Ren'Py - Abandoned - The DeLuca Family [Season 1] [HopesGaming]

My current rating will bring the overall rating of 4.5
But i do consider this work much better than some unfinished slop is placed here and rated higher.

This VN doesn't need sandbox or rpg or they should have been made more thorough. But due to them being there (recommended to play them by dev) i felt stupid to complete same missions to grind up $3k to progress the story...The problem is you feel like after ceremony of being made man you will get other quests......But no you get nothing and still have to complete missions for those $100-150.

Not to mention completing quests gives you far more exp than you can have i.e. max level 5 whilst the amount of exp you are given is far more.

It feels like if dev only concentrated on VN part it would have been completed much faster with more content and more interesting. (Since sandbox element missed a few timelines.

Now for the story:
I will be honest, i liked it. I actually had teary eyes for a few moments and that is something rare. While the concept was silly and too "liberal" yet i liked it for bringing depth in story and characters.

On the cons of the story: As some people pointed out when you start you are introduced to many characters. And VN part mentions some contracts that you did but you actually didn't do them in sandbox-rpg element.

My point is that it seems at some point dev likely dropped the RPG element of the game then the sandbox and finally decided to concentrate solely on VN, at least it seemed like that.

Porn game element: It's tempting, a lot of building up and teasing but as for the action itself? Not much to say. I do not judge harshly if there was minimum porn element. I'm more a story connoisseur which tickled my interest.

Overall:
It's not a bad VN but a terrible RPG-Sandbox game. I liked the story (some critics below me were rather harsh). Characters and story while to some degree troupe like it still tickled my interest. (I have what to compare to)

It's short, if looked only from the VN perspective but renders-animations were ok.
Most importantly for me personally, i was emotionally invested in the story and it didn't feel artificial in sense that drama was natural. Many scriptwriters are lacking in that department. I dislike the mystery part but if it made drama natural let it be so. Much better than artificial drama that comes from nowhere or is being forced by utterly dumb choices MC makes.

Blue balls simulator

A very ambitious game for sure, as you can choose between either a "just for the story" VN or a "full of minigames" sandbox approach. This isn't a common goal by any standard, so the developer deserves praise for that.

While I'm aware many players disliked the start of the plot, calling it unrealistic. In an AVN should we expect much better?

I don't think a game where you act (actively committing those crimes) as a hardened criminal involved in racketeering, drug trafficking and murdering would be a suitable background for a story of sexual nature, particularly when you intend to bang the 3 heiresses (one of which is married to the actual mob heir by the way) of the criminal family you work for.

An almost cartoonish mafioso family, on the other hand, lands quite well. This way the story mostly gets the potentially good stuff: wine, gorgeous women, nice garments, lupanari (brothels) and unashamed sex. Yet, the dev decided to put too much violence in it. Violence isn't a problem by itself, but it slows down too much a narrative that is already slow to begin with

And that's the real issue with the game: too many stories, but only a few would suit different players.

So, this doesn't get a 5 because it doesn't get anywhere really. Let alone offer consistent adult content. There's only 4 scenes on the first two thirds of the game (a little further after the previous release ended). One of them (Elektra) is short and almost softcore, and two are only blowjobs, one of which is performed latex nun, something not suitable to everyone's taste. This is nothing really, as the game is considerably long. Therefore, this game should be barely classified as adult actually.

Also, the the action (violence) scenes are out of the place, stalling the pace with "over the top" action, when the game just looked like it would reach somewhere regarding the love interests. Plotting schemes (scenes with conspiracy plans) are just outright boring. Only after 15+ (minimum really) hours into the game you finally get sex with a LI. However, by then, you'll be ultimately bored and already ceased to care entirely, as the quality of written material plummets after Luna recalls her childhood story.

What a pity! This game could have been a good example of what other games of the genre should pursue. Still, it only stands out on how to ruin a game that started well.

As with almost most of the VNs here.
The issues are consistent.
1. The story is total bland (might be stimulating for brainless fellows as I see no f***nn reason to give it a five star.

