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

(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.

I had given up on this game when the missions began in later releases and it just became too grindy/boring so I lost interest after loving the early releases.

When I saw that a VN mode had been added, I decided to try again...for me it was just what was needed. I always loved the graphics and models and fortunately they seem unchanged.

The VN has obviously been tacked on and you have sections where this really shows through but overall, for me, it has ressurected a previously deleted game

4.5 stars

such great game! keep up the top notch work. Hope to see this expand and continue, grow, and be successful w/ future games too. keep it coming! awesome renders and story, plenty of fun.

such great game! keep up the top notch work. Hope to see this expand and continue, grow, and be successful w/ future games too. keep it coming! awesome renders and story, plenty of fun.

Review for Season 1. The DeLuca Family is a game that I really enjoyed playing. If you enjoy a decent Mafia story game with good looking girls, you have to try this out. The story is sharp, keeping you on your toes, wanting to find out more, with some plot twist and intense moments. Many badass and funny moments too. The design of the girls are unique, don't think I've seen similarly looking models in other games. Each of them have their own unique personality as well. Character development is also good, though it is pretty slow burn. Contract missions are a little grindy, but I'm okay with it, also I really enjoyed meeting Elektra along the way. Hoping there will be more interaction and scenes with Siobhan and Amata.

Pros:
-Nice renders
-Very beautiful LIs
-Funny moments
-Journal guide is easy to follow
-Ability to choose either sandbox or VN style

Cons:
-No dedicated LI route
-Unavoidable scenes
-Very slow updates
-Little to no music

Let me start off by saying this game is pretty much all kinetic, you can pick all the "worng" choices with both daughters but they are both forced on you no matter what you do and i havent seen anything that changes main story either, dev should learn to tag the game right so people that hate kinetic stuff wont waste their time and its kinetic both in novel and sandbox mode.

It also feels absolutly idiotic that MC goes after Luna as a LI after seeing just how crazy she is, MC is supposed to be a normal dude and trust me any normal dude would run away from her as fast as fucking possible, dont stick your dick in crazy and shes waaaay past crazy so it really dosent even fit in the story, instend MC wants to help? against people he can do nothing
about, people who even the top boss couldent do anything about, its just a shitty story really.

So with story being kinetic it also means you have no freedom in relationships most are just forced on you, one you have a choice in but thats about it, forced LIs is just never a good thing.

What really make no sense is that the game has a weird relationship system where you get + or - hearth points, but they do nothing and i do mean nothing, i tried getting minus point with Luna and it never changed a thing.

And game is also a slowburn and has more focus on story then lewd stuff its just to bad story lacks in details and so many things which i will get into now.

Story 2/5
Starts very weird MC whos a normal dude it pretty much kidnapped by the mafia and forced to work for them, they say its due to a contract which seems idiotc on its own, MC knows nothing about any contract and it sure as hell isent something MC signed, why MC even belive there is a contract to start with i have no clue since he has never seen it, so he starts off like a brainless idiot that apprently belive whatever hes told?

To make matters even more stupid MC dosent even ask about anything when he meets with the boss and the right hand, he dosent ask about the contract, hell he dosent even ask to see it? i mean wtf? he dosent even ask why hes there or whats hes supposed to be doing or anything and dont tell me its dueto MC being scared there would be absolutly nothing worng with asking why the fuck hes there and to see this so called contract him self, but no our MC dosent have the brainpower to ask anyting he just accepts everything blindly....

What MC does think is that hes drawn to the female mafia boss? i mean wtf really drawn to hes kidnapper? lol then he thinks about how he should hate her? it just feels to stupid, also hes not scared of pissing off the soldieres of the mafia? how does that make any sense.....

On a side note MC never sees hes contract not once doing this hole first season? but game just make MC into a criminal that even kills people with 0 choices along the way for the player......

Then he gets a room and first thing he thinks about is to read up on how to break a mafic contract? he still dosent know if there even is one its idiotic.....next he thinks that he better get on the good side of the family which is the only sane thing hes thought so far, but then he goes brainless again and think its better to win over the two daughters of the don? i mean what the fuck that would be a sure way of getting him self killed...nothing makes sense.

Story only gets more wierd, no one ever told MC what hes supposed to be doing there but a small talk about contracts like helping the town which he never does and your then told you can do it whenever you wish which should be never since MC is a normal dude trying to get away and sure as hell not try to work for them and become a criminal? none of it makes sense considering MC knows nothing and only wants to get out of there and he still hasent asked fuck all about what hes doing there in the first place.....

But MC went from normal dude trying to get out to doing crime for the family? what? then he gets promoted to be a real member of the family? why? he still has 0 clue why hes there....story makes to little sense all the time, no one told him to do crimes or do anything what so ever....so theres no logic in him starting doing that shit on hes own when hes just a normal dude...it kinda fucks up the hole story.

