VN - Ren'Py - Summer Scent [v0.6.5] [The Naughty Captain]

Holy hell, I wasn't expecting such a good story. I honestly gave up even waiting for anything naughty to happen (even though the girls are totally adorable) and just wanted to know where the story was going. Next update please!!

Review as of v0.5.5

Renders: They're really nice. Shadows and mood lighting to fit the scenes were great and the characters (for the most part) feel real. Though I do think the MC looks ugly / weird and I hate every render that shows his face, which fortunately for me is rare. There are no animations so far, which I'm fine with since most games don't really do it well enough to make it worth it. I think Eve and Kelly are gorgeous and very well rendered, while Cassie just looks pretty good, but the game declares Cassie as being the hottest one. The expressions that Eve gives is so real and well done.

Story: Story progression is great, and I like the fact that there's I think 6 completely different routes to take so far which really changes your perspective on the characters and seems to change the romance portion dramatically as well, including some really strange ones I wouldn't dare get into. The only problem with that is when you have that much variation, it can often take forever to develop a good length game with enough story and lewd content to satisfy most players of this genres without having to start over and choose different routes which I imagine the majority of players (including myself) aren't really into doing as we usually just want to move on to the next story / game. So far though, the game does seem like it'll be an ideal length given the current story progression and version number if that's anything to go by. I imagine not having to create animations helped a lot in saving time with getting the content completed. I do feel like the overall story plot is somewhat predictable and the lack of options to influence it or at least let us think we can influence it makes it a bit frustrating.
Gameplay: This is where the review gets kind of ugly and where the dev and I can't agree on. There has been a lot of mentions and complaints on at least 1 issue which the dev has acknowledged and refused to correct. Having choice triggers and point requirements in games to allow certain routes to be taken and the better routes being more difficult than others is quite typical of any good VN game. However, where this game goes wrong is how blind and limited some of the choices are during the first playthrough. It literally feels like a coin flip on some of the trigger decisions (referring mainly to the unadvertised harem / throuple route). You would either need to backtrack on a lot of decisions to make sure you got the ideal result or deal with the very dark ending that no one expects to get. There's one in particular that really upset me because both decisions felt like good ones and I feel like the game wanted me to choose one over the other which was essentially a trap and there was no way of knowing what major impact it would have until much later in the game (lingerie shop choice... choose Cassie for harem or you'll regret it). In order to get the harem route, you have to cheat, there's no choice about it (I know cuz I tried everything to find a way around it), even though the game punishes you for it and dev in the comments section claims you deserve it when there's no better way of getting that harem route. Aside from that, the lack of text box and white text on nearly white background which happens a lot was annoying, ended up having to "Shift+A" and increase font size to maximum in order to improve readability. I don't know why we can't just have the text box as an option, or add thick font shadowing / text size options to counter this simple issue.

Writing: Written in a non-native language, so it's not expected to be perfect, although still pretty good overall, considering. The writing did start out a bit robotic and with a lot of grammar and spelling mistakes, but it does quickly improve as the game progresses. There's still some grammar and spelling mistakes even in the last game day, but it's a lot more subtle and I imagine it'll remain consistent like that from now on, which I'm happy with. The dev does occasionally add rarely used words in the script which is appreciated as I love learning / practicing words like that. I only wish more devs would do this.

Sounds / Music: Non existent, which I'm personally ok with.

Menu / UI: Menu is customized and clean of any features that don't do anything like sound options. There's a picture gallery which I'm sure some ppl appreciate, but no scene gallery by default, luckily there's a mod to correct that (although, as of writing this, the mod is kind of broken and the walkthrough leads the player down a very bad path due mainly to that lingerie store decision). There's an optional stats display while playing which is appreciated. Unfortunately, there's a forced 25 second intro warning dialog each time you load the game and you cannot skip it which obviously is very annoying.

