Ren'Py - Parasite Black [v0.170] [Damned Studios]

I can't provide 3.5 stars, so I will settle to 3.
(This review is about 0.147)

Why the average rating? The answer is simple. There is no skip button, so if you are playing on android, where you can't press tab in order to activate/deactivate skip mode, the game can get tiring very easy. I can also mention the fact that save and load are merged to a save menu option that makes saving/loading confusing for a while as the menu feels counterintuitive.

With that being said, I believe that the 4+ star rating that the game has, is justified. There is potential here.

v0.147

maybe in 2 years this could be a decent game and in 5 years it will be an excellent game, but so far it's a waste of time. very unpolished. the writing is professional, and some animation scenes are really good (even with low movement) but there are so many problems with the game i would run out of the character limit.

first of all a lot of stuff doesn't make sense. this game prides itself on the violence/gore yet already makes the clear distinction in the intro that they would never do sexual violence, in a tone that suggests to say that they would never stoop so low and they never condone sexual violence.... ok, does that mean they condone murder/torture and ripping people in half and eating their heads? lol i dont think so. so it's empty virtue signaling at best.

some animations are pretty nice... but those animations are usually 10% of what happens in that erotic scenes. lots of text how MC is getting a blowjob and different positions and how they move during sex, while all you see is a well animated missionary/cowgirl position with no other movement. it breaks immersion more than if it had no graphics at all.

another problem with art is that characters look different in every art and animation. their hair color is the same and the length more-or-less. but that's it. it's like it was made by AI or many different artists who couldn't replicate the propotions of models. it breaks immersion too. even the main MC's best friend looks different a lot of the time to the point of barely resembling to previous depictions.

the writing is tiring. it's professional. clearly. yet tiring. long drawn out descriptions of lots of stuff, i skip half of it then read back history if something is important.

you can have a good story and good writing without making it overbearing. this game just goes over the limit. not that much but still..., i've seen worse but if you hate garbage english sentences which are hard to decipher, this is the opposite. where the english is perfect but you get sleepy reading it... which is not a good sign for a porn game where you rather sleep than jerk off.

combat is extremely mindless. you have a defend skill which reduces dmg taken by 30% for 3 turns... if you do the math, you realize it's not worth it. altogether it reduced dmg taken by 90%...so altogether it protected you for 90% dmg by losing that turn. (so you took 10% dmg for no reason. no charge up attacks by enemies either.)

i don't want to spoil much but later your combat power pales in comparison to the text of how strong you are before the fighting begins. typical case when a boss joins your party and suddenly he is 100times weaker. it just doesn't make sense. like lots of other things in the game.

the game is truly in alpha, and it has been going for 2 years. the game is quite unique i give you that, and the basics are already made, so there should be no reason to not make a lot of content with the available engine right?....

well.. wrong. somehow the main quest is still very short, there are some sidequests... which are ok, but i think the dev lost its vision how to continue. so it will 99% turn into some shitfest unless he spends a lot of time revisioning stuff, which comes to my previous point, that it will probably need like 2 more years so the game is playable and not just an intro with some dating simulator, and probably like 5 years until it becomes an actual great game. it certainly has the potential... but not now. if the game has more content and some clear path to move forward then i will change my ratings too according to that. but at its current form this is a 2/5 blueballing game with some great animation where the text breaks immersion completely.

(v.0147)
I were dodging this game for a while cus of the cover image.. I cant explain why but it gives me the vibe of an avrage visual novel claiming to be sandbox rpg.. But the moment i watched the intro i notice that it is not!! Even for an early stage it is solid! I really enjoyed the lore and story. It feels like the dev inspired form my favorite books, animes and games
After playing a while in most games i start to skip unnecessary texts without reading since it becomes dull but in this game texts are good balanced and supported with subtext lores which made me attached to the scenario... Only one thing bothered me which is the images served alongside with texts. They are so still and its a little bit moodbraker, i mean if texts say they are hugging lets see some hugging I know that this is early stage and probably thats the reason but eventhough i wanted to mention this.
About the art style, it is amazing. Instead of having realistic style having this watercolor is perfect choice since it gives the feeling of old fantasy rpgs. Also animations are really good! angles are perfect but needs to be diversified. The thing that bothered me in art is same characters unlikeliness in different animations and his/her portrait image. I mean same girl looks someone else in different animations, both facial and body structure looks different.
It is early to talk about the battle system and inventory, also the map and variety of free roaming options but even for now as i can see the map, skills in battles and inventory slots, attributes it is highly promising. For an early stage rate it totally deserves 5 stars.. Now my expectations are so high i hope devs keep up the good work

Really good game, i hope they update it often. One of my favorites now, i played the last update and has a lot of content, it should be fine to turn off the futa content, personally i dont like it xddddd

The Good

• The art style.
• The world – most of dark fantasy games seem to be in RPGM which is annoying. It’s nice to see one using renpy.

