VN - Ren'Py - Zero End [v0.2.4d] [StolenRose]

I didn't expect much, but oh boy what a pleasant surprise it was. Played 0.2, a few thoughts below.

Pros
- Writing hooks you kinda soon, dialogs feel natural plus sometimes caught myself thinking that the game feels like a movie.
- Characters feel alive, each with it's distinct personality and a few with their own inner demons. There was a kind of delay between the updates, but when I started 0.2 then remembered who is who almost immediately what happens very rare compated to other VNs.
- Music fits most scenes very good.
- Lore and worldbuilding are both definitely above average.
- Want to mention Lilith as a separate point - very cool debut and great duo with MC overall, liked their convos and dynamics so much, hope that dev won't lose the spark here.

Cons
- Graphics does not hit the major leagues level sometimes, I don't feel that I should take -1 star for that but still want to mention it.

I'd say this one is a must-play, waiting for future updates.

Brilliant writing to create a very engaging story and world. It definitely feels like a novel first and foremost, with the romance and sex scenes feeling a bit lacklustre in comparison while also a bit rushed considering I think only 4 or 5 days have passed in-game, but the rest of the VN more than makes up for it. Decisions feel genuinely impactful to give it some replayability for different routes, so it will be interesting to see where each branch goes in future updates.

I don't tend to write many reviews, but this time I think this AVN deserves one. Writing this review just after playing Chapter 2, it's hard to predict how the story will progress in the future, whether it will meet expectations or not... but what is certain is that up to now, it totally deserves a try. It’s a unique AVN, and just by reading the comments in the thread, one will realize that what hooks people the most is the story, not the attraction to one character or another. I myself am one of those who follow this project closely for that reason and not because I'm particularly attracted to any of the girls (which doesn’t mean they are poorly written or designed—personally, I adore Alice, who has become one of my favorite characters in all the AVNs I've played) since it’s undeniable that physically they do not match the classic bombshells characteristic of the vast majority of other games in this forum.

The characters are very well written, and you can tell from their backstories that there are hints of maturity that are uncommon and rarely seen in AVNs (from Selena, Alice, or Rayne to Brianna or any of the other characters). In the developing story, I see a very rich project, with a world well-crafted by its author, with a well-defined lore from the beginning, whose intricacies are gradually uncovered and which, in my opinion, draws heavily from esotericism. All this mix definitely hooks the player/reader.

While it is true that the sexual scenes fall a bit short (especially in this latest update), it’s clear that despite being an adult visual novel, that’s not the focus and doesn’t seem likely to ever be. In this case, sex doesn’t just become a mere excuse to advance the story or increase the render count per update; instead, the scenes happen organically and logically, which, honestly (at least in my life), is realistic: sex only sometimes. If you are in the AVN world for thrilling sex scenes where the story doesn't matter, let me tell you, my friend, that this is not for you. However, if you are looking for something more, give it a try. In the end, you may or may not like it, as with anything, but what is undeniable is that it is a great game, improvable in some aspects but unique in many others, and the least it deserves, in my opinion, is to be tried at least once.

To the author, I wish the best of luck with your project and that the final result, once finished, will be what you wanted it to be.

A bit short on porn, but considering how good writing is i dont mind.
It really teeters on the edge of being too "edge" but its not falling into tropes too much and so despite the wackiness youre not losing the immersion (too much, could be a bit more grounded and punishing, example - mc is a bit of a mary sue even though everyone says that he sucks, the succ being too strong and most situations getting resolved too easily without lasting impact).

Which part does suck though is the disparity in models, some are 11/10, some either look like 40 yo chainsmokers (the hunter), or utterly unremarkable (the lunar witch), i hope the dev cleans up or changes those models for future updates, anyways i subbed for patreon so it still gets my approval.

Unsuspecting game this, starts off very ordinary and maybe even boring but just keep playing and its brilliant.

The story, the dialogue, writing, lore and research is very good, very interesting and complex.

The only gripe I have is navigation especially in the cult house which is frustrating and that some characters are almost too odd to catch any of my interest, but thats just a personal comment.

Otherwise, pretty good

I rarely write reviews, and generally only for games I really enjoy. This is one of them.
Excellent plotline, characters, story, music choices are top shelf, has CYOA elements well done, including multiple endings. Worldbuilding is extremely well done, I can really appreciate that aspect.

5/5 would rate again if I could. Top 1% of games on this site.

This VN is such a wonderful surprise. I can't really explain how hooked it got me from the get go. There were a few scenes that made me very emotional and the game does a great job tackling sensitve issues in a mature but plot accurate way. Choices feel very real and consequencial, even when they're probably not.

