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

I rarely leave reviews unless games blow me away.

This game is honestly really, really good. It's rare that I would say I would be willing to play something without the porn, but this game definitely takes the cake. It does help immensely that the LIs are cute. Rayne is precious and Keira fans have poor taste, probably.

Author has managed to make edgelord MC likeable. A very tough feat. All the characters have many layers to them which is great.

The writing is close to the best for AVNs, there's simply nothing even close for the supernatural-horror-mystery vibe it's going for, and even then it's excellent when compared to non AVN media. Overall just good stuff.

I would have preferred it if the puzzles were somehow solvable without using google. Working them into the game proper would probably be for the better. If we're expected to access a third party source to "solve" the puzzle, why not just give the player a meta 4th wall breaking popup on what the cipher is to begin with?

Some sections of the game can be slightly shock-horrorish, but it's nothing too scary even for squeamish players. I am eagerly awaiting updates to this.

Real cut above the rest in both plot and characters. The author clearly has a story planned out which is high honors when it comes to western erotic games.

The only two minor things I can complain about are Kiera's face and the number of attributes/stats. Kiera has some weird Kanye jaw going on around her mouth. Some angles she looks completely fine and rather pretty, other angles makes her look like some weird neanderthal. Could also have to do with the lighting. I'm also usually not a fan of having too many stats. In this case the game gives you a nice variety of options and solutions so you never feel left out regardless of what stats you're focusing on thus far. But still I think you could consolidate like...persuasion and seduction for instance into one stat.

Other than those two minor pet peeves, the game is amazing. The H scenes are serviceable but the real highlight is the interesting main character and the setting.

A few pros and cons for those interested in Zero End:

Pros:

• The game has a unique and distinct vibe. Even though it's a college setting game, it approaches the experience in a singular way. I dig that;
• The dev has managed to create an MC who's an edgelord...but somehow manages to be charming instead of a douche;
• The game renders are extremely high-quality;
• Dev has a knack for writing dialogue that isn't overwhelming in length;
• Main story is interesting, thus far;
• Walkthrough available to help players navigate tough decisions.

Cons:

• Most games these days allow you to rename your MC. The fact that this game does not really breaks immersion (for me, anyway; your milage may vary, of course);
• The fact that this game currently (as of v1.3) hard-locks you out of manually changing your attribute scores is incredibly uncool.

Giving the game four stars for the moment, as my criticisms are things that I feel the dev can easily change in upcoming releases. The game is on my watch list and I'm eager to see how it eventuates. Cheers to the developer and good luck as you continue to build your game!

JJ

Honestly the only reason I actually wanted to try this 1 was because the MC looked pretty unique cuz most of the other VN I've played till now uses the same models infact i think this is the most coolest looking MC.

Though i started for such a silly reason what I stayed for was the insanely good story & lore.I genuinely fell in love with this world. All the character models look genuine & have quite interesting backgrounds too.
Good quality Animations though pretty short fits the situations though I do hope they do get longer with further updates

My only gripe is that the game literally forces u to choose the LI from the get go especially for a game with No harem tag forcing u to choose a girl without much backstory is a big let down,cuz 1 of the amazing detail I noticed is that each time u choose to spent time with a particular girl will yield u a new scene/insight into her.

I do hope the dev could make swansong 1 of the main LI after all I did lose my V to her

As a fan of games with mystic setting, mythical creatures and magic, Zero End is one of my favourite AVNs and it have a huge potential to be one of the best story-driven games in mentioned style.

