Alright, so now we know the truth about humans extinction, BUT, have they really gone extinct? Most definitely there are more humans and, unlike Alex, they would want vengeance! So my theory is: last humans created the virus that affects bipeds reproduction, the one responsible for increasing female population. And, perhaps, those last humans have a cure for it, while Alex has none.
Damn boy, the new build is... something really good, great job!
SPOILERS!
So, do you think what Glitch said is a lie? I mean, yeah, he's manipulated Alex and acted like a scumbag and his motivation is pretty eerie and mysterious, but... His story makes sense, partly? The history of Soulcreek and the fact that bipeds genocided the humans? What do you think?
Nah, definitely don't think it's a fake out. Everyone (Glitch, Byte and Alex) seems to be on the same page with it actually being Alex's memories. It also adds a good bit of drama between Alex and Loken going forward that will be fertile writing ground. Despite what Alex says in this chapter I highly doubt it's just going to be forgive and forget about what bipeds have done to him previously.
The new chapter was so good. Like holy shit, I want more stuff like this, it was 10/10 on everything. God, I just hoped this isn't the end, I want to know if there is anything like this in other books or Vn?
Look, I don't normally go in for horror VN, I'm here for the good hound. But this? This was both intense and amazing. A lot of horror I've seen feels like it's horror for horror's sake. It bogs down the story that I really want to get to. But this was a perfect use of horror driving the story forward. We got so much information about the world and the characters, but presented through a horror lens.
A lot of horror furry VN's (particularly 'my wuff' horror VNs) suffer from "The writer(s) is(are) not skilled enough to properly ease people into and then out of some truly psychological terror-inducing stuff... so they'll just physically imprison the sympathetic character(s) and then write torture porn for a chapter or two, sometimes making the reader feel icky and soaking that whole segment of the story in a 'did the author(s) just write this to offload their need for therapy onto the reader?' ichor.
I've found I am PARTICULARLY sensitive to the "oop, this chapter was torture porn!" phenomenon in Furry VNs, as I often go to the comments after reading those updates to see if anyone else had wished the warnings were a bit clearer or there was an interrupt and the option to skip (similar to what's occasionally done for dubcon or paraphilia in VNs that have those segments) and only seeing a bunch of "yay, loved the new update" comments and then skulk away because I don't want to be the one to poop in the punch bowl and ruin everyone else's good time with a "so no-one else thought that part was kinda ham handed and fucked up?" comment.
So I was happy that this update put me through an emotional wringer and had some absolutely stomach-dropping terrifying moments... but it managed to not set off my icks like the usual "whelp, I guess it's time for the random BDSM scene where the writer(s) just forgot to mention that some of these characters flag black and crimson..." chapters I've run across. It gives me hope for the whole genre. So thanks for the good writing.
1. The games I got icks-from are MASSIVELY popular and a couple of them came from a group of authors hosting a little Furry VN publishing conglomerate, and only only some of the games had the icky moment while others didn't (or haven't yet)... and the one time I piped up to go "Yo, anyone else think that last part was ham-handed and fucked up?" to one of the updates for a game post-ick... I got, like 10 "NO, fuck off, weirdo!" responses and as an Old Gay it set off my "okay, everyone in this room doesn't like me, I'm gonna leave and pretend I never met them because I Very Much Feel like if they think about me again they'll make the time to find out where I live (digitally or IRL) and bother me."
2. My icks are not your icks. What might squick me out might be transcendentally good to you or someone else. The best thing I can suggest is if you come across a game that MIGHT give you an ick... (in my case it has "horror/torment/pshycological" all throughout the content warnings)... see if you can find spoilers or a plot summary and if they aren't available for the latest update, wait patiently. Also, if it's some small dev and a kinda unknown game so no-one is really talking about it... back burner it and only play when you are having a good day and if things start to head in a "wait a minute" direction, do a lil' self check-in and have that "I might need to put this down for a good long while because I don't feel like having my mood ruined right now" discussion with yourself.
Damn good chapter of the story, we learned so much about the cascade and Alex. You are quite a versatile writer, what a roller coaster of emotions that was! I love how you left it off but still enthralled with what is in-store for Soulcreek.
I am speechless. Seriously, you've outdone yourself, especially with this update and the game so far. This is by far my most favorite VN since I started reading VNs. The whole update was an emotional rollercoaster and I was actually crying by the end which proves that this is a masterpiece. I really cant wait for more content and where this might go.
You've created something beautiful Ryuo, but remember not to overwork yourself, especially after this big of an update.
