VN - Ren'Py - SnowStorm [v0.6 DR] [GleenX Studio]

Short summary:


Surprisingly good VN based on viking lore (and some time travel). Story is interesting, characters are good. Renders are mostly good.



Good Things

• Interesting, unique story
• Characters are interesting and different
• Some models are amazing
• Music adds to the atmosphere

Bad points

• Inconsistent render quality - some are great, some are just cutouts in front of the backdrop
• Some sex scenes are rushed and unearned, while others are dragged on
• Unlikeable MC
• Some choices are crazy, and usually the crazier the choices the better the outcome
• Multiple paths, but 80% of the content is same in each path
• Some of the lore and sidestories don’t add much, but distract from the main game

I currently give it a 4 , but a lot of it will rest on its evolution and potential . I like the lore , the universe , the clan , the girls . The visuals are outstanding . Maybe no the most realistic , but stylized enough to look like they belong to a specific game , not another model recycling factory . I already liked the art in Sandstorm , but it improved tremendously .

Now on the negative side ... while i like the variety of girls and choices ... the MC still feel too uninvolved in the decision process . I mean while i understand needing events like a raid for him to prove his worth and loyalty ... it should not take 4-5 chapters for him to get noticed by the clans , and not just his fangirls .

It's kinda hard to pinpoint and express , but cheating your way in the game kinda shows it . The game got stats , but i could dump 50-100 points in each of them , it still would not matter and make MC look good or strong . You'll pass the minimum required checks , which are low anyway , but if you're supposed to fail you'll just fail . At this point the stats and most decision involving them are window dressings . The only that matters are the affinity with the girls .

Still a good , possibly great game , but hoping that it will further evolve and be reworked

Really love it, Story setting really interesting also it's following previous game that's cool. Love the charactes design, a lot various characters and not boring character design or common design. They are unique every one of them. I'm really in love with Nox hope she get more intimate scene with MC. Dialogue chose also interesting and combine with a lot path. Overall excellent.

Have mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand I love the models since there is enough variation, the setting is nice too. Unfortunately the problems start here. Let's start with the MC who is given shitty option after shitty option and has basically become doormat at this point. Then there's the girls at this point I'm not sure if the dev is doing this on purpose but one by one the girls are becoming unlikable. Case in point Nox and Candrid who are manipulative bitches with your two options being outright ignoring/betraying them or caving in to their every whim. There is no middle ground where you can get them to be true partners. Finally, for a Viking game there is very little pillaging and raping done by the MC himself which is a sin of it's own.

This game is amazing, the characters are god tier, and i know a lot of people who don't like games that requires you to play multiple times and i'm one of them, but it works so well on this game that i'm doing every playthrough possible, amazing job from the developers and i wish the best for them

This game gives me such mixed opinions. On one hand the art is great and the setting and plot is actually very interesting. The characters are all unique and have developed and distinct personalities. I also really enjoy the gimmick of the MC not speaking the same language, and trying to figure out what they're saying myself based on words I've learned with the MC.

On the other hand, the MC is super unlikable. He comes off as a miserable and naive douche who's asking to get himself killed. It's never a good sign when the player is given a dialogue choice between multiple options that suck, and this occurs repeatedly throughout the game. Even when you have no control the MC is out here narrating everything in such a smug shitty way you just want one of the characters who can speak English to smack him over the head instead of humouring him for some reason.

If you can grit your way through the MC the rest of the game is genuinely very good, but the MC is such an important aspect of what makes a game likeable having one you dislike really hurts the enjoyment factor.

V0.5 BB blue balls
I enjoyed Sandstorm and was eager to try this devs new title.
The women are some of the most varied and beautiful of any VN and also seem to be original creations not just some generic model.
The setting in the 10th century is also interesting and I can negate the fact that English then would be almost completely alien to a modern English speaker.
The problem here is there's so much build-up, with little to no payoff. As an example one of the most desirable women in the game finally wants you all for a very short scene in which you get interrupted, wtf?!? If you're wondering why you have so few supporters, this is why. No one wants a constant sexfest, but this is just miserable.
The MC is a pathetic douchebag moron who would've had his head cut off shortly after being released when commenting about the chief's daughters to the chief! A lot of his dialogue is cringe whilst most of the other characters are quite endearing and completely out of his league, not even in the same universe.
If you're here for merely a mediocre to good story its fine, otherwise don't waste your time. Try the gallery mod to see for yourself what the "reward" is after hours of gameplay.

Wow. Impressive.

Sandstorm was still really rough around the edges. It had a lot of charm (and Rion) but it was also very much a debut into the genre with renders and mechanics being iffy at times.

Snowstorm is better in every way. I don't care so much about the renders but boy, they are MUCH nicer. And the research into the culture and the depth of the characters and culture is unique in a game like this. Seriously, it is worth supporting just for that.

