You Only Die Twice (v0.2)
Assassin, spy, seducer. The world of espionage and murder is tricky. Lucian finds this out the hard way as his life turns upside down when things go wrong.
STORY
Lucian is an orphan, raised to be a seducer who charms high value targets. His friend Larissa is an assassin and bests nearly anyone. As they work out their issues with the help of a friend, tragedy strikes. A hit on Larissa happens and their world goes into chaos.
From that moment on, Lucian is dropped into the world of espionage. You Only Die Twice (YODT) is already filled with content, but has a hard time getting a grip on its worldbuilding. The game opens on personal drama between Lucian and Larissa, but sadly forgets to build context for the conflict to live in. That context does show itself throughout the chaos, but it makes the universe far harder to get into initially.
YODT introduces a cast of 10+ cast members already, ranging from twin sisters to deranged best friends. Some like Skyler and Priscilla work well, while others like Kevin and Brandi are too one-dimensional to properly work in the complex spy world YODT paints. I would advise Grievion to streamline their scenes first before continuing, because reducing characters to a gimmick gets old fast.
The developer seems serious about the writing when serious moments come into play. The game switches between perfect grammar scenes and seemingly rushed less-developed ones, and the latter harm the quality of the game. There is a overarching theme of Lucian becoming into his better form and that's very interesting, even though he's not yet as developed as I would like him to be. Over time and with conflict, I'm sure the game will get there.
This game is mainly story-based and about 70% of it is fairly enjoyable. The 30% that is harder to enjoy is bearable, but harms the consistency and the impact of the serious scenes. It's a good game storywise, just not yet great due to the inconsistency in overall tone. And we might need some backstory for the world we're in. That said, YODT is an enjoyable world to experience.
PRESENTATION
YODT is fairly dark graphics wise, especially in its earlier scenes. It doesn't need to be, because later scenes show off the pretty models. YODT has melanin main characters, which is pretty rare on its own. With their doll-like airbrushed appearance, the game gives off somewhat of a comic or early 2000 cartoon vibe. It works for the story and the silliness the game tries to portray.
The world is mostly corridors and bedrooms with close up shots. Variation in characters helps keep things fresh as Lucian meets a cast of different characters in his journey to salvation. Kadasia likes lace and skin, while Skyler is more leather and chains. Brandi is the southern belle with hotpants while Bunnie & Maryse have this mobster theme going on. It's all a little tongue-in-cheek, but works well.
Lucian looks attractive and needs to do so, being a seducer. Having a large member makes him more attractive to the other sex, and they'll gladly show and comment on it. Intimate scenes play out well and detailed, although there isn't that much to go by as of v0.2. There are animations and the sound doesn't really add much to the experience, but it's a good effort by the developer overall.
GAMEPLAY
YODT is a kinetic novel with no gameplay as of yet. If anything, the game could benefit from a glossary or a database to keep up with all the stories and characters within the world. The game doesn't need much to be good thought, just keep clicking.
OVERALL
You Only Die Twice is in a weird place. There's good content and ambition from the developer, but there are also issues that keep it from becoming great. If Grievion can upgrade the lesser parts and keep the spy story going in the way it's currently been, this will be a pleasant experience to play. For now, it's only a good one, but with good potential.
Rating: 7/10
Developer:
Assassin, spy, seducer. The world of espionage and murder is tricky. Lucian finds this out the hard way as his life turns upside down when things go wrong.
STORY
Lucian is an orphan, raised to be a seducer who charms high value targets. His friend Larissa is an assassin and bests nearly anyone. As they work out their issues with the help of a friend, tragedy strikes. A hit on Larissa happens and their world goes into chaos.
From that moment on, Lucian is dropped into the world of espionage. You Only Die Twice (YODT) is already filled with content, but has a hard time getting a grip on its worldbuilding. The game opens on personal drama between Lucian and Larissa, but sadly forgets to build context for the conflict to live in. That context does show itself throughout the chaos, but it makes the universe far harder to get into initially.
YODT introduces a cast of 10+ cast members already, ranging from twin sisters to deranged best friends. Some like Skyler and Priscilla work well, while others like Kevin and Brandi are too one-dimensional to properly work in the complex spy world YODT paints. I would advise Grievion to streamline their scenes first before continuing, because reducing characters to a gimmick gets old fast.
The developer seems serious about the writing when serious moments come into play. The game switches between perfect grammar scenes and seemingly rushed less-developed ones, and the latter harm the quality of the game. There is a overarching theme of Lucian becoming into his better form and that's very interesting, even though he's not yet as developed as I would like him to be. Over time and with conflict, I'm sure the game will get there.
This game is mainly story-based and about 70% of it is fairly enjoyable. The 30% that is harder to enjoy is bearable, but harms the consistency and the impact of the serious scenes. It's a good game storywise, just not yet great due to the inconsistency in overall tone. And we might need some backstory for the world we're in. That said, YODT is an enjoyable world to experience.
PRESENTATION
YODT is fairly dark graphics wise, especially in its earlier scenes. It doesn't need to be, because later scenes show off the pretty models. YODT has melanin main characters, which is pretty rare on its own. With their doll-like airbrushed appearance, the game gives off somewhat of a comic or early 2000 cartoon vibe. It works for the story and the silliness the game tries to portray.
The world is mostly corridors and bedrooms with close up shots. Variation in characters helps keep things fresh as Lucian meets a cast of different characters in his journey to salvation. Kadasia likes lace and skin, while Skyler is more leather and chains. Brandi is the southern belle with hotpants while Bunnie & Maryse have this mobster theme going on. It's all a little tongue-in-cheek, but works well.
Lucian looks attractive and needs to do so, being a seducer. Having a large member makes him more attractive to the other sex, and they'll gladly show and comment on it. Intimate scenes play out well and detailed, although there isn't that much to go by as of v0.2. There are animations and the sound doesn't really add much to the experience, but it's a good effort by the developer overall.
GAMEPLAY
YODT is a kinetic novel with no gameplay as of yet. If anything, the game could benefit from a glossary or a database to keep up with all the stories and characters within the world. The game doesn't need much to be good thought, just keep clicking.
OVERALL
You Only Die Twice is in a weird place. There's good content and ambition from the developer, but there are also issues that keep it from becoming great. If Grievion can upgrade the lesser parts and keep the spy story going in the way it's currently been, this will be a pleasant experience to play. For now, it's only a good one, but with good potential.
Rating: 7/10
Developer:
