheats for those that aren't bothered to deal with this mechanic.
- Excellent replayability + nonlinear. You can't see every scene in one playthrough, you can discover different scenes by picking different options or by following a different skill tree. This game doesn't force you into a lazy harem route.
- I'm a person that mutes most adult games cause the dev would just pick the most generic 'royalty free music' or just use random porn star moans for sex scenes. But I've got to say the sound effects and especially the music choices are top notch. Fits the scenes very well.
MEH
- Now there aren't any animations nor are the renders super high definition or realistic like what you're used to from more popular games but I think it looks good enough. No pixelation or grainy renders. It definitely takes some getting used but it has its own unique charm. The black lines seems to be toned down in the latter stages of the game anyway. However, some of the Daz models the dev has chosen for his characters are generic and you might easily recognize them from other Daz games.
CONS
- Writing can drag on sometimes and be a bit boring. I personally prefer more writing revolving around the story or relationships than just deep conversations regarding philosophical matters or humanity. But some other reviewers have liked it, some didn't, so YMMV.
- This has got to be one of the most anti-vanilla games out there. You'll find out soon enough that the sexual content is extremely... "fetishized". Every LI has some weird kink or fetish that you have to uncover and conform to. No one is... normal lol. Lea is into having sex in public or with an audience and is very very much into exhibitionism, Jen is into submission/painplay and if you don't like that then asks that you share her with a man or woman thats into domination as she apparently really wants to be dominated, Deb is into hardcore femdom, Kim is into sadism and hardcore femdom, and Emma is into hate fucking and (guess what?) hardcore femdom. Some might like this but I wish the developer provided a more down-to-earth or more 'normal' options for players that are just not into any of the extreme stuff above. Just to emphasize, I'm not saying the dev should cut out all the extreme stuff and replace them with mainstream kinks, but for a game which prides itself in branching choices & giving players multiple options, I think it should at least be an option.
TL/DR Undeniablly excellently crafted but punching in so many directions most prospective players will only like parts of the sexual content. Setting, small MC, and content breakdown seems suitable for and biased towards Femdom.
Pros:
+ Amazing characterization
+ Some of the deepest coding / flagging for story pathings I have ever seen
+ Scene writing was frankly amazing.
+The build up to and execution of the 1st Doms scenes of Jen and Emma were some of the best ever I've seen. (Though I didn't find the art for them very hot- since the MC is a doughy pygmy.)
+The chess matches are a lot of fun
+Lots of exposition- but it was generally pretty interesting.
+Did some interesting things with splash art and render style differentiation.
+Interesting stat development system
Cons:
-Praise kink +Submissive female is my favorite kink combination. It was more than a little disappointing that humiliation kink got most of the limelight.
-Too much femdom
-MC is really pathetic looking. Doesn't help that there are Adonis lookin' mofos around and half the ladies are bigger than him either.
-Render quality is low
-It was very disappointing in Chapter 5 how little content you could get without being a cheater on Lea's path. You basically don't get access to any of the intimate vibed Lea content if you go non-exclusive with her- its all cucky vibed exhibitionist shit. But if you date her for the intimacy you cannot do any other content without being an asshole. It'd be nice to be able to use Loyalty or Man perks to get access to some better vibes here.
- gets cuckier every update
It's a very good game but not without significant flaws. Renders are OK, nothing special but above average for sure. That black outline is unnecessary IMO but it's not annoying so I'm neutral about it. Sex scenes are great for the most part but there's way too much femdom for my taste and it's a shame that dev is trying to cater to as wide audience as possible. Hence every girl we meet has a distinctive kink/fetish (which makes it similar to other popular game that I won't name here) and for example Deb, who IMO is the best looking woman here (along with Olivia, Lea and Jen) has fetish that's unappealing to me. We basically can't have vanilla sex here, there is always some kink added to spice things up (which shouldn't be a bad thing in theory but in practice it's not as fun as I initially thought).