is the protagonist gonna slowly turn into one of those demons, it would explain where the humans went and why demons dont leave behind bodies, and maybe byte becomes corrupted and byte that took control of the host and became corrupted, the eldritch look of the creatures could be some form of camouflage made using ai generation kinda like how ai art is sometimes indecipherable just turned up to ten, also is Loken neurodivergent he is giving the vibe of of an autistic person in a society that doesn't have the words or understanding of autism(i am also autistic)
okay. as someone who hunts for and reads furry visual novels as my main hobby. so far? the world building is going so amazing. i love the detail. some games have too much world building to remember without having to go back and look at a supplied map etc. this is just the perfect ammount of world building. the characters are unique. loken is antisocial but tries to be kind as we get closer. the chief drevonia is extremely stern in the face of a threat but softens later on ( but still vigilant! as a chief should be. and the self character building of our character?! awesome! not needing to eat is something off for me tho because i feel like it may take away from the experience. but still a creative choice i respect! being on the verge of not knowing if we are human or android is suspenseful. my theory is we may be a human but part android with all of zephyr ( human ) history customs etc so it survives. seeing as no one else was in pods and we were the only one left untouched or hurt by the demons. ( ill write more once i finish! )
edit : wow. just... wow. the way that loken acted during the indulgence? i LOVED the teasing. its like you think its juuust about to happen before he walks off or someone interupts. ( altho with all the teasing i was hoping a bit more would happen given the strong build up. and the whole mylo possibly being part human?! that is a whole new theory train. altho i WISH we would have gotten a cg of the scene with mylo in the blackzone. the demon just a shadow above him with very very faint details like discribed. mylo looking scared shitless as the scene goes on. MAYBE EVEN HAVE A LITTLE ANIMATION DONE?? for such a key moment of the game into our FIRST viewing of this looming permenant threat i feel like it needed a little more visual to it! all weve done is hear about the demons but this was the first time weve SEEN ONE. just holding the arm gave us a PANIC ATTACK and we couldnt stand holding it for a few seconds. this is where the threat comes in. this is the momment the threat is revealed to us as it is. a mocking empty void ( evident from it copying mylos crying as he realized he was most likely about to die ) only ment to crumble anything it deems worthy of its attention. given that is my ONLY problem that such a key moment wasint given a cg or 2. it could be possible that emotion be slightly higher between them with more emotional attraction a bit more evident? but its also the fact of us being mended into the draconi and joining their custom. i LOVE aeyon and his personality and takhi being AUSTRALIAN?? ( australian is right i think? makes sense given shes a honey badger! ) the personalitys are so robust! aeyon with his wacky all around self being the smart one who knows about things lost to time. takhi with her obsession of chopping off dicks and hitting people with them. and you can FEEL the power coming from drevonia. shes untrusting and its frustrating. but she HAS to be untrusting. at the least things go on as normal if she killed us. we could have been evil and killed every man women and child there because she didnt investigate thourally. she has the responsibility. she needs the power. wit. and needs to make decisions when no one else can or will. i would love to see more of takhi's past tho! it seems a little touchy and given the name shes refered to as by kaius and orion who knows what it could mean! did she leave the tribe for a few years and become some world reknown gladiator who traveled? there may be some context i missed but not sure. also id love to see the side story of the cheetah blackrunner with the trader guy and miya i think her name is? ( also damn girl 3 guys good for u! ) and the energy created by the indulgence? the drums. the fire lighting. ( altho i admit the affects for the flare were a bit over the top and kind of blurred the view but thats alright! )
second edit since the new update for build 5!!
WOW almost every hole and crack i had for the first review was filled. we got takhi's story on how she has to slaughter a village cult who worshipped the informed and demons as gods. we got the emotional aspect of mc and loken's relationship turning into a romance/love story. we got a big chunk of byte's story. we got our past. how the humans all died. how the cascade happened. what demons REALLY are. how they were created. what soulcreek actually is.. and bytes identity crisis. he believes he is an ai because he has seen what demons can do and what they are and doesint want to admit that he is connected to them. possibly ONE of them? but he wasint LIKE them. he was put into a brand new life. given a brand new life. not a person with memorys. maybe because mc reset kind of.. so did he. new. impressionable. a new life to learn and grow. something about the specifics of mc with no memorys. being BURNED ALIVE. all of it ties to the fact that byte is a completely clean slate and not a real demon.
also the fact that the demons and what they are and SEEING THEM and knowing OF them is like a seed? having to neglect it. keep it in its box and leave it on the shelf. how it grows and vines into a persons mind before it takes hold and roots. over all.. loken was right. he was more right then anyone can ever know. not even us somehow. even if we are mc. we arent him. there is only so much writing can do to convey his experiences. his potential death/burning alive? a new world you know nothing of and having to piece it all back together. before having some entity forcibly rip the world open to show you the truth. every ugly piece of it. and most of all.. kairus HELPING TO BRING US BACK??? ( cant think of how his name is off the top of my head ) the anger towards kairus helping BRING US BACK?? somehow.. that building anger, is what saved us. glitch trying to make us betray everyone to kill them all from anger and rage? was used to free byte and mc. ( NEGATIVE EMOTIONS CAN BE USED FOR GOOD!!!! )
so i DEFINITELY suggest giving this a read. its so good and a great way to spend some time. 9/10 definitely! ( 9 because its not finished and who knows where the story could go! definitely amazing thooo! )
I kinda disagree on the 'demon cg' part. With all the build up, im sure any kind of art wouldnt do justice to how creepy they sound. People will see and go like "huh, though they would be creepier. Dissapointed." Or somethin
Anyway, im curious. Thoughts on the new update? >:3 (I liked your review hehe)
it may be made to be a sort of psychological thing? you only get bits and pieces of their discription and from there the mind can put together anything from it. all we really know is that they are robotic in nature
