VN - Ren'Py - One Day at a Time [Ch. 18c] [Zoey Raven]

The storyline is engaging, heartbreaking at times; well written. It's obvious the author has knowledge of the subject matter, and is very compelling in the story-telling. The girls are beautiful, although the MC didn't get quite the same level of attention to detail, which is ok. The scenes aren't quite as developed as other VNs, but that's easy to overlook due to the entirety of everything else. Great job, ZoeyRaven!

The story is quite unique, it is not common to see this type of novels where the protagonist and his friends are victims of heroin addiction.

Amidst all the drama, the focus on sex seems kinda secondary – probably because for a drug addict, the main priority is just getting high. They mention early on that once you're deep into addiction, pleasure doesn't even register anymore; you're just using to avoid feeling "sick". When I realized that, I end up feeling sorry for the characters – poor girls dealing with their demons. The girls are nice, but their messed-up personalities and struggles don't really captivate me. I hoped the main character would recover, so I stuck around to see how the "sober" path played out.

I couldn't figure out why there are so many choices in the game if they barely affect anything besides a few lines of dialogue. Supposedly, making the right choices earns you points with the girls, but no matter what you choose, you always end up getting intimate with them. So why bother with choices at all?
The main character is constantly hitting on his girlfriends, trying to build a harem or something, and all the girls are cool with it! I don't get what they see in him because all he does is interrupt them and talk about series and movies.

At first, I was intrigued by where the story was headed, however, as the story progressed, it began to bother me all the pointless small talk, movie references, and other nonsense that just went on forever. I don't mind reading a good story, but by the middle of the first season, I couldn't take it anymore. The story just keeps dragging on, making the game more and more dull. The constant character struggles, hysteria and drama started to annoy me. The dialogues are so long that you could skip them for hours and still not finish the novel, it's insane.

The graphics aren't great, and those poorly done sex scenes don't help either, with 2-fps animations and distracting descriptive text popping up during the action. Who needs a play-by-play of their thoughts during sex, seriously?
There were no separators between scenes, one moment they are talking in the living room at home and in the blink of an eye they are on a beach or having dinner in a restaurant, it's very messy.

I don't get why this game is so overrated when it's just average at best. On one hand, it's interesting to play from the perspective of a drug addict and follow the main character's recovery journey, but it's disappointing how this visual novel fails in every aspect, from low-quality graphics to unappealing characters and the story that doesn't seem to go anywhere with the absurd amount of filler text, it ends up being a below average game.

P.S.: Dear author or people who may be offended by this review of a visual novel for adults about the personal struggle with drug dependence,

I want to express my respect and support for the important topic your work addresses. While I appreciate the message, I must honestly admit that I was unable to give a positive review due to quality concerns. My intention was to provide constructive feedback to help future improvements, not to diminish the importance of the topic. I am sorry for any offense caused and hope for your understanding.

"One Day at a Time" dives into the gritty and often heartbreaking world of addiction, relationships, and personal redemption. This narrative-driven VN distinguishes itself through its mature themes and complex character portrayals, offering a unique experience for players who appreciate deep storytelling and character development.

Storyline
The protagonist of "One Day at a Time" is an active heroin addict, living with his girlfriend Lydia, who is also an addict. The game does not shy away from depicting the harsh realities and struggles of addiction, presenting a raw and unflinching look at the lives of those affected. The storyline branches based on the player’s decisions, which can lead to either redemption or further degradation, making every choice significant and impactful.

The game is structured into multiple chapters, each adding depth to the protagonist’s journey and relationships. As the protagonist navigates through the challenges of addiction, they encounter various characters who influence their path. The decisions players make not only affect the protagonist’s fate but also the lives of those around them, highlighting the interconnected nature of personal choices and consequences.

Characters
The characters are well-developed and multidimensional, each with their own backstories, motivations, and struggles:

• The Protagonist: The main character’s journey is the core of the narrative (surprise). As an addict, his interactions and decisions are heavily influenced by his need for heroin, but there is always the potential for change based on the player’s choices.
• Lydia: The protagonist’s girlfriend and fellow addict, Lydia’s character is a constant presence and influence. Her relationship with the protagonist is complex, filled with moments of tenderness, conflict, and mutual dependence.
• Other Women: Throughout the game, the protagonist meets several other women, each offering different relationship dynamics. Players can choose to romance or corrupt these characters, which significantly impacts the storyline and the protagonist’s development.

