Ren'Py - The Null Hypothesis [v0.7b] [Ron Chon]

  1. 5.00 star(s)

    ShadySkull

    Love the art style and the scenes. with the addition of the new "achievement shop," I think it smooths out the game even more with less and less grinding

    I don't have many complaints for me to drop a star for the review of the game. I do wish we could move forward with Chapter 2 and THEN we head back to redo some art fixes later with the current approach of the game development.

    I don't know who "Dazzler" is but I guess that's on me lol
  2. 4.00 star(s)

    destroyerofassholes

    A pretty decent dating sim good enough to legitimately get someone interested in X-men from scratch. It did it to me.

    Likable characters, decent art, lots of little interactions which add life to them, an actual story going on in the background, has it all really.

    But see the actual porn is mid as hell. I did say decent art but art during sex is pretty wonky. Some of the positions look legitimately awful and it's all Live2D, no actual multiple frames going on. Some of this works, most of it is pretty bad. The art during BJ and doggy look the worst with some alien looking faces. Also flying hands and tongues look terrible and the artist cannot draw feet. Their skin is probably the worst, too flawless, lacking in detail and brushed looking. It's just uncanny.

    The writing is also mediocre, especially regarding the protagonist. For the most part the characters are servicable if a bit flanderized but the MC is unacceptable. You always get 3 choices, 2 are much the same in sounding holier-than-thou and "I'm your therapist now" while the third is always so ridiculously mean that it has no use, this categorization literally never fails. Check every single time you get 3 different choices in this game. There's just no in between and nothing sincere. Rarely does the protagonist ever sound like a real person, it's always some lady doth protest too much BS. The only part of the writing that holds up are tiny interactions sprinkled here and there, if only because it's the easiest thing to get right.

    The issue is further exacerbated by character "quirks" which due to their execution have the subtlety of a brick and the character archetypes you choose at the beginning, which are arbitrary, pretentious, pointless and straight up bad. For whatever reason, randomly you get to choose if you feel "pragmatic" "noble" or "bitter" (more like asshole). It's such an odd trio to choose from and feels very unrepresentative of a normal spectrum of feelings someone might have. It's a really weird fixation to have this as a game mechanic and to specifically focus on these three concepts for it and it hurts the player expression a ton due to its constraining focus.

    I guess that's a theme with the game's writing, "fixations". The writing has a lot of dead weight going on which were added without much thought put into the "why" of it. Maybe it's because there's too many writers, maybe it's just bad direction, but you certainly feel it. And in a game where the writing is meant to carry the whole experience it really drags it down.

    Because they're big blemishes on an otherwise good game it stands out a bit. But still the devs are passionate and the game deserves a try. And I'm genuinely pretty impressed by how big of an organized effort this game is despite its pretty low patreon budget.

    Even if this review sounds a bit harsh the game is still pretty good. It just could be a lot better if they didn't commit so hard to dumb design choices and it's a bit frustrating.

    Edit: Revamped after a 4th playthrough. More indepth now.

    Having checked out the discord server of this game I can see why the writing has that tone. Some of the devs are pretty terminally online and project a lot into the game. One of the writers dead seriously compared the poor, poor X-men to the suffering of the Holocaust, lmao.

    And the devs absolutely insist that this isn't a harem game because that's a big, evil word. You'll notice the tag isn't there either. But it very much is, you can fuck pretty much every girl you see and they'll only be with you. :)
  3. 5.00 star(s)

    bluefire3345

    A fantastic and sexy homage to the X-Men, this game stays true to the established canon while offering enough originality to keep things fresh and engaging. It is in my opinion the best X-Men parody game available (although i suppose the competition isn't all that), and it has immense potential. Though only one chapter out of six has been released, the sheer amount of content and high level of quality are downright impressive. If the game continues on this path, it could easily become one of the top adult games on the platform. Highly recommended not just for X-Men fans, but for anyone who enjoys adult games.
  4. 5.00 star(s)

    ggg1

    this man right here is doing god's work with this beautiful ass game.
    The models, poses, the faces they make - spot on mate, actually feels like human beings. Sexy as hell women that is.
    I fapped by just looking at one of them in bikini, just standing there.
    Imma go ahead and throw some well deserved money your way my man!
  5. 5.00 star(s)

