Acabei de terminar a VN e estou impressionado, os sprites são bem fofos e comas fotos de fundo lembra muito fotos esboçadas com o tempo, da uma sensação de nostalgia grande.
Eu acho que consegui todos os finais, a historia a interessante ela ser curta me faz pensar mais sobre os temas que estão tentando passar, mas mesmo assim eu ainda estou confuso se tem um final verdadeiro nessa VN ou se e tudo a deixa do jogador decidir.
So, Five Years.
I gotta say, for a Valentines jam this is a very bold decision of a topic to do, and more surprisingly is how well is portrayed and showed thru both visual, text and audio.
The content warning in the third paragraph is not just for show so I do advise if you have some sort of trauma, bad memories or even if not experienced yourself but is not a topic you might enjoy seeing, I still recommend reading but with more caution, it's a very brutal depiction of abuse.
Some spoilers forward:
The VN is very short but that only works on it's favor, every text and paragraph Logan's fear and pain was masterfully replication of what a abuse victim can feel or go through. Seeing his fear and how he tried to cope was so painful, even if the game is about half of hour long it made me care for Logan as he clung into feelings of a love already withered.
Overall I think it's an amazing VN, the usage of the sprites offered by the Jam was very well used and the music really fit the scenes. I was not expecting vocalization of the choking but it made it even more real. But I'm glad it had a happy ending one of the VNs with an amazing message said in so few words.
So Wander Stars.
It's still very early in development but I can say it's a very passionate project, all backgrounds drawn out, the sprites having a very good amount of expressions and the music (Which I do want to know if it's composed for the game) it's very fitting.
Since is only the first build I won't have much to say yet but I do enjoy where this Isekai plot is going and I want to see more of Alex and Jack.
Only thing I do want to point out is the music looping, if you can make so the music don't need to restart and it loops forever would improve a lot with the ambience of the game.
But I do hope to see your project grows, it has potential and I want to see what you have stored for it, I hope my words encourage you.
ESP:
Todavía es muy temprano en el desarrollo, pero puedo decir que es un proyecto muy apasionado, todos los fondos dibujados, los sprites que tienen una muy buena cantidad de expresiones y la música (Que quiero saber si se compone para el juego) es muy apropiado.
Como es solo la primera build no tendre mucho que decir aun pero me gusta hacia donde va esta trama Isekai y quiero ver mas de Alex y Jack.
La única cosa que quiero señalar es la música en bucle, si puedes hacer que la música no tenga que reiniciarse y se repita para siempre mejoraría mucho el ambiente del juego.
Pero espero ver crecer tu proyecto, tiene potencial y quiero ver lo que tienes guardado para el, espero que mis palabras te animen.
Traducción realizada con la versión gratuita del traductor DeepL.com
So, To Find Yourself demo.
The demo is short but I can get the vibe it is going for and I do enjoy it, we don't get a lot of FVNs outside of USA or Medieval Europe so the world of Haikou do look fresh and unique. Another thing is the quality of the sprites is amazing, an nice balance of fan service and actual clothes and the
There an number of typos which can be easily fixed with an revision. The sprite when changing expressions needing to fade in and out sprites is a bit weird. The music looping does need to be adjusted for long stretches of dialogue so the music don't end and start again. Do keep in mind those things are not to be solved in haste but skills you can develop as you get more experienced with the VN making process.
All that being said I am excited to see how this project will develop and the story will flow, it's very rare to have an more mature and older cast so I do pray that your VN do flourish.
So, Password.
I cannot overstate how this VN surprised me, let me start talking about presentation: The stock images used for the backgrounds are very well selected for the scenes, heck I would say that drawn background probably won't give the same exact they gave me. Is hard to explain but the amount of times you see it give a sensation of familiarity and the black and white filter used for make it all nostalgic even for me who just played now. The sprites are very amateurish but it does work in favor of the game, the own unique body shapes does give an charm to it and the characters have a lot of expressions and they change a lot even mid sentences which is great to keep attention and also read how the characters are feeling.
Now the OST, man Civ Valian really are one of my favorite composers in the FVN spaces, heck I would say even in non FVN spaces, he already got me surprised in other FVNs like Lustful Desire and RainCheck and once again it's amazing in here too and knowing Grizz also composed some tracks makes me curious to see what is next to hear. The sound track in Password really works because even if loops due the long stretches of dialogue the way is looped it does not have noticeably moments where you can notice the music looping or the music ending and starting again, which is a blessing for my ears.