anyways! about the update! i LOVE it!! every theory untill the end was thrown out the window! the suspense of finding the skull in the furnaces. seeing the cages " able to git at least ten bipeds " meanwhile it was for HUMANS!! i had all sorts of theorys! possibly the demons killing humans after being created and making more of themselves before causing the cascade. never did i arrive at a theory of them being demons trapped in the first stage of life before hatching into real life demons to bring destruction to the world! ( im guessing that the " blackzones " are where a demon thrived in its second stage of life after asending if it wasint explained and i somehow missed it? ) and loken was right the entire time! if he looked to deep there would be consiquences and he would start getting engolfed by it. also the romantic bit about how something was.. new by that fire. something deeper. the flame of emotion i was looking for in my original review! also i know that byte is basically a demon but i will call him an angel because the carmine villlage thought demons were angels ment to send good messages against evil. also the expansion of takhi's story?! WOW!!! its the expansion i wanted and SO MUCH MORE!! almost every single itch i had from the review was read to detail and solved! i HAVE to edit the review again to put all this in! i didnt even know there WAS an update because i forgot to follow the dev! ( thank you for letting me know of the update! ) while i understand mc's wanting to know who he was, he looked too deep willing to lose everything if it ment uncovering any piece he could find. with every piece found after the first dish? he slowly is losing himself as the first half of bite eats away at him. driving him to get the second piece so he would have a vessel. ripping apart his sanity slowly like a carrot on a stick in front of mc. promising revenge. closure. happyness. when all it gave him was rage. anger. resentment. ( my guy legit blocked out an entire LANGUAGE because it belonged to the people who hunted his species to extinction ) i still wonder who wyatt is. possibly one of the last humans trying to desperately save and preserve mc after being burned and rescued? or was it a biped who wanted the human race to live on? mc was under the same influence toxic religion promises. do what we want and we will give you everything you ever wanted. untill you get there. and they give you nothing but a thank you for your sacrifices. maybe a smile. tricking the desperate unto offering every piece of themselves for one thing. that ultimately destroys them and finishes the job. every new piece fit so snugly into the puzzle that you can barely spot a seam! just BEAUTIFUL
lol i was so co nfused at the furnace scene, i had NO idea they were fucking burning them humans (even tho the hints were all there :v)
I honestly was not expecting the demons to be actually demons, and its still hard to believe to this point. Like, yeah, they are elderitch beings and all, but to actually have the answer? odd imo. Alex(MC) was so confident they were ai's it rubbed off on me too.
And yeah, Loken being right was also surprising to me. The Informed actually being possessions was such a good way to explain that too.
Actually, yeah, they being actual demons explaing a lot lol (Nitro really being able to sense things for example)
Im pretty sure Nitro said that the lab room had "something something bad vibes guilty" , so im leaning on Wyatt being a biped - personal theory: did you notice Alex(MC) saying how he felt (2 times even) "sad, but in a good way" refering to being with Loken? My theory is that maybe he has memories of a possibly a romantic Biped? (Highly improbable, but hey thats just a theory - a GAME theory)
Totally agree with the puzzle being perfect too T_T - except we still dunno nothing about the hows and whys of the Affliction, but i guess that comes later on (we cant have ALL the misteries solved i suppose).
Also also, what even WAS the algorithm in the end? Byte saide Glitch came with it, not that it was it. Glitch said it was a key to the Soulcreek, but is that true? If it is, then we just lost it forever, and wont be going to Soulcreek? Poor guy atleast got SOME answers in the end.
Oh and im sooooo desperate to just see Alex(MC) going to the village with everyone looking dumbfounded and he being like "I LIVED BITCHES"
(Also, im stealling that "Byte is an angel" for me thaaanks)
This VN most certainly was an awesome adventure so far, and the relationships that we build with the village feels as wild as they come. As I played, I could see this world and relate to some of the interests and found that little Tiger though irritating is quite endearing.
I'm excited to see and hear any new developments coming, will definitely be keeping an eye out
I'm not actually sure if it's possible to transfer, though I might be wrong as I've never tried it!
If it doesn't work, best advice would be to use the chapter select option at the beginning of the VN and the skip function to get back to where you were in the story.
I'm really enjoying this story so far and am definitely interested to see how it all plays out. What I found really interesting is the Affliction is already kind of occurring with humanity with the diminishing of the Y chromosome (except with humanity, it won't happen in a few hundred years - might need to add about five more zeros on the end of that to be closer to the truth). Looking forward to more. :)
There's an addictively thought-provoking and layered atmosphere to this game. Can't wait to see where it goes and unravel the mystery alongside the best boi.
I didn't start it yet, i just have one question.. why the hell is the reddit bot here? (Nah, just kidding it's funny, i post this comment while i wait to the download to end)
In short, an amazing story. Good balance in storytelling. Waiting for more now obviously. Thank you for making such a great game. Thank you even more for making it for free.
Before I go and try to decipher the algorithm, does anyone know whether its a real message or just a bunch of symbols mashed together? It could possibly be that the message isn't whole since byte said that there was only half the algorithm
I don't know how xou do it, but Takhi has the most colourful and creative insults I have ever read in my life xD how the hell do xou even come up with a phrase like "malignant shitfunnel"? X'D
My favourite line from this update has to be: "Jus' keep dogin' axes like they're flyin' pussies come ta' snatch ya' spunk!"
Xou're amazing at creating characters, because not only is Loken all we could ever ask for in a woof, but engaging with the other characters is just as satisfying~ ^__^
All in all I like Soulcreek very much! The horror elements beat Echo 100%
But, IMHO the whole theme with sex is a little rushed and takes more place than it should. For example, hearing really scary noises almost right after sex scene is... Unpleasant.
I feel like that might be intentional, to try and get the reader to feel how fast of a change or how unpleasant it really is for the protagonist with this information.
First off, fantastic writing. I have not been this enthralled with a VNs backstory or it's universe since Shelter. I love that the MC is not a complete jerk with irrational knee jerk reactions. And the story feels very human in it's responses. Really cant wait for the next act to drop.
Second, the lovecraftian mythos mix of the machines, the pall of madness, advanced and primitive technology merging into one cohesive novel, really set this up as a must read for FVNs.
Not too sure about first one but I believe the demons are some kind of amalgamation of man and machine. I think the mc is either what the demons were meant to be but somehow got corrupted (as in a perfect synchronization of man and machine working together in harmony) or that the mc is what all the demons were at some point before the ai they had in them started altering their bodies in unforeseen ways. And because the mc was in hibernation, these negative effects have not yet occurred between him and his ai. I suspect the mc might also be more akin to a cyborg and so the demons being corrupt versions of this makes sense to me if I'm correct.
I think you might be right about the demons and Alex. Maybe when Byte combines the algorithm it tries to overtake Byte and Alex and turn them into a demon. Doesn't really explain why the blackzones exist or why the demons never leave them though :/
Maybe that event landed with a rogue AI, then it created machines especcially made to kill with some crazy computer-made stuff, I can imagine the fog being a proyection of machines to mess with your mine, and the machines using some material that causes light that induces PTSD
I will highlight some loose ends, maybe this will help us to see a pattern.
We know there was a war against humans, but not what caused it and who they were fighting against.
There is a Virus thats targeting the Y chromossome.
The algorithm was made during The Cascade (maybe it was planed).
There are no human remains to be found from the period everyone was gone.
Superhumans with AI inside them are a thing
Alex doesnt need to eat or breathe, something is sustaining him with what he needs and more, since he is capable of regenerating himself (so he is synthesizing proteins from nothing).
Maybe its just because of the region they're in, but I always found it really interesting how they reinforce again and again that its cold in the summer (something drastically changed the world climate maybe?)
It is said that the demon was mocking mylo, so he has to understand emotions to an extent. (AI? Human? Both?)
If anyone has any idea, please share it if you're confortable
I was thinking that maybe this virus affecting the Y chromosome was made for population control in the pre-cascade era. If there are less males, then there will be less births. And it's not like everyone is into having multiple wives. Plus as we can see, the only way for the current species to maintain their numbers was by making drastic changes to the mating culture by coming up with the Mating Troupe thing. Sooo, it's like shoot your load and go.
I can see that, but I also thought it could be a bioweapon. It is (apparently, judging by how alex got it) an airborn virus that doesnt express any symtoms except in the next generation, so it would be virtually impossible to notice it and react to it in time before everyone is already infected. If a robot wants to rebel, that would be a GENIOUS play. Slowly reduce the rate in which humans reproduce and when they notice something is wrong, finish them off. That way no one would suapect a rebelion until the very end.
My thoughts too! And what's up with the apples being the first thing he remembered? Is it related to the first sin of man? Or even to how it was depicted in Assassin's Creed (the apple of Eden) to house the secret of free will? After all, we did install free_will.exe at the start of the VN.
Its definitly possible that the translation software was installed with byte, but never explained how it automatically translated the language. We don't know what happened exactly or when the protagonist was put into preservation due to the memory loss, but it could definitly be a hint that either byte is hiding something from us OR beastmen had appeared around the same time that the cascade happened, which could be useful to know, instead of them appearing randomly years later.
(I'm also ruling out that the translation system was learning the language as they talked since loken talked very little and yet we understood him as soon as he started talking)
It could also be possible that the demons are a alien species, or at least crafted with alien materials. Since the mere THOUGHT or sight of them could drive people insane, much less what they could do to you if they catch you.
Also don't forget that demons ONLY target sapient species like the beastmen and humans, not wild animals. Could that mean the demons were specifically engineered to target humans and bipedal species? Or are they just smart enough to target any species that could pose a threat to them?
(another less likely theory is that the demons are just thinking of this as a game, like playing with their food, and don't leave the blackzones for the sole reason of giving their pray a fighting chance for survival, since they have emotions or at least intelligence, and can kill beings very easily.)
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SPOILER THEORY FOR BUILD 5
Alright, so now we know the truth about humans extinction, BUT, have they really gone extinct? Most definitely there are more humans and, unlike Alex, they would want vengeance! So my theory is: last humans created the virus that affects bipeds reproduction, the one responsible for increasing female population. And, perhaps, those last humans have a cure for it, while Alex has none.
Oh fuck. yeah, we still have no idea about the afliction huh
Damn boy, the new build is... something really good, great job!
SPOILERS!
So, do you think what Glitch said is a lie? I mean, yeah, he's manipulated Alex and acted like a scumbag and his motivation is pretty eerie and mysterious, but... His story makes sense, partly? The history of Soulcreek and the fact that bipeds genocided the humans? What do you think?
Nah, definitely don't think it's a fake out. Everyone (Glitch, Byte and Alex) seems to be on the same page with it actually being Alex's memories. It also adds a good bit of drama between Alex and Loken going forward that will be fertile writing ground. Despite what Alex says in this chapter I highly doubt it's just going to be forgive and forget about what bipeds have done to him previously.
The new chapter was so good. Like holy shit, I want more stuff like this, it was 10/10 on everything. God, I just hoped this isn't the end, I want to know if there is anything like this in other books or Vn?
It's certainly not the end yet! We're about half way through!
I'd also recommend One Last Night! ;) https://mashedp.itch.io/one-last-night
Just finished the new chapter, this game better not end like the movie Upgrade. I demand a happy ending.
holy fuck. . . . .thats all i have to say without making an hour long video essay about this visual novel(just played the new update)
Do it coward >:3
Look, I don't normally go in for horror VN, I'm here for the good hound. But this? This was both intense and amazing. A lot of horror I've seen feels like it's horror for horror's sake. It bogs down the story that I really want to get to. But this was a perfect use of horror driving the story forward. We got so much information about the world and the characters, but presented through a horror lens.