Themes and Decisions
This visual novel is not just about addiction; it explores themes of love, trust, betrayal, and the possibility of redemption. The game’s narrative is heavily choice-driven, with each decision shaping the storyline in profound ways. This mechanic adds a layer of replayability, as players may want to explore different paths and outcomes.

The depiction of addiction is handled with a surprising level of sensitivity and realism for an AVN. The game does not glamorize the protagonist’s lifestyle; instead, it offers a sobering look at the consequences of addiction and the difficult road to recovery. This mature handling of such a serious topic sets "One Day at a Time" apart from many other titles in the genre.

Conclusion
"One Day at a Time" is a standout title in the AVN genre, offering a gripping and emotionally charged narrative. Its unflinching look at addiction, coupled with deep character development and impactful choices, makes it a must-play for fans of mature, story-driven games. The game’s strength lies in its ability to make players care about the characters and their journeys, providing an experience that is both thought-provoking and engaging.

Story 2/5
Main story and main focus is about a couple living a life being drug addicts with all that follows that lifestyle like constant money issues and the danger of overdose, it also adds them bringing a clean friend into that lifestyle which i wasent that big a fan off since they know the hell they are living, MC can try to stop it but the friend will start using anyway, not that MC tried very hard to stop it, even though shes not totaly hooked yet she dosent even stop after nearly getting raped and maybe even killed, that should have been more then enough of a wake up call for her to get out while she still could and also a good time for MC to try to get her to stop but no they just keep using drugs and get teach her how to get drugs and get to know the dealer and shit like that...its a bit to idiotic if MC really cared he would have done alot more sooner.

I expected more from this though when seeing this kinda of game overview quote "Along the way you will meet several other women and have the chance to either romance, or in some cases corrupt them. There will be many important decisions to make on your journey towards recovery. How will you choose to embrace your new way of life? This is entirely up to you... "

You would expect this so be choice driven but game forces multiple LIs/Sex scenes on you, so you really dont have much of a choice as stated.

It is quite a slowburn but it somehow fits the story and i did enjoy the relationship parts but i would have liked to have started with a single MC where you get to pick a girl to live with instend of having it forced on you, it is an AVN after all, i would have liked someone like Sam to be the main LI atleast she looks more hot then any of the others, but shes just a short side girl thing for most of the game and comes into the game waaaaaaay to late.

What annoys me the most is that there are alot of fake choices, like when you tell some one you dont want any part of it and then MC changes hes mind and does it anyway, its like he has 0 backbone and that annoys me.

Also you got to be so damn carefull with choices and your forced to read the walkthrough if you dont want to end up fucking someone you dont want to, i dident like Maya and first time i ending up feeling she was forced on me since i dident really understand why from earliere choices so it takes very little to end up in a path you might not want.

Normaly i dont use walkthroughs but was forced to in this one since when Maya was forced on me, i thought i did everything possible to not be with her and still ended up fucking her, so had to replay from start...and much later i found out another LI is forced on you.....ffs.....

Problem is that ALOT of choices is almost the same it can be such a small diffrense like if its ending with a ? or ! one gives a point another dosent....i hate that you cant just say no and close down someones path insted of this stupid point shit, just give the player the option to say no when ever it gets to the sex scene....it would be much more simple to make instend of all the points, which for the player feels alot more like work trying to avoid points and not having the freedom to pick the choices they want due to points fucking up the hole game when it comes to relationships.

And why the fuck does the game force a girl on you when you have 0 points with her? why have this hole idiotic point system with all the girls when game still just force you to fuck someone? its like dev is trying to ruin the game, im talking about Barb which i never wanted anything what so ever to do with and MC fucks her while hes girl friend is close by and it destroys any chance of a faithfull route and MC wants to fuck her? why? and MC then talks to Barb like he wants to be with her and he loves her and the only thing stopping a real relationship with them is Barb? it feels so idiotic when you as the player got no points with Barb and never went after her in that way, so its truely forced on you and MC never even thinks about Lydia hes girlfriend not even for a second?....tell me thats not brainless?

This made me quit the game, no real point of playing on when game starts to force shit on you and destroy the route your playing, i went for Lydia SOLO route meaning faithfull, none cheating route....i couldent care less about Lydia saying shes fine with MC fucking other girls that dosent mean the MC i play wants to do that shit to her, then you might as well make the game a mindless fuckfest or a kinetic novel insted.