The Meh

• As cassianandorknoll mentioned in his review, the teams seem to be going for quantity over quality when it comes to sex scenes – every new character gets a scene, but they’re kind of boring and the existing characters are ignored.

The Bad

• The fights are terrible. There is no strategy involved – just make sure to have enough healing potions.
• Every new update breaks the existing saves, so you’ll have to replay the entire game with each new release.

Played through 3hrs of v0.146

+ Dark Fantasy RPG with Main quests and Side quests.

+ A simplified turn-based combat that works well enough for a VN

+ Art is great

+ Sex scenes have great animations

+ Nice use of music and sound effects

+ The writing is better than many VNs

+ I'm invested in the characters and the plot progression

> The quest system is the only hint at what to do next. Which seems to miss that revisiting certain characters/locations can repeat a scene or trigger additional lewd content. If it is there in the quest system I'm missing it.

-- The android version has no Auto, no Back, no Hide UI
The worst part about the android port is my Saves have the game splash screen instead of a screenshot of the scene I'm trying to save, so I have no idea what is happening that I'd want to reload that save.

OVERALL:
Worth checking out.

Real talk the art, concept and story in the game is really freaking cool. The art takes this game to another level combined with the dark fantasy really separates itself with other games. The concept and story I personally think is very well done where you can actually become invested in the characters, plot and the foreshadowing. The sex scenes are pretty hot too and feel like a bonus to an already really good game. I can't recommend the game enough because it really just hits all the spots for something dark, interesting and with a touch of sexiness. I'm always looking forward to the updates and can't wait to see where devs take the story!

Make three suggestions:
1. The story and dark style of the game is great, and the characters are beautiful. I hope the game can be divided into chapters, otherwise I will have to replay it every time due to saving. 2. cg in the game is difficult to collect, so I hope the setting is simple or there are more hints in the game.
3. Update time of the game can be adjusted according to the actual situation. It's going to be delayed every month anyway, so it's best to update every two months to take the pressure off the production team.
Thank you very much to the production team for making such a great game, come on!

In my opinion, this is a rare game that I genuinely support and adore. It has a delightful fantasy-medieval ambiance that really sets it apart.

The story is exceptional, featuring multiple branching paths leading to various outcomes. I appreciate the writing because it not only suits the genre, but also captures the right mood.

The artwork is stunning, surpassing the norm in terms of quality. The illustrations are expertly executed, with a great deal of attention paid to detail. The skill level on display here is truly impressive.

All the characters in this game are charming, intriguing, and wholesome. It truly feels like you have a genuine friend, and as you progress through the story, you develop a greater connection with them and learn more about their emotions, personalities, and aspirations.

There are animations, and they are of exceptional quality. In my view, only a few games have animations that are genuinely outstanding, and this is one of them. They are breathtakingly beautiful and extremely well-crafted.

The game's sandbox feature is fantastic. The free-roaming option enables you to develop your character not only through experience, but also by building relationships with other characters. It feels dynamic and lively because of the non-story interactions with girls in various locations. I hope this aspect receives a lot of attention from the developer.

The gameplay is incredibly enjoyable, almost resembling a traditional game. This is the first Renpy game in which I have truly enjoyed the battle mode.

Lastly, there is the music, which was a wise choice made by the developers. It complements the game's overall theme perfectly.

Great Game! Good mix between an adventure, combat and sex! The elaborate text based story-line really helps with the suspension and the exitement. Hope that this will be a very extensive and expanding game.

[Rev @ Parasite Black v0.146]

Hehe.... yup.

Art's lovely. Don't care for the gore and there's some minor perspective issues with some standing poses, but all complaints are negligible.

Writing is well done. Scenario's neat, narrative makes sense, characterization is believable. Overall tone's a bit more grimdark than what I go for usually, but only to an extent that makes me feel that I need to suck it up buttercup rather than the premise being a dry reading of an emo album.

Porn's nice. Bonus points for not being more koikatswhatever. Further bonus for preggo. WIsh there was more harem action.