A lot of horror furry VN's (particularly 'my wuff' horror VNs) suffer from "The writer(s) is(are) not skilled enough to properly ease people into and then out of some truly psychological terror-inducing stuff... so they'll just physically imprison the sympathetic character(s) and then write torture porn for a chapter or two, sometimes making the reader feel icky and soaking that whole segment of the story in a 'did the author(s) just write this to offload their need for therapy onto the reader?' ichor.
I've found I am PARTICULARLY sensitive to the "oop, this chapter was torture porn!" phenomenon in Furry VNs, as I often go to the comments after reading those updates to see if anyone else had wished the warnings were a bit clearer or there was an interrupt and the option to skip (similar to what's occasionally done for dubcon or paraphilia in VNs that have those segments) and only seeing a bunch of "yay, loved the new update" comments and then skulk away because I don't want to be the one to poop in the punch bowl and ruin everyone else's good time with a "so no-one else thought that part was kinda ham handed and fucked up?" comment.
So I was happy that this update put me through an emotional wringer and had some absolutely stomach-dropping terrifying moments... but it managed to not set off my icks like the usual "whelp, I guess it's time for the random BDSM scene where the writer(s) just forgot to mention that some of these characters flag black and crimson..." chapters I've run across. It gives me hope for the whole genre. So thanks for the good writing.
Yo, could ya give any examples? Would really like to avoid these kinda things :v
I dun wanna.
1. The games I got icks-from are MASSIVELY popular and a couple of them came from a group of authors hosting a little Furry VN publishing conglomerate, and only only some of the games had the icky moment while others didn't (or haven't yet)... and the one time I piped up to go "Yo, anyone else think that last part was ham-handed and fucked up?" to one of the updates for a game post-ick... I got, like 10 "NO, fuck off, weirdo!" responses and as an Old Gay it set off my "okay, everyone in this room doesn't like me, I'm gonna leave and pretend I never met them because I Very Much Feel like if they think about me again they'll make the time to find out where I live (digitally or IRL) and bother me."
2. My icks are not your icks. What might squick me out might be transcendentally good to you or someone else. The best thing I can suggest is if you come across a game that MIGHT give you an ick... (in my case it has "horror/torment/pshycological" all throughout the content warnings)... see if you can find spoilers or a plot summary and if they aren't available for the latest update, wait patiently. Also, if it's some small dev and a kinda unknown game so no-one is really talking about it... back burner it and only play when you are having a good day and if things start to head in a "wait a minute" direction, do a lil' self check-in and have that "I might need to put this down for a good long while because I don't feel like having my mood ruined right now" discussion with yourself.
honestly? yeah, u right. mad respect 👍
Damn good chapter of the story, we learned so much about the cascade and Alex. You are quite a versatile writer, what a roller coaster of emotions that was! I love how you left it off but still enthralled with what is in-store for Soulcreek.
I am speechless. Seriously, you've outdone yourself, especially with this update and the game so far. This is by far my most favorite VN since I started reading VNs. The whole update was an emotional rollercoaster and I was actually crying by the end which proves that this is a masterpiece. I really cant wait for more content and where this might go.
You've created something beautiful Ryuo, but remember not to overwork yourself, especially after this big of an update.
Take care :)
Amazing!!!! Loved it so much. :)
Oh this build is straight up fire (sorry Alex)
Too soon! xD
jesus
NOOOOOO
new build was fantastic, kept me on my toes!
SPOILERS
is the protagonist gonna slowly turn into one of those demons, it would explain where the humans went and why demons dont leave behind bodies, and maybe byte becomes corrupted and byte that took control of the host and became corrupted, the eldritch look of the creatures could be some form of camouflage made using ai generation kinda like how ai art is sometimes indecipherable just turned up to ten, also is Loken neurodivergent he is giving the vibe of of an autistic person in a society that doesn't have the words or understanding of autism(i am also autistic)
( spoilers ahead ffs play this game!!!!! )
okay. as someone who hunts for and reads furry visual novels as my main hobby. so far? the world building is going so amazing. i love the detail. some games have too much world building to remember without having to go back and look at a supplied map etc. this is just the perfect ammount of world building. the characters are unique. loken is antisocial but tries to be kind as we get closer. the chief drevonia is extremely stern in the face of a threat but softens later on ( but still vigilant! as a chief should be. and the self character building of our character?! awesome! not needing to eat is something off for me tho because i feel like it may take away from the experience. but still a creative choice i respect! being on the verge of not knowing if we are human or android is suspenseful. my theory is we may be a human but part android with all of zephyr ( human ) history customs etc so it survives. seeing as no one else was in pods and we were the only one left untouched or hurt by the demons. ( ill write more once i finish! )
edit : wow. just... wow. the way that loken acted during the indulgence? i LOVED the teasing. its like you think its juuust about to happen before he walks off or someone interupts. ( altho with all the teasing i was hoping a bit more would happen given the strong build up. and the whole mylo possibly being part human?! that is a whole new theory train. altho i WISH we would have gotten a cg of the scene with mylo in the blackzone. the demon just a shadow above him with very very faint details like discribed. mylo looking scared shitless as the scene goes on. MAYBE EVEN HAVE A LITTLE ANIMATION DONE?? for such a key moment of the game into our FIRST viewing of this looming permenant threat i feel like it needed a little more visual to it! all weve done is hear about the demons but this was the first time weve SEEN ONE. just holding the arm gave us a PANIC ATTACK and we couldnt stand holding it for a few seconds. this is where the threat comes in. this is the momment the threat is revealed to us as it is. a mocking empty void ( evident from it copying mylos crying as he realized he was most likely about to die ) only ment to crumble anything it deems worthy of its attention. given that is my ONLY problem that such a key moment wasint given a cg or 2. it could be possible that emotion be slightly higher between them with more emotional attraction a bit more evident? but its also the fact of us being mended into the draconi and joining their custom. i LOVE aeyon and his personality and takhi being