VERSION: 1.0 PE P1
Timestamps: Unconditional Love aspires to broach new frontiers in the visual novel market with a time-travel narrative dabbling in general paradoxes and an overshadowing government conspiracy; as with most of its contemporaries, Timestamps employs its narrative primarily as an excuse for erotica. The extent to which players will derive any satisfaction from such is due largely to the extent its flaws, which are almost unilaterally subjective, impact their ability to enjoy the wealth of lewd material on display.
Graphically, Timestamps compares well with most in the genre, employing fairly standard Poser models and interspersing erotic sequences with some animation. Veterans of the medium are likely to recognize certain models from other games, a fact Timestamps itself tacitly mentions, although the stylings of several are unique and fairly memorable. While some assets are clearly of subpar quality, particularly the hair and motor vehicles, the game manages to maintain a consistent aesthetic.
Animations, however, are a mixed bag. While players may rejoice in the knowledge that the erotic scenes include some degree of animation, and the designer even implemented cinematic sequences during purely narrative-driven scenes, they are not without flaw: often the animations play in ludicrously slow motion, courtesy either of a low frame rate or engine constraints, even the most arduously passionate actors bucking about with the enthusiasm of a sloth. This lackluster movement often inspires more mockery than merriment as, for instance, a nude woman shouts "
Fuck me harder!" only to be met with a protagonist penetrating her at a tempo that would barely register as suitable for a church hymn. Even so, the animations are diverse, feature some decent framing and are often intercut with static images (of superior render quality to the animation) that flesh out the developer's intent.
Somewhat unfortunately, the developer appears to harbor an affection for the "
ahegao" craze of Japanese pornography, the exaggerrated expression of supposed ecstasy experienced during an orgasm. While this reviewer will concede that it can be quite effective in still images at conveying enjoyment, notably when drawn on women, here the artist opted to employ it on the male characters where the effect is not only questionable but often outright off putting: there is no pleasure to be derived from observing the protagonist, nor his slightly rotund friend, going cross-eyed as their faces contort at a woman's touch. Even so, as the majority of the game is spent viewing beautiful women in seductive poses there's no genuine cause for complaint.
The same cannot be said of the storyline. Considering its length, at a solid two hours minimum, typographical and grammatical errors are infrequent; unfortunately, that itself highlights the moments in which they routinely appear.
- "No sleep til brooklyn!"
- "So you admit it, you're mothing more than big tease."
- "Beam me up scotty! DAMN"
- "You must be serious if you are willing to cause fourth wall break."
What is otherwise a competently written script, if not particularly sophisticated, is bogged down by these minor oversights that could have been easily amended with a modicum of editorial oversight. Beyond such quibbles, Timestamps routinely neglects to consider its own continuity as events unfold. Take, for instance, either of the following...
The protagonist is introduced, at the beach, to the character of Monica who explicitly states that she isn't interested in a drink as she doesn't consume alcohol. When next the protagonist returns to the beach, with a bottle of rum for the party, Monica willingly chugs it from the bottle.
Whilst in the hospital, the protagonist receives a blowjob from Juliana. The animated sequence that plays prominently displays her with the tip in her mouth and a hand massaging the rest of his shaft, given that he possesses the standard hung-like-a-literal-horse physiology of a pornstar. As the animation concludes, the immediate dialogue states: "I can't believe you could deepthroat the whole thing!" which, sadly, is not even close to what was depicted.
These issues cannot be brushed aside with the "time-travel" excuse either, if only as time-travel is so rarely employed. While interesting as a premise, sadly it is relegated entirely to that role and does not directly impact the gameplay. There are no mechanics utilizing such, no choice-and-consequence trees dependent on player interaction via the past or future, no puzzles to solve, nor any semblance of agency in how or when the time-travel occurs. It is, by all accounts, a narrative hook alone.
In closing, I would like to address one particular aspect I found eminently disagreeable: the repeated breaking of the fourth wall.
Used sparingly, as in certain theatrical productions, breaking the fourth wall can allow for levity or ease tension in an otherwise perilous situation. Comedically, as in the cinematic classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the fourth wall breaks allow the audience to garner some insight as to a character's motivations. Frequently, and most often internally, as with Deadpool comics, the fourth wall is shattered in order to illustrate the character's fragile mental state. Here, Timestamps muddles its way between each of these aspects without committing to any in particular. The result is a fractured mess, where at one moment the "Narrator" may interject a random remark that lightly mocks the trope at play, while in another they contribute to it outright. Periodically comments are made regarding familiar models, scenarios and all manner of homages to time-travel related media in other fields; the lack of subtlety on display is jarring.