Girls 2/5
They are just very low quality and almost look like male faces, really not suited for an adult game and paints a weird picture of people on drugs are automaticly ugly? i dunno but it feels a bit stupid, the 2 points in this one is based on Sam alone.

Animations 3/5
Some are decent others are really poor, so overall average at best.

Choices 1/5
Saying no as MC gets changed into a yes which is annoying, you cant stay faithfull if you want to, alot of the choices are pretty close to 100% the same where one gives a point the other dosent which is a bit bland, it also makes the hole game very kinetic when you constantly gets 2 or 3 choices where they are all the same text just said in a diffrent way.

Music 2/5
Very standard background stuff and nothing decent with lyrics.

I uped this to 2 stars since main story is pretty good but it gets ruined by forced relationships/sex scenes with people that arent the girlfriend and by MC wanting to be with someone other then hes girlfriend and its totaly out of the hands of the player, and with relationships being a huge part of the story it just ruined it for me personaly.

Ok I finished chapter 16 this morning. First I would like to thank the Dev for making this AVN for us. I am sure it was a hard thing to do and probably at the same time cathartic to do. I spent my entire adult life as paramedic and dealt with the worst things in life. I saw how much damage drug abuse and use did to people's lives. Not only the user/abuser but everyone who had to deal with it. This story is top notch. Not the blubbering like I did when I played Leap of Faith, but then again I was in a bad place when I played that with a recent breakup and financial issue. The characters are well thought out and their stories integrate perfectly into the main story. The dev keeps the story moving at the same time entertaining us and giving us laughs at time. Only the second AVN I've ever seen with fart jokes. Not over done but a well done fart joke is always funny.

I had to play the sober route and love route with Audrey. I might go back one day and play the junkie and corrupt Audrey route one day but I do not know if I can.

Renders are good, lewds were good but personally I would have liked a few more but that is just my personal view. It's the dev's story to make and us to play. While on personal tastes I am not a fan of un-natural hair colors. I guess it's just me being an old fart that moved to a small town in retirement and the only women I see with that kind of hair are rabid misandrists. While Audrey's hair at first was a mousey brown making her ginger kind of saddened me. But those on this forum know I am no fan of gingers. Barb's hair does look like a wig though.

I am looking forward to more of this great story from the Dev and thanks again for sharing your story.

I really like this game. I play on another site and just find this one. It have engaging conversation. Really good character and decent enough sex scenes.

I like how personality different with each girl and how they all are developed and have arc to them. It's the same with the story. It do a good job of not leaving you in one place for very long and explore addiction to great extent. But, there is much fun in it too.

Renders - This is hard one for me because they get better later. So I give 4.

Writing - I give 5 to this one of the best written game of this kind I play.

Story - 5 Like I say it does not leave you in one place, it evolve.

Overall - 5 I am always left at the end of one update wanting more. So that must make it 5.

Try this, it gets deep at time, but it needs to, and is also light the rest of the time.

One of the best games on this site. Great renders of beautiful women and also has a very good story. It also teaches those who never faced addiction with themselves/a SO or as a professional on the job what it is like for everyone involved.

Wonderfully written characters and a plot that's meaningful but not overly complicated. Good stuff.

The only reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5 is that, for some reason, the writing gets bloated/slight cringey during sex scenes. It's a little weird since the rest of the dialogue is written genuinely really well - feels almost like a different person wrote those lines.

There are definitely a lot of pop/culture references that will fly over peoples' heads (it did mine), but if you look past that, it's quite nice.

This game has a real problem. See, this game can be divided 50/50. 50% is a very good VN, it can get very emotional, has funny moments and the exploration of the life of a heroin addict is both unique, interesting and very well done (which could be expected from the dev's experience). HOWEVER, the other 50% of this VN is literally rants about whatever pop and cult culture the dev is into. It get's old and tiring quite fast. Look, devs putting references to their interests in games is normal and often something I like, but in this game it goes too far for me. In every single conversation in this game there's multiple cases of the dev taking advantage to reference and go on a rant about movies, shows and music he likes, which on top of that are often niche media interests from 20-30 years ago that most people frankly either don't remember or know at all. Hell, I'm a bit of a movie buff with a soft spot for old movies and I had no idea what half the movie references were about. It didn't bother much at first but slowly grinded me down until about day 6 and I just slogged sporadically until day 8 before I quit, because I found most of the dialogue completely uninteresting. The dev wouldn't need to stop it completely, just cut this stuff by half or something and it would make the game MUCH more enjoyable. It's very frustrating, it could easily be a 5 stars, but this reference fest has unfortunately made it almost unplayable for me.