2. As usual the mystery writer don't know how to bring mystery without breaking coherency. Their brains are not simply creative enough.
The best story VNs are without a good visual and the good visuals are without a good story. That's the trend here.
The guy(Akeraux) under my review explained the issue perfectly so, I am not going there in detail.

3. This guy here is a complete milker. I mean he created good models but not enough content. It could be because he could not achieve mastery over erotic scenes but given his past incomes he could have easily outsourced animation bu no, need to gobble all the money..

Now if you are someone who is unable to catch on to the broken coherency, forced mystery and plot imbalance then this one is just for you.
It is a great surface story no doubt.
Now if you enjoy deep coherent story you are warned, this is not for you,

I would have given 2 star because of the good model but I can't give the extra star as there was simply not enough content to deserve that.
So. 1 star,,,,,

The game starts with a strange situation: the main character (MC) finds himself forced to "serve" a mafia family due to a contract he knows nothing about.

Realistically, the first thing anyone would do is ask to read the contract—just to find out whether it actually exists. If it does, then the next questions would be: What are the terms? Who are the parties involved? How is the MC tied to it? And how exactly does this contract force him to serve a mafia family?

All of those are perfectly reasonable questions. But the MC is a brainless idiot who just accepts the situation and moves on without even knowing what the hell he's doing there.

Honestly, this is somewhat expected—it’s a kinetic novel, after all. There are no meaningful or actual choices, no ability for the player to influence the MC’s personality or experiences as the story unfolds. It’s clearly a kinetic novel, yet the developers refuse to acknowledge that fact.

And I really can’t fathom the high ratings and all those five-star reviews given to this "kinetic novel." The two stars I’m giving are solely for the decent visuals.

Wow, I've got to say all I feel now is a little depressed.

I know that this game is rough around the edges considering its age, and the story is a little silly, but it was still able to pull at my heartstrings all these years later. Something about the music and the atmosphere that this game builds is still better than almost all the other titles I've played since.

The creator's soul shines through the script, this person was trying to create a story and a piece of art instead of a crude vehicle for porn (even though the scenes were still very good imo).

As sad as it might sound to say, this one has always been in the back of my mind since it was released, and like a good movie or book I don't think I'll ever really forget about it. It's not everbody's cup of tea, but I still think everyone should try this one out.

Very sad to see this abandoned. I'd happily fork over 40 bucks right now for another season's worth of content.

On my infinite hunger for new stories to assimilate consume, I found myself in front of this one "The DeLuca Family" which seems to be one of the top best reviewed...And I can't stop asking myself the same question one and once again: why...

Story: 3 Almost-Hard Bananas out of 5
While it does a great work introducing us to its world and to our MC on the first minutes, this first impression fades away fairly quickly when you get introduced to a lot of characters that wont matter at all for the rest of the story. Perfect example is this blonde guy (I dont even remember his name) that seems to have some type of grudge against the MC and is presented on a way that seems like he will be a very present arch-nemesis on our story, but after his second appearence on scene, we wont see him again.
Appart from how ridiculous is to have your mob army training in the front gardens of your mansion, the premise is good and very exploitable, but that's it sadly.
Overall, the story seems like its too ambitious for its own good.

Characters: 2 Resting Bananas out of 5
The femchars look good overall but like I said, things go south quickly...
Important and big characters are introduced quickly like powerful figures on the game, but we actually never see them be actually powerful and dangerous, this is evident with Wilfred all along the story, he's respected by other characters for things he did in the past shown to us in flashbacks, but in the present, he seems to be outdone by the protagonist on some occasions, a veteran on the mafia outdone by a complete rookie on the scene...Makes me wonder how did he managed to stay alive that long on his work enviroment.
And speaking of the MC: he's your usual Gary Stu: A highly intelligent and talented individual that will thrive on any situation and save the world all because the writter wanted to directly participate somehow on his own story.
The girls...Isabel and Gracie look like sisters even when they are not, Luna is the embodied "dont stick it in crazy" meme but once you get to know her better you may want to get her on a psychiatric hospital but at least she gets some character development, so there is that.
Eiza is introduced too late and is a carbon copy of Cordia, at least personality wise. But she's a redhead so everything's fine, best femchar ever (Non biased opinion btw)
And finally Cordia, the Ice queen tea connoisseur...And that's it...
Umm? What did you say?, that I'm forgetting about Antonio?...No my dear reader, Antonio is like a lamp on your living room, he's a piece of furniture only used sometimes, like when you want to read or you want to chat with your friends while looking at each other, you turn it on and you forget its existence until you need to turn it off.

