VN - Ren'Py - Completed - Now & Then [v1.00.0] [ILSProductions]

Took a look at this when it was discussed on the discord of another game.
One play through impression of version 0.13.0

Short Version: 5 stars, mostly due to the writing and characters.

Detail
This is an AVN with emphasis on the N.
Linear, no sandboxing. You're in an IN-PROGRESS-apocalyptic world with strong romance and story elements. Branching is very light although there are a few choices that have some effect in later scenes and dialogues.

The adult portion is widower/young woman relationship building into harem (technically late adopted daughter in one case, but that didn't feel so much like a father-daughter thing, more just scene setting up front than anything.)

This is slice of life during the zombie apocalypse. You see what the characters do every day and what they encounter every step along the way, down to cold showers and doing laundry. You watch and occasionally direct them in their activities and decisions (some of which haunt them), but you are often along for the ride rather than directing the action.

The Good
- Story 5.0
The story is really good, there are a few things that are a bit contrived, and some things are a touch obvious. Humor is a present but not overwhelming. Various references show up, but are not a focus. The story is the focus. Interesting take on the 'zombies'


- The Characters 4.5
The main characters are relatable and well written, and reasonably realistic all things considered. The bandits are pure bad. The infected seem to last longer than I would expect. There's also a bit of the usual shallow parental unit stereotyping in play, but that's arguably in part from the 'teen perspective' .

The Meh
- Rendering (4.0)
The rendering has some odd moments (washed out white skin at times, odd elongations). These are noticeable when they happen but don't distract from the story.

- The THEN of "Now and Then"
1/2-2/3 of the way through the playthrough I found myself starting to skim the 'Then' cutscenes. At first they added a lot of needed background, but in later chapters i found myself much more interested in the progression of the main story than memories of the past and was anxious to get past them.

The Bad
Nothing about this qualifies as 'bad'

Overall
5.0, a very enjoyable AVN with a solid story and good writing. If you like your AVNs story rich and with plenty of content, you'll want to check this one out.

Review of version 0.13

This is probably my favourite VN storywise. This is not only a zombie postapocaliptic story, IMO the infection per se is secondary here, it gives me a lot of vibes from The Road.

This is centered in the survival part itself, the decay, how characters always try to avoid engaging in dangerous situations, the difficult to trust other people or to settle in a permanent location. No trigger-happy characters or zombies slaughtered all the time, it's really focused in people and how they struggle with apocalypse.

If you like a good survivalist story this is a must, even the adult part is greatly done, slow paced and totally coherent.

Not a fan of HS models but once you get used to them you find what a great game this is, and animations are really nice.

5 stars for you

About the reviewer:
I’m playing or have played over 130 games. Roughly 30 of which have been completed. I generally don’t play games early in their development but I watch for new games and if their reviews are compelling from players whose opinion’s I respect I will play them early. Even if I don’t use a walkthrough, I’ll often skim it to get a better sense of the structure of the game to determine it I think I’ll enjoy playing it.

The Review: NowAnd Then
Version: 13
Time played: Played through multiple updates but roughly 8 hours
Current progress: End of current content
Mods: ZoeyRaven walkthrough (not always followed)
Cheats used: None
Walkthrough(s) used: Both walkthrough on the OP (used as reference not always followed)
Bugginess: - Clean game no exceptions encountered very smooth play
Observations:
This a solid piece of work. Well written and reasonably well plotted. Quality renders and an organic growth to physical intimacy between the characters. The MC and his adopted daughter already have developed a close emotionally intimate relationship so part of the flow is watching catastrophic events bend that to a physical relationship as well. The addition of Naomi and Sydney is handled in a (given the circumstances) believable and equally organic fashion.

Flaws:
In any “survival” plot the writers must balance introducing potential threats with the actions of the protagonist to address those threats. Both in dealing with the bandits and the infected the MC fails to make reasonable defensive preparations that would occur to almost any thinking person. A simple example would be to channel any intruders into traps and kill zones. Throughout the game (to date), while he does barricade various access points, he fails to think of handling intruders in any way other than confrontation with weapons. He also fails to take adequate steps to identify potential threats. Consider his failure to track down the smoker at first detection.

However, while annoying, these are relatively minor flaws in an otherwise well written and entertaining game.

Summary:
A high quality well written game by a developer that has demonstrated consistent releases over a reasonable period of time. Well worth downloading and playing.
So a 4.5+ star effort with the potential to hit 5 stars if the plot tightens up a bit.

What a fantastic game and story! So well written, and so engaging. I became completely absorbed into the story, and with the characters. The story seemed really professional, and totally believable. I loved the girls, and the struggles of the MC. The erotic parts were very good, with animations.

One of the best WEGs I've played, by a long shot. The characters are believable, lifelike, and interesting. I appreciate that none of them do anything really dumb and that their characterizations are consistent. I also like that the cast is so small, it really gives time for all of the characters to develop. The relationships between them are also satisfying. The models aren't anything groundbreaking, but they're still really good. The writing is really, really good, in my opinion. Even by non-WEG standards.