Overall: I think the game is alright. I think if the dev could just listen to the criticisms and make the minor changes needed to dramatically improve gameplay experience, the amount of positive attention and popularity would likely increase a lot more. I also think the game's description could include a harem tag or throuple tag unless the dev has plans to kill that option later in the game (the mere mention of harem would boost playerbase). As it stands right now though, there's no way this game will make it into my top 10 favs list.

EDIT: I would also like to point out that to anyone who objects to this review, I'd appreciate it if you could at least show respect for the review as this took a lot of time to write and I meant every word with the best of intentions. There's no need for fans to insult me over my opinions and honesty. This community represses enough ppl with conflicting opinions. To anyone else, thanks for reading it.

Really really good. I specifically like the childhood friend. Good art, good writing. No over-the-top ridiculous anatomics (apart maybe from MC dick size). I naturally went on a dual path on first try and ran into a bad ending. Used the walkthrough to get to the dual ending. It was heartwarming and truly wonderful. Next I used the walkthrough for the sublove path. Nice lewd scenes, but I felt bad about it, kind of guilty, after seeing the much happier dual ending. ... (Will definitely not try any less cuddly path.)

Btw, one of the few adult games that I saw so far where the (face of the) male MC is on display a lot without me finding this face obnoxious. It seems that often the artists will put much less effort into the male MC, and in particular the facial expressions, than into the potential love interests. So usually I prefer games without visible MC, but in this case the MC did not only not annoy me, I think his depiction improved the game. (I think this is the only game where I have this feeling.)

BTW, the game uses "childhood friend" to avoid the usual incest-restrictions of some websites. I personally am not into incest, and was happy that the text works well if you take "childhood friend" literally. (E.g., consistent use of "your father") . Unfortunately the story itself is then not soo convincing

V0.5.5 Eve & Cassie Love Route Patched

This VN and this route are by far the best polyamorous romance I’ve seen on the site. It’s a slow burn, the first full sex doesn’t happen until day 5, but the emotional roller coaster leading you to that point is intense. Playing with the patch just amplifies the emotion as the MC and Eve wrestle with doubt and remorse due to the forbidden nature of their love. At the same time they also have to deal with their guilt over the betrayal of Cassie, Eve’s best friend and the MC’s highschool crush, but Cassie has her own agenda.

There are currently 15 separate paths (individual romance, combinations of love and submission, and some neutral paths) with a number of bad ends possible. To successfully get to day five in this route required a rigid adherence to the essential walkthrough. Many of the routes have strong elements of dominance and submission. One unfinished route may lead to a larger harem, but this is not confirmed as of this version.

Models are attractive and realistically proportioned (aside from the obligatory MC supersize) and renders are generally high quality. Gains or losses in stats can be displayed as they happen but are not tallied. The MC in the love route is not a douche or a sociopath and shows emotional growth over the course of the VN. Choices are meaningful and can completely change the trajectory of the story.

This is not a quick fap fest. This is a story to immerse yourself in, with two well realized female characters to fall in love with.

WOW! First off - to me writing, story, and immersion are most critical in an AVN. Renders, scenes, branching, and animations are tools to enhance the experience.

With that said - I have to say the Naughty Captain's writing ranks in the top five of all AVNs I have played. The conversations are fantastic, the "thinking" of the MC adds depth and actual emotion, and the personality changes that occur (via dialog) as you make different choices is awesome. With 15 branches thus far (and i have played through 10 as of this review) the fact that each feels unique is due in large part to the writing. Each branch thus far is a unique story.

I went in not knowing anything about this game so when i hit the "bad" ending my first playthrough it was a punch in the gut. It was very emotional but just solidified to me that The Naughty Captain knows how to create that connection to his characters. Not many AVNs can bring that.

Beyond the story that Naughty Captain has woven, the renders, environments, and scenes all compliment the story and again just help ramp up the investment in the characters. You can see the evolution of NC's skills as the story progresses and by the end of the current update it is solid work. Based on a recent dev log, NC is redoing some of the early chapters which will only enhance this experience.

For those interested in a great story and excellent visuals, I highly recommend Summer Scent.

absolutly excelent game so far. i am very curious about comming updates.