Mechanics: 1 Sleeping Banana out of 5
Grind Fest alert *Not gucci*
There's a VN mode (which I ended up using for the remainder of the run after trying the full experience) and for me at least, its the way to go...Even when its rough on the edges: You have no notion of how much time passed betweeen transitions, some transitions can be too abrupt, like the MC going to sleep and pum, next scene you have Luna, on a completely different location, asking you if you are ready to go.
Options are good when they are well implemented, but I dont get why some scenes are just adventure-text like...Considering this VN is developed on ren'py, this decision seems like a step backwards.
To anyone willing to experience The Deluca Family, I highly suggest choosing VN Mode, otherwise, you wont feel rewarded enough for all the grind.

Content: 1 Sleeping Banana out of 5
Considering we are speaking of a complete season here, there's simply NOT ENOUGH scenes.
Your decisions won't matter in the end of the season.
At first you may think this a slowburn, but in reality the whole season feels like a big tease of something bigger to come...
This VN has been in development since 2018 at least, and all you have managed to deliver us is "a promise of something bigger" on all this time?

Ending: *404*
After all the grind (or not) all you'll get is an incongruous cliffhanger ending.
More than the end of a season, it feels like the end of a friday's evening chapter which will continue on monday with a Deus Ex Machina on which all the main chars are saved by a miracle.

...Why so much people recommends The DeLuca Family is beyond me: It has not enough Adult Content, if you play the Full Experience it becomes a Grind Fest with little reward, if you play the VN mode the read is not engaging, and any future season (a big "If there's any" goes here) will be sold separatedly as a DLC on steam.

BUT, the premise is good and very exploitable, given the proper RPG elements are included on the narrative, the characters get Revisited and the unnecessary gameplay elements are eliminated, then we could get something really good here, but that would certainly require a complete Rework, which in this case could be something very good.

But on this current state, The DeLuca Family is not recommended.

I enjoyed this game quite a lot.

Is the story believable ? Ofcourse not, the story is not realistic at all, but that is not a problem for me, I was not playing for realistic story. But is it fun and interesting? For me it was very much fun and interesting. I think the characters also had enough depth in them too.

Is there lot of sex? Not really, but again for me it was not a big problem, I was satsified with the amount of lewd scenes in this game. I liked the LI.

Are the character designs good? I think the character designs were great.

The game has some rediculous part, but again it was not a problem for me, I am not playing the game for super immersion and realism. I also sort of enjoyed the text based RPG system. The chemestry between some of the characters were great. Overall I really liked this game.

Hopefully the abandoned tag does not mean it is totally abandoned and the dev will return to it.

(Review of Season 1)

So, I played, or should I say, tried to play Season 1 to the end in VN mode.

The story is interesting at first but it soon becomes evident that VN mode is too rough around the edges and plenty of stuff from the other modes is still there, like switching to text only mode all of a sudden. That wouldn't be too bad but after reading so much praise about the game I was expecting so much more. While the premise is interesting the experience gets more and more boring as certain scenes try to be fun but fail and instead become a nuisance.

Simply put there's very little mafia-like behaviour here other than the odd render here and there, and I'm not exactly thinking about Luna's bedroom with weapons scattered all over the place. The daughters behave like spoiled brats, I can barely find a single character that plays the part and is believable. By the time I reached the "prison" with the girls I decided I had enough.

Technically the game isn't bad, renders are fine if you don't care that some characters look like robots but the story IMO leaves much to be desired and that together with the idiotic or weird ways characters behave is a deal breaker for me.

This is an influential game in the adult VN genre, a pre-covid development that has stood the test of time. However, playing it now in 2024 is a bit rough.