I should take off a star though for making me cheat on Rion. You should be ashamed, Dev!

So far (only did 2 playthroughs, one with only the wolves for Astrja and one with the raven for Nox) i've been very impressed by SnowStorm as i found it a major improvement over SandStorm that i found had some good but unfortunately for me it had many shortcomings with too many immature type of dialogues.

While there are some weak points in SnowStorm (the major low point to me was the Milka story that was frankly absurd in the way the MC can't figure out where the milk was coming from despite how completely obvious the situation was), overall the multiple paths (choosing a clan deliver some interesting story variation and allow to explore characters in different situations)really make up for it.

Of the characters, i found Lizgard "shy and embarrased" characterisation like if she was an out of place manga "waifu" trope often makes no sense considering the specific clan she belongs to and the overall viking culture she lived into, and Candrid is mostly ridiculous(the "hidden loot" sequence was facepalm inducing).

As a character the MC himself sometime react oddly, like in the village raid sequence in which you can choose to have the MC trying to defend a civilian from being raped, then a minute later the MC will just leave another civilian being raped without a care (and even worse the only other choice in that situation you have is to have the MC watching like any asshole).

But overall all the other characters are interesting and following the multiple paths of the game allow to discover more depths and hidden agenda to them, giving SnowStorm an interesting layered story.

4 stars , very close to greatness if it was not for some of its weak points.

Well i just played the recent update and i might say this is the one game got my heart racing lust going

Characters Story overall game is great you can if simulation invented i would be staying in this world with this characters to be frank it would be worthwhile endavaor that's how good it is.

I just finished the current update (0.5 BB) on the path of the white wolves, I liked this path so much that I'd rather wait for the wolf version to come out to continue than replay the path of the bears, each clan has its differences and its unique missions, so the path What you choose really changes depending on your choices, and the people you interact with and meet, like I chose the wolves, I have more relationships with blonde girls, since the clan is based on hair color, but still I can still have a certain intimacy with girls from other clans, for example with Lizgard from the crows, and this is a huge positive point that the dev put in the game in my opinion, because even though there are unique wolf missions I can still do missions and meet others from other groups, even if it is not the focus of my path, and I hope that in the future I, together with my chosen girl, will be leaders of all the clans, having the others as my lovers too, along with some Servants, I don't even need to mention the references to Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and God of War Ragnarok, which reminds me a lot of course, so for those who like the theme they will really enjoy it, and for me this game is worth much more than 5 stars, because I liked it of every detail of it, just the fact that I have to choose which girl was my girlfriend in the dev's other game (sandstorm), it's a mysterious mechanic for me until the current update.. I hope that the girlfriend chosen in sandstorm doesn't appear out of nowhere like wife of a Viking king, or just a reason for the MC to be sad remembering for nothing.

Decent game with way more potential than what it delivers so far. It has several good renders. The models themselves have enough variation to keep interest including petite girls (always a plus) and non-creepy looking muscle girls. The Viking era is a nice addition to the story especially with the MC realizing that modern science knowledge wouldn't translate to immediate practical applications. I especially love that there are 3 clans (flavors) of Vikings you can join and even switch at certain points. It also doesn't become an exposition like so many wordy VNs here. Now for the negatives. Many have said that a lack of choice is the biggest problem, but I'd say the problem lies deeper than that. Rather than simply a lack of choice at certain points the actions of the MC are not even in line with his thoughts i.e. consistency like when he's furious about being drugged and how easily he forgives with no explanation. Then there's the options for the girls which have you at times thinking it will allow you to romance (when in a clan) certain options, but then they sort of fizzle out and nothing comes from them. Finally, Candrid needs to be killed or at least be cast down to thrall (slave) status.

Such a great game, i was kinda surprised how much I liked it given i ran into this game by accident, instead of seeing it recommended by someone else.
Great, well defined characters that each has their goal and aspirations and plays a significant role in the overall narative.
Meaningful choices that can take you to surprising outcomes.
Game looks beautiful.
This was a top notch experience, and I can only hope it continues in the same vein.

Very good sequal to Sandstrom.
Interessting story so far, every character has their strengths and weaknesses and every fraction their own goal. Gonna be interessting how the story develops and how much the ending of Sandstrom is gonna matter for Snowstorm.

8.5/10
This is very good AVN and have 3 route to play

Pro
- Story are beautifully written and easily to get in
- Character design are another level
- Choice seems to matter to a stories
- The render are beautiful
- 3 main route to choose
- White Wolf girl!