That Charakters are really beautiful and well written. The Storytelling is extraordinary. Just some words do confuse me, like there wouldn't be some "Teens" to use those word, but might be, because I am no native english speaker.

i wish the text was little bigger or even adjustible.

I downloaded this game with low expectations, figuring I'd read the dialogs in diagonal and get to the good parts quickly, and Alt-F4 when I'm bored. Well, as of v0.5.5, I can say I was very surprised by this game's story and dialogues. I basically stayed for the whole ride until the inevitable "To be continued". Sometimes you get so jaded by H-games you think you know what you'll experience ahead of time. I underestimated this title, and I strongly recommend you try it. It only gets better story-wise as you go forward.

This game is extremely immersive and overall excellent.

The plot setup is pretty straightforward and nothing majorly exciting, but it becomes really engaging after the first few scenes- this isn't a VN you can judge on the first 20 minutes. After time, some unique plot points start appearing that make the game exciting to play because of the tension and suspense that they add. It's the kind of plot that lets you have a meaningful role in the game world, which is always fun to have.

The characters are so well fleshed out and have a lot of depth. There's a lot of nuance to the way that they think, feel, and understand themselves- the introspection and self awareness is pretty awesome to see. The character development is really well-paced and nothing ever feels artificial or forced. The MC is initially oblivious and it can take a little longer for him to "wake up" due to your choices, but it feels really good when it starts because of the satisfying development.

Romance is often tricky in VNs because of balancing pace and sex scenes, but this one managed to do it perfectly. A lot happens in a short space of time, but it feels natural and believable. It's not stereotypical either- there's some extra nuance to the relationship dynamics that makes it feel more grounded instead of just a "feel-good" kind of thing.

Graphics are great and the environment renders had a lot of effort put into them, they were really nice to look at too.

v0.5.5
What a wonderful VN... so creative and expressive. Character-development succeeds magnificently through story and finely-detailed and emotional dialogue.
The LI choices seem obviously 2D at first but the 3rd dimension is added and another unexpected choice which is brave and touching. Lovely work!

it is the first time i felt empathy towards game characters particularly Kelly. Also the graphics are impressive plus lots of humour in dialogue but also very deep convevrsations. i respect that this is not a fuck game but it kinda shows the type of person you are based on the endings. i would call a psychological test with rewards or punishments

looks good, reads great, choices matter, creator's vision seemingly intact in the face of whining dickbeaters afraid of moody feelings scaring away their day's third ejaculation. high quality soap opera within the medium. 5/5 horny fragile perverts look elsewhere or at least don't strike out.

Probably the best visual novel I've ever played. The main character and Cassie really speak to me as a reformed ignorant jackass who was lucky enough to fall in love with the right person willing to constantly sit down with them and point out reality.

The only thing this is missing is some really calm relaxing constant music, but that's easily remedied by just going to youtube and typing Relax ASMR and finding something that goes on for 3+ hours.

Well that and a good walkthrough for Day 5, but like a complete version of this VN, I'm sure it'll be worth the wait.

Thank you so much for making this Naughty Captain.

v 0.5 - Installed thinking "Looks good, might be interesting".

Wow. Recommend, and looking forward to updates.

Impressive image quality, engaging characters, interesting story with high replay value. This is an actual VN, and not just a fap slideshow - Decisions have consequences, and there are potentially "unhappy" outcomes depending on your choices. You have been warned.

This game is very well done. The models look great and stand out in a genre where a lot of the characters look similar, and the writing of the characters is a class above many of the more popular games on this site. The setting is a bit cliche, but there's nothing really wrong with that so long as it is done well, and I think it is. I would definitely recommend playing this game, and if you are able to, supporting the dev.

There are two main things of a critical nature I'd keep in mind when playing:

1) There are lots of different paths. I don't remember the exact number, but I think it may be more than seven. This is great for the dev since he has a clear vision for the characters. It's not as great for people like me who really only like a couple paths. Updates can take awhile, and while the quality is indisputable, it is sometimes sad to have to wait so long when part of the wait involves paths that you might never care about. It's a problem in practically every game, but a bit more present in this one since there are so many more paths.

