VN - Ren'Py - Yesterday's Crossroads [Ch.3 v0.4.1a] [CHAQUINN0]

Note:
Review for Yesterday's Crossroads, version 0.3.1, on 2024/02/27

General:
A visually gorgeous game that tries too hard to be inspirational.
The dev describes YC as: “This will be an episodic visual novel with a lot of adult content, beautiful in-depth story guided characters and many plot choices.” Sadly, I don't think it's there just yet, specially in the “story guided characters”-aspect.
While it's true that every character has their own history, opinions and goings-on, the game's writing fails to convey actual emotions or opinions to the player. This is offset by great visual storytelling, we'll see characters being happy or sad, but the accompanying writing often fails to make these moments impactful.


Adult:
Despite being relatively early in development, YC has a few lewd scenes. Visually, they look great. There's no doubt in my mind that the dev has a talent for putting scenes together. My criticism about these scenes is the same I have about the rest of the game, there's a lack of depth. While the motions are fluid, the actions feel robotic. There's no interplay between the characters, no teasing or real foreplay. They go through the motions, but the scenes fall short of being hot.
One thing I do appreciate is that the MC doesn't have a comically oversized cock. While still on the endowed-end of the spectrum, he doesn't need to worry about physically hurting the women he sleeps with.
One nitpick I have is that creampies don't look liquid, but more like a plastic plug.

Visual:
As I mentioned a few times already, visually, this game is gorgeous. There's a lot of attention to detail, expressions and positioning. Lighting and shadows are used and create a believable atmosphere.
I'd love to see some more variety in body shapes. If you're like me, and find petite women more appealing, then you'll be starved for choice.
As an aside, most LI seem to be in the same age-range as the MC, but look (and act) older. I'm not recognizing 20-24 year olds, instead they look and feel 30+.

Novel:
Sadly, this is where it falls apart for me. Instead of a character-driven novel, I'm seeing an absence of character development. It's mostly the MC who's guilty of this. The writing isn't giving the player any insight into the MC's mental state or personality. He'll react stoically to adversity, dropping some pop-philosophical lines, more like a narrator describing a scene instead of an individual living through it. There's no indication of him getting angry or disappointed when someone lies to him, instead he'll shrug it off and is immediately understanding, putting the situation in perspective. In contrast to this, the player sometimes does get to decide how the MC feels about something, but due to the MC's robotic nature, this just falls flat. There's no follow-up or follow-through. However the player decides to feel, it will immediately be waved away, to the point of dismissing his emotions.

There's no overarching story of the MC dealing with loss and/or depression. A time skip of a year lets the MC put everything behind him, and allows the player to experience a generic slow-burn AVN.
Due to telenovela-level plot twists and motivations, I'm not convinced that the dev has planned out the complete story in detail. Facts are being kept vague, names are omitted, and weird coincidences constantly happen. While I appreciate the large cast of side-characters, it's odd and off-putting how every main character is connected to each other in some way, with Zeke and Leyla being the worst offenders.
We'll meet characters at a low point, but then don't see them shine in casual circumstances. We're told that the MC is keeping in contact with someone (Olivia), but we don't actually see this happening. The MC will say how great someone is, but the player doesn't really get to experience that.

Worst of all, and something that made me dislike this MC, is that he's a liar. When an LI asks him out and the player refuses, the MC will make up a lie or excuse. He'll claim he doesn't know an area well enough to give a tour, or that he'll have to work that day. This could be interpreted as letting them down easy, but I see it as him toying with their emotions. Why not tell a co-worker “Sorry, but I'd like to keep things professional”, so they know where they stand?

Suggestions:

• It's often difficult to gauge the passage of time, with scenes transitioning without providing context. It would help to put all events on an actual timeline, and inform the player about the date, time and location. Chapter 1 feels like it happens in a week or two, but would've happened over the course of months. (I think it's spring or summer in Chapter 1, fall in Chapter 2.)
• Related to the previous point, feel free to introduce a scene. A single line can add so much: “As usual, I went to the gym in the morning and found Zeke sitting outside.” This lets the player immediately immerse themselves in what's going on, instead of having to think about what's happening and how it relates to the story.
• And, related to the previous two points, it would help to add some casual scenes between the MC and LI where we explore their character more. Chapter 1 feels compressed in time because there's no filler. Even a montage of the MC going about his day, would add context to what he's doing while time passes. You can show him going to the gym, chatting with Julia, sending a text to Olivia, and so on.
• Visually, you're there. You have the skill and instinct to create compelling scenes, you know what's important to display. Where writing is concerned, I think an editor would elevate this game to the next level.
• Don't rely on vagueness, it often leads to confusion. There's no reason to not expose that certain couples are married instead of dating, for instance.

