VN - Ren'Py - Onhold - Sicae [Ep.7] [NiiChan]

This game still has tons of potential.
Review for Episode 7

Okay, the story starts out pretty mellow and has a comfy sharehouse full of characters that eventually turn out somehow to all be related to each other in some way. It turns out that the city they live in is full of Assassins, Mafia, Super-soldiers, human experiments and more, and MC is one of them. It's relaxed for the first 4 episodes. The pacing is a little fast, but it's also the dev's side project iirc. This is the prequel and the glue that solves the mysteries in MBML, at least that's what I anticipated it to be.

The issue is that this game becomes an entirely different monster by chapter 5. The update to the entire artistic style is great, don't get me wrong. There's no world where I will shame a developer for eventually swapping out for better graphics and designs. I will admit though, I was SUPER confused on who was who after the sudden switch. Characters that have been there from the start look like their entire facial and bodily structure was entirely replaced. But that's beside the point. The main issue after chapter 5 is that the story and its characters take on a really different direction. One character suddenly becomes a super hacker god almost out of nowhere, with the only hint of foreshadowing being a couple scenes from the early chapters. Another character turns out to be from a family of royalty and has this unstable, schizophrenic torturer personality. Some characters are almost outright forgotten because of the serious direction the plot takes.

Okay, rant over. The art and animation is on point. If you're aware of the dev's other game, MBML, the gradual art improvements take place at pretty much the same pace. They're distinctive enough so that you remember how each character is in particular. The animation quality skyrockets by chapter 5. The game has a very edgy and angsty tone to it. In the early chapters, everyone mostly dresses in a normal way. Chapter 5 and onwards is where the designs feel more individualistic and distinguished. Everyone starts acting more like an "organization", so it goes that their outfits also begin going towards a different direction.

Music and sound design is decent, and again - gradual improvements. I don't think there are as many corny love songs as MBML though, primarily because of the serious undertones in the story.

My overall personal thoughts:
Sicae is a decent AVN that actually has a good focus on its story throughout the entire runtime. You don't have as many relationship bonding moments or clear dynamics between characters, but I'm okay with it here because there's an actual half-decent plot hovering over my head the entire time. It feels like the story is actually more focused on the main cast and the pains they go through, and not just about MC fucking every girl he meets. It definitely feels like things weren't initially planned for the main cast to end up a certain way, but chapter 5 ends up flipping the narrative as a whole. The dev has also done this in MBML, they add in crazy twists that almost morph the entire framework of the story. I'm more forgiving here because the nature of Sicae is already very dark and edgy. I'm definitely looking forward to chapter 1 or 2 or whatever's next, and hope the dev manages to evenly distribute more screen time between characters, rather than how it feels skewed right now.

Peak story telling, so many twists, surprises. Just when I think I can guess what will happen next something out of the bos happens and that actually more fitting than what I was thinking. Seen a lot of reviews mentioning cringe anime dialogues.
Due to them I never tried out.
But bruh I directly played this game for EP 7 update. And man O man, didn't found those cringeness at all like seriously .
Anyways try it 4 yourself maybe it depends on people's taste, but I would consider this a top tier AVN, the story and emotions really hit u and u can feel em. Even the Sex

It's very frustrating bcs the dev obviously has a good imagination and makes a world that's very fascinating. The renders are good as well. But even though the writing isn't low quality or anything, the character is just generally cringy. Every choice seems like an obvious good or bad answer, and you don't get control when you actually want it. So you end up practically yelling at your screen wondering why you can't do certain very obvious things or act in a way that's not representative of the standard nice guy. It was hard to choose whether to have it at a 2 or 3 given that there could be some merit in playing it just for the renders and general world building, but it's so frustrating at the same time that I can't recommend it. Other thing is that chapters are VERY short. Obviously making a high quality game takes time, but unless you're ok with a game that probably will finish in 4-5 years unless it takes massive shortcuts, beware.

It's been a while since I tried this game almost 3years, but now I know why I dropped this and MBML both games it's because both of them is full of unrealistic and cringey scenes, i really really like superpower type AVN like......(Sorry can't say the names)

This game is one of those games with top-tier renders i have played but didn't really work for me, I like couple of mid-tier AVN with 3* ratings too but this one despite the high rating it wasn't much good, feels really unrealistic, characters feels like card board, and the most annoying thing is cringey dialogues, logic totally absent here, no power scaling or anything, it'd be great if the writing was good I like almost everything just the protagonist and some Lis i found real annoying.