Writing is one of the best I've read in porn games (there are only 2-3 titles that are above it) but sometimes the dev overdoes and there is just too much talk for my taste. The banter between some of the characters gets old fast and inner-thoughts and monologues are sometimes excessive. What's worst though is that main character is a pathetic human being in EVERY scenario (even in the ones where he's not a bootlicker that allows himself to be stepped on by weaker sex, e.g. when he becomes second Kim). We have his whining/crying/self-pity in every chapter which becomes annoying in the long run.
What I like here the most though and what makes it shine among other titles is that it has some rudimentary RPG elements and we can "build" our character as we see fit. It's nothing jaw dropping mind you but it's a nice addition.
All in all it's one of the better games here and could have been THE best but due to the flaws I've mentioned I can't rate it higher than 8/10. Still, I definitely recommend to try it, it's definitely something more fresh than your typical "I'm living with my landlady and her daughters" or "I'm in college and every chick wants to fuck me" scenarios.
If you are the slightest bit interested in psychology, realistic human behaviour and navigating complex life scenarios then this game is a must play for you.
The main selling point of the game is the character driven storytelling, there's a lot of developments in that area and it's exciting to see how the characters change over time. You have influence in this as a player which gives a nice bit of agency.
Exploring of kinks is a nice touch with the points system, you get hints of what makes others tick and then can act (or not) depending on how you spent your points.
The story is good with plenty of plot elements that drive it forward but I'd say that it's the characters that make up for 90% of the satisfaction of playing this game. They're all deep and nuanced with their own set of motivations and desires. And they ACT like people! Which is pretty damn rare on a site like f95.
The art style might not fit everyone but I found it to my liking, it gave the game a different flavor which only added to the depth. There's plenty of cool little cuts and montages that makes the story easier to chew.
The renders are poor and have weird comic book outlines which ruins the renders, a weird choice.
The game is boring - all of the 'good options' and content are locked off unless you pick soy-boy options 90% of the time
It has an AWFUL skill system with weird system of cuck or misogyny being the only real routes.
The UI is well done, but waiting for endless ui animations after every line gets old immediately
'Manly' choices generally involve not being manly at all, like being attracted to bikes over women, acting like a cunt, seeing one on one sex as 'not manly' but things like fat fetishes and inhuman proportions are marked as honorable. It's a serious lot of projection from the dev
A great idea, and fun to play. Only slight drawback is the complexity and unwieldy nature of the game mechanics. I think it has enormous potential though.
Pros:
Setting and storyline are interesting, characters have different motivations and personalities, variety of kinks are indulged without making them compulsory for those that don't enjoy them.
The inner monologues are new and interesting but sometimes go on a little too long.
Cons: episodes are fairly short, art style won't suit everyone, some characters seem to hit a certain point and just stagnate.
Some of the dialogue also seems to be a little too structured, and can read like a daytime advertorial for the latest cooking gadget; one character sets up the conversation and the MC delivers the answer in a way that makes it seem like the characters are reading from a script written just to sell a product.
There's also no real clarity on what the MC's motivations are besides not succumbing to his inner demons.
Overall:
Overall though, any negatives seem to come from a very ambitious attempt at something new in terms of story and interface. Well worth a play, and I hope the dev can streamline their game a little more to make it a massive hit.
I have not tried this game in a month or two. I was mentioning this game to a friend, and I ended up writing a damn essay as I started thinking back about how nuanced and well-refined this game actually is. From the characters, to the mechanics of the system, there is a level of depth that, to my knowledge, exceeds anything I have seen in a VN style "adult" game. It occurred to me that I owed this project a rating, at least.
I could talk about renders, animations, or music, all of which are perfectly respectable (the music specifically excelled, as I recall), but none of that really matters to me. Those components are ancillary as long as they are good enough to augment, or at least not detract from, the writing.
As for the writing, I cant think of a single game I have ever played here in which the dialogue felt more organic, characters felt more realistic, and the nuance of choices required me to ask serious questions of myself as to what I really like, or what are the limitations of how far outside of my own preferences I am willing to go to make someone else happy. (Apparently, the answer to the latter question is "licking boots".) Simply brilliant.
I have just finished my first run of this game. A "John Wayne" run, honourable and manly (200 to 80-90 snake and sensible)
This game it´s in the second page of weighted score of this site. That makes it a really underrated game. An unusual and well thought mechanics (all the skills tree stuff), characters that behave like human beings, lot of control about how the MC behaves. The psychological stuff that the games use it´s not a piece of bs, goes from real stuff to good enough for governmental work and havig chess stuff it´s a real extra.