Now about the actual story I will only comment on the point of view of Dean route which is the one I finished, I will update this after reading the whole thing. So, the story of Password is indeed confusing and I did spend sometimes breaking my head with the puzzles, but I do love it the intricacies the fact that nothing feels like a after thought and the expectancy of attention feels great in a VN. I won't delve much in spoiler territory because of all VNs I played so far this one is the best you experience without any info prior or knowing anything besides bare bones. But what I can say is that the story is very character focused so your enjoyment is tied to how much you like the characters and I can say even the ones I thought I didn't care much by the end I was loving them and already miss them now that I finished the game. That is to say it can be a bit frustrating with some puzzles but they are more an attention test of you, if you really read it you will figure it out pretty easily.
My final thoughts: I really love Password it's one my favorite FVNs of all time, it made me cry so much and laugh so hard, I love every character and every moment written in this game I will do it again and again with the other routes and endings. Now there is one thing I do want to mention which is one my favorite things about the VN which does fit in spoiler category so I suggest not reading from here on if you plan to read it. This is just my biased comments.
So first of all I really loved how the sex scenes were handled and it become one of my favorite depictions of it, sure some might complain of the lack of actual erotic material but for me at least Password managed to extract the emotions of love, vulnerability and proximity of 2 people without the vulgar and horny depictions. I really like it how it was handled it leaving enough to imagination but not too much to distract from what is important. I also loved the romance parts, it really felt natural, it made sense and make me smile a lot seeing Dave and Dean going about, I can't wait to see the other routes,
And the second thing I want to talk about is Dave's dad, David one of the major reasons for tears in this game for me. The reason I want to point this out that is hard to make the reader care for a character who is not present in the story but David influence and the love Dave and Tyson have for him is so real that I couldn't start to be sad when it was brought up the sad parts or smile of the good parts.
But yeah this is my review of Password for now I will edit this later when I finish all routes to point out any changes in opinion.
So, Distant Travels.
Sci-Fi FVNs are very rare and far between but they are pretty neat, Distant Travels however is amazing, it really tells a more grounded story, it has a slow start almost boring but it's very important for character and setting building, as the "About the Story" goes you play as your average Joe but compared to many other easy to project into protagonist (Self-Insert if you will) Alex (The default name for the MC) has a more relatable story and life situation, one many people can resonate with it even if they didn't went thru it. This and with a amazing supporting cast of characters really makes you feel at home, at a familiar place and it does in one the most natural ways possible.
That coupled with the amazing presentation this game have, with a whole soundtrack made by Camazule which really hits the Sci-Fi vibe and the romantic tensions in the musics pretty well and one of the best UIs and transitions in the VN space, it might seem odd to praise those things but it really helps immerse yourself and those little extra touches add on, it really shows how much passion was put on this project alone.
With that out of the way let's talk about the actual VN story, warning for some minor spoilers and a big one I will leave for John's part.
The main plot is not that uncommon, aliens seeking help for a human to deal with a problem is not exactly new but not too cliche, I will say it's niche and nice. If you played like the SNES JRPG Star Ocean then you might feel some similarities, well minus the time travel... for now, maybe (?). The MC, you, is not that special and to be honest your job is crucial but not "Oh you are the chosen one and only can save us" kinda of story which is very nice, is very easy to make Player and Character driven stories focus on much much the Player is important so seeing one where you are somewhat special but also not the selected one it's very nice.
The game gives a lot of choices to mold the personality of the MC so that helps a lot of exploring choices and knowing more about the world and the characters. The game really let's you feel more in control of your choices with a lot of moments taking input from the player. The story is fairly grounded as I mentioned before and there is a logical line you can follow easily on how things start, are right now and where they are going.
Now about the 3 route characters, Mike, Charles and... John. I will be honest here and say 3 routes is a lot of less then you would expect from a VN, I would say 5 is the average route numbers usually in those game, said that I don't mind it, sure is less characters to pursue however I feel like the intensity of the routes are higher, like the author made less options so they feel more meaningful and unique so here is my overview of each one:
Charles (The Tiger one): Charles route sadly at this writing has not really started, it ends right bit after of the route selection which is a bummer but from what is in the game so far I have high expectations from him, he has this more romantic and philosophic air but also very into more of this specific VN world building and technology, so tho I can't say much about him now I really hope we get to see more him.
