Pale Carnations is a fever dream. TD and GIL have crafted a world absolutely brimming with concupiscence, rich in atmosphere and driven by compelling characters. It is immediately obvious to anyone who plays the game that there was an immense amount of care put into all the game’s minutiae. Every piece of music was meticulously curated, every pose of a character’s model was diligently selected, every garrulous word was fastidiously chosen.
The partnership that TD and GIL share is mutually beneficial. Each member brings a certain idiosyncratic passion to his respective half of the project.
TD’s writing is an unmistakeable love letter to Japanese eroge, but his personal alterations coalesce into a veritable wonderland of sexual fantasy. The lewd scenes that the characters find themselves in are intense, satisfying, and unique for a western VN. TD has a particular endgame in mind, and no scenes are wasted en route to that end. Each girl has her own voice, and it is loud and genuinely individualistic. Hana is the pugnacious punk rocker sheltering a soft exterior underneath, Felicia is the busty blonde smoke-show hiding her brilliance like an ace up her sleeve, Rosalind is the timid housewife acting duplicitously to further her own agenda. Characters are motivated, and it is tough to choose whom one wants to win the prize at the end of the day.
On the other hand, we have GIL: the twin-tail master, the Godfather of HS1 blonde bombshells. The models used by GIL are gorgeous: Mina, Hana, Felicia, and Rosalind are just the standouts for me, personally. Each animation is obviously carefully directed, but the effort and zeal that GIL puts into ostensibly simple, vanilla kissing scenes is especially noteworthy. The attention to breast worship is also notable. Some shots that GIL has created, primarily facial expressions (Rosadgecall), are seared into my brain – this last update markedly featured a slew of unforgettable renders.
Mina is probably my favorite HS1 character overall, of all the games I’ve played: her looks, combined with her personality and revelations (particularly in the last update) make her exceptional. I’ve yet to find another character that can match her ethereal pulchritude.
Ethereal, of course, is the key word when it comes to this game. Pale Carnations is transcendent: it is a gem of iridescence among the grays of western VN monotony. It deserves a prodigious level of support, and I hope the devs receive it as soon as possible.