AUSTRALIAN?? ( australian is right i think? makes sense given shes a honey badger! ) the personalitys are so robust! aeyon with his wacky all around self being the smart one who knows about things lost to time. takhi with her obsession of chopping off dicks and hitting people with them. and you can FEEL the power coming from drevonia. shes untrusting and its frustrating. but she HAS to be untrusting. at the least things go on as normal if she killed us. we could have been evil and killed every man women and child there because she didnt investigate thourally. she has the responsibility. she needs the power. wit. and needs to make decisions when no one else can or will. i would love to see more of takhi's past tho! it seems a little touchy and given the name shes refered to as by kaius and orion who knows what it could mean! did she leave the tribe for a few years and become some world reknown gladiator who traveled? there may be some context i missed but not sure. also id love to see the side story of the cheetah blackrunner with the trader guy and miya i think her name is? ( also damn girl 3 guys good for u! ) and the energy created by the indulgence? the drums. the fire lighting. ( altho i admit the affects for the flare were a bit over the top and kind of blurred the view but thats alright! )
second edit since the new update for build 5!!
WOW almost every hole and crack i had for the first review was filled.
we got takhi's story on how she has to slaughter a village cult who worshipped the informed and demons as gods. we got the emotional aspect of mc and loken's relationship turning into a romance/love story. we got a big chunk of byte's story. we got our past. how the humans all died. how the cascade happened. what demons REALLY are. how they were created. what soulcreek actually is.. and bytes identity crisis. he believes he is an ai because he has seen what demons can do and what they are and doesint want to admit that he is connected to them. possibly ONE of them? but he wasint LIKE them. he was put into a brand new life. given a brand new life. not a person with memorys. maybe because mc reset kind of.. so did he. new. impressionable. a new life to learn and grow. something about the specifics of mc with no memorys. being BURNED ALIVE. all of it ties to the fact that byte is a completely clean slate and not a real demon.
also the fact that the demons and what they are and SEEING THEM and knowing OF them is like a seed? having to neglect it. keep it in its box and leave it on the shelf. how it grows and vines into a persons mind before it takes hold and roots. over all.. loken was right. he was more right then anyone can ever know. not even us somehow. even if we are mc. we arent him. there is only so much writing can do to convey his experiences. his potential death/burning alive? a new world you know nothing of and having to piece it all back together. before having some entity forcibly rip the world open to show you the truth. every ugly piece of it. and most of all.. kairus HELPING TO BRING US BACK??? ( cant think of how his name is off the top of my head ) the anger towards kairus helping BRING US BACK?? somehow.. that building anger, is what saved us. glitch trying to make us betray everyone to kill them all from anger and rage? was used to free byte and mc. ( NEGATIVE EMOTIONS CAN BE USED FOR GOOD!!!! )
so i DEFINITELY suggest giving this a read. its so good and a great way to spend some time. 9/10 definitely! ( 9 because its not finished and who knows where the story could go! definitely amazing thooo! )
I kinda disagree on the 'demon cg' part. With all the build up, im sure any kind of art wouldnt do justice to how creepy they sound. People will see and go like "huh, though they would be creepier. Dissapointed." Or somethin
Anyway, im curious. Thoughts on the new update? >:3 (I liked your review hehe)
it may be made to be a sort of psychological thing? you only get bits and pieces of their discription and from there the mind can put together anything from it. all we really know is that they are robotic in nature
yeah, id say theres nothing scarier that NOT knowing what it looks like
anyways! about the update! i LOVE it!! every theory untill the end was thrown out the window! the suspense of finding the skull in the furnaces. seeing the cages " able to git at least ten bipeds " meanwhile it was for HUMANS!! i had all sorts of theorys! possibly the demons killing humans after being created and making more of themselves before causing the cascade. never did i arrive at a theory of them being demons trapped in the first stage of life before hatching into real life demons to bring destruction to the world! ( im guessing that the " blackzones " are where a demon thrived in its second stage of life after asending if it wasint explained and i somehow missed it? ) and loken was right the entire time! if he looked to deep there would be consiquences and he would start getting engolfed by it. also the romantic bit about how something was.. new by that fire. something deeper. the flame of emotion i was looking for in my original review! also i know that byte is basically a demon but i will call him an angel because the carmine villlage thought demons were angels ment to send good messages against evil. also the expansion of takhi's story?! WOW!!! its the expansion i wanted and SO MUCH MORE!! almost every single itch i had from the review was read to detail and solved! i HAVE to edit the review again to put all this in! i didnt even know there WAS an update because i forgot to follow the dev! ( thank you for letting me know of the update! ) while i understand mc's wanting to know who he was, he looked too deep willing to lose everything if it ment uncovering any piece he could find. with every piece found after the first dish? he slowly is losing himself as the first half of bite eats away at him. driving him to get the second piece so he would have a vessel. ripping apart his sanity slowly like a carrot on a stick in front of mc. promising revenge. closure. happyness. when all it gave him was rage. anger. resentment. ( my guy legit blocked out an entire LANGUAGE because it belonged to the people who hunted his species to extinction ) i still wonder who wyatt is. possibly one of the last humans trying to desperately save and preserve mc after being burned and rescued? or was it a biped who wanted the human race to live on? mc was under the same influence toxic religion promises. do what we want and we will give you everything you ever wanted. untill you get there. and they give you nothing but a thank you for your sacrifices. maybe a smile. tricking the desperate unto offering every piece of themselves for one thing. that ultimately destroys them and finishes the job. every new piece fit so snugly into the puzzle that you can barely spot a seam! just BEAUTIFUL
lol i was so co nfused at the furnace scene, i had NO idea they were fucking burning them humans (even tho the hints were all there :v)
I honestly was not expecting the demons to be actually demons, and its still hard to believe to this point. Like, yeah, they are elderitch beings and all, but to actually have the answer? odd imo. Alex(MC) was so confident they were ai's it rubbed off on me too.
