English: 9
User Interface: 8
User Experience: 8
Art: 7
Dialogue: 5
Story: 7
Opinion: 5
I have a weakness for vampire stories. I don't know why, I'm sure it's a flaw in my character. But I'm predisposed to like vamp stories. This one is not bad. I will start this by saying the MC is the most disgusting model used for a MC and I absolutely despise looking at his gross skin, over defined cheekbones, giant eyebrows, edgy heterochromia, and overly form fitting clothing (which I'm sure is a DAZ limitation but I hate it anyway). I really wish it was closer to a first person story than "Look at how big and strong our ugly MC is, he's had sex with thousands of women but doesn't really care... Until now." type of writing. Also there's the weird options to skip the scenes that don't directly involve MC which is a very blatant representation of an inferiority complex and I just don't understand it. Can't watch a girl, that you're forced into a relationship with anyway, touch herself? How little of a human being are you? It boggles the mind.
I'm unsure how to really order my thoughts, so here's my notes as I took them.
Starts with MC and friends at a bar and they find MC's "bond mate" Olivia Munn... I mean Leyala
They're compelled by a bond that cannot be conveyed to the player and then preach that there's no love at first sight but this is literally a story about love at first sight
She's attacked and MC that just showed up to her hotel room helps her so she follows him out of necessity
Spoiler she's the twin daughter of MC's sire lucius, half vamp half sprite.
She gives the cliff notes of her life to MC, who she's known for about 24 hours
There's about 3 lewd scenes in this time, all spun with the idea tha MC is doing HER a favor by letting him be sexually forward.
Then a 6 month time jump where instead of developing any sort of character interactions or relationships, it's just a complete non ceremonious "Six months later..." with a slide show of the sex MC and Leyala had. And a bunch of "I taught her things about the world that I will still have to relay to you, the player, but I'd rather do it as "As you know..." dialogue instead of bringing it up semi-fluidly while teaching someone else that knows nothing about the world as well."
And when MC talks to Zyair they do this garbage "We're alpha males and can't alk about feelings" bullshit as if their 20y/o gym rats not like they're HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS of years old.
MC is constantly regarded as smart and charismatic but everything he does is reactionary and just gets what he wants because of status or "destiny" so you never actually see it more than him saying "I had to rule this realm because lucius doesn't care."
Ley also brings up letting MC sleep around in the most non-fluid way, during a fight even. "I'm mad at you. Also I won't do it but you can have sex with other people. Even though we've barely been dating."
Eventually they meet Kali, Ley's sister, and Naya the super werewolf. And make a "rag tag" group of the most powerful beings in the "Realm." But really you're backed by king of Earth and king of the Sprites so not really.
It becomes a "Prove your worth" story, but MC has been prince for 1k+ years, Naya is the strongest wolf ever, and the twins had too much power so they needed to be twins. What's there to prove?
This also makes constant jabs at twilight, but it reminds me of vampire diaries, which is laterally cringey, different, but still just as cringey "I may look and act like I'm 20, but I must remind you I'm old. And also super strong and awesome"
I like that the plot evolves but it sometimes feels like it's losing focus at times.
I'm a little torn on this. As you can tell. A lot of the dialogue and writing are just garbage cocky "I'm great" baloney, but other times it's personable and I like it. Sure, it's written smarter and the English isn't horribly broken, but when the MC is the actual 3D avatar of an inferiority complex, you get disillusioned pretty fast. The story and world building are good. I like how things are presented and it isn't started by some long boring lore dump. But MC being so much of a Gary Stu, even before he was a vampire, I just end up rolling my eyes at a bunch of the dialogue, at least relating to him. The UI and UX are all very much above average but the font was either default or so close to default I just didn't like looking at it. The art is fine, typical DAZ stuff, and as stated I don't like the MC, there's a lot of clipping issues, and the sex scenes looked a bit like everyone was soaked in baby oil and just trying to gain balance lol. I will say they're a decent speed and they don't look like they're floating in jello, but bodies just don't move in some of the ways that are in this VN. The English in my rating is also for spelling, grammar, and such there were a few jarring lines, but I didn't get angry reading this, as if it were a google translated children's novel, and it mostly felt naturalistic, if not a little on the bland side at times, but very good.
TLDR Give it a read. It's not bad but Ugly Gary-Stu protagonist and in my opinion the scope makes it seem like it might get drawn out just a bit. But whatever, form an opinion on your own.