The models are pretty solid, the story is somewhat solid, what gets me is the dialogue and specifically, how Luna, Gracie, and the MC speak. Everyone else seems to have coherent dialogue, although Anthony also is problematic so let's just say the DeLuca siblings and the MC. They talk like they are characters in an anime, in real-world situations that make no sense. When you have grounded characters that make this world seem more like the Godfather and then all of a sudden Luna comes in guns blazing akimbo laughing like a demon, or how Gracie goes into "super smart" mode, it's weird. It throws the story off and takes away the seriousness of what's going on.

In my opinion, this game could have been a top adult VN of all time, but the weird tonality shifts hold this game back. The relationship with Isabel is S-tier, but the other romances seem...off. I don't know how to describe it. I think the author could have gone all in on the seriousness or all in on the goofiness of it all, but instead, we have this blend that doesn't feel great.

That being said, the reason this game didn't receive a lower score from me is the effort the author put in, and the consistency. You could argue that only having 1 season after 6 years is a low amount of content but I think they have achieved their vision for the game so far, it just isn't for me.

Played in VN mode

Thank god for the VN mode, because after having played 3/4 of this game in Sandbox mode in the past, and after having completed the Season 1 in VN mode today, I can honestly say that the sandbox parts add absolutely nothing to the story and, even worse, they obstruct the natural flow of the story, definitely not recommended with a game such as The DeLuca Family imo.

I truly enjoyed almost everything in this AVN except for the bratty attitude of the 2 main girls, they quickly get annoying, especially Gracie, aka the spoiled brat, who never takes NO for an answer. And, conveniently, the MC never says NO to any of them (no choice, their side stories are kinetic, the point system has no impact so far).

The renders are very good (keep it mind it started in 2018) and particularly polished to fit the scenes and dialogues. There are a few good animations too as you progress the story, but don’t expect too much in this department.

The slow-burn with each of the 2 main girls is totally justified and on spot. On your right you have Gracie, the pure and naive virgin sister with no social life and only books to learn about life and things ; and on your left you have Luna, the badass and blood-thirsty sister who only knows about violence and murders, her childhood trauma (they can’t break me!) not helping when it comes to romance. Then you have Isabel, the flirty married woman, someone you can’t fuck on day 1 either, her husband being the heir of the DeLuca family.

The overall story is one of the best I’ve had the chance to read in a visual novel because the mafia plot involves many families, each with their own history, their own traditions/rules, and their own way of dealing with politics, conspiracies and provocations. And let’s not forget about some very humorous moments where I could not resist laughing out loud. The cocktail of humor, drama, mystery and horror is rather perfect. But be warned: Luna’s past would make an incredible horror movie, one that would be very hard to watch, so when given the choice, choose the short version if you are as emotionally sensitive as I am when it comes to children abuses.

I can’t wait for the season 2 (even though the developer doesn’t seem to be active anymore), especially after the unexpected cliffhanger at the end of season 1!

4.5/5

That's such a weird game, i can't even say if it has potential or not, i couldn't even pay attention half of the time. I do know that what i read was pretty bland, bad paced and the characters don't feel alive at all. Only the uncle, kinda, somestimes, seems like a interesting person to interact.

A Thrilling Masterpiece of Deception and Strategy!

This Mafia game is an absolute gem! From the moment I started playing, I was hooked by its immersive atmosphere and engaging gameplay. The tension builds as you try to outwit your opponents, whether you're a cunning Mafia member or a sharp-eyed townsperson. The character dynamics are superbly crafted, making every round feel fresh and unpredictable.

Everything seems just a little too forced. Not so much that I didn't keep playing it, but enough that I fast-forwarded through a chunk of it.

The premise is interesting but it never quite delivers or feels natural. The protagonist is with a crime family, but they're all basically caring and mostly well adjusted. And there's a lot in the "this crime family isn't like all the other ones you may have heard about" vein.
The dialog feels like it was written for a Japanese audience, with all the odd mannerisms that come with it. And the writing is not concise. Not painful, thankfully, but not concise either. And the conversation level feels early teen rather than adult.
The characters are mostly fine, but Luna and Gracie are a bit too exaggerated to be believable.

Only play this if you love anime.

