This is going to be a long-winded rant, but I can't help but feel disappointed about this game at the moment. I had some decent fun playing it at first, as it was a step up in terms of gameplay compared to whatever the hell KK/KKS considers to be ""gameplay"" (KK obviously still wins on the character customization front though, because of the modding gap). NPCs actually interacting and having opinions of and relations with each other is just cool to experience.
However, hearing parallels and comparisons to AA2 (Unlimited) made me curious and after trying it, I can now this is hardly an upgrade. It's more like a pretty sidegrade.
All SVS has going for it versus AA2U at the moment is that the graphics are way better and the interface is more modern and intuitive. That's it. If you're overly into gameplay over graphics like I am, then I recommend you to just go play AA2U because:
- The school setting of AA2 feels more purposeful than SVS's summer vacation setting, because Illusion did nothing to make you feel like it's summer except for changing the map. In AA2 you had exams, clubs, locker rooms. In SVS you do part-time work (they could at least have a mechanic where I earn a wage for this shit. They had that in Room Girl!) and... BBQ every Sunday. How riveting.
- The exams made stats like intelligence and strength matter more than just a simple "this character likes you a bit better because you're smart or strong." AA2U's modded modules add some more interesting interactions and mechanics to personalities based on stats as well.
- AA2's map is much larger. In SVS it feels tiny even with just 12 out of the possible 24 characters in a roster; there's practically nowhere to go for one-on-one interactions excluding the three "private zones." Yes this matters because I want to be able to talk with characters uninterrupted; you can't talk in those zones, you can only get frisky.
- Speaking of interruptions, holy shit it's bad in SVS. The whole game fast-tracks relationship build-up, so everyone ends up bonding and wants to talk all the time. If there's even just three other people crowded around you, good luck trying to get anything done because you're gonna be stuck in an endless interruption loop. Take the character you're actually trying to talk with to a different area and surprise! There's already someone else there wanting to interrupt you because fuck you.
If you just want to nut & go, then SVS is fine. Nothing to really say there. But I can't help but feel like SVS could have been a lot more. No the update adding 8 personalities will not fix the game because all it's doing is adding more characters who are going to interrupt me for the gazillionth time, just with different voices. If this is all the updates/expansions are going to be, then it's over.
I shouldn't be complaning this much about a porn game. I admit it's unfair to compare AA2U, which is heavily modded, to SVS. Maybe I shouldn't expect Illusion to add more to their games, even if it's been
10 years since AA2. They can just do more asset flips of their old games, slap on watered-down mechanics, and earn money. They're done innovating. They should just drop that from their name and rebrand again as "LLGAMES," Lazy and Lackluster. Hopefully modders can make this game great, because Illusion won't.