Mike (The Bear one): Mike you typical main love interest of many VNs, he is good overall, not any bad or concerning quality that makes him undesirable and he is pretty respectful to the player, some might see him as a bland guy at first but I really cannot stress how much there is to unpack with him, the water is deep with this one but it's worth the dive.
Now... John (The Badger one): I will not beat around the bush here and say John is my by far one my favorite characters of all times and number one for this story, I will not try to give a unbiased opinion about him, everything you read here is how I feel about him, also I might delve into some spoilers so If you are reading this part I recommend skipping and I meant it because it's really good to go blind with him. That being said John is a flirty character which to some might be a red flag in this genre of story but please give him a chance, he might sound a bit dirty and lewd but John is just way more forward with his feelings which can be a bit overwhelming at times and sometimes feels like being loved bombed but I assure you John does respect everyone around him specially the MC and unlike many other characters who can get touchy and inappropriate John never crosses the line, some jokes might be a tad too much but he never lays a finger on the MC without it's explicit consent and I really love that for a character who is could just be another horny ball. Another point I want to talk about John is how much he takes your opinions and word in consideration, he never dismisses your feelings or tell you how to act, he really is trying to be there for you and it's very sweet, John also has more then just good flirty and come backs, this is a bit of a personal view of him but he might have some hard time actually connecting with people and he pushes people away because he does not know how to act besides being flirty, he seeks companionship but I don't think he can a companion for now, maybe with your help he can find exactly what both of you are looking for. On another note there is sex on his route and I will say is the best sex scene I seen written, it's not a romantic "consummating" sex or just a fling controlled by lustful impulses, it felt like 2 friends having a nice sex, a fun sex, not a meaningless one but also not one that demands answers, it's natural and fun, it really changed me how to see sex in VNs are more then just either an act of intense love or lust, it showed it can be bit of both, a sex that you remember but does not bind you.
With all that said I am very excited to see what more this story has in store. It's on my favorite FVNs and I know the project development is slow and I will say this, I hope Grunt takes his time, it's a passion project and it really shows, the fact the whole thing is for free it's a steal and I hope the whole DT team can put their dreams into reality. In all that I really recommend giving it a try.
So, Limits.
I won't mince words, this is my absolute favorite VN, is the only one I actually replayed just to re experience it and it's just as good as the first time. Why?
Well first of all Drakes art style is so unique and memorable and it's a treat for the eyes. The backgrounds are you usual stock photo + blur used in so many VNs but the ones picked feel way closer to home then most since they are all urban places you would/can visit. But the music... my god just the main menu song, Beautiful Dream by Diego Nava, I don't even recall how many times I just open the game to stare at the logo and hear that song, and not just that song but the others too bring me to a sensation of bliss, it's a very good selection of musics and I can't really wait to hear more specially the ones composed by Drakes himself.
Okay now with presentation explained I can talk about the real meat of the VN, it's characters and the writing. I can say without a doubt Limits has no boring route, playing every route and it's a treat offering very different stories that almost feels like another game. The setting the characters are is very small which gives a feeling of a small town where people are more bound to know each other, with the exception of Pierre everyone in the main cast is connected and both Pierre's arrival bringing change and the comforting peace of the others really set the mood.
Now about the characters it self, I will refrain for spoiler anything about them since the current routes are very short of the time of this writing (I will update when the game updates) but what I can say is that there is a more to each character then meet the eye, they have their stories, their lives before you arrive so it really feels like real people, people who lives don't solely exist for the MC plot and you should give everyone a try.
Now nothing is truly perfect and there are some points I do want to bring it up, Warning it might contain spoilers a bit for the game so skip for the next paragraph if you want to avoid it. The 730 hours of community service feels too hard at first just for Pierre to offer to care of things like housing which thinking about makes sense since Pierre, Steve and Norman probably got into that agreement together but it could be better portrait in the VN to not make it too convenient, unless the point is to be convenient for Pierre's story sake then I say it works. Other thing is Gran romance is not rushed but feels like taking leaps going a bit too fast, specially in meeting someone only for 4 days, however if the point is love at first sight would be interesting seeing both Dan and Gran coming to their feelings. The last thing is more technical but the dialogue History tab font looks way too small which makes a bit hard to double check things.
