- Mar 23, 2019
- 1,252
- 4,898
You make some good points. I do think this is a 5 star game. But it isn't without its flaws.
First, I agree with you about the appearance of the girls. I get that the dev wanted to upgrade DAZ models, and the early renders of the first part, weren't the best in terms of modern quality. But the girls all has a realistic charm to their appearance, which was cute and sexy. The current version of the characters are less grainy, and have a bit more detail in their clothing and hair, but they have moved too far into doll territory. Their eyes are too far apart, too large, and their skin is way too smoothed over. Every time I play a new update and see Rebecca, Abby, or Lilly I say to myself, "Wow, is that how they look now?". I have to go look at an older version to see that I am not imagining how they originally looked, which is quite different.
I am also not a fan of Rebecca's new short hair. She looked great with long hair. Not sure why the dev went this way, since most guys find long hair more feminine and cuter, but I guess that is his preference.
Second, I mostly agree with you about the dream sequences. It seems like needless filler to me. Plus, I think all devs should have a moratorium on sex during dream sequences. I hate it. If it isn't in the game, what is the point? It has no meaning. However, to be fair, the dream sequences in Single Again, don't bother me quite as much as in some games. It isn't used as a teaser to the player for future content, for the most part. It is the dev's way of having the MC talk with his conscience, which is at least somewhat useful story-wise. I don't love it, but I can tolerate it.
As far as the MC, I actually like Frank. I think most that criticism of him around here come from those have been playing too many porn games, but I think his reactions, and reservations are pretty realistic and reasonable. I don't even mind the internal dialog about whether he is doing the right thing. It may get a little too much and repetitive occasionally, but that is his character, and it reads to me as a lot more realistic than the typical VN MC, that doesn't have more than a line or two of dialog before he is all-in on relationships with the LIs.
But, what I really like are the rest of the characters. Each one is fully fleshed out in terms of personality. I do think it would be even better if they had more hobbies, or something else going on in their lives but work and hanging out with the MC, but they each seem like a real person, for the most part. Of all the girls, Abby seems a little too one dimensional and bland, but I hope she gets a little more personality as the game continues. Mei seemed way too naive for her age for someone growing up in normal society at first, but as the game goes on it looks like maybe most of that is an act, and she is just painfully shy around others, which is fair, and interesting to see.
Plus, there is a lot of humor in the game. Becca's endless schemes and long-term plans, how she is always thinking 5 steps ahead of the MC to realize her dastardly, and sexy plans, is great. She's my favorite part of Single Again. Her type of character is rarely, if ever seen in VNs, and I love seeing what she is up to next. There is also just enough mystery about some details of the story, such as how Shannon will play in future updates, and what will happen with the lesbian neighbors, and Mei and her family, to keep me interested, just as a story. There could be more mystery, since I think it is obvious where this is all going to end up, but the journey is the fun part.
Mainly, I find myself smiling and chuckling every time I play each update. There is some sort of intangible quality that makes Single Again one of my very top favorite games here, despite the flaws.