Yesterday's Crossroads.... what can i say. wow, is probably the first to come to mind.

First things first; quick Disclaimer to potential readers. this is a Slow-burn AVN, much more mature in context and execution.

Bad points; lets get this out of the way. for me, and this is purely my opinion. the only negative, and stopping it from being a 5/5 for me. is the Transitions. a quick glance at other reviews, all point to the same thing. Dev; if you read any of these, please make this small adjustment if possible, even at the expense of more clicking. Its worth the hassle, because at present its quite jarring at times and throws you out of immersion.


Okay the GOOD, and boy is this a good AVN, i honestly didnt expect much from this one at all, it was queued up my list of never-ending AVNs, and the brief blurp of the description was, well bland if im honest. a generic story.

However that all changed after just afew minutes of reading. the story telling is good, very good. im not an english lit guy or anything. but i had zero issues, reading, following or even spotting 'engrish' . suffice to say, I, was, hooked! time flew by before i realised.

A very mature and natural approach to this story, not a fap-fest, not a OMG girl sees MC, panties drop, take me now and build that harem ASAP.

To be honest this AVN was giving me vibes from another great AVN, Intertwined.
lots of connections, lots of choices and more importantly.... depth. each of the LIs or Sides or whatever, have depth. they aren't just mindless barbiedolls... i can see each has there own histories and scars of the past... and cant wait to discover them.... choosing is going to a nightmare, defo one you will need to play through multiple times.

Music is a very good touch and blends really well, i feel could be better in places. but sofar its more than good enough, to help get you into that immersion and bring the feels.


Final Thoughts, this is an excellent AVN, deserves a play and a Subscribe-Support. i know i will be. still early on and has more depth and emotion that most AVNs that have hours and hours of content.

Overall: 5/10 Honestly it could be better. Its not bad, but i dont really feel much playing this.

Story: 5/10 When it comes to the story the only real pro i can think of is that the writing is pretty good. Its easy to understand the the interactions between characters feel pretty life like. However outside of that the story has nothing going for it except for What was at the beginning was a very well written emotional story however it quickly become repeating bland and predictable story. What i mean by this is the story has the issue of constantly repeating the same facebook life lessons over and over which take away from the emotional impact. It worked at first but when its the same thing over and over again it becomes stale. The predictably part is coming from someone who is normally bad at catching clues and predicting stuff. Certain Plot points that feel like they arent supposed to be obvious are pretty obvious.

Cons the 2 big things are the transitions and as mentioned earlier the random life lessons. The transitions are awful, i mean one moment your having sex than the next you in the middle of a desert. It happens several times, your talking to someone only to be teleported randomly. Another review mentioned this but the writer has this tendency to throw all these Facebook life quotes in almost every sentence. Now dont get me wrong in some places it fits. But not every single sentence.

Renders and animation 7/10: While the renders are pretty good. the animation is rough its extremely grainy and hard for me to enjoy.

Sexual Content: 4/10 While there are a few scenes, they arent very good. Like i said the animation is bad and the angles are worse. The sex doesnt feel very natural, the scenes are also very short.

On the upper side of average, in some ways. Honestly, there just isn't much there. The characters aren't very interesting. The story isn't interesting. The writing is competent, except that the writer(s) are obsessed with putting big life lessons in every single conversation, to the point that it's kind of offensive. Oh, and it's revealed that the protagonist slept repeatedly with his best friend's girlfriend during college. Oh, and the "unimaginable situation" in the description is completely predictable by the way. And you don't even get to express disapproval towards characters who keep important shit from you.

I'd have keep playing past where it currently ends, but only because I have a weakness for redheads, and she's one of the few characters whose personality doesn't put me off. Ultimately, I'm not sure if I'll try the next update or not, but I got nothing out of it so far except for this mild rant.

Everything is perfect, story, visuals, renders.
Exceptions:
1. Transitions are to be worked on, sometimes there's nothing that ties two random scenes together eg. MC is talking with a girl then all of a sudden he's in the kitchen with his mom.

2. Sex scenes could be more progressive instead of all options available right away. It doesn't feel natural and I'd definitely appreciate fewer longer scenes than many short ones.

What a beautiful and mature take on relationships.

This game is like a breath of fresh air compared to all the substanceless VN's we have en masse these days.

I'll keep it short, this game has beautiful renders, is deeply emotional, and has an engaging storyline.

