VN - Ren'Py - Completed - Something to Write About: The Author [Ch. 7.1] [STWAdev]

I may have enjoyed this more because the writing competency was orders of magnitude better than Savior (a game I turned off in disgust just before firing STWA up).

The characters were kind of cliche, but that kind of goes with the territory. They fit certain types, but stick a bit too rigidly to them for me to feel like they are real.

The writing is very good in terms of language, and the plot is enough to entice you to move along without being spectacular.

On the negative side, a lot of scenes were meandering, some others were kind of superfluous, and this makes the pace kind of off and requires clicking through some pretty uninteresting conversations. I guess this is a lack of conflict and drama. Some scenes just exist for information, and I don't like that. The animations suck. Irredeemably so, I would have enjoyed the game more if the dev had stuck to stills.

Overall a really nice AVN that I have no trouble recommending. There are drawbacks, but much less than many others in the field.

Pretty decent story with good written characters. Relaxing and vanilla plot without too much drama.
The story is linear, so, yours choices only matters to which girl (or girls if you into threesome) you are end up with.
There some story twitches, but like i said - no big drama.
Maybe MC sometimes behaved childish and stupidly, but it wasn't that bad, we all have flaws a guess.

Renders: 8/10 (pretty good renders)
Story: 8/10
Girls: 8/10
Lewd scenes 5/10 (for me it wasn't the problem, as I mostly seek for a good story and realistic characters)

I played Unbroken before starting this game and chose Chris, but after playing Author I kinda fell for Dru, she really is adorable, so I had to start Unbroken again just to rechoose the girl hahah.

Oh also maybe the ending was a bit rushed and unfinished, at least on Dru route. But dev cannot satisfy everybody on this matter, so it is fine.

I'd figured I'd play this one before Unbroken and I'm pretty happy I did. It's not the greatest story in the entire world but is feasible. I really enjoyed the interactions with characters like Aoife, Lyndie, and Chris. I felt like Dru could've definitely been a possibility for me if she wasn't introduced in the backend of the story. My other complaint was that the endings were a bit rushed, and the pacing was a bit off towards the end, but overall, it's good and definitely a good preface to the successor.

This is a porn VN alright but a drama porn to be exact. I don't like it when plotlines become unbelievable and illogical just to be sappier and touchier. Even so this VN tried it with bad plot development and writing:
MC gets cucked by some chick meanwhile having a sexual thing with his BFFWB Chris, then he feels so betrayed and lonely so he commits suicide by jumping off an overpass!? But some samaritan pedestrian lady "bravely" falls down with MC trying to save him which somehow helped MC survive (don't think so) It just lost me after the fact that blind hottie waking up from coma to sleep with MC and join his pseudo-harem. Behold the power of boners! I couldn't take it serious after that point. Everything was over the top. Only girl I found interesting was Lyndie, others were meh and no real ending with her like WTF?
Overall an underwhelming experience, not a single aspect I can call good tbh. OK for a casual read for passing time, you won't have a WOW moment. Lets hope Unbroken is better.

Ch 7.1 - Completed

Well first and foremost this VN wasn't for me, maybe the theme wasn't compatible with me and the format of the narrative made it bland. So take this review with a grain of salt.

Since this is a story focus VN, we'll quickly touch on the gfx etc first and the storyline later.

The models are quite pretty and renders are above average, animations are so-so. If you're into the lewd stuff then this might not be your thing. Also most of the sex scenes are pretty vanilla stuff.

Now the main strength of this VN is the story and the characters.
Storyline basically deals with depression of sorts and recovering from your low point. The healing process, rediscovering yourself. Of cos with the help of a cast of beautiful ladies whom you'll have tons of interactions with. Each character has their own complex background and unique circumstances. MC will aid on their problems while the ladies will help him heal his emotional/psychological scars, its a 2 way thing.