Its more of a story and character dialogue heavy game which I enjoy with it's strongest aspects being how the story takes its premise seriously of you being a sexologist with dialogue actually reflecting that it is a serious profession and has serious insights and views on sex and kinks. Another strong point is the witty banter between the MC and the other characters that actually feel like people even if they are a bit stereotyped. The artstyle has these black outlines like a comic book or graphic novel which put me off from trying the game at first but after giving it a try learned to get used to it. At least I can pick it out from other more generic games. Another thing to point out that reactions generate points which can be allocated to certain skills which unlock kinks or sex scenes. Not all of them are useful at the moment so you should probably only allocate them when the need arises.
I want to like this game but I just find it pretty boring. Nothing about it is all that interesting except for the game mechanics but scenes are few and far between endless amounts of dialogue that I just kind of don't give a fuck about.
It's not that I don't care about a good story but I feel like the same amount could be said with less words. If it was a show, I wouldn't notice it but because it's a game it's really made obvious that a good amount of the dialogue is just mundane. 50% actually moves the story along or gives insight into the characters but the other half is like flavor text that is just a drag to read through.
I'm not really all that into the renders either. Which I mean ... if the character models looked better, it'd definitely help with getting through the dialogue.
The mechanics are interesting and is the reason I tried this but overall the game is kind of whatever. Not bad but not that great.
The game is one of the best on this site, amazing story telling and the rpg mechanics are also awesome. Really love the domination paths with Emma and Jen. Really hope there is a harem path. Looking forward to the next update.
The dialogue and overall writing is on a really high level and the story has so far (0.4) been extremely captivating. The different personalities and kinks of the ladies make them feel unique but the quality of the writing is what makes them appealing too which is rare in a porn game.
Short review for the wankers: it´s really, really good and it´s getting better! You should play it.
Random thoughts about stuff:
- 1st chapter had an artsy style with the black lines and the music. It was different, it was cool, pity some wankers didnt like it. Everyone´s loss.
- 7 love interests. Really? 4 would be fine. But no. We have the whole chapter 4 making up stories with the other 3... it feels half baked. In the end of that chapter we´re choosing a girl we´ve fallen in love with: 4 have a story to back it up, the rest...
- The skill system is great except the blue ones. I eat pussy like a mad man but it doest mean i´m evolving to be a sub slave.
- Kinks!! With real people, with issues, problems and a lot of talking. Trust! Have you told your wife you´re into porn games? It´s a fucking nightmare. Trust - talking - talking- trust-trust-talking- talking. It´s hard IRL and the devs know it. This isnt a post-aplocalyptic fantasy porn flik. Sure 8 people all with different kinks doesnt happen, it´s still a porn game but it´s really well done!!
- More kinks!! Not just feet and cuck! There is some great stuff here! I even think i have a new kink! Some scenes really got me going!! So HOT!
This is the First game I Rated with 5 Stars.
Aside from the story. You really can feel the work the creator/artist invested in this game. In my book the dedication you can find here is worth a bonus star, so due to the fact that the game isn't nearly finished yet and there are enough ways to screw it up later, I would say this is a 5.5 out of 5 Star Game atm.
I could although write some about Kim and Emma, but the Review would never end at this point.
Edited: I forgot to mention, it is a plus in my books that in this game the MC does NOT have a baseball bat in his pants.
My conclusion to this game. THANK YOU DEV!!! If I could afford it, I would support you on the Spot! But I hope you (if you ever Read this) that I have to think of my daily Bills first. I really enjoy this game and looking forward to the next updates
Greetings
Parmenion
Edited: Some typos, and Added one part regarding the MC at the end of the review
For the sake of transparency, let me first state any potential biases I may be seen to have; I have not at any point supported this title via Patreon or any other type of site. To date, the sole “support” that I may be perceived as giving is a few encouraging comments and this review.
About those comments (also to be transparent), I have had several discussions with the Developer debating various content and such, all of which were polite, amenable, and done with respect, and (aside from a single PM between us) these discussions are on F95 where anyone can see them.