Anyway I'm not here to write some long-ass review, that's all I have to say, I don't like this game nor I hate this game (I don't even have the time to hate AVN lmao).

When a game has to physically warn you that the dialogue is "anime" and potentially cringy, but they lean into it instead of addressing the issue they already know exists is....strange? The models are good, the premise and idea are solid enough, but the constant over talking or over inner monologuing is insane. A character will say "I like hats" and the MC will go "Could this be true? I also like hats, my mother once wore a hat on my birthday, the last birthday I ever saw her...", that's not real dialogue, but it's an example of how the MC speaks to himself. Sorry author, it's cringe, you know it's cringe.

That being said, outside of my issues with he dialogue and the MC the story is fun, the models and girls are attractive and it has an interesting story, you just have to play 3 times as long to enjoy the story because the MC can't stop talking to himself and telling us how he thinks or what to think, if you want the MC to act a certain way, make a kinetic novel, not a visual novel. Defeats the purpose.

There is a warning at the start of this game saying this game is 99% anime, a warning which is well earned with the never ending bad anime cliches you find throughout it that are nothing but an excuse for poor/lazy writing, also some of the bad cliches that are in anime only work because it is in a linear format and they just force it like the MC magically knowing who to trust/like after spending almost no time with a person but in a VN the player is supposed to be in control i.e. that's the whole point of a VN but having it at all makes it obvious they are going to be trustworthy and that eliminates the "choices"

The story idea is actually quite interesting but the way it is done is so ridiculously bad it destroys any enjoyment, literally everything in this game doesn't make sense but that's not the worst part, the worst part is that it could all easily have made sense,
The choices are worded badly but apart from see sex scene or not they don't do anything anyway.

MC was good at the start but keeps going down hill as the number of characters who are better/stronger than him keeps getting longer and longer, on top of that he has no real use, one woman is the one in control the one who planned everything providing the funding and a doctor, another is the best in combat, there is the tech girl, one who is the voice of reason apparently, a torturer and finally the MC is well he's there at least.

If you say a characters type is introverted and gloomy/depresses then you have to stick to that and not have them do loads of heavy extroverted stuff for no reason.

Sex scenes are quite good visually but the reasons for them are bad,
The Yuna domination scene is just horrible, even if you ignore the MC's ridiculously abrupt change in attitude that goes completely against his established character again then you are still left with the fact the MC isn't really dominating her as Yuna like every other woman is getting exactly what she wants and on her terms as she set this whole thing up and lost on purpose.

Story 1/5 (needs to makes sense)
Sex 3/5 (visually good )
Characters 2/5 (woman are ok)
Art 2/5 (good)
Choices 1/5 (see scene)
Kinks 1/5 (none that i noticed)

How people can enjoy this writing is beyond me. It isn't engaging in the slightest. Too much bla bla.
There is also barely any sexual content, one scene per episode. The scene in EP6 being very good makes me give it two stars, since they clearly know how to make them, but just don't.
The "choices" in the game are, get a point with a character, or not.
Graphics and animations don't matter to me, they can only elevate a already good experience. It's all about being engaging and tag execution, and while it does do the tags, it doesn't do them enough times.

So there are times where you come across a game, in an ocean of lewd games, that stands above the rest. And that's where Sicae comes in.

Much like it's counterpart game (My Bully is My Lover) there is more than just porn here, oh so much more. The story is in fact more engaging than the sex scenes are, filled with emotion, drama, action and mystery. Well rendered models, music and sound effects, few games come this close to something like this.

Tldr, came for the pron, stayed for the story. If you like Eternum (as you should) then you'll love this and it's counterpart.