Theres no insane drama plot, the narrative feels more like slice of life format. It was a good read in the beginning chapters but towards the mid and late game, it got kinda draggy and boring.
The ladies all have different personalities and situations but they're just average in quality overall, none of them are outstanding as a character. They're all the cliche VN love interests troupe. Their respective story sub plots are all of similar templates. The MC is probably the worst written character here imo. I mean he has his own story but again its pretty bland(moreover it drags for too long) and the entire story from his perspective feels like playing an on-rails shooter killing the same zombies till the end.

Now that's not to say this VN is bad, the many good reviews here is testimony to that but in my opinion its just too average and the slice of life approach makes the storytelling monotonous. Lets face it guys, real life is boring as hell and sucks thats why we're all here. I would say the narrative is flat throughout with a lack of proper build up or a decently executed climax.

The main offender is the plot that overstayed its welcome as it got excruciatingly draggy from the middle till the end game(mentioned a lot in this review). However, i do appreciate the lessons and message behind the game, they're conveyed very well especially in the endings.

Fantastic VN, I had no idea what to expect coming in and after a few chapters, but the plot fleshed out nicely as it progressed. The cast was full of lovely ladies, the decisions had an impact on the game, and the route separation was flawless. It had a good balance of shocks that weren't too out of place, as well as its share of emotional moments. All of the endings appeared to be near-perfect and were worth going through.

I played this game in the last few days and I have to say that it was an amazing experience.

If you've been here long enough to see games that lack in the storytelling department, you see some that have the story down perfectly, but aren't that good with the renders, but this game has it all and I'd love to give it 4,5/5 overall, but sadly there are no ,5 numbers here, so I'll have to settle for a 4/5 - I hope neither the dev (if they ever read this) nor anyone else takes it the wrong way, but I feel like getting a perfect score for a game, even the best one out there is nigh impossible.

That being said, the game has an amazing cast of different, charming and very loveable characters and while the story is also exceptionally well written, I feel like the characters are the bread and butter of the VN and the main reason I enjoyed it so much.
What surprised me towards the end was that the endings were pretty much always completely different when you actually chose a specific girl contrary to whe you didn't choose them. Not a bad choice, but certainly not what I expected with Lyndie for example.

I never imagine the game to be this interesting to play. It is usually hard for me to read tons of words and sentences in an AVN, and only a few ones are able to keep me engaged from start to finish, and STWA: The Author is certainly one of them.

Pros:
- Story: The story itself is actually quite simple, yet the way the developer progresses makes it more enjoyable to watch. That's not much happening, yet it is the combination of each simple stories that makes the game amazing.
- Character: Perhaps the most significant factor that makes me fall in love with this game. Every character is portrayed in the most believable way, and their character arc is unique in their own right. The progression to each girls' is very captivating to the point that lewd scenes feel more like a reward for my relationship hardship than something that I long for in the first place. I especially love the move that the developer tries to make a pseudo-harem theme only in the latter part of the game to tell us that in reality we are bound to choose in the end. Aoife and Lyndie (and maybe Beatrix) are certainly the de facto main girls in the game, and it seems to me that Aoife/Lyndie throuple relationship is more or less the official ending in the game and it is the one that I personally cherish. They are probably two of my Top 10 girls in AVNs and huge thanks for the dev in creating these two sweethearts.

Cons:
- There're some grammatical error and typos in the game that are hard to miss.
- No much animation in the game (especially in lewd scenes), but I don't actually mind that much.
- Some of the plot devices (such as MC's ex) are underused clearly.

Overall, great AVN, highly recommend it.

Very good game story wise where each girl has their own personalities and aren't flat as paper. The graphics aren't quite to snuff and the game length as a whole feels a bit short. There were things that could've been explored but overall it is a great game. This game overall is good, esp for a 3D game since I tend to prefer "2D" games more.

To be honest, I didn't even know what to expect from this game when I downloaded it. I stumbled upon this game quite by accident, after I read a short review about it in one Subreddit. And it wasn't the first time someone mentioned this game, given the fact that this game is completed, I just couldn't pass it up.