And yeah, Loken being right was also surprising to me. The Informed actually being possessions was such a good way to explain that too.
Actually, yeah, they being actual demons explaing a lot lol (Nitro really being able to sense things for example)
Im pretty sure Nitro said that the lab room had "something something bad vibes guilty" , so im leaning on Wyatt being a biped - personal theory: did you notice Alex(MC) saying how he felt (2 times even) "sad, but in a good way" refering to being with Loken? My theory is that maybe he has memories of a possibly a romantic Biped? (Highly improbable, but hey thats just a theory - a GAME theory)
Totally agree with the puzzle being perfect too T_T - except we still dunno nothing about the hows and whys of the Affliction, but i guess that comes later on (we cant have ALL the misteries solved i suppose).
Also also, what even WAS the algorithm in the end? Byte saide Glitch came with it, not that it was it. Glitch said it was a key to the Soulcreek, but is that true? If it is, then we just lost it forever, and wont be going to Soulcreek? Poor guy atleast got SOME answers in the end.
Oh and im sooooo desperate to just see Alex(MC) going to the village with everyone looking dumbfounded and he being like "I LIVED BITCHES"
(Also, im stealling that "Byte is an angel" for me thaaanks)
This VN most certainly was an awesome adventure so far, and the relationships that we build with the village feels as wild as they come. As I played, I could see this world and relate to some of the interests and found that little Tiger though irritating is quite endearing.
I'm excited to see and hear any new developments coming, will definitely be keeping an eye out
I love this story so much!!! I can't wait for more! :)
Great story! How was your day?
Guys sorry to bother but I need help. I am using Android and when I tried to move the saves from VN it's just isn't working anyone have advice ?
I'm not actually sure if it's possible to transfer, though I might be wrong as I've never tried it!
If it doesn't work, best advice would be to use the chapter select option at the beginning of the VN and the skip function to get back to where you were in the story.
The image of the husky and the Human alone got me sold in this game I'm gonna try it out!
Read everything in the public build in one go. Thoroughly invested in this VN now.
Attempt is made on my life "Wow what an asshole"
Asshole's character art appears "OH NO HE'S HOT!"
That cutoff felt like one of those "buy the book" endings. But this kind of is the book.
I'm really enjoying this story so far and am definitely interested to see how it all plays out. What I found really interesting is the Affliction is already kind of occurring with humanity with the diminishing of the Y chromosome (except with humanity, it won't happen in a few hundred years - might need to add about five more zeros on the end of that to be closer to the truth). Looking forward to more. :)
There's an addictively thought-provoking and layered atmosphere to this game. Can't wait to see where it goes and unravel the mystery alongside the best boi.
Is this game still in progress? I thought it was finished but I hit a dead end.
I don't think it's going to be finished anytime soon, it's still being made with updates.
yeah their still posting snip-bits on their twitter so its still in development
I didn't start it yet, i just have one question.. why the hell is the reddit bot here? (Nah, just kidding it's funny, i post this comment while i wait to the download to end)
The story is so much fun and interesting to read. But then turn into horror and creepy when i reach the "blackzone". Love it :)
In short, an amazing story. Good balance in storytelling. Waiting for more now obviously. Thank you for making such a great game. Thank you even more for making it for free.
ya like jazz????
also are the backgrounds ai art? Idk they just dont look made by a human
They aren't AI, I think they are images run through a filter of some sort to make it look "painted" almost.
Yeah a lot of VNs do it that way, they predate the influx of AI stuff.
Ive just started, but this vn looks amazing. I really like the art style and the story.
Before I go and try to decipher the algorithm, does anyone know whether its a real message or just a bunch of symbols mashed together? It could possibly be that the message isn't whole since byte said that there was only half the algorithm
A few people have found it already, but there is a message in there somewhere! Not necessarily in the symbols, though!
Ah, the eat yourself in binary. I suppose there isn't a way to decode the message right now, and will probably be decoded later in the story
I wonder whether the message is slowly having an effect on the protags mind.
I don't trust bytes firewall.The story and horror are really well made! Those sounds are chilling
And I absolutely love Loken!
How can I trigger the public sex indulgence?
You have to take Flare with Loken on day 4, and pick the 'I want more' option when it comes up. Try from a new game if the option isn't coming up!
