VN – Ren’Py – Absolute Hypnosis in DxD [v0.3.1] [PSY8]

This is a direct and honest review, with no sugarcoating.

Absolute Hypnosis in DxD is a project that clearly wasn’t properly developed or “cooked” with the care it needed. The overall impression is that of a rushed, poorly planned game, carried almost entirely by the visual appeal of its characters.

Story and Narrative

The story is weak, disjointed, and poorly explained. The game begins with a generic protagonist — both in appearance and personality — who attempts to join the Occult Research Club, is rejected, and then abruptly spirals into negative emotions such as envy and obsession.

With little to no proper buildup, the player is introduced to a mysterious entity with no name, no background, and no clear motivations, offering a pact of dark magic. The game never explains who this entity is, why it seeks revenge against the Gremory clan, or why the protagonist is chosen in the first place.

The narrative moves forward simply because it has to, not because it makes sense.

Themes and Fetishes

The game follows the most overused corruption-game formula imaginable: start with weaker, more vulnerable characters, slowly gain power, and only then move on to stronger targets. There is nothing new or creative here.

Corruption is the main fetish, while NTR exists merely as a byproduct of it. Even so, both themes are handled in a shallow and repetitive way, lacking variation or narrative impact.

Oddly enough, the use of hypnosis as a core mechanic feels unnecessary within the High School DxD universe, where the female characters already show strong affection toward the original protagonist. This makes the concept feel even more artificial.

Characters

This is the game’s only marginally positive aspect. The members of Rias’ peerage are, by default, well-written — but that credit belongs to the original series, not the game itself.

Other DxD-based projects available on the forum (such as Devil Academy) make far better use of these characters in terms of narrative, gameplay, and overall presentation. In comparison, Absolute Hypnosis in DxD falls noticeably behind.

Gameplay

Gameplay is, without exaggeration, one of the worst aspects of the game.

Right from the start, the player is thrown into mandatory minigames with little to no explanation. One involves directional input, while another focuses on mana activation — essentially a “click at the right moment” mechanic with extremely poor timing design.

More than a dozen perfect activations are required consecutively, and a single mistake resets all progress. These minigames are not optional and end up being frustrating rather than engaging.

Final Verdict

The corruption concepts are overused to the point of exhaustion, repeating the same formula with no creativity. High School DxD offers plenty of material for a strong adult parody, but this game fails to capitalize on it in almost every meaningful way.

In the end, only the character designs prevent the game from being completely forgettable — and that alone should never be enough to sustain a project.

Poor execution, weak development, and a surprisingly positive reception that is hard to understand. Honestly, it is baffling that the game is still ongoing.

Final Score: ★☆☆☆☆ (1 star)

A good game cannot survive on character design alone. For fans of the DxD series, there are far better options available on the forum.