Wow this is the longest I ever written a review but is to show how much I do love this project, how much I love those characters and how much I really want to see what Drakes has in store. Thank you Drakes for allowing to experience those feelings in this life, I was truly lucky to be born at this age. I did finished Steadfast and will check Distant Travels but that's for another review, for anyone reading this just enjoy this VN and, Know you Limits...
So, Moontouched. Well I really cannot hide my surprise with the sheer quality of this VN, Art, Sound and Prose immersed me like few other VNs can, like it felt I was really in a cold forest.
The VN is very in early stages so if you are reading this thinking of playing I really incentivize you to try this ASAP, I have big hopes for this project as a whole and I pray for it's success, but also control your expectations, the current demo but a good intro for it.
Now to some points I would like to bring attention to it. First is the prose, the way characters talk might feel a bit weird at first, it reminds me a lot of Tolkien books with a flair that really immerse you but also makes you look up words online, do I think is a bad thing? No on the very contrary I really hope S.Anima keeps the way it is going, it's not pretentious but also not crude, it hits right in the sweet spot.
Second thing I want to talk briefly is the romance options, I will not go in depth because we don't know much about them yet, however I can say so far as I see there is pretty much someone for everyone, their are differently enough but not so much that they feel out of place. (Personal note: I really really really enjoy Anoam, even with the few moments I had with him made me feel such a strong connection to it and I want to know so much about him and see how his character will develop along the story).
The last point I want to make is for more prude people or Ace is that the VN has casual nudity. Is not something I wish to be changed is more personal then actual critic but I want to point it out for so anyone reading this have a right idea of what to expect of this VN. All in all it's a really good VN with potential to grow into something amazing. I really hope one day S.Anima makes one VN but with felines as the focus for no persona desires reasons.
So Badtime Stories.
It's a surprising fresh experience in a VN, specially since is more for top players then bottoms. The body hopping plot, the whole thing with souls and essence, it really feels intense and seeing characters getting their good/bad endings even tho I only stay with them for a few minutes is fascinating.
The presentation of the VN is very good, it has a unique artstyle and a very good placed soundtrack to really feel the mood. The characters very different from another specially since you move from setting to setting but makes you curious to see more of each of them. However the sad truth is this project is on a hiatus and no clue when is coming out of it, so if you are reading this wondering if is worth, know that you will be left hungry for more.
So After Class.
After Class succeeds in capturing the RomCom anime structure, the characters are all enjoyable and diverse among them, the plot is not that complicated* and the presentation is very comfortable. Every character route is worth reading thru since they are all somewhat equal size so you never feel it left out compared to others.
Not all character will seem attractive to you at first, some might sound annoying or not worth it but I really implore you to give them a chance. The presentation of AC is superb, the music is well picked for the situations, the backgrounds are beautifully drawn and the sprites have a nice variety of expressions that makes them feel alive. Now about this asterisk in the complicated the story bit, truth to be told there is something underneath After Class plot, there is always something You don't know, don't remember and feels like everyone is keeping it from you. It's mystery about identity, who are you playing as? What really happened to you? Those are one of few questions I have and I'm very eager to keep reading to find out.
So, Arches.
A "Sequel" to Echo but not really, sure characters appeared in both and they deal with similar things but Arches is it's own beast. Cameron and Devon story and by consequence Artie too is a interesting sequel to what Echo already offered, both of them deal with supernatural entities and substance use, how carelessness even in moments you don't think much could harm you.
Arches don't live into Echo's shadow it tries and succeeds in making it's own dram and it's own version of things, it's more brutal then Echo and I will have to say if you had any kind of past with the themes touched in this VN you will empatize with them way more. Overall I think Arches is a fantastic experience one that is worth is it's time, is not that super long but not short either is enjoyable ride.
First of all congrats on the 30K Downloads it really makes me happy seeing you get the recognition you so truly deserves and I cheering hoping for the project continue to grow and prosper.
Now about the update. SPOILERS AHEAD SO SKIP IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT YET.