Writing is really solid in my opinion, it makes me really invested in plot and characters, their backstories and goals. Despite overall tone of game, it have some quite funny moments and nice romance, at least as much as it's possible for a few in-game days so far. Atmosphere in this game is great. Gloom, danger and mystery are present throughough whole game, which is exactly what I was expecting from it.
Story is really interesting and captivating with exciting lore, good amount of branching, mysteries and tension. Due to yet unanswered questions regarding MC and his old connections, game keeps me interested all the time and makes me worried during some confrontations with antagonists, as I simply don't know what to expect.
Characters are written quite well as I've already mentioned earlier, they look quite beautiful and unique, and their personalities are actually interesting without too much of cliche imo. MC is also an interesting and smart guy with some intriguing background. He's kinda edgy, but I love how characters are making fun of it, sometimes including MC himself.
Visually Zero End is pretty damn good, at least to my taste. Animations are smooth and nice as well, no complaints here from me. Models of some creatures looks actually interesting and spooky, I'd say the game have its own style with rather darker tone and mood to set the ominous atmosphere, and I love it.
Music is also on point, great choice of sounds/melodies.
There are a few small puzzles in the game, controversial ones according to some people but personally it didn't bother me at all, even if I didn't know the answer and had to spend ~30 seconds to Google them, it made me think about solution for some time and it was interesting experience nonetheless.

Overall, Zero End is an amazing game, especially if you like some supernatural stuff, old-school magic etc. and it have really big potential if dev will keep improving with future updates.

(v0.1.3c)
Amazing game, love the story and everything. I like how all the girl and MC models looked. And yes MC is edgy af .
For those who really are stuck in the playthrough just search in the thread, I have posted the puzzle solution twice.
The game has interesting rpg elements like stat growth and a captivating story. Don't be discouraged because of minigame/puzzle segments in the game. As of current version there is only 1 puzzle, and 1 infiltration segment. Not trying to offend people when claiming "killing the game continuity", in my opinion yes minigames tend to do that but there is only ONE puzzle implemented from previous release and dev has taken the feedback to not include it in the current version. Not the mention the infiltration isn't a "puzzle" but simply a short freeroam.
I think people should not make such a big deal for simply 1 puzzle existing in the entire version, which actually takes about 5minutes to solve. Nonetheless just use the search button in the thread you will have the full answer in seconds anyway.
This game deserved more attention.

I love this game! One of the best most involving VNs I have found in a long time. The visuals are original and realistic. The puzzles are interesting and fun to solve. The characters are more multidimensional than the norm. I can't wait to see how this all unfolds. Great job.

One of the best and most interesting VNs I've played. Really great and captivating story, loved the dialogues and the various mechanics too. I wasn't super impressed by the few sex scenes I've seen so far (I will replay with different choices though), but honestly I don't care too much, I was so into the story that the lewd aspect of the game has fallen into the background (still into the relationships/romance though).

Got incredibly hooked on the story really early on. Amazing renders highly recommended. Also a huge fan of the horror aspect and the usage of monsters in the story. Really excited to see where the story goes.

Zero End is an excellent AVN
The very good story coupled with excellent writing is delivering an interesting atmosphere full of mysteries with some witty dialogues.
Characters , including the MC are all intriguing in their strange ways and the "more than meet the eyes" feeling you always have when talking to them.
The visuals are very good too.

Definitively worthy of 5 stars, it is a top AVN that deserves more following.

One of the best early releases I've ever played, the game scores high marks across the board and has me eagerly anticipating the next update.

First of all, I'm very impressed with the stat system and the story branching, I've had a lot of fun exploring new alternatives, paths and trying to unlock all the scenes. The magical/mystical college setting is not the most original, but here it is very well done and has its own flavour and uniqueness, the eerie vibes and dark tones made me super invested in how the story unfolded and how much my choices interfered.

The writing is excellent, the dialogue feels organic and each character has a very distinct personality that directly affects the way they talk and behave. The MC, being the self-aware edgelord that he is, still manages to be likeable, as does his college buddy.


Technically speaking, the renders are stunning, the Li's are beautiful and yet realistic in face and proportions. The music selection is also great. So far, my only gripe has been how short the lewd scenes are, both in terms of renders and dialogue variations.

Wow, this one is criminally underrated!
The story is top-notch. The renders are fantastic! The animations are great! And the models are good-looking.

If you like story and character development you will find it here. Not a typical slow burn; It's quickly paced, but the writing is so good it makes sense and is exactly right.