I do not think I am biased towards, or against the MrSliverLust, or Nothing is Forever, but I would rather be upfront and honest and let everyone decide this for themselves.
Also please note that I am very much a ‘no sharing, no ntr, no ‘other males’ kind of player (my sig says it all). While I am trying to write this from an unbiased viewpoint, there is certain content that I simply don’t enjoy, I have limited my comments on this as I don’t think I can fairly judge it (also for the most part I didn’t play through that content).
This review will contain spoilers only where needed for an explanation, I have done my best to conceal them behind a spoiler tag, that said you are warned.
The review:
I have run through Nothing is Forever (Version 0.4.1) 2 and 1/2 times (because of a reload and selecting a different option as described below)
Firstly the story;
While a little depressing at times, it is well written, and the subject matter, which mainly focuses on the interaction between characters, but also extends to topics like Psychology and Chess all done to (and researched to) a degree that I did not find any issues or feel that the author was talking about things that they knew nothing about.
Beyond this the context of a game's MC attempting to start over and reset his life,
This makes for a fairly unique story concept, especially when mirrored with the consideration that the MC is supposed to be a professional Psychologist
All of this is interesting and while it doesn’t go into any true depth about these issues, it is still a lot better than most stories which just see the MC just do ‘stuff’ for ‘reasons’ and logic is a distant afterthought (if considered at all). I especially thought the character interactions, in terms of how they were mostly close friends reconnecting after several years were well done and unique enough to make the game stand out some.
The story is good and gets points for uniqueness and points for believability. With regards to the overall arch of “beginning-middle-end”, I don’t think it's really fair to comment on this either way until the story is finished.
There are some minor spelling issues “Hey” instead of “They” as well as some questionable syntax and sentence structure, but my understanding here could also be because I am ESL (English Second Language) myself.
Sound: I don’t play any games with sound, so I have no comment or opinion.
Graphics: Look at the screenshots, you are a better judge of what you like than I am.
The LI’s (brief overview);
The LI’s are a bit of a mixed bag, remembering that my personal bias which is very much the ‘Only Mc’ variety, means that several of the LI options are simply ‘not options’.
Those being (as in the NOT "Only MC" choices);
Deb
This ostensibly leaves only 3 real options for the "Only MC" player (Kind of...) I will give some thoughts on each of them individually later, but as an overall experience, these LI’s (Deb, Kim, Olivia & Bri) are pretty much ‘out’ for myself, and I suspect for the ‘Only Mc’ type player in general.
This left my choices narrowed down to Emma, Jen, and Lea. I played through firstly (blind playthrough) pursuing Lea, trying to not “repeat the MC’s past mistakes”, then a second playthrough with Jen as the focus. Emma’s story did not change much over each of these playthroughs though I treated her differently on each of them, selecting different options with her. I found that for Emma there isn’t much variation, and the game did not need a 3rd playthrough focused on her (As of v0.4.1).
I will get more into the issues that I found with the LI’s and how it affects the story after I talk about the kink system (the Skill Table), but suffice to say that after playing through the stories for each of these characters, my list of selectable LI’s was reduced to just Jen, maybe (depending on how things progress in future versions) Lea and Emma.
Though I would add that I did enjoy most of the non-sexual story for almost all the characters, Lea and Emma being the best as these two characters felt the most natural and fleshed out so far. They were the most well done in terms of creating personalities, but both of them fell somewhat flat because of their “Fetish” (more on this in the individual characters below) as addressing the kink system (Skill Table) first will help when addressing the characters as individuals.
The ‘Kink System’ (aka Skill Table) and other systems;
Firstly, I applaud new ideas and innovative attempts. The concept of purchasing ‘Kinks’ with points earned by playstyle is, on paper a very good one. However, I am undecided if the implementation of it is as good as the core idea. In practice, all it did was cause me to either cheat (2nd playthrough) to get enough points to unlock the choice I wanted, or reload the game and make several different ‘dialogue’ choices (which all led to the same overall result in story progression).
