I'm not a fan of femdom and sissification. Then again, I wasn't a fan of historical romances, either, until I started reading Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series back in the nineties. They hooked me, and Star Periphery did the same.
I'll keep this as spoiler-free as possible.
I gave this game a look because I like futa. The story, characters and visuals did the rest. This game tells an engaging story with a sexy cast that grows on you, and does it in a seductively sleazy sci-fi/noir setting.
VirtualPilgrim has created an appealingly gritty little universe filled with gorgeous dominant futas and femboys on the make. Again, not typically my thing, but the characters are such well-drawn individuals that the game kept slipping past my prejudices.
Things move at a good pace both in terms of plot wrinkles and sexual encounters. There's no blue-balling; even the chastity route is optional. I did not opt for sissification, and the game made that easy by helpfully indicating the sissifying choices with easily-avoidable pink text.
What isn't optional is tons of hardcore futadom action. Strangely, this wasn't the dealbreaker I thought it would be. I was so invested in the characters that I found myself rooting for them to rail the MC's cute chubby butt. Your reaction may differ, so play at your own risk.
The visuals are great, professional caliber. The lighting is competently done and very atmospheric. The environments are detailed and carry a consistent nuts-and-bolts hard science fiction aesthetic. Periphery Station X is a dirty, dangerous and exciting place, (kinda like an X-rated Mos Eisley in deep space) and every picture conveys that vibe.
In terms of appearance, the LI's are all unique with builds spanning everything from muscular to pleasingly plump. They are all unique in terms of character, too; each one has a mind and personality of her own. They are all futas and in different ways, all gorgeous.
My main critiscism of the game's visuals is that there aren't enough of them. Especially during the sex scenes, when the text describing the action rushes ahead to describe things that aren't onscreen. More showing and less telling would be better.
Also, many sex scenes have the futa's faces out-of-frame. This is a mistake; faces are sexy. I get that the author is choosing a tighter focus on the hardcore bits, but when the whole bottom half of their face is visible, really why not show their entire face? VoidPilgrim is decent with facial expressions and it's a shame not to see them.
Not to say that the visual storytelling isn't strong (it is), but things would be a lot more immersive with more reaction shots. A face filling the screen with lust, fear, doubt or love lends immense power to a visual narrative.
VoidPilgrim's writing is tight, literate, and effective. They know their source material and clearly have a blast playing with it. They quickly establish a pleasing space-noir tone and maintain it consistently throughout the story. Aside from the odd typo, this level of competency is incredibly refreshing in the VNiverse.
One note: things do tend to get repetitious during the side quest sex scenes. (S)He really likes the word sultry a lot. Still leaps and bounds ahead of yer run-of-the-mill VN.
Animations are non-existent. If this game had even half-decent anims, it would be worth more than five stars.
Likewise, the sound design is sparse. The royalty-free soundtrack is well-chosen and tonally appropriate, but there are no voices or soundscapes. Some feminine moans and dirty talk would enhance this game tremendously.
So a solid four stars with room for improvement. Absolutely worth trying and even supporting, even if it's not your usual thing.