Only gripe I have with gameplay is the lack of leveling, but this is stated to be a work-in-progress so again it's just me wanting a complete game out of a .1x version because I'm just not a patient person.

TLDR: Worth it and watched~

bad 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

I don't usually like 2D games, but I really enjoyed the animations on this game and some of them do have like a 3D feel to them. The story is interesting, the combat is kind of simple but it keeps you engaged. So far there isn't a lot of content in it, but it does have a lot of promise and potential if eventually you get to explore the HUGE world map. As of right now, you can only access the main city and a slime lake. Anyways, I do hope that this game reaches its full potential. Good luck to the dev.

I love myself a good fantasy story

Artwork is fantastic, extremely professional and the fact that there are animations has me stunned.

The game has very in-depth lore and great story set in a dark fantasy world.

The writing is more than competent and features a lot of branching as well which is a big plus.

5/5 highly recommended

This is one of the few games I support and love. In my opinion, it's a true gem with a lot of fantasy-medieval vibes.

• The story is fantastic, with multiple paths leading to different outcomes. I like the writing because it is not only suitable, but also conveys the right feeling for the genre.
  
  
• The art style is stunning and far above average. The drawings are extremely well done, and I appreciate the attention to detail. This is some genuine talent right here.
  
  
• All the characters in this game are lovely, interesting, and wholesome. It truly feels like you have a best friend, and the more you play through the story, the more you connect with them and see their feelings, personalities, and goals.
  
  
• There are animations, and they are of high quality. Only a few games have truly excellent animations in my opinion, and this is one of them. It's stunning and extremely well-made.
  
  
• This game's sandbox is fantastic. You have a free-roaming feature that allows you to build your character not only through experience but also through connections. It feels lively and dynamic because of the off-story interactions with girls in various locations. I hope this part gets a lot of attention from the developer.
  
  
• The gameplay is very fun. It truly seems to be a normal game. The fights are exciting and strategic. The style is similar to Final Fantasy, which I love. This is the first Renpy game in which I thoroughly enjoyed the battle mode.
  
  
• Finally, there's the music. That was a good decision made by the developers, and it complements the overall theme of the game.

V 0.144

Porn is okay
Gameplay is okay need a bit of polish
Story is GREAT with a deep lore and easy to follow.

After the intro which is very good(and I played it almost 1 year ago), there is not much to do, the game has little content despite a year and a half of development.

I have high hopes for this game, I just hope it doesn't become a milking of patreon money.

Extremely good concept and well execution. Though sometimes the art confuses the portrayal of the female characters, they are unique and not really a problem to understand. The 2dCG is good, story is good and the minigame is the perfect toppings.

One of the best games I've played on this platform. Art, music, characters, story, everything is great. Incredibly underrated. It's a dark fantasy without sexual violence, for people who are turned off by that while still being gory. MC is kind of a blank slate so you can customize him as you like. Great game, give it a shot.

Gameplay
Controls: All clicking dialogue with keyboard turn based combat..
Interface: Ren’py interface for dialogue, with occasional choices. There are also combat sections with abilities and health bars.
Writing
Plot: Phenomenal. The kind of thing that, if it didn’t have porn, would be a mainstream success.
Characters: Excellent, with many different personalities and motivations.
Typos: None.
Art
Models: Super well drawn, lots of details.
Animations: Smooth.
Background: As good as they need to be.
Audio
Music: Tons of different songs.
Effects: Lots of well used effects.
Voices: N/A.

TlDr: 3.5 out of 5 for v0.141
Pros: Great art, there's animation (not great, but better than nothing), unique story and setting, orc girl!
Cons: The combat is mediocre at best, there is a lot of text with not much art to go along with it (probably not an issue to some), the second act doesn't have much story yet, so that section feels like you are just kind of meandering to find the sex scenes with not anything else going on (early build though and the prologue was good so no points taken off for that).

I enjoyed the unique setting, with a post apocalyptic fantasy theme it definitely stands out. The powers of the mc transformation were interesting as well. The prologue was interesting, but could have done with more art to help with the text descriptions of things. While the prologue feels fleshed out, the second act is kind of just wandering around doing side quests so far with nothing substantial being added to the main story. The turn based combat itself feels pretty subpar right now, so either a revamp or overhaul on that would definitely make the game feel more enjoyable and feel less like a visual novel with messy gameplay tacked on. Overall, it's has a lot of promise if the gameplay elements of the game are improved and more main story content is added to the second act. Excited to see where it goes in the future!