VN Ren'Py Projekt: Passion [v0.13 BUGFIX] [Classy Lemon]

4.80 star(s) 268 Votes
Discussion Reviews (268)

Best butt? Link to butts --> https://attachments.f95zone.to/2024/02/3342779_0.png

  • Kaylee

    Votes: 64 11.7%

  • SAndrA

    Votes: 107 19.6%

  • Emily

    Votes: 74 13.6%

  • Ashe

    Votes: 240 44.0%

  • Elysra

    Votes: 35 6.4%

  • Ves

    Votes: 26 4.8%
  • Total voters
    546
  • Poll closed .
Classy Lemon

Classy Lemon

Well-Known Member
Game Developer
Jun 4, 2021
1,057
7,927
Richmondiv said:
Just finished the update and let's do a review, why not?

I'm following maybe 10 different games and I've gotta say this one is the most fun. Which is how games are supposed to work, right?

In the last two updates I've been really impressed by how controlled the emotional range of the story is. It gets dark without getting melodramatic, farcical without getting downright cartooney. Lemon has a good natural sense of how far to go in both directions and hangs the whole thing on much better plot pacing and characterization than most devs can manage.

It strikes the same kind of balance as some of the adventure dramedies back in the '90s like Buffy the Vampire Slayer: a darkly serious overall plot that doesn't take itself too seriously and is populated by characters that have a sense of humour (or pointedly don't). It's a much better framework for comedy in a game than what we see more often, which is stoic, 'cool' characters twisted by the devs into strained attempts at funny situations or out-of-character jokes. This galaxy is just a more enjoyable environment to visit than 90% of the other games out there.

While I'm at it, something people don't talk a lot about is whether or not a dev is a good director, and now that I'm actually turning my mind to it, I think Lemon and Caribdis are probably neck-and-neck for being the best in the genre. The cinematography in this game is great and the choice of camera angles is always deliberate and evocative. No one uses a close-up or a Dutch angle as effectively as Lemon does, and he's got the best eye for colour going (with apologies to digi.B). The smash cuts to public transit (such a great running gag), the Ken Burns effect for establishing shots, the dolly shots for visual gags and combat scenes... this is a much more cinematic game than most of the heavy hitters out there. I love Being a Dik but let's face facts, most of the time you're just talking into a big yammering face in the middle of your screen.

I guess the only spot where I pull back a bit is on the gameplay mechanics. While the gameplay is really fun and the 'games', such as they are, are well above average in terms of being engaging, it doesn't always feel like choices particularly matter; or if they do, it's just for an immediate payoff rather than meaningful character or plot development. This is a visual novel that really does play more like a novel than an RPG, and I'd personally like to see a game capable of this emotional depth force me into some hard choices, to make me play again differently next time. (On the other hand, too much of that and you end up branching out so much you can only make thin, fragmentary updates.)

I'd also like the consequences of those choices to be at least vaguely foreseeable. You can fail the stash search even while being eminently reasonable, or you can lose a chance to boost your favourite relationship by going to the wrong planet first. Sometimes when the choices matter, you don't even know you're making them, or what choice you're making. The games with the best mechanics might not let you see the future, but they at least give you enough context to know that you're deliberately choosing A over B; or you're choosing to be more of this kind of character than that kind of character. So for example, if you stop to goof around with Kaylee on the stairs, maybe you're understanding that the trail's going to go cold and it's less likely that you'll be able to bring home the bacon for Emily, trading a few points with one for points with the other.

Finally, and most importantly, there's a staggering Hanna content deficit that the game has yet to fully address, so overall, D-minus.

(Seriously, though, Lemon, fantastic work. You've got a talent for visual storytelling, kid!)
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Thank you friend, for this very in depth and also heartwarming review. Your feedback has been noted, and thanks for teaching me new terms such as Dutch Angle and Ken Burns Effect
 
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Dripping

Dripping

Well-Known Member
Feb 16, 2019
1,354
3,350
Definitely some tough competition there, though also a bunch of non-competition entries. I think the biggest competition will be between Project Passion and City of Broken Dreamers, which share multiple categories. While Philly does have the benefit of his game being nearly completed, and already having finished a very popular game, Project Passion does have more regular updates. The two are uncomparable and both are great, and I do hope that whichever of the two wins one category, the other won't be far behind.
 