    fullpoweR44

    Wow... just wow... I just finished all the story the game has so far and i genuinely feel sad because i know it'll be awhile until there's enough new content for me to comeback to it. I really don't see the reason to explain the good parts of the game since other reviews already did a good job covering that, so i'll just quickly go over some downsides (which i'm sure will be fixed sooner or later):
    - Some of the sex scene poses are lower quality than the others (especially Jean and Laura, they basically look like different people in some of the positions) but again, it's getting fixed slowly so yeah.
    - There's too few characters. No, i'm not saying the game should be a harem with 20 waifus, what i mean is just background characters you interact with, just casual buddies you talk to and stuff
    - Game is pretty new so yeah, it's not very long... yet
    - Not a lot of "Superhero" action going on, but then again it's only Chapter 1 so it'll change i'm sure
    - Clothing system is a bit messy, i even got a few errors after using it
    All and all this game is a must play if ur into romance stuff (and even if ur not tbh), you won't get dissappointed.
  6. 5.00 star(s)

    jabro73

    this shit is so fun luv the story really makes u feel like ur a part of the X-Men
    im really excited for the next update so far my favorite is x-23 and jean
    they have the best stories cant wait to see what new powers my character gets
  7. 5.00 star(s)

    str8ridr

    Great story. Wish there was a little more variety, but the art is amazing and it's a fun way to spend a few hours! There is quite a bit of grind, especially if you want to reach the polyamory routes. Excited for the next chapter!
  8. 4.00 star(s)

    Cup Of Jello

    They say imitation is the best form of flattery. But sometimes it's just showing the original how to do it better.

    In a completely unrelated note, this game is good.

    I really like the writing for the characters. It's well done. I could critque the fact that there is only really one route for each character, and a lot of the choices seem to be 'Let my fetish part grow or just lose relationship points with me.' And given that two out of the three chars thing is femdom, it's a bit meh. Especially as our character is clearly being built up to be some sort of supermutant.

    There are some things that this game has carried from other things that was not needed. It's still grindy in annoying ways. Like just having to repeat days to get points up due to already doing all the content at that level.

    And at the moment the sex minigame is....eh? I dunno, I don't find it hot. Which is a bit of a problem when the entire game is based around getting them to undress for you. I'm hoping that later updates will polish this more because at the moment it still feels very unfinished and janky in this area.

    Still looking forward to future updates and a bit more polish and bug fixing (and maybe some other certain characters *coughcough*)
  9. 5.00 star(s)

    alex13_zen

    This is the VN I'm currently most excited about and can't wait to see the next update.

    The story is quite interesting, but to me the characters will always be more important. And they're the biggest strength of this game: they're very pretty and some of their facial expressions are really the best I've ever seen. And we get to actually care about them, which is something not many VNs can accomplish.

    You need to work a bit and make a connection with the girls to become intimate, hence the date-sim tag (ofc, there's quite a bit of corruption in the process).
    And there's this interesting (and optional) quirk system where you can encourage a girl to become submissive, another to act like an older sister, etc.

    There's a bit more grind required than I would've liked, and that's why this is actually more of a 4.5 stars to me. The grind applies to both acquiring mutant abilities and unlocking new sexual activities with the girls.
    E.g. you need to put in the effort to even make your own character cum. To be fair, this becomes much easier after unlocking actual intercourse.
    (I also read in the comments that the sex interaction system will be improved so I'm really looking forward to that.)

    One thing I wish I'd known is that you can click a girl and interact with her to talk, give gifts, change wardrobe, etc. And there are repeatable sex scenes, which should be mandatory for all sandboxes.
    You can customize a girl's appearance in different situations (e.g. public, private, etc) which includes clothes, hairstyle (not just on the head), piercings, etc.

    I think this game is a must try for those with a bit of patience, the good stuff is a lot stronger than the bad. Thankfully, you don't need to be a superhero/comic-book fan to enjoy it (I'm just a casual in this regard).
    Can't wait for the next update!
  10. 4.00 star(s)

    Brighty

    This game is awesome - if you like trainer games this one will definitely hit the spot. The art is very good and a unique art style. The sex scenes are dynamic and fun as well as very hot. The game balances story and sexy content perfectly well. The first start of the game can be a little slow (maybe first 10 mins) but afterwards you get straight into the sexiness! Highly recommended and excited to see more. One of the best trainer games i've played!
  11. 4.00 star(s)

    rickyanaconda4

    The first time I played this game, it was a fucking nightmare—so many bugs, and the fact that there's only one romance route kinda sucked. You can't even romance multiple girls without pissing everyone off.

    But, honestly, despite that rough start, the game is awesome overall. The characters are really cool, and the graphics are great. The grind can get a bit tiring, but it’s worth it. I’d love to see more tasks and more chances to interact with Nightcrawler and the others.

    I’m super excited for the next updates and new content. The way the chapters and story progress is really well done, and I hope they add more options and make the choices in the story and combat feel more meaningful. There are a few things that could use some polish, but it’s already great, and I have high hopes for future updates!
  12. 5.00 star(s)

    harem.king

    v0.5b
    I went in with low expecations, "just a knockoff copy of a famous game" I scoffed to mysellf...
    Well, I was proven wrong and was instead very pleasantly surprised.