Yesterday's Crossroads is a game I didnt expected to like this much at all it's a Hidden gem. To me this game has the potential to rival my #1 AVN after more updates. It's easily in my top 10. It has alot of content for 2 chapters and hard to pick 1 LI. Not all the LI like the MC just because he is the MC they actually have some kind of relationship with him from the past. So liking the MC feels more natural unlike most games. I get the feeling there is alot of drama and bad things to come to our characters in the future which is only a good thing for a game like this.

Not sure if this is a con or what. But like with some other games when trying to pick a LI it's hard to tell if you are committed to a certain girls path for those not wanting to play the field but get a feel for which LI you like. Since with 1 LI after 2 dates you have a lewd scene which also were 2 romantic dates and you get the feeling she considers it more than something casual but without a proper conversation if they are official it makes things confusing for those who want to be faithful. If you are undecided on your LI of choice.

Pros :
Alot of likeable characters
Alot of content
LI and characters feel real with their issues
You actually build a relationship with LI before lewds
Lewds dont feel like they are rushed with said LI
most LI have a somewhat slow burn feel to them
LI dont Love the MC from 5 minutes of knowing but from knowing him in the past / before
Romantic dates with said LI
this game has music and it's decewnt

Cons :
Lewds dont have much dialogue so they dont feel like they have much intimacy. Because of that I dont care for lewds yet in this game
I want more of it and have to wait for an update

things im indifferent about :

Renders
Animation
Writing / dialogue

Excellent quality and props for making MC being relatable. All love LI and side girls are beautiful in which i personally didn't skip any, although looking at progression of the story, this ain't harem and there'll be a bitter ending for some LI if you chose to romance all.

Sex scenes should definitely be longer though, i find it lacking but still good enough. Chapter 2 have decent content to satisfy and respect your privacy time.

Let's get that 25th cherry!

Pros:

1. Writing is decent and very inspirational at times regarding how to move on and be an adult.
2. MC is very likeable and not a perv.
3. Music is fire!
4. LIs are beautiful and renders are good.
5. Story seems generic (Mc having a hard time starts a redemption arc and at the same time meets women with their own struggles) but it is very well fleshed out. It flows nicely due to the writing.
6. Gallery and stats are clean.
7. Many choices and paths.
8. Updates are FAT! There's already a lot of content even for just 2 chapters.

Cons:

1. Sometimes it felt like scenes abruptly ended or new scenes began without transition between two different scenarios.
2. Animations are decent but I think they need more intimacy. Like better foreplay set up, romance etc.

Verdict: Abso-fucking-lutely pick it up. It's a really good AVN. Even with just two chapters under the belt, the stories are nicely set up for the plot to progress. Characters are beautiful and nicely established. I look forward to next release!

(Insert Palpatine Voice) We will watch your career with great interest

This is really really good AVN and very nice character design

Pro
- Character design (every girl is dammm especially Candace and Michelle)
- Story seems solid and I just bang every girl and I feel shit gonna happen in later update
- Render is stunning but sometime is blurry
- Sex scene is really good but kinda short
- Chapter are really long and that's how every AVN should be
- Story and dialougue seems real

Cons
- Cheat won't tweak much
- Too many guys
- Not a lot of sex scene
- I want more rough sex and urination would be nice

Thanks for a good work, Please don't put NTR on or at least make it avoidable

When I read the reviews I expected something amazing, a masterpiece, well, it's not, it's definitely not bad, I liked it and I recommend the novel, but it's not as amazing as the reviews make it seem.

I liked the pace of the novel, not too fast, not slow.

There are several romantic interest options, but something that I don't like, but is very common, is that the characters are all connected in some way, even if they don't know it, they end up finding out later.

All "romantic interests" have their problems, which is normal, we all have problems, but the rapid and simultaneous introduction of so many problems was a bit excessive, I understand the developer's intention to create personal dramas for each character, exploring these dramas as we get to know them better, however, I think it would be preferable if these problems were revealed after choosing a romantic interest, instead of right at the beginning, when they were introduced, the characters seemed to highlight their problems more than their qualities, which contrasts with people's tendency to hide such problems until we build a more meaningful connection with them.

Another cool thing is that there are many secondary characters, this is something that many DEV's ignore, they focus a lot on the main ones, the world is richer with more and different characters.

The quality of the renders is good, they even seem "blurry", I think Blender was used here; few "repeated/popular/well-known" models.