A really great game because of the story.

A little too much reference to films and music for me and not really good animation but that in no way diminishes the good and sometimes emotional experience you get with this game.

Suffers WAAAAAY too much from the problem of "the author's voice". Every single character is virtually the same, with the same interest in movies. We get to experience this in the most banal, boring and obnoxiously long conversations over and over ad nauseam.

Sex scenes range from passable to laughably bad. Quite impressive how our protagonist seems to break the laws of physics and human anatomy when thrusting away.

I get the feeling that this got a high rating because of the personal story of the author themselves, not based on its own merits. I'm glad the author was able to get and stay sober, certainly not knocking that. But taken on its own, this one is vastly overrated.

I give this give game 5 stars...If I could give it 10 stars I would...it really messes with your emotions in a good way and through out the game you try to become a better person. I choose the sober path which fit me as a person much better...the women in the game are beautiful and caring...especially Samantha...she is stunning

I normally don't write reviews but this story is so good and doesn't have the attention it deserves. Hope it helps to get more people to play this great game.


English is not my first language, hope my review is "readable".


This is one of my favorite VNs. The story is very interesting and there's already so much content. Must be much more then 10hours (never counted). At start I feared it would be maybe to dark, because it's a heavy topic but it never put me in a bad mood.


Especially the girls are great, all with different personalities and problems but nevertheless lovable. While Audrey is my favorite I really like the interactions between Lydia and the MC. They are very refreshing and always so much fun to read. Never used heavy drugs by myself but as a smoker at least I can connect to the topic addiction and how hard it is to stop bad habits if your subconsciousness isn't ready for it.


Summary: great story, great charterers, good graphics, sound and animations

I can safely say that this is one of the most boring games I ever played and that's coming from someone who reviews and plays story driven AVN for a hobby, first of all there is so much meaningless text that could be taken out of the game that provides nothing interesting or meaningful, renders are basic, animations are weird and janky, the same songs play every few scenes, options don't really matter, lighting in renders is bad, the story is all over the place, characters don't feel remorse or face repercussions, other than Lydia the other girls have bland personalities, the game has walls and walls of text but you get the point I could go on and on about how bad the game is.

I thought about writing an in depth review of the game but there really isn't much to write about other than the game being painfully mediocre so I will keep this one semi short.

I spent like 4 hours playing this and wish I had my time back it was so hard to not fall asleep I am shocked why this game is so highly rated I wouldn't even rank this in my top 50 favorite AVN only positive I can say is props to the dev for at least writing about something positive and helping people understand addiction but in terms of game quality it leaves too much to be desired I cant rate this higher than a 2/5 otherwise I would be lying to myself.

sorry I don't really write reviews so it's kinda all over the place and there is mild spoilers

I would give this 4.5 but since I can't I leave it at 5
currently I finished chapter 11 and will wait a while to play season 2
this game isn't heavily focused in porn aspect of AVN and also is kinda in slice of life genre there is some drama but it's regular day to day kinda game so not everyone will like this game especially if you don't like to read I myself use the text to voice in ren'py so it isn't really a bother to me
even though renders aren't really good especially in sex scenes which is why I wanted to give the game 4.5 but I like the locations and charcters
locations: don't feel empty and there is this feel of real world to it the transition renders helped a lot like for example in chapter 1 Nethan and Lydia talk in their house then they go outside and talk then in the car then on the road then Nethan goes to pawn shop then comes back in the car then they wait in back alley for their dealer there is this sense of realism to it dialogue doesn't end in home then start again at pawn shop it's paced through the path I don't say its like this for all the scenes but I will say it was done enough that it doesn't feel like too much or it's a jump from one scene to another
characters: I like them, most of the girls have a history with Nethan even though they all like to laugh at his expense,they all are realistic as far as a AVN goes I like the dynamic between Nethan and Lydia they banter with each other all the time but they both love each other it really is shown when Lydia talked to barb about Nethan and how he handled stuff when her mother died and was there for her beside Lydia I really like Barb like how she is the one Nethan has the most history with and they clearly still loved each other when they broke up but they broke up because barb wanted to get sober and now that Nethan is sober they can go back to where they left off and be in each others life and Lydia is kinda insecure about it and I also like how Barb was kinda insecure about sam because she is kinda younger than her like I said I like the characters they feel real have emotion their background and history even the way they dress like how Nethan make fun of Lydia for wearing jean shorts and top all the time

