Review of version 0.2.0
On the surface this feels like a fairly ambitious game with several paths and choices to tailor the NTS to your liking. This is a neat idea but the execution is lacking.
Firstly, let's talk about the art. The character sprites are fine, there's a lack of detail to them but they feel sort of stylised and honestly I can see past poor or rough art when the writing is there (it's not but more on that later). The CGs are where the art is properly let down and it strikes me as someone that has only just started getting to grips with the basics of AI generation. If this had been hand drawn I'd forgive the janky art and see it as charming, knowing it's AI however puts it under harsher scrutiny. The art is lazy and rushed, I do appreciate there's been a slight effort to keep it a certain style but it looks poor and the erotism comes from the situation rather than the art itself. Fortunately though if the dev is willing to, this is something that can be fixed as their knowledge of generating art improves.
Lets talk about the writing. I think to a certain degree, fans of NTS have come to expect a slow burn narrative. This trend ties in with how you want to model and market a game that you're putting on Patreon. You want to build anticipation and hype for the moment that the FMC finally crosses the line and the juicy stuff starts. This method is tried and tested but it is not the only way to make a game and tell a story. I'm okay with things happening right off the bat, but I do worry that a group sex scene in the opening does leave you in an awkward place of "where do we go from here?", you don't really have anything to build up to and that might make the game feel a little repetitive. With that said, even if we are getting spicy scenes from the offset, the writing needs to be good, especially if the visuals are lacking. I dig that Jenny is a total slut from the word go but without reason, rational or even that slutty behaviour being vocalised in the dialogue, it's kind of wasted. All characters are very two dimensional, and I don't really buy the couples relationship nor do I really like them as individuals. NTS and NTR hit best when there are stakes and relationships that your audience cares about. If you don't understand that, I worry that you don't understand the kink.
I also want to talk about the sound assets in the game. I could be wrong but it sounds like the dev has just pulled in real world sex sounds from porn videos. It's a little jarring at times and the loops are quite obvious. It's another factor that just makes it feel lazy.
Overall, I think the dev could have a good game on their hands if they are willing to put the work in where it needs to go. If nothing else, an overhaul on the art and I could see myself giving this game three stars. For now what I've seen is to poor for anything higher. 2 stars.