To be clear, this is a very good idea from the perspective of giving the feeling of choice, while keeping technical aspects like code flags, variables, and necessary filler texts lower, and I am sure that many players will appreciate the fact that even the "non-choice", choices have a minor, but cumulative effect on their ability to select new kinks.
The negative to this kink system (Skill Table) is the same as ‘down side’ as several other titles which try to give the player large amounts of customization and choice while playing. That issue is that the player is told clearly, in-game, at the point of a scene’s beginning that this path leads to a specific fetish or sexual event.
A spoiler-free example: (to clear this example is not content from Nothing is Forever it is purely an example from my drunk French mind)
MC exits the elevator, walks by the Janitor, and knocks on LI’s door. She opens the door clearly aroused and ready for the “scene” MC is prompted at this point to either enter her room and have a vanilla "scene” or to call the Janitor over for MMF "scene”.
In theory, this allows the player to select what content they would like to see, in reality, it can break immersion (important for any story-centric game). It is especially glaring to those players who are more vanilla focused (or at least very selective of fetishes) that this other content is there, even though they are going to "not see it". For some (like myself) this isn’t an issue, for others, it can be anywhere from a point of annoyance or frustration and FOMO to questions about the "canon story" path to a reason to drop a game.
I wonder if an option to accumulate points over the course of a chapter, spending them at the chapter's end during the summary screen, and thus only having a fetish path option displayed if the player has purchased said fetish, would be something that was possible? It might help to better hide the content that each player doesn’t want to see, instead of highlighting it, and reminding them that such content is there.
Beyond this, the kink system/skill table is generally a good idea. The only other issue I had with it was the need to purchase several of the “tier 1” skills before being allowed to purchase a “tier 2” skill. As it stands in v0.4.1 this design forces the player into selecting certain kinks that they may not want.
For example: (This IS from the game, but not a spoiler as the table is in the page 1 screenshots)
On the ‘Honorable’ table, suppose I wanted to be ‘Trustworthy’ and provide ‘Aftercare’ and be ‘Loyal’ but did not want to be into Sensation-play or be Adventurous or into Exhibitionism? With the current design, a player is forced to select some of these Vanilla (tier 1) options in order to further their desired path to “tier 2” and requires several “tier 2” for the “tier 3” Choice. I don’t know if there is another design decision for requiring a wider point spread (I cannot think of a reason), but as it sits this system does force the player to choose Kinks that they may not want. Though it does not force them to act upon those "Unwanted, purchased" kinks, so perhaps this will be a nonissue for most.
Overall, I think that the kink system/skill table is a good idea, both as a way for the player to narrow their content to ‘what they like’ but also as a way to allow for players to have some diversity in subsequent playthroughs (assuming that greater game path variation is introduced at a later point).
Aside from the issues and changes that I have mentioned, I think the only other real problem with the kink system\skill table is that it is vastly oversized and complex when held against the game's current content. That said, being that it’s currently v0.4.1 and not a beta or final release, this very well may change.
With regards to the other systems, there is a ‘drag and drop’ for fetish identification, it's basic but reminiscent of older detective games. There is also a good design for the ‘profile’ screen, which gives relevant information and lets the player know what path they are on for each LI.
The Individual LI’s; (In no particular order)
Before I get into each character, which itself should be brief (except for Lea), I will address one of the biggest issues that I had with the game, which is that each of the LI’s seemingly becomes defined by their fetish. To explain, each of the LI’s has a discoverable fetish (in some cases more than one) which, once deduced by the MC quickly becomes the identity, drive, and defining aspect for that character should the player choose to pursue them as a LI while having (in most cases) zero impact on them should the player choose to keep them as a friend only. This dichotomy is somewhat glaring and works against an otherwise immersive story.
Final Thoughts;
This is a tough one for me to call as a player. I can really appreciate the amount of work that has gone into the systems and quality of the game. While there are some issues with these systems, it’s still an early version and so there is plenty of time for balance, ironing out, and polish.
The story is hard to judge in the concept of Beginning-Middle-End as it is lacking the End and part of the middle. That said, if the concept of the story is defined by the characters and their interactions, then Nothing is Forever has (to date anyway) a very good story. A good story that sadly becomes disrupted and limited by the fact that each LI is put into a fetish "box" and if you don’t like or partake in that fetish, you will miss out on that character.