Honestly, one of the best games out there, just in terms of story. The renders, for HS, are pretty good and don't distract from the setting and style of the game. Which, frankly, is a genuine concern here. But this game does a fantastic job of making use of the tools available and giving a solid, interesting story of survival in the apocalypse.

The characters are interesting and engaging, and so far the writer hasn't relied on the trope so common in zombie apocalypse scenarios: characters who do dumb shit for no reason. It's good to see the MC and other characters behaving in a smart, realistic manner (for the most part). I don't always agree with the priorities shown, but they do make sense in context.

Definitely worth your time, especially if you like the genre.

[Based on ver 0.12.0]

So this have been in development a few months short of a year and it already has more content then some games that have been out for years. I'm not saying it has tons and tons of content but there are multiple sex scenes.

The setting and characters have been done before but at least the way the dev's approaches this content doesn't make it boring. I don't need twitch based combat in a porn game. just give me story choices and consequences and sex and i am happy. And don't give me some stupid mini game either or grindy survival mechanics. This dev doesn't do any of it. I get a story, choices, consequences and no grind, no mini games and no half assed combat systems added to the game that take away from enjoying a porn game.

The cast of characters is limited to 3 plus the MC in the NOW portion of the game and multiple characters in the THEN portion of the game. The two characters in the "NOW" part of the game are fuckable (well at least 2 are now and the third will be I think ) and there are two character in the "THEN" portion of the game that you fuck through memories and fantasies. The fewer characters means the game is allowed to develop said characters and doesn't feel like you barely get to know anyone because you are jumping to the 23rd character now.

The game has animated sex scenes and most sex scenes are not rushed but some lack a variety of angles. Most have a decent amount of sex to the scene. The games has promise and I look forward to playing it again after a couple of updates.

I played a lot of the games from this site, and Now & Then is one of my absolute favourites. Like in top 3.
You got excellent storytelling
You got beautiful girls
You got hot scenes
ZOMBIES
and very nice music (which is often overlooked)

Serious Walking Dead vibes. The models may not be everyone's cup of tea but the animations, writing and facial expressions make one of the most realistic games out there.

One of my favorite games so far.

*v. 0.11.0 review*

Excellent game. Now this is the sort of developer I'm happy to get behind on membership platforms such as Patreon. Rarely do I encounter games of length on this site that can make me play through all in one sitting (Ch. 1-11). I've always been a sucker for zombie apocalypse stories so Now & Then drew me in as soon as I discovered it. This is one of those gems which I play through purely for the story and character development, and much less about the H-scenes. Fantastic writing and pacing combined with highly fleshed out characters really brings what is supposed to be a pretty standard zombie survival story to life. The well thought out dialogues between characters feels natural without any unnecessary exposition, and I'm especially impressed with the way the developer is able to constantly switch between characters to tell the story from different perspectives, providing us further insight into their personalities and psychological states. The way with which the developer is able to smoothly ease the traumatized Naomi into the tight-knitted pandemic lives of MC and Carol, to make her not feel like a simple third wheel - pointless character, has so far been for me the highlight. With introduction of new characters comes new challenges in the writing, so I highly look forward to seeing how Sydney will add to the dynamic of the story. Thank you Dev

Story: 10/10
Dialogues: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Graphics: 8/10
Animation: 7/10

Fairly decently executed father creeping on his daughter game. There's a lame plot that serves mostly to render the daughter powerless and give her no options but to fuck her father, setting up the "implication." If you're into this fetish you're going to appreciate the writer trying his best to create emotional content between the pair. 2/5 stars

And of course the teenage daughter and her friends are the first ones to come onto the father, so you feel no guilt. Attractive but no longer technically advanced art and minor interactivity, no bullshit VN. +1 star

I really enjoyed the unusual kinetic plot. The story keeps a good balance between the postapocalyptic scenario and the relationships with his girls. The graphic could become better, but I am looking forward to play more updates. I´m giving anyway 5 of 5 stars for this very nice game.

This is the only game I've played on this site that's managed to make a father daughter relationship not seem creepy, predatory or just completely unbelievable for that alone it deserves 5/5 and then on top of it they address the gravity of incest/inseki relationships instead of just casually breezing through it. Feels like there is actual love~

The characters are well made they act a lot more like human beings than most games which is just great and seem to actually have flaws??? crazy stuff. The characters mesh well as a group and it was overall pretty easy for me to get invested.


I guess the biggest flaws in the game could be that the choices don't appear to do anything and that it's slow and very romance/relationship based instead of just big ol' sexy sexy times which some people probably don't enjoy
(I do it's sick)

Review v0.10.0

This game is very good, that is it.

I'm kidding, so, this game has a nice art style and shows a side of HN that I had not seen, really top notch quality there, the story is also pretty good and I like how the relationships developed this is one of the few situations where I'll not be requesting a polyamorous relationship for two reasons, one I think the dev would give us a choice if the time when one of the girls starts liking each other or someone else came, and second there are very few characters so it makes sense, I really hope I'm right about the choice thing, and I understand if the dev wants to make this the "male" fantasy thing, but I still hope for choice.