    Fantastic writing. Genuinely good story, characters, and pacing.
    Sandbox does not feel onerous nor grindy. sure there is some stuff to rise but overall you are playing and interacting with characters.
    Very sexy.

    The interactive sex scenes are well executed FOR interactive sex scenes. but are still somewhat tedious. in fact they are the most tedious part of the game. I much prefer the scripted non interactive sex scenes.

    High polish. This game looks professional.
  13. 5.00 star(s)

    Casted420

    A very promising and intriguing fan project.
    Honestly can't rate the H action coz I just played it for a story and characters interaction (yes, i know, a weird flex).
    1. Visuals 7 - some AI is/was used at some point BUT the team clearly has actual artists who maybe use it to draft and storyboard). Everything looks clear, the arts style is pretty consistent, nice backgrounds with variable lighting, even cute weather effects. Dont know the limitations of RENPy, but maybe some particle effects would look very cool (e.g. some dust specs in the light rays in the hall)
    2. Sound/Music 8 - (some truly bopin tracks done clearly by a person who cares. Seriously, I sometimes use them as background during work, study. The game clearly lacks some special effects sounds and ambient sound, but I'm pretty sure it's because of the early stages of development
    3. Writing 8 - comparing to other fan projects of 18+ is pretty nice. The characters are believable and not just cardboard cutouts of their original counterparts. The story is pretty intriguing and clearly follows comics-like beats so here's hoping for more cool twists
    Going into this project I did not expect anything special and was very pleasantly surprised. Now I'm something of a fan of the game myself. Here's hoping for more cool quests, interesting interactions and bopin tracks.
    Thank you and good luck!
  14. 5.00 star(s)

    KeepOnLiving

    At the time of writing, there are 149 reviews, with an average of 4.5 stars.
    While another review is clearly not needed, i am still so in awe of this VN that i want to praise it regardless.

    The production value here is so damn high. The art is unbelievably good, with an amount of portrait diversity i have not seen before. The amount of clothes, hair styles, facial expressions and how they are integrated in the story is phenomenal. Why, of course the appearance changes depending on season, activities like training, showering and so on, or if they went sunbathing lately. And of course you can buy new clothes and change their clothes setup. Oh, and the lewd scenes are animated too.
    And all this is just the art and the relevant background systems alone.

    Coupled with well written characters you feel for and can influence with certain behaviors, and a generally light main story, i would have given 6 stars if possible.

    Really looking forward to new updates.
  15. 3.00 star(s)

    Smellfire

    Art is excellent, and I do mean excellent, the girls look top tier. Animations are good in some parts, basic in others.

    Only things that let it down really are the triggers for quests and the serious grind time.

    I am a completionist, so games that give you side quests that fail to trigger when you meet all the criteria for ages, like over an hour at one point, really grind my gears so star lost for that.

    Then there is the story, pretty well written, but the writer is obviously trying for the porn game award oscars and it keeps telling you the same basic information but in different ways, over and over at some points.

    After approx 8 hours gameplay total, it actually just got boring so stopped playing.

    Some tweaks here and there, it might be a 4 to 5 star game for me.
  16. 5.00 star(s)

    Jack Hanma

    The girls are amazing, each one of them has a unique and well-written personality.
    The intimacy progression is great too, nothing too quick to feel 'unrealistic' (not earn) but not too grindy either. The game has a good flow. The sandbox is the icing on the cake. For example,
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    is such a small nice touch. In summary, a perfectly executed sandbox game, rich in interactions and surprises.
  17. 5.00 star(s)

    ube ice cream

    For the a porn game the characters seem really fleshed out, if you're here for a nice experience and not for just beating your dick then you'll enjoy it i guess.

    If you're here for the sole purpose to beat it or whatever then you can find better material elsewhere, it takes some time to get any meaningful action, but, I don't believe that that's the point of the game.
  18. 5.00 star(s)

    pornaccount183

    Rarely do I actually give a shit about the characters in a game like this, but god damn, it seems that I kind of do. Probably helps that the art is super well done. Super interested to see where this one goes in the future.
  19. 5.00 star(s)

    BruceBerserk

    A real good time. love the art and characters, Laura's my favorite out of the girls. hoping we get more fight scenes with the MC, he's got a couple loss's he needs to make up for. All in all love the game
  20. 4.00 star(s)

    b_w_r

    (0.4.B)

    Good:
    Relationship-driven game with fleshed out character fitting goals of chapter based structure & erotic payoffs.

    Bad:
    Art ambushes. Coherent art, then BAM you've unlocked a disjointed police-Photofit-feel sex pose.