This issue leads directly to the core problem I found with Nothing is Forever. The individual fetishes of a LI aren’t learned until the MC has had a chance to “get to know” the characters (again, all of which are well written, not one-dimensional, and different from each other). As a result, I found that I enjoyed pursuing a LI until their fetish was revealed, at which point the game gives you the choice of either accepting (and purchasing the skill for) that fetish or all but dropping that LI in the romantic sense.
Overall I enjoyed the game, even if I was (by my own preferences) limited to only a few of the potential LI. My hope is that in the future, alternative content will be created for some of the characters which will allow them to be pursued without needing "their fetish" or at least only needing a vanilla level of it (which likely isn't realistic for some fetishes). Ultimately though, it's up to the developer how they wish to proceed with this.
Nothing is Forever is not the sort of game that I would usually play, so it is hard for me to recommend it. A major reason for the length of this review is to try and be precise and clear in what content I did find, what I enjoyed, and what I did not like. With the reasoning behind it. My hope is that it will inform a potential player without being disparaging to the developer. Hopefully, my descriptions are clear enough that potential players can choose for themselves and not be surprised by ‘whatever’.
Personally, I will give the game another try in a few releases and see how it does and while I don't think I would recommend it to the "Only MC" players (with the limitation on "Only MC" LI's there isn't all that much content for this type of player), I do think the game is decent. More content, especially content that would allow the pursuit of LI's without strict adherence to their kink, would make this title a 5/5 (even with the "Other stuff").
Some miscellaneous points that may or may not affect a potential player's choice to give Nothing is Forever a try (In no particular order)
-The game has zero futa content and no gay options. So there are no surprises that way.
-Not every girl (only 1 or 2 by my count) is bi-sexual is also a nice departure from how most games do things.
-The game doesn’t (as of v0.4.1) have lesbian content between LI’s. The typical, tired, and boring excuse of “It’s not cheating/NTR/”whatever” because they are both girls!” is not used in this title, which is surprisingly refreshing.
-Built-in cheats and a selection of play modes gives more points or hide results allowing for some diverse playstyles and player choice, both of which are good things.
-Aside from the instance specifically discussed above, all "scene" content is avoidable.
P.S if you made it this far in this long-winded review, open a bottle of wine and have a glass for me. You deserve it, especially if you read every "spoiler".
Nothing is Forever is a VN where you play as a psychologist recovering from a bumpy post-college start and the trials and tribulations he experiences.
My favorite part of this game is absolutely the main character. Unlike most VNs, the main character absolutely is not a blank slate. While you get to make a lot of decisions and guide his path, he has a life, a job, and a rather vicious recurring depression. I truly love the way the main character isn't some boring nothing with a half dozen girls hanging onto his every word. Instead, he’s a much more real person, with flaws, dreams, and feelings of his own.
Speaking of which, the girls are pretty great too. They all have their own circumstances in their lives and frankly, it's the wrong time and/or situation for a relationship for many of them... though that may not stop you from pursuing them, possibly to BOTH of your detriments. There are times when I feel like they’re a little bit flat in regards to personality and quirkiness, but I greatly appreciate how they all have goals and things they believe in. Honestly, that might say more about how other games push their characters to extreme personalities rather than anything about this game. The characters here feel very real.
As far as gameplay goes, Nothing is Forever definitely steps past most VNs. While making choices is still the core gameplay, there are more consequences to your choices than just "girl 1 liked that." Instead, your choices develop your character's personality, making him more honorable, cunning, sensitive, or manly. Choosing these options generates you points of the same types which you can use to unlock sex skills for your character, which in turn unlocks scenes.
This system means main characters with different personalities might not be able to unlock certain scenes with certain girls. For instances, there's a scene early in the game that requires the main character to be very manly relative to how early in the game it occurs. There was no way I could possibly have unlocked it... which I appreciated a great deal. That's not the type of character I was playing, so it felt appropriate that I missed out. I'm rather likely to go back and pick it up while roleplaying someone different.