My only sadness is the lack of a harem tag (but that's a personal thing, I guess). The romance options are very interesting and fleshed out and it saddens me not being able to experience all that their interesting plotlines have to offer in the same playthrough.

This VN is truly an amazing art piece.

damn boy! I have no word for this masterpiece. the music, soundtracks, story, graphics, gameplay. all of these are superb. this game is literally deserve 5 star rating. wish there are more game like this in this site. I have a weak spot for mystic-fantasy worlds like this. I hope the dev keep continue develope this game. I have no words. 5/5 Game.

Rating as of 0.13/0.2

Good

• One of the few AVN where the characters are multidimensional
• Puzzle game that suits the theme/environment and not there for the sake of being there
• The world building, story and theme is excellent
• One of the best written game here. The story and character dialogue have their unique flavor. You can sense the personality and not the generic cliche school setting characters
• The MC is overly edgy and the dev is aware of it while making fun of his own characters. This add another layer of meta humor
• Music and sound effects are good thematically
• Unique story and world theme. The initially deity selection actually plays a major role in the story
• MC and side characters are likeable and you want to punch the villain - which shows that the writing & story is in a good direction.

Bad

• MC name is locked so it takes the immersion out abit
• The puzzle need better hints for those who is bad at puzzle. However, it is a simple puzzle game
• Renders are good but not great. Some of the character art design is a bit generic and could use more refinement. All in all the art is enjoyable.
• Spicy scene are average - could use more spice to heat up the H factor
• Personal take - no harem story option
• Combat system is not that fun. Could use some alternative style maybe

Summary
Constantine meets Jeanette Voerman made an AVN baby. One of the few AVN where i can comfortable give a 5 star rating even though there some rough edges. Overall, an enjoyable and unique story telling. Still same rating as of Chapter 2. Must play

This has a kind of teen angst flavour i never was part of yet feel strangely nostalgic for. Something lame people would call cringe. But its made with passion so i cant help but love it. Also solid on a technical level.

- Good characters with thought out motivations and backgrounds.
- Decent renders. Set design can be a bit dull but composition and mood makes up for it.
- Entertaining dialogue and the kind of plot that takes the world for granted, expecting you to keep up instead of holding your hand. (Good thing imo)

Looking forward to more updates!

Very well written and keeps you engaged, I like the MC s edginess and inquizical nature. The supporting characters are also interesting although the lewd scenes do feel forced somewhat. I kind of want a little more back story on the MC but I suspect the Dev will be filling in the gaps as the story progresses. I will definitely be following this AVN good job so far.

I don’t usually bother to play or review a game until it has several updates, but somehow I stumbled on this at v0.1.3 and spent an evening playing through the sparse content a couple times. It has a gripping supernatural / horror vibe to it, a very-relatable protagonist, and it makes me want to take a cigarette break even though I don’t smoke.

The cons are perfunctory sex scenes, and some gamey-wamey elements that are a little annoying (there is a walk-through that helps with these). There is not a lot of material yet, but I recommend bookmarking it and taking a look when you get a chance.

Captivating story, great characters. Just need more of it. More, I say! We must get more of this wonderful story and great characters. Also, can you lengthen the sex scenes? That would be great.

Seriously though I'm enjoying the combination of different material into this. I want Swansong's name. Make her a loyal lover to the MC!

This looks like it has a lot of potential, a game you must play.
Great story that really steps out of the usual stuff and the universe is really interesting . The renders are also well done.
Hoping for more choices and a long plot.

It feels like the sex scenes of this VN were added just so that it can be considered an 'adult' one. Imo, they feel extremely scripted and very porn-like. "Hey, nice to meet you, can I suck your d*ck?". There doesn't seem to be a points system with the girls, and whenever a decision will result in a sex scene, you are informed. I think there is a lot of wasted potential there, since the few girls in the game are quite interesting and in some of the interactions you get to know more of them and even establish some type of connection and intimacy, but then the sex is just super casual and shallow. There isn't any foreplay, no kisses, nothing that shows the characters like or desire each other. Now, that being said, I really don't play VNs for the sex scenes, but for the stories, good character dialogues and writing, and that's where I think this game excels. I personally like paranormal stuff, and this game seems to have a very well put-together story and universe, and it has elements of mystery and detective work, so 10/10 in that respect. Not sure what the objective of the dev is, maybe they just want to tell a story and added the sex as a bonus for those who want to see that, but I think the VN would be more enjoyable if they implemented or improved the relationship mechanics with the girls.

This is a good game, it won't be for everyone but its entertaining and story focused, the writing is above average. Probably closer to 3 stars at the moment, but I think its going to end up around a 4.5 star game, and the developer is working at a good pace for a first time game developer, it took me about 3 hours to finish all of the routes.