here in the end I wanted to talk about small things I find interesting or nitpick a little
I maybe be reading to much into it but I like to think this is deliberate and is the real reason: Nethan said to Sam that she reminds him of himself and they are a lot like each other and that's why I think this is why Barb is really emotionally invested in Sam's recovery and she kinda see her as a substitute for Nethan
choises aren't really diffrent just kinda diffrent way of saying the same thing sometimes just one or two words change mostly relationship point change or some minor dialogue change later on like I don't know what will even happen with barb sub or dom points and I think I have to wait till the the end for mc to give Lydia's ring back like it doesn't make sense Nethan is working at pawn shop and they both are friends with the owner doesn't he think that Lydia will ask the owner about the ring?
I only went the sober route and don't know what happens in junkie route so I think besides this sober/ junkie route the only meaningful choise is working for Brenda or not and if not it will block the Brenda path and lead to another character that is otherwise you don't have any access to which I haven't checked it out myself
ok one last thing what I really like is tvshows movies musics actors singers and bands that have been refrenced in the game have the real name not like other AVN that use like porn parody names for them

there is lot of old movie and music reference like all the characters do them like developer taste is really shown, all the characters know what movie or show or song is being quoted well I can give most of the characters a pass like hey they know each others for years and spend a lot of time with each other and watched stuff together but when a random waiter did this movie quote stuff that was weird

I remember very clearly in the earlier versions/releases of this game where I was hesitant about giving it a try. A story with a drug-addicted MC really didn't sound like my kind of thing at all. It isn't some strong moralistic distaste for drug culture, nor bad personal experiences, it just isn't my thing. There's a significant 'powerlessness' in many addicts that just isn't as much fun to roleplay as it may be spectacular to watch in a movie like Trainspotting. Some people are thrilled to watch a train-wreck happen, while others are sickened, and I tend more toward the latter.

That's a minor part of it. Truth be told I was far more concerned that this was a very personal story to the developer, and might, intentionally or otherwise, be trying too hard to make a statement, or spread a message, over simply telling an interesting story in an engaging way.

So, I was cautious in trying it out, some versions ago, and very quickly realized that my worries were for nothing. There is plenty of choice and agency in the MC you want to play, and while there are certainly some strong messages and 'preaching' in the story, they are situation appropriate and educational, and don't detract from the story at all.

That then segues neatly into my feelings on the story and the plot. I'm a story loving guy. If the story is weak, or sucks, I am always going to notice it, even in big budget movies where insane action sequences and special effects are meant to stop you paying too much attention to plot holes or story logic.

One Day At A Time is aptly named. This is a day to day story, and thus somewhat of a 'slice of life' type, where small daily events and day by day steps are the focus, rather than big action scenes, or world-changing events. However, there is very good story and character development, and a genuine sense of progression at all times, at least in the choices I have made in my playthrough.

The story is all about the character journey(s), and in that, it is well told, well planned, and I greatly enjoy it. However, if the small details of characters are not your thing, then you may not enjoy it as much, and wonder why so much time is spent on characters watching a movie together, sharing inside jokes, or just having a BBQ. The clue is in the game's name. It is a story of the day to day.


Having mentioned the character journeys and character development being a main focus, let's talk about the characters themselves. The characters are a diverse cast, all well detailed, each with a palpable sense of their own identities and personalities. One immediately gets the sense that these are modelled directly on real persons known to the author, and that realism pays off.

Just like real life, some characters may make decisions or take actions that bug you sometimes. You can love a person and certainly not love everything they do, or like. Or at least, any well adjusted human can. If you struggle with such humanity in the real world then there's a fair chance you'll struggle with it in this story too.

I will take a moment to address that many of the characters that love each other dearly also insult each other, play quite mean pranks, and get very competitive with each other. This is not just something quite realistic, but is also, I believe as a writer myself, one of the things that help combat the feelings of the MC being weak or a simp. It gives you a stronger sense that the MC gives as good as he gets, and has agency, even when for writing purposes the other characters often have to lead scenes (so the writer can steer the story without unduly railroading player choices through forced MC decisions). It works really well in that sense, but I can imagine that it may feel a bit adversarial for some players who have never thought of telling stories from an author/developer POV where you have to know what is going to happen in advance in order to render those scenes.