Sicae is an extremely good VN and prequel to the masterpiece My Bully is my Lover
The story is have more mature vibes and more fighting but its understandable because in SIcae we focus more on the dark side of the World created by Niichan ( if you think about the what the story of Sicae is about: mysterious Serum who make superhumans, Supernatural entities,Mafia ,war,murder then you can understand why Sicae is what it is.)
(Actually in this regard i believe MBML should have been a litle more serious too... like the last chapter with moon which i found it excellent and in the right direction...i wish chapter 2 follow this path..)
The MC of Sicae is very good (i liked him slightly more than the MC of MBML) he is very strong and dominant.
The LIs are great too and beautiful, though i chose 4 from the 8 for my harem Yuna, nicole, lisa, and eliza (albeit i like the lis of MBML better)
Furthermore the fights where extremely good especially the last fight with MC and Yuna againt Trent.. That fight was an Art the visuals and fight choreography where amazing
Moreover the soundtrack was excellent too and actually i loved all the soundtracks on both MBML and Sicae.
Nonetheless i enjoyed Sicae a lot and i believe its one of best VN right now in f95...
5/5 stars

rating - 9.5/10
the storyline is amazing, The developer is a natural when it comes to writing dark material which is quite evident from both the MBML and Sicae. The story unfolds beautifully with all the characters with different character arcs and it feels like a cinematic experience with bits and pieces coming into play.
Characters and animations are also excellent along with a good soundtrack.
I don't know why this game is not in the top 10 on this website as it is one of the top VNs that I have played till now

Ok, on it's own it's an ok story with good(ish) art. If you overlook the prolonged exposition and endless trauma dumping along the way. It's a bit white-knighty and juvenile but the Dev tries to tell a story beyond the porn, which I appreciate.

BUT it's basically the same game as his other one. I mean, there's new characters but even they fulfill similar roles. Moving into a house with a bunch of women? A token male friend? Mystery, Harem blablabla. It even feels the same because the writing is very distinct and therefore very familiar.

It's ok if you haven't played the other one. But please tell a new story next time.

Edit: Apparently, this game came before My Bully is my Lover, so this seems to be the (more) original story.

Impressive. I like the writing a lot. Have spent two days playing this, couldnt stop.

Would like more sex scenes (especially like the one with Yuna), but still I enjoyed the game.

For example the last few games I just dropped, because I was bored. But here, my eyes were glued to the screen all the time.
You can clearly see each Chapter is dedicated to one-two characters and further the dev move to the next one, leaving others "behind". Also tries to include 'em a little every now and then but I'd like a bit more time with those, who already had their episode. For example Eliza is such a great character and it's obvious she will get her piece of the story, but after the night with MC we rarely see her. Sure, present in Ch6 but not the same vibes as from the beginning.
Maybe more gals interactions without MC. Like small funny dialogues idk.

Good music, good looking girls, once again an interesting writing, great pace. Craving more so so bad.

Overall, bravo, devs !

The game has several LIs who are all unique. None of them are the same & have unique characteristics which set them apart. It seems like every single one has a deep backstory with them which really keeps you hooked and the pacing is done so well. It feels like every update is meaningful and pushes the story ahead without making it seem forced or slow. Obviously, the animations and models are great as expected.

I'm like broke atm but i really like the game, the lore, the characters and just wanna show some support in any way i can. I hope this project gets some traction and popularity like its counterpart MBML so we can get some frequent and lengthy updates with consistent quality content. I've had my share of avn's both daz and honey select over the years and this is one of the personal favorite that i'm consistently anticipating every time.

Just a shame though i wish Claire was set and written to have a route during conception. Such a beauty but only brought tragedy

Just a fan of the author's writing, excellent history, beautiful girls, engaging plot, and captivating characters. A delightful read overall! The author weaves a tapestry of historical events, blending them seamlessly with a cast of vibrant characters. The female characters, in particular, are beautifully portrayed, their personalities and motivations adding depth to the narrative. The plot keeps you hooked from beginning to end, with unexpected twists and turns that keep you guessing. If you enjoy fiction with a touch of romance and action, this game is a must play!!

I love everything about Sicae, from the characters to the plot to the mystery of what is to come in future. Niichan is one of the best avn devs and both his vn's are great but imo this one is even better than mbml.

So far, this is a good AVN. Here, some of my thoughts:

1. Story: I got confused understanding what this is all about. Developer said this is 99% anime so using anime terms, At first I thought this was a "slice of life"/drama AVN but then turned out to be an Action/Shonen with a bit of Gore one, anyway, that being said , it has good sense of humor and it's very interesting, despite some things being inconsistent. Later on I read the developer changed a lot from the original work so maybe that's why the story felt a bit off at times, anyway, as I said, it's still interesting and has very good hot scenes.

2. Characters: Girls are great, however, the MC felt a bit off due to changes within the story I suppose.

3. Music: Chapter 3 had the best music. Overall I'd say it was really good.

4. Animations: Good animations.

5. Renders: Not bad.

So, I'd give it a solid 8/10. It's worth checking out.