I'm not completely satisfied with the dialogue, although it's not bad, I believe there is room for improvement, making it more natural and human; it feels like they're reciting lines from a script, and while I know it might not be appropriate to make that kind of comment, I recently came across another VN that executed this so impressively that I remain surprised; I mention this because I believe the dialogue in this VN is good, but there is potential for improvement.

The story is not the strong point, it is perhaps the weakest point here, it is very predictable, with no room for surprises, I could even call it cliché, I already mentioned that the characters are all connected in some way, everyone knows each other, but they don't use names, so when they meet it's a "surprise" for the MC, but not for us players, and that's really boring, I can mention so many here, but I will avoid spoilers, but it's something that happens all the time!

This game is one of the masterpieces of Visual Novels, a triple AAA title, impressive graphics, great story, unique settings, scenes and atmosphere constructed and directed in an elegant and sublime way, collectible music, charismatic characters that give you a sense of emotion of the moment, I bow before the dev of this game, I'm used to big games from software houses, like EA, Ubisoft etc. I compare this to the Assassin Creed of the Visual novels, I really can't wait to play the sequel, THANKS DEV

Yesterday's Crossroads blew me away. Correction: It is still blowing me away because I'm still playing/reading it! I was simply too impressed and excited to wait so I am writing this review now before I forget. The writing is simply stellar. The dialogue is realistic and well thought-out. There are no silly VN tropes here. CHAQUINN0 is a pure professional. I cannot praise this story enough!

5/5

I usually judge visual novels on: art, story and character development, music and animation (in that order). This scores highly in each of the buckets! Only wished the updates were a bit faster. One of the projects that I am supporting at the moment!

I can't wrap my head around this one.

The renders are looking pretty, but the sex scene I witnessed with my Asian love was dull and uninspiring. I'm unsure if it’s because of the animation being laggy or just… because?
The same feeling I have is with the story, too – yes, the level of English is great, but… how do you think you’d feel when your loved one comes back a year later with a sob story of a cruel papa not letting her date you? Boo-hoo. I know, right? Boring… Cliché.
Why was the scooter introduced? Again, another cliché moment – you’ll probably be giving it back to your precious loved one next chapter.
There is something “anti-hot” about this game and it just kept nagging me while I was writing the review. It wants to be a lot of things, but somewhat fails to deliver that currently.
The MC is surprisingly… not irritating. At least, he doesn’t seem to have an erectile dysfunction *coughs*
Anyways, I’ll let the dev cook it further, but as of now – could have been more spicy and interesting.
Four stars just because I'm curious about the next chapter, but honestly should have been a three here.

(As of v0.3.0)

So far top class, top notch animations , very good story. Well made renders , feels like being part of it. Looking forward for next updates. Deserved 5stars. Wish you all the best, tons of ideas and perserverance in making it till the last render.

Above average, but that's just chapter one, it could get worse or better.

It's at the beginning, so there aren't many points to be evaluated.

Good graphics and renders.

The story seems to be innovative and unique.

However, kim and keyla ruin the game.

In all aspects, this is a rather well made game, but in all aspects imperfect.

The story is rather decent, mostly interesting. But after the prologue and chapter 1 I'm still not in love with the game (or with any of the characters really). The 1st chapter feels like it's still Prologue. Girls and events are still being introduced, but not much captivating development is happening.

The characters are mostly lovely, but not quite so. Keyla's behavior isn't well justified (though later I might figure that there could be some dark-ish emotional reasons there). And another woman, seriously, who would sacrifice real love for career? I don't know about Korean workaholics, but in my Fatherland she would be considered a crazy bitch who doesn't know love. (Though again, I can understand: maybe that love was not as mutual as MC thought).

Models are pretty, but what's that with Kim's nose? Most of models seem to lack a bit of final touch that would make them truly beautiful.

Renders are OK, but there are few blemishes like black visual artifacts on a face etc.

Animations are short and shot from bad angles. 3D modeled semblances of sex organs moving a bit back-forth is not what I call a sexy scene.

All in all, it's a lot of good job invested, but not quite enough. Still, I'm thinking it's an interesting game and waiting for updates.

[v0.2.1]

Very good start. The renders are of very good quality.
The music is well chosen and not the stuff you hear everywhere else.
But the real winner is the story. It is top notch and well told, very emotional.
I will rate the first chapter 5/5, because I really have nothing to complain.

Beautiful game with heavy stories. It was pleasant read. MC is smart, handsome and interesting. its rare to have a such good MC in AVNs. LIs are also interesting and beautiful. Each of them have a heavy background and we still don't know their stories yet.

On technical side renders are top notch and osts are perfectly selected.
My hope would be, that we can shape MC career path as well