The models... Ah, yes. Once again a fair variety within the restriction that obviously most of them are going to be more pleasing to the eye in a story than they might be expected to be in life. Let's simply say that they are all 'well cast' in their roles, predominantly attractive, fit, audience-pleasing choices. Then there is Sam who is just insanely hot.

Gameplay is very much a VN, but that's the exact right choice for this kind of story/narrative. Having to navigate a free roam environment or mini-game your way through cooking would certainly not enhance the experience.

Okay, so, a fairly long review, what is my TL;DR, right?

This is a five star game.

It doesn't get there on the visuals and renders like some, although there's absolutely nothing bad about the renders, poses, and general visuals of the game, but rather on the mastery of doing the small things well. Any fool can take an exciting scene and big action plot and make it exciting and filled with action. Doing the small things really well, believably, and engagingly takes real talent. This game showcases exactly that kind of talent, and has it in spades.

Review for Release 0.15.
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The structure of this review is probably not traditional, but it's what I feel it's right.

General Points:

Graphics: I found them sufficient. They were meant to help tell the story, not to be THE STORY. In that respect, they performed their role.
Animations: Like the graphics they were meant to be a supporting asset. While sufficient, there was a clear improvement from the start to the last one. Even if they aren't the best and even sometimes quite janky, I don't consider their role that important that it in any shape or form reduced my enjoyment.

The Cast:

The whole cast was admirably well designed. If beauty or hotness are subjective issues, their look fit their role, nothing more needed to be expected, but, was surpassed in all cases.

MC : His looks fit the role. I read several mentions that his personality was this or that, while every one can have their opinion, what was clear to me is that he's a nice cool kid I wouldn't mind to be friends with. I think that sums it up.

Lydia: In terms of looks, one of the best ones. In terms of personality, I have to be clear, I would marry her. With a few differences, I did. Her relationship with the MC is delicious and BOTH are responsible for that, but, her maturity and confidence are simply extraordinary.

Mary: Almost the last in terms of attractiveness for me, while beautiful and well proportioned, there's simply something in her that makes me rank her lower, I spent all the time playing, trying to figure out exactly what, but couldn't. Her personality is too similar to mine, I'm absolutely the wrongest person to say anything about it.

Barb: The second best in looks. This character had me from it's first scene and never let me go. A good combination of tough, sensitive, sensible and gloriously HOT.

Melissa: Much better with the second hairstyle. The way her personality shifts during the game felt quite real. I ended up liking her very much.

Audrey: Her looks are probably what I would place at the bottom. Not because she isn't good looking, but in this veritable sea of beauties, she draw the shortest stick. Unlike her looks, her personality is delightful and rivals only with 2 others.

Sam: My absolute favorite in looks. In personality she's right up there with Lydia, I couldn't possibly choose between them.

Kayla: Super Hot babe, so much so, that I consider her a class of her own. A fantastic sense of humor.

Shelly: Nicely balanced but one of the last ones. We haven't met her for long enough, but seems a nice girl with many interesting particulars to explore.

Angie: Good looking. I'll say I like her, so far, but, I still feel a bit guilty with her.

Brenda: Nice looks. Amazing personality.

Mom: Hmmmm, yumiii. I'm warming up to her, but, not there yet.

Rick: Nice looks. Didn't feel all that steady since his introduction, he showed a tendency for intensity, that put me off almost instantly.

Tommy: Great looks. From these 2 or 3 scenes he seems to be the opposite of Rick. Very calm and peaceful, like somebody that found his place and feels centered in it.

Jose: He looks the part. Very cool guy, with a great heart, the best of the secondary characters.

Reggie: His looks are improving, as would be expected. Nothing much yet.

The Story:

It is my understanding that this is a softened version of what would be a rather gruesome and hard to stomach story. I was personally and quite closely involved in stories similar to this. My real life versions didn't have this many successful results, and WAY many more Rick like endings. From what I could understand from this. so far, it is an attempt to show the people that would never been close to this world a palatable version of what it entails. It is much more didactic then it is realistic. All that happens in this story, is possible and it happens, it is however, and quite unfortunately, not the most common result.