I've liked this game very much so far, and it is refreashing having an adult Mc and I also liked how the choices were implemented, most likelly because it goes close to what I think in real life, yeah that is it I guess, I like the relationships, the graphics and the story so far.

took away 1 star because I can't take away half, just one comment "I hope is the only one" when talking to Naomi about his dick, it goes against a previous choice "you are a grown woman" that implied that the Mc wasn't gonna be hypocritical, I would call it a slip-up since the game andresses it immediately but it did turn me off the entire scene because I tend to overthink stuff.

I don't know ... Lots of boring text and a couple of equally boring sex scenes. I mean ordinary zombies, banal bandits, banal survival, boring characters. Sex scenes take place according to one simple scenario: undress, kiss (optional blowjob), have sex. Standard characters from HS, standard sex animations.
Where can I find something attractive in this game?

Really great game. small in scope but does a great job of storytelling and character building. One of the better romance VNs on this site. All set in a zombie apocalypse that does a nice job of adding some tension and action. Everyone should play this game.

Review of game to v0.09.0

Now & Then is a visual novel, and that's a great thing because the storytelling is top-notch. I'm not going to write a book but will rate this according to Sex, Graphics and Story.

Sex - the sex is wholesome, romantic sex - it's clear that things might become more complex in the future but the sex here serves the story, which brings us to...

Graphics - the graphics take a back-seat to the story and this VN doesn't use a graphics engine known for being photorealistic, so look at the screenshots to determine if you can live with the graphics. If you can, you'll be rewarded with...

Story/storytelling - the story doesn't break new thematic ground - living in a near-future post-pandemic world - but the magic is the way that it's told. The story is paced well, is internally consistent and progresses in an easily followed, normal way - none of the bizarre motivations and actions that no human would ever have in the real world that we see in so many games and VNs. The dialog is written the way that people think and speak - it's normal, conversational language that conveys emotions and touches you inside. Emotions such as fear, love and anger feel like they're your thoughts and that's what makes this VN so immersive.

TL;DR - it's involving and touching - a must-play if you like good storytelling.

If there's one place I'd look for caress on the soul as last, it's a zombie apocalypse. And yet, such a wonderful story full of touching moments. Where other games create spectacular (absurd) constructs of stellar careers, in this game we can enjoy the little things of everyday life at full, thanks to the plot chosen by the developer.

Thank you, the developer, for this simple but flawless gemstone.



Although the graphics are simpler, the depth of the narrative and characters allows for deep immersion with the characters, experiencing their happy and less happy moments at full. The atmosphere is perfectly complemented by music.

I recommend with all my heart to everybody who builds their experience of the game on the story and its characters.

said I would sober up for this review, sorry [mwah mwah]
Dev is a kingred spirit, so it's ez to love this.
Pro's : everything if you're in the mood to invest time in a well-written VN
It is pretty wordy & that's not always what I'm after, It's a mood thing
I'm not a doomsday prepper, but I did spend a long time in the mechanized infantry. I see nothing stupid about the MC's choices.
Short note about the 1911, it was used to great effect during Banzai charges
when the Japanases were high on morphine. Only pistol with the stopping power. Think bullet that hits like a baseball bat.
Cons the Artificial Girl models from Illusion. They're so dated it makes me think the game was started 10 years ago & is about 30% now. makes me scared about the pace of development. Could be just that the dev has shit-tons of stuff from the modders at hongfire, Upgrading to Honey Select at least would be better visually.
I seriously enjoyed all the animated scenes. in particular, Carol running across the hall.
Best get to writing ILSproductions & thanks


Full disclosure: I'm high too

(edit) OK been almost a year since my review. I've been donating a buck a month since then and am not disappointed. The few times I reached out to contact directly on Patreon were met with prompt, non-generic replies.
Case in point, the decision to use the dated Illusion models was simply because the glut of pre made scenery that any starting dev would embrace. (especially since the location changes were planned out long ago)
I've not played since Ch 17, I've fanboyed myself into hating titles doing that, so with the release of 20, I'm ready to dive back in.
I also nominated the dev forF95 best dev last year. I think he took 3rd place.
That's a great feature that F95 provides Looking forward to this year's. (/edit)

Now & then feels like a visual novel where the creator knows their capabilities, and has carefully calculated where to push their boundaries and where to play it safe.

The graphics are... fine. Good, even. It feels like an older engine used well. The graphics support and develop the story without ever feeling like they're holding it back.

The plot and setting are serviceable as well. It's not groundbreaking, but it doesn't need to be. The main page description tells you almost everything you need to know, and that's not a bad thing.

The interface is Ren'Py. It's serviceable and comfortable; you've probably used it before, and I suspect most will be fine with using it again. The developer hasn't tried to do anything overly clever that failed.

Where this visual novel really shines is in the writing. The pacing, the development and reveal, the use of flashbacks, the sense of emotion. It's definitely an adult VN and the sex scenes are quite explicit (and have emotional connection and context which is a plus for me), but with some tweaking this could be quite an excellent young-adult novel. The characters are engaging, interact in believable ways, have distinct personalities, and are supported by laudable strengths and understandable flaws.

This is, first and foremost, a story. There are other things, including some explicit and quite enjoyable sex scenes, but the core experience is a solid tale well told.