And i just love how the hole thing goes down where some idiot say MC has now been with them so long that he understands what it means to become a member of the family, MC knows fuck all about anything what so ever its absolutly idiotc sorry but it really is.
And all the boss tell MC is that he will get used to all the killing and shit and MC dosent give it a single thought....he just seems to accept anything constantly without any questions.

Also in the start MC is promissed never to be forced to do anything or kill anyone, yet hes forced on a kill mission with a group? and ends out killing someone on top of that and ofc its not up to the player if he shoots or not...
and to make it really idiotic you get an achivement for first blood even though you as the player had fuck all to do with it since it wasent a choice?

As for the "full" experince like the mini game where you can level up doing missions, theres barely any content and you reach max level very fast, you also visit diffrent places at the start like tavern, brothel, soldiere quaters and such but it has no content with any of those places either....considering its a 6 year old game content is extremly low and you can do those mission from day 1 and finish em all fast which makes all XP gain for the hole game after that pointless, its not well thought out in any way.

Girls 4/5
I liked the girls and even with so few LIs theres a bit of diversity in builds as well, only issue which is a huge one is that most are forced.

Animations 3/5
Pretty average nothing special

Music 3/5
Average background stuff nothing special none with lyrics.

Choices 1/5
You dont have any choices that changes the main story making it a kinetic novel, also LIs are forced on you so hate em or not you have 0 choice in it, really supprises me how high this game is rated with forced LIs
and being kinetic without a tag, it also gives you those weird idiotic choices where you can say "no i dont want you to do that" then 2 seconds later MC changes to sure lets do it....? why put in the choice of saying no when
every outcome is a yes?

Sandbox 3/5
Its easy a little grind but not much since theres really not much content with missions.

Content 1/5
Well 6 years old game and only a single season is just awfull, i would say its pointless to even play this one since the odd of this ever getting finished is very very low since alot of things can happen for the dev IRL
so he might stop it for whatever reason or just lose interrest in it and the fact that it will take another 6-12 years or more to finish at this rate.
As for lewd stuff there is 2 maybe 3 optional sex scene with girls you know nothing about other then one of them tried to kill ya, other then that nothing other then small stuff like HJ/BJ/grind, nothing with any main girls at all,
considering its supposed to be an adult game its seriously lacking in the lewd area for being 6 years in development, not that i mind a slow build up but still.

Hello, I just finished playing Season - 1 and overall really enjoyed the newly added VN mode implementation.

However, I couldn't tell if anything new was added to the story content, as the S - 1 ended right after "DINNER" cliffhanger, same as previous update.

Overall, I like how it's written to be always fun, goofy, dramatic and naughty without one overshadowing other. The main plot itself is still quite mysterious, so is backstory that's hardly revealed, creating a sense of suspense, curiosity and anticipation.

Also every main character is custom made (at least I never saw them elsewhere, yet) to be beautiful and unique in both behavior, dialogues, action and look. Even random NPCs have a sort of charm to them.

MC here is very interesting and different, from the several other projects which either seem to be too depressed, too carefree, a simp, a narcissist, pathetic or unworthy of being a MC. Overall I liked it.

The story is good and graphics ok, but not really an adult game i.m.o too slow burn. If I want to play a game with story but no sex I would play PS4. Disappointing..... It has a lot of potential but it fail to deliver.

**Review of "The DeLuca Family"**

Alright, let me tell you about this game, "The DeLuca Family." If you're into visual novels and love a good mafia story, this one's gonna be right up your alley. Made by HopesGaming, it pulls you into the world of an Italian crime family, and man, it does a fantastic job.

The story is top-tier. It's packed with twists, betrayals, and all sorts of intense moments that keep you guessing. You'll get hooked on the plot and find yourself really caring about the choices you make because they actually matter. The writing is sharp and keeps you on your toes the whole time.

Now, let's talk about the characters, especially the leading ladies. Luna DeLuca is a total mystery. She's got this dark, intriguing past that slowly comes to light, and her strength is seriously impressive. Gracie DeLuca, the younger sister, is a breath of fresh air. She's innocent and curious, and her interactions bring some much-needed humor and warmth to the story. Then there's Isabella DeLuca, the badass matriarch of the family. She's got killer leadership skills and a fierce loyalty to her family, guiding them through all the chaos.

The gameplay is smooth as butter. Navigating through dialogues and making choices is super intuitive. The visuals are stunning, with detailed characters and beautifully designed backgrounds. The music and sound effects add to the vibe perfectly, making the emotional and dramatic moments hit even harder.

In a nutshell, "The DeLuca Family" is a must-play if you’re into visual novels and epic storytelling. Each character, especially the main female ones, adds a unique flavor to the plot, making it rich and engaging. Whether you're new to this genre or a longtime fan, this game promises an unforgettable ride. Give it a shot; you won't regret it.