VN - Ren'Py - The Selkie [Ch.3] [The Amorous Antechinus]

  1. 4.00 star(s)

    Cthulu45

    Story: The storyline of this game is fascinating. I was reading along, completely immersed into the folklore, the mythology and history of the area. Although it was an attempt at immersion, I don't think including the local lexicon was a good idea. A simple lass or aye is enough to imply that the characters are speaking English with an accent IMHO. All the other terminology and slang beyond that was distracting while going through the dialog.

    Pacing: I felt that there was adequate pacing in not only the story but also the H scenes. There were no too slow, boring areas that I could recall skipping past, which is always good.

    Renders: One of my biggest disappointments and gripes are the character renders which seem to be dated. Some of the facial expressions were not appropriate for the scenes, i.e. the character is beaming brightly for no reason. Also, the hairstyles on both Grey John and Morag were a bad choice. Their hair looks so unnatural in some of the images that it distracts. The background renders, however, were very vibrant and lovely, particularly the outside world.

    H Scenes: This was another disappointment. No animations. The H scenes, although situationally hot and kinky, were flawed by poor character renders and the wild hair of both antagonists.

    Overall: This game could be a homerun. The idea of antagonists that can seduce happily married people into cheating or swinging, all the while attempting to seduce the FMC is excellent. I was also very pleased with the fact that whether the FMC was seduced or tricked into cheating/swinging/sharing etc., was left in the control of the Player and my choices. The resistance to "the glamour" of the Selkies is a very good idea and works well along with the story. Very well done. If there is a way to improve the renders and H scenes of this story, this could be one of the best games out there. ;)
  2. 3.00 star(s)

    rasalghul67

    The Selkie offers an intriguing premise with a moody, folklore-inspired atmosphere that sets it apart from many visual novels and the narrative shows promise.

    However, there are a few noticeable issues that detract from the overall experience. For one, there are times when the hair on both Morag and Gray John looks oddly frozen or unnatural, even when they’re standing still — this breaks immersion, especially during more emotionally charged scenes.

    Another immersion-breaking detail is the occasional appearance of the default names for the main character and her husband in dialogue, even when custom names have been assigned. It’s a small oversight, but it pulls you out of the story and reminds you that you're playing a game, not living the narrative.

    Visually, the grainy and low-resolution images are a bit disappointing. While it's understandable this could be due to the developer’s equipment or limitations, a bump in quality — even slightly — would go a long way in enhancing the atmosphere and emotional impact of the game.

    Despite these issues, The Selkie has the bones of a good visual novel. With some polish and refinement, especially in the visuals and dialogue scripting, it could become something really good.