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Elduriel

Elduriel

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Mar 28, 2021
4,175
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Dripping said:
Definitely some tough competition there, though also a bunch of non-competition entries. I think the biggest competition will be between Project Passion and City of Broken Dreamers, which share multiple categories. While Philly does have the benefit of his game being nearly completed, and already having finished a very popular game, Project Passion does have more regular updates. The two are uncomparable and both are great, and I do hope that whichever of the two wins one category, the other won't be far behind.
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I'm afraid these contests are not really fair, because the bigger the fan-base, the more likely that the particular game will win the category. Like wherever you have BaDIK, I doubt any other game will snatch the win, and it has nothing to do with how good the game is. Back to Broken Dreamers, I think that game has also a much bigger following than PP, so I wouldn't hold my breath (unfortunately). Still it's already a win to be nominated, so yay (y)
 
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Classy Lemon

Classy Lemon

Well-Known Member
Game Developer
Jun 4, 2021
1,057
7,927
Elduriel said:
I voted for you on the comedy, sci-fi, and harem categories. Couldn't bring myself to vote for the music tho, even if this song is my new favorite
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Didn't even know I was in the music category. Weird choice considering music has only been good since Season 2 started.

Animations though

Elduriel said:
I'm afraid these contests are not really fair, because the bigger the fan-base, the more likely that the particular game will win the category. Like wherever you have BaDIK, I doubt any other game will snatch the win, and it has nothing to do with how good the game is. Back to Broken Dreamers, I think that game has also a much bigger following than PP, so I wouldn't hold my breath (unfortunately). Still it's already a win to be nominated, so yay (y)
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Pretty much, like the Steam awards, the game with the most players will win. That's my copium at least

nyrek said:
he still wouldn't have played your game :Kappa:

explain yourself Lostanddamned :cautious:
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Yeah explain yourself Lostanddamned
 
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Elduriel

Elduriel

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Mar 28, 2021
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Classy Lemon said:
Didn't even know I was in the music category. Weird choice considering music has only been good since Season 2 started.

Animations though
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on the animation side I was on the fence but I voted for BaDIK in the end, for the simple reason that DPC makes the scenes a lot more varied, quality-wise PP is probably top3 for me. Also that menu in S2, I cycle through it 2-3 times any time I boot up the game :ROFLMAO: Care to share how you do them?
 
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Darkdevil66

Darkdevil66

Magnificent Bastard
Donor
Apr 16, 2020
1,700
41,573
Classy Lemon said:
Now I'm not telling you to vote for PP in
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, I would never try to steer the numbers like that.

I'm just saying that you're dead to me if you don't
Click to expand...
Sheesh.

Goat.png

Elduriel said:
I'm afraid these contests are not really fair, because the bigger the fan-base, the more likely that the particular game will win the category. Like wherever you have BaDIK, I doubt any other game will snatch the win, and it has nothing to do with how good the game is. Back to Broken Dreamers, I think that game has also a much bigger following than PP, so I wouldn't hold my breath (unfortunately). Still it's already a win to be nominated, so yay (y)
Click to expand...
You'd be surprised. In the last two waifus contests organized in the same community, Badik's girls never made it to the finals and COBD's girls never reached the quarterfinals. The winner were Cece ( Leap of Faith ) and Kindra ( Artemis ).
 
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41shadox

Newbie
Feb 21, 2021
34
96
Elduriel said:
on the animation side I was on the fence but I voted for BaDIK in the end, for the simple reason that DPC makes the scenes a lot more varied, quality-wise PP is probably top3 for me. Also that menu in S2, I cycle through it 2-3 times any time I boot up the game :ROFLMAO: Care to share how you do them?
Click to expand...
But the vote is about the animation quality, not the variety. BaDIK isn't even in the top 3 of those 5 nominations when it comes to how good the animations are
 
K

kjj308

Member
Nov 2, 2022
103
170
Man, Our Red String only being in one category kind of sucks, lol. I really like that one. But anyway, I put my votes in. One thing I do have to say about Projekt Passion, in the latest update, I kind of hate how dismissive MC is about how worried Kaylee was for her parents. I wish there were some dialog choices (even if they are inconsequential, just for RP purposed) where you could choose to show more support for her. Like I get the whole "be the rock" thing, but there are limits to that, and sometimes letting your concern show is actually a good thing. Also, don't know why they couldn't have simply landed the ship closer to the house instead of taking a bus there. I get maybe there are some rules about where you can land, but I feel like for something like that, MC should be able to make the choice to just say "f the rules" and just go directly there. Same with after the fact, when she wanted to go to their hideout, wish there was a choice where MC could just openly be supportive of going there for revenge and not requiring the excuse of finding Franz (is that the droid's name? I forgot, lol). Anyway, just my opinion.
 
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4.80 star(s) 268 Votes