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God it is such a relief after what happened in the previous build but is still bittersweet but what is more important is that Rou is relatively fine. God I love Monti with I silliness, most characters are clearly more smart or wise then Theo so is refreshing to see someone who is just a nice guy really help alleviate the stress going on. That one Tiger in the cafeteria looks like a relative to Diana and meting her there bring a lot of questions to the table also curious about how that Snow Leopard is still alive I thought he was Swiss cheese by now.
Rou's amnesia is going to interesting to see specially for how his relationship with Theo will go now, also I can't stress how much I like Theo as a protagonist, usually FVN protagonist are bit have reluctance to follow the plot or can't "man up" when the situation needs but seeing Theo determined to go to something so dangerous, heck he could have lost a leg or his life there, for the sake of the man he loves is so refreshing and satisfying.
So amazing work Rad, I can't wait for the next build.
So Rain Check...
Well I will keep spoiler free review because I think is a story worth reading by yourself and taking notes.
First of all I the things I want to start praising is the presentation of the VN, the visuals are unique and beautiful, the art is very geometric and is very impressive how it can tell a lot of about the characters without you even reading them saying anything, their design, body language and expressions really match well making them feel alive. Next is on the tracks used for it, they fit the mood and no song feels out of place or too much distracting is the right combination but one minor gripe I have is that sometimes it's a bit too low to hear it.
Now on the writing, I will not lie to you reading this, is a amazingly written, the pace of story is always keep you on the edge of your sit and you can never predict what is going to happen next, it's a good mystery VN to match ones like Zero Escape or Hotel Dusk however the story is complicated in a very good way, is easy to lose yourself and reread part but the team is smart enough to let the player catch up with the story and understand what is going on, I would recommend making notes if you reading this are into it because it pays off very well.
To the team behind Rain Check: You guys have all my admiration for the work you people are making and I plan to support it and I want to see it flourish and get the recognition it deserves, I cannot overstate how much this story means to me now and I wholehearted want to see where it goes. Thank you and cheers for the amazing work
This is a very early review of project but here is what i can say for now will update it when it's updated.
So For Himalyan Birkin a interesting name for a interesting project, i will not say i understand everything the whole project is about since from what i understand the project involves more then just the visual novel so my review is just as a FVN fan, maybe in the future if i understand more i can give my views on that. But i will say i am excited to see more.
So about the VN itself, the protagonist Ryder (Callum is his alias) is a very interesting protagonist on the fact of his trauma responses, his past that only can see glimpses of it and his personality makes a very original character and i really want to see more of his story unfolding.
The demo is somewhat short but you can get the idea of what is going to be about it right from the start.
On the audiovisual aspect of the VN it's clear this was made with passion the character sprites are amazing in a weird way, it's not your typical pretty sprites it reminds of adult cartoons of the 80s/90s everything has this more mature tone to it that makes me feel like a stumble a much more mature show late at night on TV.
On technical levels, besides the weird render issue with Renpy, it shows some mistakes that are not that bad but i need to point it out, a lot of time dialogue will a void between one box and another and i thought it was some animation playing but i just need to press space to progress which is weird but can be solved.
In conclusion i will recommend this for now because it has potential and i want to see more of Ryder and hopefully help him get a good ending.
I found the fix, if anyone has the problem:
Open the game while holding "shift" button and keep holding it until the game starts. Now a settings screen will open instead of the game's main menu, from there select the framerate for your screen and disable "tearing". If not helps, try different combinations.
This is very early review of the project but here is what i can say for now will update it when it's updated:
This VN is a breath of fresh air, the characters, the art, the music and specially the setting feels inspired and alive and is a welcomed change to the current FVN scenario, Tom as a MC is specially interesting because he is amazing POV character because it feels like he is a character but is relatable enough for the reader project into him.
The supporting cast is lovable even with small amount of interactions their sprites, demeanor and actions paint a very clear picture of how they act. The writing i also should note is amazing on not dragging on needles details, dialogue boxes with more then 3 lines are rare and welcomed to make the reading comfortable.
All in all i will say this project has future and i will be rooting and supporting for you guys in this work of art they are making.
Hi, i started playing the game and when i started the game had this tear on it, is there any way to solve this none of the other VN i have had this problem