VN - Ren'Py - Abandoned - Summer Falls [v0.1] [Tashankh]

Story 3/5: pretty basic but not bad
Writing 2/5: pretty bland and boring, but at least easy to understand
Renders 4/5: good, but not special
MC 1/5: stupid, awkward, slow. an annoying face and seems like a people-pleaser.
Characters 1/5: they were fine in the start, but since two of them to this games equivalent of OF, one as a bf, and one is an overly curvaceous and overly sexual bland bargirl, at the end of the game there is only two girls I have a positive opinion of as a potential LI. the remaining two are only just okay and not actually likeable.
Choices 3/5: there is a good amount of choices, but the choices that are could definitely have been done better. The options to ask questions and the following conversations are often very weird.

Let's see. Standard premise, person has been away now coming back. He's got a background as a homewrecker, there's no player agency involved with that major moral choice. That's a negative, not a plus.

Renders are middle of the pack.

Animations are lower end, sex scene is dull and lifeless.

Writing is passable, but there's not much life in the story.

Developer is one of many who approach their audience as if they're some terminally online simp. Too often the love interests are fashion models, cam whores, Instagram models, etc. It would be great if this developer had avoided this trend, sadly they did not.

Standard quality of life features are missing, like control over text box opacity and the ability to name your save files.

Good renders but...

Story:

The main character has no real presence or personality. I just don't know what to make of him, he's either a white knight who says all the good things to the ladies or he's dismissive and then there's the pervy thing.

Games with Cam girls are always a instant hot topic in these threads, there's always a lot of friction due to how it's delivered in games and Summer Falls is a great example of it. The personality shift of Miranda and the main character was almost laughable once you decide to disapprove of her way to earn funds.
If you do approve of her ways then you get dialogue suggesting that she isn't as innocent as she seems, that she isn't some "softcore model" and had her "Ho phase" already. My problem isn't only the virtue signaling that's goes on throughout this sequence but the fact that you look or is made out to be this unreasonable person if you reject modern society standards. I came for a story not to be gaslighted into ones way of thinking.

Renders:

Solid.

Characters:

Okay.

Dialogue:

Simple but misleading.

Overall:

You return home and as long as you tell each and every one of these characters what they want to here you're guaranteed to get their panties.

Its a decent start. There isn't much to go on right now, and nothing in particular was wrong with the game. The only thing that was kinda strange is that
Speaking of the MC, I appreciated that the author allowed the player to maturely reject girls who do this universe's version of OF. Due to the rise of OF, more and more creators are giving their two cents on the topic, and in most games, the MC will just say something milk toast like, "Oh! That's cool!", or even subscribe to the LI's OF. But in this game, it gives you the option to have the MC maturely reject it in a believable manner (and not in an over the top way that makes it clear the dev actually WANTED you to accept the girl's lifestyle because they do). As another reviewer mentioned, I may update the score if the game becomes more interesting. It would also be interesting if one of the LI's antagonizes the girl with the lisp. Not that I think its okay to bully people, I just think that it would add some intercharacter drama.

Great start! The renders are great and the writing is well above-average. The characters are interesting and have very distinct personalities. I look forward to seeing how this one develops -- and to bumping this review up to FIVE stars (I'm only downgrading it because there's only enough material to impress me, so far, rather than truly blow me away)!