Story 5/5
I like the story, i did find the start a bit weird though, MC and hes friend moves into a new shared house where he meets hes EX girlfriend or atleast one that looks just like her and he takes that waaaaaay to calm, considering he quit hes job, started drinking, considered ending hes life due to losing hes EX girlfriend for unknown reasons, thinking she might have been killed or kidnapped or something....he even got some kind of mental issue from it and yet when he sees her twin its like "oh well thats not really her, whats for lunch" it just dosent really make much sense, maybe if he had fallen down on hes knees and started crying or something it would make him feel more like a real person, sure you can say its the mental issue but even that should break him seeing her again.
Hes friend whos apprently has a huge crush on MC dont even remember how old MC is...small things but still makes it a bit weird since they also lived together for 2 years, you would think she would know a shitload of things about him.

It is a bit to much of a slowburn and there arent really much when it comes to sex scenes, i dont personaly mind it when story is good and for me this story is good and keeps me reading not skipping anything, but 13 LIs and 7 of them has 0 scenes and 5 others has 1 or 2 scenes only where none is a real sex scene, so you can see its has an extreem lack of the adult parts.

MC is pretty good compared to so many other games, he dosent feel like a 12 year old but hes mindset is pretty close to grown up which is refreshing.

The only part of the story i dident like is how MC takes girls into the clan, without explaining what it means or warning them in any way, instend he just comes clean about him being an assassin which is idiotic since he then has to force the girls to becoming a part of hes world and join the clan.......that should have been made better or atleast be a 100% free choice to the girl without talking about how they will be killed if they dont join....it makes MC feel evil instend of the good guy hes supposed to be.


Girls 3/5
I dident really most of them all that hot, proberly due to the diversity in builds is very poor, you only have the choice of big tits or bigger tits, out of the starting girls its like 7 big 1 small and not really sure the 1 small is even a real LI, so no real diversity at all, it does help a little when Lisa and Kana and Chalotte is seen in game but they feel alot more like side LIs then real LIs which still makes it very shitty when you arent into the big ones, i wish devs would learn to make diffrent builds for the main girls insted of having a single focus on big tit fetish since belive it or not, not everyone is into that.

Animations 4/5
There really arent many but the few that are there does look pretty nice, virgin scene wasent great since they dident care about showing blood but thats not everyones taste but still a bit meh when its left out, atleast dialogs was decent in the virgin scene.

Music 4/5
Its above average, i liked it.

Choices 5/5
I do belive you can turn down any LI you want to which is perfect, not sure if you can go after all of them since LIs like Luna might not be a real LI due who MC is to her and what he did.

Adult Content 1/5
Theres a total of 9 scenes only and no those arent even sex scenes it can be just a simple kiss no more that counts as a scene, so right now theres not really much to come for if your after sexual stuff.

I was going back and forth between 3 and 4 and even 5 stars but i personaly did like the story, the writting, the choices, the only thing i dident like was the diversity in builds and lack of sex scenes, so ended at 4 stars which i think it pretty fair.

I'm not a guy who's used to this universe of VN's +18, I entered this world relatively recently, so I'm a complete newbie. But I'm a person who likes to consume good stories, whatever the medium. My experience with Sicae was one of the best possible, I just finished Ep.5 and I was fascinated by the quality of the writing in many moments, at first I thought it was just another cliché game, but I couldn't be more wrong.

As the game progressed I felt the depth of the story and became more immersed in this universe of assassins, I'm curious to know how the story will unfold from now on, especially after the end of Ep.5. Each girl has a distinct personality, their stories are very moving, in fact, Lisa's past and how she met the MC is one of the best. And speaking of the MC, he's dark but without being exaggerated, he carries a complexity of what is "right" and "wrong", especially in relation to the world he's in.

Overall, it's an amazing game, I haven't played My Bully (yet), but I know it has some connection to the story, and after playing it I'm looking forward to the next chapters. I would like to congratulate NiiChan for the excellent work.

Since it got a new thread here I am rating it again. This one got nice renders and story. Niichan really improved a lot. I also love that his other game is related to this and both is happening on same universe with different timeline. Girls are good. If you love playing good story game with good renders definitely try this. Keep up the good work dev looking forward to next updates