I played the mode without the RPG elements, but with free-roams. Probably the most bizarre AVN I ever played.

Pros:
1) Decent visuals with some interesting artistic choices. It's curious that the game utilizes sprites, something that is common in VNs but exceedingly rare in AVNs.
2) Specific character: Uncle Wilfred. I like this guy, he's the only character in the game who looks and acts like he really has something to do with the Mafia.

Cons:
1) The setting is insane. It's modern, but has a character wielding a flail, sexy battle nuns, 17-year old ninja girls, the MC who is destined to be the ultimate fighter, Naruto style… It's all just too anime, but there is nothing heroic or pretty about Mafia. Mafia is when a thug crushes a businessman's fingers for not paying the protection fee, when a respected member is suddenly garroted to death for saying a single word wrong, about assassins (totally ordinary guys on the outside btw) who cease caring about human life and get dog-loyal to their masters… I was going in expecting The Godfather or Scarface, but what I got was a goddamn Sailor Moon! It could be such a good drama about a young boy whose contract forced by his family's debts makes him murder innocent people, corrupting him into a heartless butcher, but instead he's the Chosen One…
2) In free roams, while the Main Quest is always there, the MC has to get side quests on his own. This leads to lots of extra wandering around the mansion checking on the girls.
3) The MC is generally decent (and well-designed), but placing hidden cameras in a Mafia mansion was beyond stupid. I was like, "You wanna get your liver ripped out, fool?!"
4) Next to no sex.
5) I'm not a fan of the LI selection, as being a careful guy who doesn't want to risk romancing a DeLuca isn't an option (it's especially crazy if the MC picks Isabel: that's basically a death sentence). Having a non-DeLuca MG further down the line could be neat.

The overall very good production quality doesn't let me give this game 1 star, so 2 it is. This is a crazy game for anime lovers.

First, I did a VN route, so I didn't see the "Sand box" or the "gameplay." So this review will be based on that.

Now the verdict: This game was really a pure joy to play. It was so refreshing to see those relationships with the LIs grow and flourish over time. Make no mistake about it, this is a slow burn game, but it is so well done that I didn't mind the pace at all. So if you are reading this, and considering playing the game, my advice to you is: STICK WITH IT! It will get super better after a time.

As the game progresses, there was always something that caught my attention and kept me going. The writing is very good. I mean I catch myself sitting at work day dreaming about the events I've seen and creating theories about them - good.

Art-wise, I wouldn't say this is not a top level art AVN. But it holds it's own well and it does seem to improve as time goes by. It has it's own unique artistic flavor in a way and it grows on you after a while.

The music and background sound was appropriate and unintrusive. It did it's job in setting the mood right and complementing the story line.

The choices I made mattered to the story, and I enjoy that in an AVN. It is done well and skillfully. I have not complaint in this department.

Replayability is an interesting one here. The biggest question I had was to go for all the three girls or not, and the entire Isabella route has a couple of very important fork in it too, especially if you are with Gracie as well. In the end, I found myself with 2 saves at ending of Season 1. With Isa or without. Not much.

All in all, I would highly recommend this game. Go for it! and please support the dev HopesGaming if you can. Without them, there won't be a game for us to talk about.

What an excellent game! Immersive AF. I played the VN version, and was thrilled. I love a good story, well written, nice animations, and dialogue that pops. Though there were a few times when I thought the banter began to overwhelm, it was worth it. At times -- hilarious! Gore, lore, hot girls with very distinct personalities, and an MC who's just unpredictable enough, with convictions and a confidence in his own values, to be believable and interesting -- and I buy that the women he comes across find him almost irresistible (which is a rare find in AVN World!) I really don't care HOW long the dev needs to bring us season 2 -- take as long as you like, there are other interesting VN's to keep me occupied... but this is really one of the best IMO. Bravo!!

I haven't played this in such a long ass time. Simply because there are no updates. I completely forgot about it, came back, and still no update. It's easily been over a year without new progress, besides relabeling to "season 1".

Some games keep changing while maintaining a consistent level of quality, while others fall off a cliff, seemingly dragging it's feet. This game is doing the latter, which is a shame, because it was pretty good for what it was.