Just as an example, after a dry spell, that lasted a week, on the day of the return, in a small town in coastal Portugal (the whole country has less population than large L.A.) I counted 25 od's. Many of them people with many years in the street.

We are, thankfully, spared from the gut wrenching pain and prolonged suffering of the families and friends, of the uncertainty and panic of the dry spells, of the euphoria and depression of the detox cycle. We are also spared of the extremes of the mental health problems that so many times accompany and develop within these communities.

Yes, it is a VERY sanitized and palatable version, but, one that allows a glimpse of the horrors that lie in a syringe. I found no lies, no imprecision, no fantasy. Yes, it is a VERY niche and uncommon possibility, but, real and verifiable.

There really was no need to go to extremes to paint it darker and gruesome. This isn't the medium for that.

The Sex:

You will excuse me if I have to say that in this case, it was, for me, completely secondary. Exciting? Yes. Could very well be a fade to black, my opinion wouldn't change. The threesomes being the best part of it all.

Conclusion:

While not a exhausting depiction of the sub-world it is based on, it is still a well done approach with enough depth to those that know about it, and enough levity for those that are being introduced to it for the first time. It isn't shocking. It isn't forgiving. It is, mostly, didactic. With a serious emphasis on trying to show the other side, that is almost always ignored or vilified. The only villain here is "The Disease". To my eyes, it makes a rather good job of explaining it and it's grasp on it's victims.

The love and friendship relationships depicted felt, in some cases, a bit rushed and oversimplified, this is mostly a consequence of the medium and a need for brevity, rather than an attempt to bring the sex scenes sooner.

For my tastes, my knowledge of the theme, my history and involvement with this, I felt all that respected and represented.

My Rating is mostly based on the Cast and the Story, rather than Graphics and Animations.

*****

P.S.: Expecting the continuation with very high interest.

I finally bit the bullet and decided to see why this game was so highly rated. I've always glanced over it , but the previews always looked really bad to me, so I'd put off giving it a chance. Well, I decided to give it a chance and I'm really unimpressed. I should have just went with my gut feeling on this one.

I'm convinced this game suffers from a deep confirmation bias simply because of what it's about. It's the equivalent of saying: "I'm so sorry this happened to you, here's all my sympathy and support that I wouldn't normally give someone else, for some other game, were it not for the subject matter in question. You're so brave." I think this game is grossly overrated. It's essentially a participation trophy. Here's why:

• Sex scenes and animations are short, and hilariously bad. I audibly laughed seeing the MC dislocate his legs and hips as he used the force to glide his entire body forwards and backwards in place. Same thing with the girls. Really poor animation all-around. All of the scenes (and there's hardly any here) are very manufactured and feel like they were only really added to put the "adult" in this adult novel. This is a text dump disguised as an adult game. It's like they knew that if no sex scenes were added, nobody would be interested in the game, so they sprinkled a few here in there to meet the quota.
  
  
• Renders aren't great. Lighting is always off and it feels like your typical cookie cutter Daz asset dump where most of the girls look the same with different hair and/or sets of makeup. Stiff looking models with glazed over eyes that stare lifelessly into space like they're just dolls or props. Personally I don't find them to be all that attractive either. Very run of the mill.
  
  
• The characters. It feels like the entire function of the MC isn't really as the main character. He's just there as a placeholder to agree with the vapid, annoying, and bland girls. The girls are the main characters here because all there is in this game is their constant, stupid conversations about nothing. Over, and over, and over again. Nobody calls out anyone on their bullshit, and accountability simply doesn't exist in this universe. It's basically Lydia, then a bunch of off-brand Lydias with different vices. It's actually hard to describe them separately if you don't mention their job, living situation, or looks. They're all essentially the same character.
  
  
• Outside one specific junkie route, the choices are entirely useless and are there only to give you 3 ways to say the same thing, or 3 ways to simp for the girls.
  
  
• Do you like movies? The author REALLY likes movies. And so does every character in the game. Equally. They all somehow like the same movies. Be prepared for tons of dated references that never truly feel like they belong.
  