Worst of all, however, are the moments in which the developer outright acknowledges that you, the player, are engaged in a game; a puerile, pointless and worthless endeavor where dozens of buxom babes throw themselves at the protagonist just because he has a large cock. That, in so many words, is reiterated on several occasions, with characters bemoaning the "luck" of the protagonist and said individual himself noting that it's because "we're in a game." It is after the hospital sequence, however, that Timestamps rushes headlong into the wall, seemingly determined to dash it to pieces or perish in the process. Having already alluded to other, real-world games via the protagonist's computer, now an entire scene plays out in which a major character converses with a woman who wants to join the cast...
"Philly or Dr. PinkCake would have done amazing things, if you were in their games."
"My game isn't about time travel. Global warming is real."
This callous disregard for the player's sense of immersion and general escapist mentality of the medium is grating, to say the least, and disrespectful at best. With any luck, the author will abandon such blatant commentary in the future or, at the least, relegate it to purely optional content.
GRAPHICS ----------------------------------------------------- 8 / 10
+ Relatively diverse cast with some variety among the potential love interests.
+ Beautiful models, albeit with varying levels of attention to detail; certain assets are of distinctly lower quality than others.
+ Veritable glut of erotic content, primarily static images with some animated sequences.
- Animations are often stiff and slow, playing at speeds that seem inappropriate to their context.
- Artist's choice to exagerrate expressions during certain erotic scenes leads to bizarre and unattractive facial contortions.
DIALOGUE ----------------------------------------------------- 6 / 10
+ Passable characterization, some genuine banter and clear, if flawed, motivations.
+ Few overt grammatical or typographical errors, formatted for easy reading.
- Grammatical and typographical errors increase in frequency as the game progresses.
- Deliberate fourth-wall breaking moments are obnoxious, decimating any sense of immersion or investment in the narrative.
GAMEPLAY ---------------------------------------------------- 7 / 10
+ Strong presentation and world ensure the player remains firmly aware of their goal. Choices are presented clearly and most consequences can be ascertained logically; no instances of player-ambushing.
+ Competently integrated GUI and quality-of-life options, including a task tracker with hints and quick navigation pane.
- Animations cannot be sped up, nor are they segmented to allow for quickly snapping between various points.
- Most player-choice scenarios merely postpone an otherwise linear progression, rather than branching to unique events.
INNOVATION ------------------------------------------------- 7 / 10
+ Overarching narrative features an uncommon hook which, while somewhat disjointed and largely unexplained to the player, manifests sufficiently throughout to engender intrigue.
+ Customization of splash/start screen is a unique and welcome addition.
+ Unity engine employment is stable, free of the typical memory leaks associated with similar projects.
- Continuity breaks are commonplace and "time-travel" cannot be used to adequately dismiss them all.
- Uses models from other successful visual novels, while simultaneously (and jarringly) calling attention to this fact.
SCORE ====================== 28 / 40
WORTH PLAYING AT LEAST ONCE... AT LEAST ONCE... AT LEAST...
Timestamps, which began as an unabridged visual novel but has since split into a quasi-episodic structure due to its financial success, introduces the player to an ensemble of gorgeous women in "Cougar Valley" with this release: Unconditional Love. An indisputably strong start for a fledgling series, yet by no means without flaw nor likely to arouse universal acclaim due to certain artistic choices throughout. Players interested in time-travel, and capable of dismissing the trope-heavy relationship scenarios including such classics as the "spectacularly well-endowed" protagonist and nymphomaniac landlady/mother, are likely to enjoy what's offered. Is this the genuine start of a series worth following? Only time will tell.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITIQUE: Implement the time-travel as an in-game mechanic, either to solve puzzles, resolve an impasse in dialogue or merely explore otherwise unreachable areas, thereby elevating it above a mere narrative structure. Hire an editor, or seek out a volunteer, to perform a quick spelling and grammar check of your script prior to release. Consider allowing the player to alter the playback speed on animations and include more frames to increase their fluidity. Limit the amount of blatant fourth wall breaks that occur; the initial few with the Narrator were a cute touch, everything thereafter took it too far with outright meta-commentary.