The game could be better served with more of an exposition, it throws you right into the story which makes it a bit difficult to get a grasp of what the story is about until you've already gone through most of the chapter.

Player choice (at least so far) does not really seem to matter that much outside of slight dialogue differences. Choosing which path you are taking is simple (just select that person when offered the choice), as of now only two of the LI characters are really fleshed out, but the game is still in its early stages.

The route lock also happens much too soon- you effectively have to play the game on several attempts to see who the characters are, since you will not see any of their content if you do not choose them from the get go and you only have a couple opportunities to pick.

For playability improvement the earliest scenes (like when deciding between Gym and Library) should all be playable before the story line advances (also helps fix exposition issue). Additionally this is a way to extend the amount of in-game time that passes to fix the illogic of the MC saying he falls in love with a character after 2 or 3 in-game days pass once you are locked into a route.

Kudos to the developer, its an entertaining story and its plot is not getting stuck in the mud, thats rare these days!

This one definitely surprise me in a good way, the theme is rather unique to me, a lot of occult, eldritch, magical beings and stuffs, love it. The songs implemented in game are banger, especially the one from end credit, hot damn the song is good. The main character might looks a bit edgy but he does deal with things fairly level-headed (or I guess that depends on how you play) but the point is he isn't another edgy teenager. The female casts are pretty great, and the game has succubus in it which is a huge plus for me. And the jumpscare, ha, nice one. The character attribute system and chosen god are also rather unique (like rpg) which provides more replayability since it helps to unlock certain paths. Keep up the good work, dev, this is something special. And for those who are looking for something new, give it a shot, it's a breath of fresh air.

Tried the game on a whim and have to say that the rating is quite deserved - The inspiration from MtA shows quite a bit. I rather enjoyed the more mystery-like magic for a change (compared to the more common dnd magic in fiction)
Characters were likable and memorable and I rather enjoyed the nonstandard MC (he does remind me quite a bit of Constantine though)
Sex scenes I have to agree with the others were not outstanding but not horrible either - but here I was honestly more interested in the plot than the sex. Music and special effects were used very well. Plot was very interesting.

The only criticism I have is the one scene with Keira about Silver - I'd have preferred it if Silver was "a" vampire queen rather than "the" vampire queen and just really powerful than "the most powerful vampire ever".

Considering that the MC is more of a guile hero than a magical heavyweight and Keira (seems to be) a human with some enchancements it would not make a difference for them dangerwise. The scene just really made me roll my eyes. It's like playing a low level campaign and suddenly a third generation clanfounder shows up, when a 6-7 Generation elder would have been just as big of a threat without being ridiculous.
If you have plans concerning Silver, feel free to ignore this, just my two cents.

The fact that this game earned five stars speaks volumes to me as a player. I am absolutely SICK of games where they make the protagonist an edgy character with problems in their past that caused it, I almost immediately switched the game off when I saw the MC's look but, the game drew me in any way and I'm sure glad I didn't put it down.

The MC's edginess is constantly made fun of by Brandon, who might be my favorite "best friend" character in any VN so far because you get the vibe he and the MC are a lot more similar than they would have initially thought. Still, Brandon went about his trauma in the opposite direction.

The girls are great, the choices are great, and I dislike the idea that you have to lock in a romance before you REALLY know anyone, but I think it's a good way to differentiate the different "paths" the game will have.

The story itself is amazing, and the diety I chose to worship at the start had an actually feasible interaction besides having a better starting stat, which is awesome, it makes me almost want to pick every diety and see what was different for everyone else. The variety is great and honestly, the overall story is superb, I was on the edge of my seat at the end of the chapter and I can't wait for the next update, this game deserves, as of 11/28/2023 when I wrote this, the perfect score it has, I have a feeling it will be a huge hit. There is enough porn to make the porn game enjoyers happy, and there is enough narrative to get the more story-based players hooked too.

I'd spotted this game a while ago, but I don't know why, I was afraid it was just another poorly made horror game with a messed-up story and badly designed dialogue.

So I gave it a go yesterday, and I was very surprised.

I immediately got hooked on the story, which is really well told and above all well written.
The only slight criticism would be to have a real introduction, because you're thrown into the heart of the story without knowing almost anything, probably to improve the suspense etc., but there's too little information here.

The characters are really excellent, and I'm glad this isn't just another harem game, because that doesn't really fit the character or the story.

The management of stats and gods is pretty well done, even if at the moment I find them rather useless.

In short, playing the game was a really great experience and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the story.

On the other hand, it would have been nice to have the choice of changing the name from the start without having to add a file for that and to have a walkthrough integrated or at least in the code to see it with urm, but it's a minor detail, because there's a file available, but I find that less practical.


Thank you and good luck to the developer!