  
• The story... ugh, the story. It's awful. None of it makes sense. Where do I even start? They have FREE housing and living quarters? Family is there to support you? Large network of people you know that are also wealthy? No problem getting out of trouble with the authorities because you're somehow friends with talented legal aides? Parole officer who cares about you? Doctor "friend" that hooks you up? Access to easy travel and the means to go out, do whatever you want, and enjoy yourself? And don't even get me started on how "easy" the recovery is going for these people. It's a joke how simple it all is. I was seriously expecting some grit here. Some realism. Some tragedy and struggle. It doesn't have to be edgy, it just shouldn't be this stupid. But nope, just walls upon walls of text about nothing. You probably think I'm exaggerating with the whole "text dump" commentary. Trust me, I'm being extremely diplomatic. Of all the games I've played in nearly a decade on this site, none are as ridiculously verbose, convoluted, and just all around "please shut the fuck up" as this one is. Apathy set in real quick.

I could go on, but honestly this is long enough. Whereas other games will have you hopelessly grind a sandbox, this game has you grind vapid, entirely banal conversations between the girls just to get to anything of substance. And let's talk about "substance" here for a second. If this game were about any other topic, and no personal backstories of the author themselves were attached to this game, I'm very confident it wouldn't be nearly as well received. Put aside the sympathy points being milked here for the topic used and you quickly notice just how woefully lackluster it is on its own. Nothing here feels realistic, and instead of a good story about the ups and downs of true addiction, the lifestyle and hopelessness of street life, I'm greeted with an easymode mickey mouse version you'd expect to see some spoiled privileged kid who had a falling out with their parents go through, with almost all the means and resources they need to breeze on by, with little to no hardship. It's almost offensive in its portrayal.

I don't think this game is worth your time unless all of that sounded positive to you. Perhaps, if you go in with the expectation of this game being a junkie power fantasy, with sparse sexual content, and don't mind reading walls upon walls of vapid, monolithic text dumps, this may be for you. It certainly wasn't for me.

Rating: ★★★★★
an incredibly compelling game that delves into the dark and gripping world of addiction
Its immersive story hooks players from the start
exploring the harrowing journey of a protagonist and the girls
consumed by the depths of substance addiction
devastating narrative consequences, broken relationships, and personal turmoil And you feel that each character has its own story and personality With remarkable depth and authenticity
It sheds light on the complexities of addiction and the power of redemption. Serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative potential of recovery, making it an unforgettable gaming experience.
the chemistry between the characters you will not find it in any other game
The only possible game that you do not need Skip button

There's a lot I love about this game. The story is about a very real and serious subject matter, but told in a delicate and even witty manner. It never holds you down with how heavy the topic is, but definitely hits you in the feels when it needs to. I grew up in an abusive environment as a kid, with alcoholism and violence at the forefront, so I relate to this story so much. I even had my own battle with alcohol abuse, so I understand how hard it is.

The character diversity and depth in which they are fleshed out, is done extremely well. Each one has their own unique background, look, and motivations to set them apart. They also drastically change as the story is told, which I feel like a lot of VNs out there don't do enough. My favorite character in the entire story is Lydia. I have loved watching her transformation from when she was a bit more aggressive and abusing drugs, to now being more loving and sober. Her wit and banter with the MC also reminds me of my best friend's parents, where they bust each other's balls, but you can tell there's a deep love there.

I felt like the story dragged a bit in some places, despite how well the rest of the story was told. Like I remember in the beginning after Mary shows up there was a pretty long scene that I wished would have sped along, and there was one towards the end of the story so far that did as well. One thing that really bothered me when I first started playing, was how Lydia kept calling the MC gay, like it was an insult. If it happens once or twice, it's not ideal, but it kept occurring which made me start to hate to hear the banter between the two. That and the back and forth was so heavy handed at the beginning, it started to become grating . Once the MC and Lydia become sober though, the banter really cut down with how heavy handed it was and I really enjoyed it. Now I can feel the love and respect the MC and Lydia have for each other, even when they are jabbing at each other.

One thing I hope to see in the future, is a way to end all these other relationships the MC is in. I understand that this one is a personal preference, but I would like to see the MC become serious about his relationship to Lydia now that he is above just giving in to his wants and whims. I understand pretty much being forced into these relationships, when he was using, he was used to doing whatever made him feel good. However, now that he is starting to rise above giving in to his urges, I would like to be given the option to try and amicably end these relationships. I felt like the story is leading to this path, and if it is you can disregard this entirely. I just hope we get to see him get serious with whoever the player chooses, or continue the harem thing, if the player so wishes.

Overall, this is a serious story told in a delicate and witty way and I can't wait to see where the story goes from here.