2) There's a very bad ending, and the choices that lead there are not always clear. I have no issues with the dev introducing really dark themes. My feedback here, however, is that avoiding that ending (and possibly future bad endings) doesn't appear to be the most intuitive thing. There are some major choices that don't appear to be that significant, even on a second playthrough, that make or break your path. So, while this does not change the fact that I highly recommend this game, I also strongly encourage everyone wanting to avoid any depressing, bleak results to use a walkthrough mod or read up on past conversations.

TL;DR: Really good game, play it, but with a walkthrough.

Pretty decent game
Characters and dialogues feel surprisingly real lol
Best part I think is MC's character progression


The bad ending was something totally unexpected lol
I liked how I had to actually work hard for getting the good part and avoid bad end

So far this is one of few games in which I am completely immersed in. I like pacing and story, which is just enough complex and interesting but not too much. Relationships between characters are believable, dramatic, suspenseful and erotic with nice dynamics. Girls are hot and cute, renders are very nice, and I don't think that it should be more of them, it is just enough to fit the story. Overall, this game is my current favorite, it is just what I expect from this kind of games, nothing more nothing less, dev doesn't have some grandiose ambitions which almost never get fulfilled.

[Review for v0.5 - Love/Love path]

Good game with definite promise of being great.

This is not your average "19yo mc with magic dangly bits has graduated" game. Sure, there are sizeable dangly bits, but they do not define the MC. He has many shortcomings, vivid internal dialogue and seems to grow with the story. Definitely not a manchild.

I completed the "throuple" route and it took some doing. It felt like it was one in a million shot and definitely not normal. What's especially great is that the insecurities and problems a situation like that would cause is handled and solved maturely in the game. The taboo is handled well and fits the game.

Pretty light on the naughty stuff on this path, but it was completely justified. There was meaning behind the hot scenes and it was made infinitely hotter by the excellent writing. I would take well written static sex scenes every day over short animation clips w/ no back story.

Note: This game should be played with a walkthrough close by – there are bad ends which might cause distress. If going for the throuple, a walkthrough or a guide is pretty much a necessity.

VISUALS: 3.5/5 - good looking characters, surroundings. Could've been improved with more images to go along with the text. Sometimes the images stay the same when the text describes something completely different.

WRITING: 4.5/5 - best in class. The motivations, worries and monologues are great all around. Characters feel real and have actual development. There may be too much doubt and drama for some on the throuple path, but for me it felt justified and underlined the difficulty of the situation.

STORY: 3/5 (so far) - So far the story has been pretty much on the background, I can only hope it won't get too crazy or edgy. Maybe the real story was the girls we banged got to know on the way?

One of the best lewd games i've played
the renders, storyline, character development is truly amazing
YOUR CHOICES MATTER, so play your cards carefully.
excited and waiting patiently for the next update

This has got to be the best game on this site. The dialog feels so genuine that you grow attached to the characters. This coupled with the widely branching paths decided through your choices in conversation makes this game so enjoyable and immersive. Leaves you wishing you knew the characters irl, maybe even as just friends.

This is shaping up to be quite good.

This game has a LOT of choices, a lot more than many similar games.

Be warned though, that at the moment, failing to get enough points on a certain route, will lead to a game over late in the game. The dev is aware of this, and might make changes to lighten the requirements a bit later on, but as it stands now, I recommend you do frequent saves, manually, and do NOT overwrite them... That way, you can get back to a much earlier point in the game and pick different choices without having to replay the entire game .

Aside from that, the renders are pretty good, the story is not bad at all, and the writing is perfectly acceptable.

The characters are quite lovely and lovable too, and the MC isn't TOO much of a douche. He is a tiny bit here and there, but then again, he's not too experienced with women, so it's not actually too bad, at least, nowhere near as cringy as many AVNs are ^_^.

All in all, I recommend this game. It's pretty damn good.