I played a ton of games and those that gives off that uncanny valley feeling are actually very rare, a few trying to replicate real human faces but instead create something that look oddly off is different from a game that just has clearly just some normal looking 3d images, or those that are clearly meant to have exaggerated features akin to a caricature or where every character seem to suffer somewhat from a baby face syndrome, or the games where every characters look asian akin to a manga. Which would be the 5 types of 3d graphics you'll encounter, in pretty much all of the games with 3d graphics, the last 4 represent like 95% of the games in 3d.
Here we have one of those part of the few % of the first category, where the character is shaped clearly based on some human image but the Dev couldn't make it fit and somehow instead you've got some characters that have that uncanny valley vibe to them compared to other characters from that story. I understand when you say that you can't expect a 3d rendered character to look realistic, but that isn't my expectation, what I am saying is that here this one character look clearly off from virtually every 3d rendered characters because of her uncanny look, and it all has pretty much all to do with her jaw, not because of the 3d rendering.
Thank you for your contribution here. But I think the major problem is:
A few very successful VNs are still extremely influencing the perspective of most consumers.
This is something which very few people consider if they are reviewing or commenting something.
In addition, a lot of developers also have a lot of influence from them. That is why specific shapes, faces and figures of most characters are similar, kind of reused/recycled. Only a few details seem to be changed. From my point of view, that's fine. If that's what the audience wants. Because the audience here pays extreme attention to proven aspects. While the audience in the porn industry for example clearly values extremity and variety more.
Most of people expect to see a character like these, just a few examples of assets I picked from the internet.
Characters that are similar to the ones in other popular VNs. And some guys are way more aggressive, they act like auditors, as if there was an ISO devs need to follow from the international organization of standards. And everything which not fits in those standards gets massive shitstorm... It´s like everybody have to draw a perfect circle, if you will not, then you are different and bad.
Some guys even tell me to make characters similar to other VNs and say "then it would be great... then you will be successful"... Well... thanks!
But I´m not gonna do that, because I´m not one of the others.
I think differently. Even if I have to accept that my VNs will never be "mainstream". I want to use models for side characters who are similar to the girls above. But I also want to use some trash whores - fucked up women, like Larisa or Kira.
And I want to have a MILF who is better looking than the trash whores, but who is not as perfect as the girls above. Just to make the role more authentic. She won't be a princess or a supermodel or a superstar for fashion magazines or concerts. She is a normal mature woman with problems, a hard life, a rough childhood, youth and a shitty marriage - a very tough and hard life... and all this is reflected in her face.
And at this point I'm very different from most of the guys and devs here, because most of the guys still want a MILF who looks like 30-35 and seems to be the hottest thing on earth - a queen... miss universe. They want characters who do the craziest, most unbelievable things, including incest, corruption, humiliation, ntr etc., but who look like supermodels and are super cute. I think that doesnt fit in such a plot/story. It's much more unrealistic.
So I took inspiration from real porn stars and MILFS in the real porn business. Women who are not supermodels, who are not perfect, but with a specific kink and interesting mindset. Just a few examples...
So, my VN isnt like others and not really comparable to others. You dont need to ask "why is she like that? or "Why is her face so different?" These questions are nonsence, like asking a stranger woman on the street why she isnt looking like Angelina Jolie.
Or, if you would ask why Jennifer Connelly is in Snowpiercer and not Angelina Jolie... Enjoy your weekend guys!