What can I say? The game is pretty good. I can't say that I enjoyed it enough to replay it a few more times to see different endings and character interactions, but I really liked it. This is one of the few games in which the lack of animations did not disappoint me at all, because I was really interested in the story. The sex scenes were some kind of "bonus" that I didn't pay too much attention to.

From the good, I can note really well-written characters. They felt much more alive and realistic than the characters in other more "popular" games.
As for the plot, I can not say anything bad, I was interested in watching the development of the story. But some of the action was a bit exxagerated and the pace of the game was a bit faster than I would have liked. I'm not a fan of similar "timeskips" between parts of the game.

Grammar and punctuation mistakes slightly spoiled the impression, but not enough to affect my opinion.

I also liked the ending, especially the description of the life of other characters with whom the MC did not have an affair.

Overall, the game is very good. As I said, I did not expect that I would get so much pleasure from game. Can I recommend it to other? Yes.

The Author is one of these games where you launch it with your pants down and after one chapter pull them back and stay for the feels. I don't even feel cheated.

The writing

The story is good, and the girls have actual personalities that you gradually discover over the course of the game. There are a few typos here and there, some of the relationships felt like they were advancing rather quickly behind my back (there a few time skips between chapters that would've benefited from a montage) and the big "why does the MC hate his childhood friend" reveal does feel like a rug pull because the MC was phenomenally stupid, but then the story gets better and the next big reveal is very unexpected, but in a good way.

The art

While some of the locations are obvious stock assets, the main girls themselves mostly aren't. They have been given different faces, bodies, wardrobes, and the lighting/shaders are set up in a way that doesn't make them look plastic. There are no obviously recycled renders.

The gameplay

The VN is mostly linear, and there are no challenge choices that lead to nasty surprises down the line. It's a chill game that doesn't try to punish you.

The coding

I haven't encountered any bugs during my gameplay. Sometimes the game asked me about the choices I had made, probably because the makers forgot to set up the relevant flags in advance.

The lewdness

I didn't try to view every lewd scene during my first playthrough, and if you stick to a single love route you might find them sparse. There were no animations, and the scenes felt a bit rushed, even though the renders and the writing was good.

The verdict

While this might not be the best lewd VN, it's still a damn good VN with a happy ending that I thoroughly enjoyed.

it good.
nothing fancy but its amazing if you're into vanilla shit

right so the rest of what i'm going into is obviously my own opinion so take with a grain of salt . Also Spoilers


so the whole thing is story of a guy recovering from one big ass depression.
is in his late twenties but talks like hes sixty but has more guts than i would expected him to have which is nice

quick notes :

the girls are all written fairly well considering this a drama story which means you only get chicks yapping the whole time.
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there is a relationship system with numbers if you have not noticed so consider that if you aren't playing with the mod
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the story itself is very linear you go forward you learn stuff . the stuff is going to happen . you react to stuff . flirt with chicks in the middle.
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the chick are hot
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sex is ok but not epic



my biggest dislike is that it didn't made me feel like anything of importance is happening to these characters but they did ok given the medium and the setup ill be moving on their next game.

So much better than I had originally thought it would be. I downloaded it thinking I would stop playing within 30 mins to an hour. But instead I played for about 4-5 hours straight. I played through the Beatrix route as she suited my personal preferences more than the other girls. I really liked the ending and the little after story of her being pregnant. Over all, I would give it a 9/10 I only wish it was a little longer.

A good story based visual novel with a few twists that you don't see coming.

Pros

• Good renders and visuals
• Good character models
• Good story
• Good writing
• Unique character personalities
• Somewhat original story

Cons

• Low emphasis on sex and lewd content - low amount
• Low FPS animations - 2 to 4 frame animations look terrible
• Rushed sex events that are brief, lack buildup, and lack passion
• MC's face is intentionally hidden throughout the game - I'm not a fan of this
• Poor English - yet another author who doesn't use a proofreader

We have yet another game where if the author fixed a few things they could have a 5 star game. The adult content in the game is rushed and lacking. The animations are poor. The writing badly needs a proofreader. If you aren't a native English speaker please get some help from someone who is!

