VN - Ren'Py - Rated 19 [v0.2] [DaZed Creations]

As of 0.2 this is surprisingly good. Like way above where I expected. There isn't even any spicy content yet and I'm already hooked. It is both creative and more original than the vast majority of what's available anywhere else. It is both fantastic and realistic at the same time with many compelling characters. I look forward to the next chapter and hope the developer will continue with this level of quality. Everything seems incredibly well thought out and I am excited to see where things will go.

VERSION:0.2
SUMMARY: You can't give this game 5 stars, so get a clue and think before you review!
RATINGS: (out of 5):

NOTE: The following are my own criteria and may require more context, so keep an open mind.

1. Models: 3
2. Animations: NA
3. General Visuals: 3
4. Characters: 3
5. Story/Pacing: 3
6. Writing/Dialogue: 3
7. UI & Gameplay: 2
8. Content Quality: 3
9. Sounds & Music: 3
10. H-Content & Fetish: NA

Average: 23 of 40 possible points giving a 58% rating i.e. 2-3 stars. Due to lack of H-Content and Animation the actual rating is closer to 46%

PROS:

1. Models are not bad looking, but the style is not one I am a big fan of.
2. Music and sounds are good
3. Writing is good, reads well and structured well.
4. Story is actually not completely bad, BUT

CONS:

1. Story is too vague and plot is still obscure even into version 0.2. Its all boring and focused on the kids which is itself a limitation.
2. Per story point, the story is unique but also just, its also on the nose when it comes to sudden bullshit. A world is miraculously crapped out by some entity that is either like Q from star trek or Thanos when he snaps his fingers and just does whatever he wants. What makes this worse though is that the focus on the game is really on the MC who comes across as mediocre and not really different from any other kid in the game, he does not feel special even with powers and all that is happening in this world so far is really just about the kids and getting them all situated and to create some order for them, ironically going against the very thing this entity wants really, the little bit of intrigue this game has shown is not enough for everything else it does not show.
3. Adding to the story, the characters are also uninteresting and the only semi interesting part of the game is the sick friend in hospital and that because im curious about her. The rest...as before boring...
4. No H-scenes and pretty boring actually with the game not really getting anywhere interesting, I actually found myself skipping the dialogue post the brother rescue...its just a boring read and not nearly intriguing enough.

FINAL REMARKS, OPINIONS & SUGGESTIONS:

• Per above, only having teenagers in this world limits the game severely especially when it comes to H-scenes and then to ensure we don't kiddy fiddle, the characters need to be 18yo unless I'm mistaken? So that limits the sexual relations even more. So no milfs or mature woman, only brats with small tits and drama.
• Adding to the above, the game has no H-scenes, this is an adult VN no? Lets think about this, young horny teenagers, no parents, grown ups, some have superpowers and they can pretty much do what they want, and we have zero H-scenes? Come on.!..so far in the game sex doesn't get show and the MC sure as shit doesn't get any yet, not even a kiss from a LI yet. SAD.
• Disappointing and not to be confused with something like Waifu Academy which even though I don't like the style, which is reminiscent of this game, its much better in terms of story, interesting characters and actually has some decent lewd scenes.

This all being said, I think the developer did a good job of the game and the efforts are good really, but the game didn't appeal to me and the story gets lost simply because of the slow progression which just does not keep me interested enough, especially when there are no H-scenes of ANY kind to at least break from the monotonous read that is currently all that's here.

Oh and before anyone gripes, superhero stories are a dime a dozen, so having powers and kids going ape shit is not that special or unique, so if you gonna go this route, make it fucking interesting and don't screw yourself over by dragging it out...if you drag it out, give the player a good story.

Here however, there is no suspense and the only intriguing part is the sick girl in hospital that goes missing...but lets face it, this is most likely not technology, more like magic and demons shit which is not very interesting, at least not in this context and not the way this writer is telling the story.

I'm really like the game so far. The models look great, and the story is intriguing. I'm excited to see how the characters and plot develop in future updates. I wish the creator the best and success.

Short but promising, so far no sexual content yet.

Rated 19 is the kind of story where you'll have to suspend your disbelief a little. Some unknown entity that's assumed the form of a little kid has, with the aid of some other external forces, removed all the adults above the age of 19 and given the remaining humans superpowers in form of enhancements of gifts.
You play as the local basketball star who has to navigate this post-apocalyptic where all the rules have been thrown out to try to keep your brother and friends safe, while searching for a way to find your little sister and reunite with your illness-stricken childhood friend.

The story is currently a little on the shorter side and doesn't yet feature a lot of choices, but it does a good job of giving the characters their own personality. The writing is pretty decent, although a bit too much exposition happens through narration, instead of letting the images & the context speak for themselves, rather than spelling everything out for the player.

What makes this story promising in my eyes is that the developer actually develops conflicts, character motivations and emotional connections between the characters. A lot of games just throw good-looking characters your way that are barren of any soul and feature no connection to the protagonist except their fuckability. Rated 19 seems to intend to actually make believeable emotional connections, from the childhood friend that's been hospitalized for a terminal illness, to the protagonist's friends and siblings.
The protagonist also manages to credibly balance self-preservation instincts and human psychology, giving us a protagonist who's not an overpowered and undefeatable juggernaut but someone using street smarts to outmaneuver more enhanced foes and while not immediately resorting to excessive force or violence, will not shy away from taking a life if there is no other way.

It makes me hopeful that it's going to be a story with a protagonist that's not going to be an edgy power-trip teenager, but a more rational thinking but determined person thatdoes what it takes to get those he cares about through the dangers of a world unchained.

In that, the five stars are more of a encouragement than a final rating, since the game doesn't yet show much beyond chapter 1 and doesn't yet show how the developer manages to handle the sexual content.
Still, I prefer to give encouragement & hope the dev can manage updates in the near future.

Given that there's no sexual content yet and this isn't just a fap-story, the developer should probably be prepared to use other social media to spread awareness (twitter, bluesky etc.) and be prepared that support for slow-buildup games like this is usually slow to come and many people will wait multiple updates before they might commit to any support.

That said, I had fun playing the game and am genuinely curious how things pick up in the future.