OMG NEW UPDATE
I don't know how xou do it, but Takhi has the most colourful and creative insults I have ever read in my life xD how the hell do xou even come up with a phrase like "malignant shitfunnel"? X'D
My favourite line from this update has to be: "Jus' keep dogin' axes like they're flyin' pussies come ta' snatch ya' spunk!"
Xou're amazing at creating characters, because not only is Loken all we could ever ask for in a woof, but engaging with the other characters is just as satisfying~ ^__^
All in all I like Soulcreek very much! The horror elements beat Echo 100%
But, IMHO the whole theme with sex is a little rushed and takes more place than it should. For example, hearing really scary noises almost right after sex scene is... Unpleasant.
But isn't sex is thing why people really read this VNs? :)
Yeah, but they mention it some good time, and its weird to see a Horny part and get punched with weirdness
That would depend on who you ask?
I myself am not opposed to the sex, but the story and suspense is what keeps me hooked.
I feel like that might be intentional, to try and get the reader to feel how fast of a change or how unpleasant it really is for the protagonist with this information.
First off, fantastic writing. I have not been this enthralled with a VNs backstory or it's universe since Shelter. I love that the MC is not a complete jerk with irrational knee jerk reactions. And the story feels very human in it's responses. Really cant wait for the next act to drop.
Second, the lovecraftian mythos mix of the machines, the pall of madness, advanced and primitive technology merging into one cohesive novel, really set this up as a must read for FVNs.
TLDR: wonderful read, keep at it.
(spoiler warning for people who are about to read)
Ok theorists! What do you think happened in the cascade? and what are these dangerous "Demons" blackrunners are afraid of?
Not too sure about first one but I believe the demons are some kind of amalgamation of man and machine. I think the mc is either what the demons were meant to be but somehow got corrupted (as in a perfect synchronization of man and machine working together in harmony) or that the mc is what all the demons were at some point before the ai they had in them started altering their bodies in unforeseen ways. And because the mc was in hibernation, these negative effects have not yet occurred between him and his ai. I suspect the mc might also be more akin to a cyborg and so the demons being corrupt versions of this makes sense to me if I'm correct.
I think you might be right about the demons and Alex. Maybe when Byte combines the algorithm it tries to overtake Byte and Alex and turn them into a demon. Doesn't really explain why the blackzones exist or why the demons never leave them though :/
Maybe that event landed with a rogue AI, then it created machines especcially made to kill with some crazy computer-made stuff, I can imagine the fog being a proyection of machines to mess with your mine, and the machines using some material that causes light that induces PTSD
I will highlight some loose ends, maybe this will help us to see a pattern.
We know there was a war against humans, but not what caused it and who they were fighting against.
There is a Virus thats targeting the Y chromossome.
The algorithm was made during The Cascade (maybe it was planed).
There are no human remains to be found from the period everyone was gone.
Superhumans with AI inside them are a thing
Alex doesnt need to eat or breathe, something is sustaining him with what he needs and more, since he is capable of regenerating himself (so he is synthesizing proteins from nothing).
Maybe its just because of the region they're in, but I always found it really interesting how they reinforce again and again that its cold in the summer (something drastically changed the world climate maybe?)
It is said that the demon was mocking mylo, so he has to understand emotions to an extent. (AI? Human? Both?)
If anyone has any idea, please share it if you're confortable
I was thinking that maybe this virus affecting the Y chromosome was made for population control in the pre-cascade era. If there are less males, then there will be less births. And it's not like everyone is into having multiple wives. Plus as we can see, the only way for the current species to maintain their numbers was by making drastic changes to the mating culture by coming up with the Mating Troupe thing.
Sooo, it's like shoot your load and go.
I can see that, but I also thought it could be a bioweapon. It is (apparently, judging by how alex got it) an airborn virus that doesnt express any symtoms except in the next generation, so it would be virtually impossible to notice it and react to it in time before everyone is already infected. If a robot wants to rebel, that would be a GENIOUS play. Slowly reduce the rate in which humans reproduce and when they notice something is wrong, finish them off. That way no one would suapect a rebelion until the very end.
My thoughts too!
And what's up with the apples being the first thing he remembered? Is it related to the first sin of man? Or even to how it was depicted in Assassin's Creed (the apple of Eden) to house the secret of free will? After all, we did install free_will.exe at the start of the VN.
That's an awesome connection, i forgot about the apple. Adding to that, apples are also used to depict forbidden knoledge.
Its definitly possible that the translation software was installed with byte, but never explained how it automatically translated the language. We don't know what happened exactly or when the protagonist was put into preservation due to the memory loss, but it could definitly be a hint that either byte is hiding something from us OR beastmen had appeared around the same time that the cascade happened, which could be useful to know, instead of them appearing randomly years later.
(I'm also ruling out that the translation system was learning the language as they talked since loken talked very little and yet we understood him as soon as he started talking)
It could also be possible that the demons are a alien species, or at least crafted with alien materials. Since the mere THOUGHT or sight of them could drive people insane, much less what they could do to you if they catch you.
Also don't forget that demons ONLY target sapient species like the beastmen and humans, not wild animals. Could that mean the demons were specifically engineered to target humans and bipedal species? Or are they just smart enough to target any species that could pose a threat to them?
(another less likely theory is that the demons are just thinking of this as a game, like playing with their food, and don't leave the blackzones for the sole reason of giving their pray a fighting chance for survival, since they have emotions or at least intelligence, and can kill beings very easily.)
BRO WTF THE PROTAG GOT THE SAME NAME AS ME LET'S GOOOOO
Loved this :3 Can't wait for more :P