Overall, a good game that is worth a playthrough. I recommend it for the story. Fappers look elsewhere.

I really enjoyed this game! The premise is straightforward, but the game takes its time establishing the Main Character's backstory, allowing us to get a sense of who he is now and how the trauma in his past shaped him.

Likewise the girls are all well realized, both visually and as characters. The game is definitely on the slow-burn side of things, but the build up was enjoyable and the heat at the end was worth the wait. As I'm a big fan of romance in AVNs, this game definitely scratched my itch. The game even has one of the more credible throuple paths I've come across (though personally I still think the two girls work a little better on their own).

Beyond the characters, the game is - appropriately enough - well written. There are minimal grammatic errors, character "voice" is consistent, and the narration does an effective job enhancing the scenes without overshadowing the either the dialog or the events on screen.

From a production point of view the game is very no-frills. There is no music and minimal animations. Likewise there are no additional gameplay elements - mini-games or grinding activities. If you enjoy those sorts of things this game may not work as well for you, but for myself I'm happy to let the game focus on the story and characters.

If I had to name any weakness in the game, it's that the game sometimes falls into a pseudo-harem feel, and that the ending is a bit sudden.

On the first, the game definitely plays up the cliche of women throwing themselves at the main character, which does get a bit monotonous at times. It will also tease the way the MC has built his own harem on several occasions (even if the MC has declined to romance multiple girls). I'm not really a fan of the harem style, so this fell a bit flat for me, but as we do have to choose a girl in the end it never bothered me much. I can see how harem fans might find that more frustrating, though.

On the abruptness of the ending, it's not that the game feels rushed. It ends at a logical point and addresses the main points that had been raised. It's more that the game ends when there was still so much left to explore. Yes, the MC has picked his girl and written his book, but it does feel like we could have seen how the changed dynamics played out a little further before the curtain fell. This is particularly true with Camilla May: her relationship with Aoife, Beatrix, and even the MC is setup in great detail, but the resolutions are very quick. The resolution to Kimberly's story likewise leaves a lot of material unexplored. Again, this is a minor complaint, as it could be argued those details are beyond the scope of this game, but it is disappointing that they were raised only to be left to our speculation.

Still, minor concerns aside, I consider this one of the better games I've played so far. Well done!

(For the record, I played the completed Ch 7.)

Great story i really enjoyed it.
I have only played a few vn's that hit on the mental health topic before but as someone who has people i am close to with different mental illnesses and bipolar disorder i think the dev did a really good job at developing the story with those aspects it is really light hearted and isn't to dark or overbearing.
I look forward to seeing the future projects from this dev.

Finished this beautiful beast today and I have to say I loved it. A bit of drama and stuff about mental illness but nothing off-putting for my taste. There are certain endings I couldn't get and not really looking for a walkthrough so I can check them out, I'm more than satisfied with the poly ending with 3 beautiful girls that I love and feel like a family. Best ending imo. The other 2 endings I managed to get were also cool. This was quite a ride, I'm happy I got the complete experience out of it and I will definitely check out Unbroken from the same dev, if it's anything like this then wow.

Incredible AVN, did not know what to expect coming in and after a few chapters, but as it went on the story fleshed out perfectly. The cast was filled with great girls, the choices had effects on the game, and the separation of routes was done perfectly. Great balance of surprises that werent too over the top, as well as its fair share of emotional moments. The endings all seemed near perfect and were worth playing through. cant wait to start unbroken.

Incredible game, the writing and the friends' group made me so immersed I thought I really was in.

The girls are really nicely fleshed out and varied some have really great designs (Dru & Lyndie), this game is beautiful in its story.

Was really engrossed all the time I read.

I'd really recommend, to get an even better experience, to use the Koga3 sounds mod that has great soundtracks.

5/5 well-deserved.

Good story, tackling matters some dont even dare to mention in adult games. A LOT of paths with nice endings. Amazing models/enviroments and animations are good. Worth playing ever more so for the story.