In addition, there’s another whole system that revolves around discovering other character’s kinks. While this is somewhat interesting, the hints and kinks system feels a little shallow honestly. I’m not sure how you could possibly NOT figure anything out, as you can’t miss any hints as far as I know. While it adds a little bit of flavor in regards to the “psychology” focus of the game and maybe a little bit of help if you’re coming back to the game after an absence, that’s about it.
While the systems are much more interesting than in a typical VN, I do have some concerns about them. First, being monogamous seems like it will make the game easy. As of chapter 4, I’m rolling in extra points because I haven’t tried to pursue multiple girls. I hope all the points I’ve been generating will have an actual use towards improving the main character’s life or changing the game in some way.
Second, is the dev going to be able to focus too much on any single character’s route with so many characters? If I run through the game monogamously, will I have whole chapters in which I have no sexual or romantic encounters whatsoever? I suppose I could get over it, but the game will feel much less rewarding if there’s whole chapters in which the girl I’ve chosen gets a low amount of focus.
Third, how much will the main character’s personality actually shift the story? I’m not insanely concerned about this point, as my character’s interactions with Kim are already set to warp the story pretty hard. I’m still a little worried that a cunning asshole will have the same end results as my honorable bastard save for maybe ending up with a different girl.
Finally, it seems a little bit weird that a main character without a particularly strong personality, one who plays an even split of all personality styles, will likely see the most content. They’ll be able to diversify sex skills hardest and manage the most scenes and girls. I’m getting the impression that certain girls won’t be particularly interested in a main character that plays the field, so hopefully that’ll manage things at least a little, but I feel like a social chameleon style character is just more boring and defeats the purpose of personalities at all. It shouldn’t be encouraged.
The story is about as good as realistic fiction gets as far as I’m concerned. I’ll be the first to note that I prefer fantasy and sci-fi and stories that focus on the fate of the world rather than the fate of one guy and his job, but I can appreciate a good character drama for what it’s worth.
Speaking of personal preference, if you’re a fan of exhibitionism, you owe it to yourself to play this game. Lea is a goddamn gem, and that’s all I’ll say at risk of spoiling things.
Overall, the game is great. The issues I have with it generally spring more from genre and ambition than anything else. The girls are cute, the characters are great, and the story allows us to see the best, and worst, of the main character. It’s a solidly good game and I look forward to playing more of it as it comes.
This VN is exceptional! definitely a "top ten" in my book.
at first I tried playing a path based on the color of my choices, trying to make a "build" of sort (manly\honorable). after some time I figured that this was definitely not the way to play the game, so I just started choosing the stuff that felt right to me based on the situation and that no doubt was the right way to play.
this game deserves much more attention.
highly recommend you give it a try.
The selfloathing of MC gets tedious and this coming from someone who spent over 10 years clinicly depressed. (more something like teenangst)
Skill system with to little explanation what the skills entitle the MC too do.
The kinks are far to dominant and way to locked in.
The writing is over par and sometime really really good and some times less..
But giving this a 5 means that this is the BEST game ever on F95??? not even if you are into kinks and kinks only. Still a game above par if you like kinks and more kinks and then even more
v0.4.1
5 stars... I am struggling to find something I don't like about this VN. The characters are all so well-defined and varied; they look different, behave and act differently, powered by wonderful dialogue and a unique progress system that is really well-adapted for RP. Some of the LIs' stories are more advanced than others at this stage which is both natural and frustrating; but frustrating in a good way, because the individual arcs are so well written and diverse that you just want more. Seven LIs, and at face value I can guess that a lot players have the same preferences, but I think this is the hidden beauty of this VN. None are vanilla because they each have their own quirks, hangups and background stories. The two that are so far the least developped of the relationships could be two of the most surprising LIs if I can second guess MrSilverLust. The other five are already wonderful in different ways.
This VN is very imaginative, and provides a clever customization interface that is both complex and beautifully presented. The choices are pertinent, the RP part works seemlessly, and for those who aren't interested in that sort of thing, the Designer has provided a short cut. An elegant and emotional VN. I couldn't give it less than 5 stars.
This VN could have worked just as well with a female protagonist and would have been immediately the best FP VN on this site in my eyes. This VN, with a brilliant male protagonist, is one of the best easily.