Great AVN so far, however, I think it's not good enough to be a 5 star yet. Here are some of my thoughts:

1. Story: Its main feature, story was awsome, plot is very engaging, nicely written as well.

2. Characters: Great as well, interesting designs and backgrounds.

3. Music: Nice tunes.

4. Renders: A bit dated.

5. Animations: There was none at first, towards the end there were a few.

6. Playability: I like free roaming but the text missions were a bit boring to be honest.

I got confused with this AVN, at first I thought this was a "slow burn" (which I don't have a problem with) but then there were tons of "fooling around" and teasing but you never get to have actual sex with the main girls, in fact, I was quite dissapointed to see that the first and only time the MC had actual sex was with a secondary girl. By the way, I found those "sweet dreams" a bit insulting xD (I was like... man instead of these fking dreams why not some actual action xD).

Overall I think this game is an 8/10. Story is definitely worth checking out despite all.

Storyline: A Drama Worthy of Prime-Time TV

First off, let’s talk about the storyline. Imagine "The Godfather" had a love child with a daytime soap opera, and then that child grew up, discovered anime, and decided to dabble in erotica. Yes, it’s that gloriously convoluted. You’re a fresh recruit to the DeLuca family, an Italian mafia clan where secrets, betrayals, and scandalous liaisons are the daily special. It’s like "The Sopranos" but with more lingerie and fewer depressing therapy sessions.
The narrative is a delicious cocktail of intrigue and tension, spiked with just enough romance to keep things spicy.

Characters: Walking, Talking Tropes with a Twist

The characters are a delightful mix of clichés and surprisingly deep personalities. There’s the stoic and mysteriously brooding patriarch, the femme fatale who could kill you with a glare (or a stiletto heel), and a cast of side characters who each have their own subplot worthy of its own game. Each character’s backstory is revealed through a series of interactions and choices that make you feel like you’re peeling back the layers of a very dangerous (and sexy) onion.

Visuals: A Feast for the Eyes

Visually, "The DeLuca Family" is a feast for the eyes. The art is top-notch, with character designs that are both intricate and beautiful. The environments range from opulent mansions to grimy back alleys, all rendered with a level of detail that makes you feel like you’re right there, basking in the glow of criminal decadence. And let’s not forget the... ahem, “adult” scenes. They’re handled with a surprising amount of taste and artistic flair, making the game not just a guilty pleasure, but a genuinely impressive piece of interactive art.

Gameplay: Your Choices, Your Drama

If you’re a fan of visual novels, you’ll find the mechanics here comfortably familiar. You navigate through dialogue trees, make choices that affect the story’s outcome, and manage relationships with a roster of colorful characters. It’s like "Choose Your Own Adventure," but with more guns and significantly fewer wholesome endings. There’s also a light RPG element, where you can undertake missions to gain money and status within the family. Just try not to get whacked, okay?

Pacing: A Rollercoaster of Emotions

Of course, no game is without its flaws. The pacing can sometimes feel like a soap opera on speed – one moment you’re plotting a heist, the next you’re in a steamy encounter that feels both sudden and inevitable. Some might say it adds to the charm, while others might need a moment to catch their breath. The dialogue occasionally dips into the realm of melodrama...

Final Verdict: Join the Family, If You Dare

In conclusion, "The DeLuca Family" is an irresistibly over-the-top, morally questionable, and delightfully engaging visual novel. It’s like a rollercoaster through a world of crime, sex, and drama – with just enough plot twists to keep you guessing and enough humor to keep you laughing. So, if you’re in the mood for a game that’s as entertaining as it is risqué, join the DeLuca family.

Grab a glass of your finest whiskey, put on your best poker face, and dive into the wild, scandalous, and dangerously addictive world of "The DeLuca Family." And hey, if you make it out alive, you’ll have one hell of a story to tell.

Very good game, beautiful models, I enjoyed playing it. Love the artwork, quite difficult at times to navigate, however I persevered through it. Definitely a classic, would definitely recommend 5/5, especially if you enjoy gorgeous artwork, beautiful women and a neat story.