Cons
- Story seems short because of 3 route
- Gallery are meant for the romance or adult scene
- Not many scene due to 3 route I guess

Sandstorm wasn't a bad VN, but Snowstorm is an improvement in all categories. The writing is improved, the characters are more interesting, and the art is a lot better. The biggest complaint I had is that it seemed as though we had to get violent in order to get through to Mathilda. Was there really no other way? MC deserves to be executed a few times in this story. The other issue I had throughout my entire v0.4.5 playthrough was that some of the phrases sounded too modern to have a meaningful translation into Norse. All in all, incredible VN, 5/5.

actually played this one before the previous one and since this one was ok i tried the other one... and fucking hell if it fallows the path of the previous one this will be a bumpy hard core ride!

so yes, i am rating it based on expectations!

if you wish everything to be perfect historically... its not gonna happen!
but its fun entertaining and the rpg elements are nice, they could be better but its mainly a story, so for what its worth its a good bang for your dollar!

I really wanted to love this game, big fan of viking story so perfect settings with great potential, i even enjoyed the main story line its well written and fun, i like the diffrent paths/clans as well even though they dont matter all that much since you pretty much get to do the same things with most of the girls no matter what clan you pick.

Story really feels more kinetic then not in many ways.

Where it fails is with the choices, i feel lilke its a game with choices but without choices, take Nox path i tried to stay clear of her picking all the worng choices, and even after Nox drugs MC and MC starting to hate Nox he still accepts a BJ from her, and you can just sit back and wonder wtf is going on and why choices dosent seem to matter at all.
Same for Candice clan thing you have to accept handjob and BJ from her to get into that clan and following that your forced to try a boobjob with her, i just reaaaaaaallllllyy hate forced sex scenes even more so in game with choices.

Also hate that MC shares stuf with Nox after she backstabbed him by druging hes ass, and MC even backstab the girl that saved hes life to help out someone that drugs him, its just stupid and ruins the game when MC is so brainless.

Also story is broken in atleast one spot in the Nox line, when you go with Nox and the ask about the crystal cave and you tell her you wont tell her, you still end out helping her finding the cave makes no sense at all.

Also in same quest as above it breaks the game a little and you will miss out on one pick of the week so you lose points with the person you cant do, for some weird reason instend of going the the weekly choices it restarts the same quest line with Nox asking about crystal cave, not sure how much it effects the game due to the loss in relationship points or story line with the one you miss but its not a good thing thats for sure.

The other problem i have is i really dont like big tits and man is this game full of it, some is so extreem that the girl shouldent even be able to stand up or walk, so if you arent into that stuff then maybe think twice about playing it, there are normal and even smaller sizes to so there is a little for those that are into smaller tits but just keep in mind alot is forced on you doing the game.

Also it needs a rape tag Nox pushes MC down a cliff and when he wakes up Nox is riding him fucking him without hes concent.

Story 3/5
I enjoy the main story, but dont enjoy forced sex with people i hate or just dont want to be with and it makes it even worse that there is no rape tag to warn you about it.

Animations 3/5
They look nice and smooth, but they are just to rare and alot of the sex scenes is just picture to picture.

Girls 3/5
To much focus on big tits and even some extreem tits, not a fan of that but there are some normal girls so its playable.

Music 3/5
Its just above average, but it dosent really capture the viking vibe.

Choices 2/5
There are some and you can say no to some, but your still forced to do stuff with people you might not like no matter if you pick the worst choices with them every time.

This is one of the better games on this site, with some minor nitpicks. Let's get the cons out of the way first.
-The grammar is pretty good, but there are some minor inconsistencies and typos here and there
-Animations stutter from time to time
-There doesn't really feel like there's much differentiation between paths chosen
With that out of the way, let's move onto the positives
-The models are some of the best I've seen yet. I did a Bears playthrough and Helga is honestly adorable. Candrid is the epitome of crazy hot (mostly crazy though)
-The clan affiliation system makes the typical relationship grind have higher stakes
-The story takes your typical "protagonist out of time" route and is able to portray it in a serious way. The MC is not an omniscient god, he still needs exposition from time to time, but it's provided in organic ways (and sometimes it's left for the player to figure out)
In sum, while this isn't a perfect game by any means, this is one of only two Renpy games that portray semihistorical eras in somewhat realistic fashion. It does this with meaningful stats and relationship tracking, and the LIs are very much alluring for the player. Overall this is a recommend, with room for improvement.

The game's old enough to get a review now.

As of V4.5, changes have been done, restricting the amount of girls you can get, while also locking the scenes you can get more severely as well.
As such, game play wise, the game took a sharp turn down, effectively removing a lot of interest and sex scene, while forcing players to now have at least three saves to be played concurrently for each new version.

The renders are very decent, and some girls are ok, although, you may want to check the screenshots first, as they may not all be your type. Most have fairly large boobs, which ain't everyone's cup of tea.

The gameplay is, now, the very typical AVN style: Making choices you have, of which you'll have no idea what the consequences may be down the line, or if they'll block you from X path, or make you miss some scenes.

The game originally showed promises, but the latest changes just dropped the game back down to just about any other average AVN out there.

As a result, I can not recommend the game.