Review of version '1.3.5 Christmas Extended' on 2024/01/02.
TL;DR: This game is almost perfect, but the flaws it has are big, and are caused by its writing.
UI:
UoP's UI is very polished and customized.
The player has access to a phone and notebook system. The phone is similar to what we know from other games, it's used for sending messages and keeping up-to-date with events and people through social media. The message system works nicely, though replies are often sparse. The social media app is nice to get a little backstory on what's happening. I'm hesitant to comment on anything because you never know what the MC will say, and there's no way to not comment, once you press the button.
The notebook is automatically kept by the game, and lets the player review the story of the MC or any main character he meets. It also provides access to the gallery while in-game.
Adult:
The game has a large amount of erotic- and sex scenes, as well as unlockable lewds and alternative scenes/scenarios (at least in the Extended edition). Other than sexual content, there aren't any other adult themes present.
Visual:
UoP shines in its visual aspect. As the game progresses, renders get more detailed, but that isn't to imply that they were lacking in the early game. As far as animations go, these are the best animations I've seen in any game so far. Body positions make sense and add to the intimate atmosphere. Movements are nicely timed and cause bodies to react.
There's a high level of attention to detail in these animations, muscles will react, people are breathing, kissing, opening and closing their eyes, and moving their hands in addition to the movement of the naughty bits.
Novel:
This is where the game falls apart for me. The writing is relatively sloppy, and it doesn't seem like the writer had the story entirely worked out. The basketball plot goes nowhere, and (in)action of the MC rarely leads to bad outcomes. That is to say, it's possible to close an LI's path, and you won't hear from them again. You won't usually be confronted with bad outcomes if the MC doesn't help an LI.
The framing of different relationships is badly done as well. Until day 21, I believed that Carol expected an exclusive relationship. She eventually clarifies this, in a roundabout way, that she got overexcited and didn't expect the MC to commit yet. Of course, at this point, I had already closed the path of most other LIs.
Love Interests are generally very shallow, and act as dolls for the MC to maneuver or manipulate. They're rarely more than the trope/archetype they represent, having activities but no personality outside what the story/MC needs them to be.
If it wasn't for this, I could've easily given this game a 5/5 rating. It would be a contender with the most popular college game on here.
If this game's visual qualities were on-par with most games, it would've been a 1 or 2/5 at most.
Sound:
The game features music, sound effects and background noise. Though I noticed an absence of sound effects towards the later part of the game. The music choice is good. The tracks are non-intrusive and non-vocal, which is how I think it should be.
The UI also features a "what song is playing"-button, which is a nice touch.
TL;DR: This game is almost perfect, but the flaws it has are big, and are caused by its writing.
UI:
UoP's UI is very polished and customized.
The player has access to a phone and notebook system. The phone is similar to what we know from other games, it's used for sending messages and keeping up-to-date with events and people through social media. The message system works nicely, though replies are often sparse. The social media app is nice to get a little backstory on what's happening. I'm hesitant to comment on anything because you never know what the MC will say, and there's no way to not comment, once you press the button.
The notebook is automatically kept by the game, and lets the player review the story of the MC or any main character he meets. It also provides access to the gallery while in-game.
Adult:
The game has a large amount of erotic- and sex scenes, as well as unlockable lewds and alternative scenes/scenarios (at least in the Extended edition). Other than sexual content, there aren't any other adult themes present.
Visual:
UoP shines in its visual aspect. As the game progresses, renders get more detailed, but that isn't to imply that they were lacking in the early game. As far as animations go, these are the best animations I've seen in any game so far. Body positions make sense and add to the intimate atmosphere. Movements are nicely timed and cause bodies to react.
There's a high level of attention to detail in these animations, muscles will react, people are breathing, kissing, opening and closing their eyes, and moving their hands in addition to the movement of the naughty bits.
Novel:
This is where the game falls apart for me. The writing is relatively sloppy, and it doesn't seem like the writer had the story entirely worked out. The basketball plot goes nowhere, and (in)action of the MC rarely leads to bad outcomes. That is to say, it's possible to close an LI's path, and you won't hear from them again. You won't usually be confronted with bad outcomes if the MC doesn't help an LI.
The framing of different relationships is badly done as well. Until day 21, I believed that Carol expected an exclusive relationship. She eventually clarifies this, in a roundabout way, that she got overexcited and didn't expect the MC to commit yet. Of course, at this point, I had already closed the path of most other LIs.
Love Interests are generally very shallow, and act as dolls for the MC to maneuver or manipulate. They're rarely more than the trope/archetype they represent, having activities but no personality outside what the story/MC needs them to be.
If it wasn't for this, I could've easily given this game a 5/5 rating. It would be a contender with the most popular college game on here.
If this game's visual qualities were on-par with most games, it would've been a 1 or 2/5 at most.
Sound:
The game features music, sound effects and background noise. Though I noticed an absence of sound effects towards the later part of the game. The music choice is good. The tracks are non-intrusive and non-vocal, which is how I think it should be.
The UI also features a "what song is playing"-button, which is a nice touch.