Play this game and enjoy. This is an instant subscribe for me.

THIS OOZES GREATNESS!!

Pros: beautiful renders, writing is top notch and witty, MC is smart (sort of edgy at times) and believable, MC isn't thinking about banging everything that moves or any other creppy inner monologs, music is fire, UI is decent, in-game puzzles are great!!, animations are decent, and LI are cuties!!

Finally, the strongest aspect is the story telling! It's absolutely turning out to be a great plot with awesome branching.

Cons: None. I love puzzles so i loved the minigames as they added to the lore and made me like MC even more.

Verdict: BANGER certified, soon to be a classic. <3 Play must now!

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

Zero End is a hall of famer in the making! I honestly can't believe how good this AVN is... Seriously, I am just blown away.

Zero End doesn't spoon-feed the player information about the world they find themselves in right out of the gate, and instead allows you to gradually uncover the layers and solve mysteries about the plot and even the MC himself.

- Dark tone
- Beautiful characters
- Amazing writing
- The music is absolutely fire!
- Stats system
- Branching that allows for multiple PTs already if you want to see all the scenes.

I highly recommend supporting Stolen Rose on Patreon. The future is so bright for this developer.

This is going to be one hell of a ride!

Ver 0.0.2c Rating 5*

Extraordinary, as good as it can be for as early as it is. Renders are beautiful, the girls desirable and the story, well its early but seems like its going somewhere I want to visit. The writing is on point. Very self assured. The dev has a very specific viewpoint here that not everyone is gonna like. The MC is very edgelordy, but in a funny way. He's not a total unlikable dork. The barebones of the story so far isn't horribly original, but its well done. The world has had a lot of thought put into it.

There are several lewds, and some are harder to get than others, but all are well done. Your choices in the game seem to matter, but very early game splits that provide lots of replay-ability, at the expense of a LOT of extra work on the dev's side. This is gonna be a really complicated game before to long. Very ambitious.

I'm really looking forward to seeing where this all goes. I'm normally loathe to give something so early a 5*, but this is deserving of it.

Gawddamn its rare to play a first release and be this blown away, don't even want to spoil anything the start is that good.

This already feels up there with Eternum/BADIK for me quality wise, will be watching this one for sure

Renders, Music, Writing, Mechanics all very promising, easy 5 stars

Just finished playing it, dude all the little details that can be found in this game is so exciting, with enough time this could be up there with greats ngl.
Mc is edgy and does not shy away from brooding but at the same time he doesnt take his edginess too seriously and is aware of it.
He is strong and smart but not too much.
Mc's best friend is kinda like derek from being a dik on surface level kinda dumb but as you unveil him theres more to him, both intellectually and as a character.
People that you meet in this game are all weirdo compared to real life but that's both explained and mentioned in the game and serves it's intended purpose.
AND, this is a big one, game actually rewards you for not choosing some questionable sexy times with really fishy characters, which makes for more captivating story to expirience.

Edit: the music is great, fits in every scene and most if not all music that is currently is in the game I have not heard be used in any other games that I have played.

This is the kind of game that you eagerly want to know what happens next, but don't want to get to the end of it too soon. I end up replayed it just to see the consequences of different options. Hope more surprise awaits me in later updates.

Awesome game so far, not over the top models(nothing wrong with that but a nice change of "scenery" ) love the dark story and the kinds of possibilities you could go in with its direction.

the music is amazing as well, fits perfectly with the dark-supernatural theme.

keep creating the game as you see fit and dont add things to it cause of demands if it doesn't fit your style or current game.

also fuck yes to girls who look like they could kill you in your sleep. just my kind lmao. keep it up.

Awesome start to a game. The mystery element is fantastic as there is enough to give you ideas but also leave a lot to the imagination. The LI are cool and will be doing multiple playthroughs as I like the idea of focusing on one at a time. It will also be necessary as choices really do make a difference, which is fantastic, and it will be interesting to see how different routes play out.