This game has ruined other games for me. Peak writing, peak characters, peak immersion.
The characters are woefully human with well explored motivations and personalities. The MC isn't a simple braindead self-insert, he has his own motivations, and while the choices we as the player take shape him in various ways, he isn't a blank slate. Killian is an amazing 'brother', I absolutely love the man, but I'd also sock him in the face for some of his decisions, he's realistic. The girls, I won't go too into detail with since there's just so many. But I loved every moment of time that my boy(Player Character) spent with them. The history, personality, and motivations of each character just fits perfectly. Their reactions to the PC's own actions and the situations they find themselves in are masterful, there hasn't been a single moment where I found myself annoyed at the inconsistence of their actions, even in the times PC acts like a creep, he acknowledges the fact rather than the game just passing it off as a supposedly natural interaction between people.
This game does a masterful tightrope act of balancing the depraved debauchery that the PC finds himself in, and certain wholesome sections of the game. As a man, I'd consider my sexual tastes definitely fucked up and jaded. I usually find typical romance to be a snoozefest, but I actually enjoyed the wholesome interactions between certain characters. The girls fulfill a role and a niche, but they weren't just ready made cookie cutter molds pulled right from the factory, they were naturally-written and realistic.
The models and renders were beautiful, but I will admit that the game could use some improvements in some H-scenes. But as it is now, it's far above simply serviceable. UI had the perfect touch of class. The affection system is more developed and well-thought out than the basic standard of these types of Visual Novels. Gallery has some glitches and kinks to be worked out, such as relocking some events after a crash(it seems). Even though as of the current time of me writing this review, the game is unfinished. The amount of content this game has is more than adequate to satisfy whoever chooses to read the VN, and it'll still leave you sorely starved for what's coming next.
Thank you for the masterpiece, Mutt and Jeff.
I'm down bad for both Mina (I'm sorry Killian, my brother in Chuck) and Hana.
Chapter 4 Update 2 Review (SPOILERS)-
I am actually worse than Killian. I'm a sick greedy fuck who wants it all.
This game will definitely make you feel the consequences of each of your choices, if you’re able to put yourself in the shoes of the player character. And fuck, the story is good. So fucking good I can't help but to update my review again. Shit's so good I want Mutt & Jeff to take their damn sweet time to make sure they make a Magnum Opus surpassing anything ever written when it comes to erotic literature, and that's exactly what this is. Just hoping I don't die before I get to read this Supreme masterpiece in all its glory.
For the games we play for fantasy and escapism, this game is really, and I mean REALLY difficult to take as just a brainless fuckfest game. I've never felt more self-loathing and hatred for my own circumstances than any other game. Not because of all the fucked up shit the club puts the player character AND the audience through.
To put it plainly, even in this game, I had to rein in my own inhibitions to go balls to the wall absolute monster of an inhuman being for the sake of the Carnations, even though its ultimately what I want to do. I want to be able to have my cake and fuck it too, but much like reality, it doesn't come sliced like that. What is it that you ultimately desire? Are you willing to give up your own gratification just to make it slightly easier on these woefully human fictional characters? I'm somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to "route-hunting" and this game makes it plainly impossible.
As the Protagonist states "These kinds of justifications, I refused to make them. If you're gonna be shitty, I believe you should embrace it." - A philosophy I wholeheartedly agree with.
I wish at times, that I was as inconsiderate and thoughtless as my Ian. I agree with Uncle Chuck and Felicia's philosophy on hedonism, but Mina and Hana have also drawn parallels to my own relationships and my FUCKED and warped views on sex and relationships. But in the end, this game has helped me realize I'm fucked up for a reason. One I'm not ashamed to embrace. You will end up hurting the girls you come to endear one way or the other, especially when you're as greedy a fuck like me or Ian. Unless you're so unabashedly faithful to a girl or compartmentalize this masterpiece as just a game, which is kind of hard since the writing is so fucking good.
I'll skip going into the Carnations since they're far more entrenched in the club's story and progression, not to diminish their own qualities and motivations, but Mina and Hana are somewhat different due to their positions in relation to the story. As of this point, my next two paragraph will purely be my own subjective interpretations.
Mina and Hana are both somewhat two sides of a coin.
Mina represents somewhat an escape from the club, somewhat related, but not embroiled in it. Her character fulfills what she was written for, which is doubly ironic due to her role as an actress. She's a bubbly young girl who heals your heart and soul in between the "intermissions" of the club, shall I say. Her character brings joy to even a jaded fucker like me. Enough that I was willing to drive a wedge between her and my brother-in-arms Killian. Realistically, I follow through on the "bros before hoes" rule, but I was willing to wage war on Killian and fuck up their relationship for her, like the absolute shitbag I am and move straight into leading her on and fucking her brains out after I agreed with Hana to a relationship. Of which I'll get into next.
Hana represents the existence of a somewhat normal relationship in "coexistence" with the club, shall I say. The player character shares a past with some relative similarities. She fits my tastes as big tiddy goth gf, but she's more than that. When she gives herself to you (as the player character), she's letting her guard down, allowing herself to be vulnerable as she trusts you. I love Hana, so when she propositions the relationship after a really good time, I accepted. But when push came to shove, I'm no different than Ian. I betrayed her trust, but I didn't feel particularly guilty, I simply felt greedy. And the game makes sure that you as the player character truly understand what you're doing, that you're aware of feeling, what you're choosing.
Greed is a great quality, but I'm the type to eat until I burst, and I know by the end of this, I'm about to explode.
Unlike my previous review which existed before we were able to bang and commit to Mina or Hana, I feel empty after it, I'm still craving for more, but the deeper into the hole I go, the more I truly understand that when you look into the Abyss, the Abyss also stares back.
As for the technical aspect of the game, it's been improved since my last review, the previous issues in regard to scene-locking were no longer present in the current build. The music runs through a somewhat limited track, but it does the job at setting the mood. Adding the audible *thwack* to ass-slapping was a MASSIVE improvement, and there are some scenes which add faint moaning sounds, which while it would personally be a good add-on, would require a not-insignificant amount of work as it should be tuned to the voices of the tone of voice to the girls as M&J envisioned.
TL;DR: If you have a craving for finely written erotic literature, if you want something to ruminate over even after you shut the game off, if you want to be taken for an emotional and mental ride if you're willing to immerse yourself in this game and its immorality, then you'd be doing yourself a disservice by skipping out on this game.
For the love of fuck, Mutt & Jeff, I whole-heartedly appreciate the passion and work you put into this game. Your writing and quality make the game for above simply a cut above the rest of the games. Since to me, this game wasn't simply a game. It's unironically a journey, you guys just seem to one-up yourself with every update. I don't feel a need to set unreasonable expectations upon how this work of art will end because this game will undoubtedly cement itself as a masterpiece among the rest here, shall I say.
P.S. - Get the voyeuristic history perk, as much as I love being a neurotic firestarter, it doesn't particularly play as much of a role due to the nature of the story, though it might change in future updates.
-Slaughter Demon
