Love Unholyc (Season One) -- No Spoiler Review
Love Unholyc (Season One)
System: Phone
Price: Freemium (Free to play with in-app purchases available, but not required)
Voice Acting: Partial (Korean)
ESRB Rating: T (13+)
Overall Rating: Stole 7.5/10 ♥s
Pre-Game Perception: A game with a more dominant MC and her small harem of men. I guess dating in the modern world is going to be covered with some mystical aspects.
Morning-After Reflection: Unconventional characters in a richly-built setting of the modern age; MC feels a bit wispy at times but at least we get some lusty moments.
Story: “You’re an ‘Unholyc’, a race born between a human and a devil. As befitting of a descendent of the mighty devil himself, you are equipped with the power to charm and seduce others to do your bidding. However, in order to become a fully-fledged Unholyc, you were seeking partners for your coming-of-age ceremony when you accidently managed to form a contract with not one but three handsome humans….”
Interest Rating: 10/10 Perfect interest score. I pre-registered for this game months before it came out. The idea sounded super fun, being the sexy devil that seduces men instead of the virginal woman that gets seduced by demon-blooded men was not a take I’ve seen in otome. It felt like the power was given to the MC and player instead of just going along for the ride.
MC: MC’s default name is Mir that you are prompted to change or accept before starting the story of the game. Her name is never said, but is typed out in text, so there’s no goodies if you keep the original name. As the story said, Mir is a descendent of a race of half-blooded devils known as Unholyc. Because of this, Mir is supposed to be extremely attractive, and though I don’t think she is plain by any means, I don’t find her character design to be more attractive than any other good looking female character. She’s cute, overall, imo. I’d do her. Mir is not voiced, nor does she appear in the game 98% of the time. She is, however, in about ⅓ of the story CGs, so that’s when you get a good look at her design.
Mir appears to be somewhere around early-twenties. Her age is discussed once in the currently released game (which is only season one) and that is when the human LI’s say she looks early-twenties, but note that she could be older due to her not being human. It is stated that Unholycs that haven’t gone through their ceremony live to be around 100, while those that have become fully-fledged are blessed with eternal youth and can be considered immortal. So, she’s somewhere around 20-100. Mir has a background that has only been partially uncovered through the story, so far. I’m not sure if they’ve done this to allow for ambiguity so players can make up their own ideas with just important points noted, or if more of it will come with the story that is released later.
Her personality can also be weakly written at times, which might be an option to play a more meek character, or it could be the devs didn’t want too aggressive of a personality pigeon-holing those that play the MC. Mir is never invisible, but with how much world-building is in the game, I assumed she was going to be a more solid character. However, I do like what I see. Mir is an introverted gamer-girl that can be optimistic, naive, cynical, or realistic. She is a fairly complex person when it comes to availability of emotional responses, and I find her to be a realistic person in most cases. There is solid reasoning for most of her decisions, even the rash ones seem to make sense to me. And I suspect that as the game continues we will see more personality and background surrounding Mir that simply hasn’t been revealed to us yet.
Likability Rating: Yu. I’m happy with what I got, but I wanted more personality in any direction. She’s an acceptable human, despite not being human, but a little too ethereal to be a solid MC, likely to allow for self-insertion or perhaps designed as such to reinforce her not-of-this-world background.
Plot: What the app store gives is pretty straight forward. Currently (10/2020) Season One is the only route out, which covers ⅓ of the story (they’ve announced 3 seasons). You’re introduced to the game in the very first chatroom and visual novel portion of the game. You’re a race called Unholyc, which is part devil (descendant of Asmodeus) and human. Apparently, it’s time for your coming-of-age ceremony, and so you have to find yourself a partner for the ritual. Directed to a specific location, you find the three LIs hanging out together, and you accidentally start the contract with them. That’s all I want to say about it, because there is a large amount of information that you get to piece together through the seven day route, and I feel that information is well worth discovering on your own. At least it was for me.
Not only is there the main story (the bulk of the game) but there are sub-stories for each of the characters introduced in the game. You have to unlock these through some mechanics I’m not going to get into detail about right now, but when you do, they’re like background stories about the characters. They are. So. Good. I really enjoyed the main story, but these side ones were well worth the time given to them.
Replayability Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ As the game stands currently, there is only one route (the common route). Playing through for different answers or just collecting the bad ends and CGs might be worth it if you’re curious, but besides setting up for Season Two (if you’re playing ahead of release) there is no reason to repeatedly play what is released right now.
Love Interests: Love Unholyc brings us three main men that will satisfy your needs, with the hint that two more are going to be released at a later time. Though I’m not entirely sure how, or what those routes will consist of, it will be interesting if they do in fact add those as romanceable options. Unfortunately, right now it’s just a foursome (MC and 3 LIs) of fantasies since none of the individual routes are released. We have only the common route, which is where you flirt and do a little more with all the LIs at the same time. There are a number of Bad Ends before the common route is completed, but if you manage to avoid them, after seven days (and once the Season Two routes are released) you’ll be able to pick your main course man. You’re not eating him. Maybe. I haven’t figured if that’s a possibility yet. Despite the fact that we can’t choose a route, I’m still going to go over the trifecta of temptation you’re introduced to which have been confirmed as options for next season.
There’s no dipping your toe in to test the water with these guys, and no one represents that more than Jung Hi. He comes on strong and stays strong through the whole game. If you don’t catch what his choker is all about the moment you see it, it becomes very clear the first time he mentions his ‘toys’. This boy is kinky. Not to the extreme, but unexpectedly kinky for a game rated T, and to mostly be accepted for it as well? That’s something I’m not used to. Typically, kink is looked at as wrong. And yes, there is one character that seems disturbed by Hi’s lifestyle choices, but Hi is very open about his desires and it’s refreshing for a kinky character to not be painted in such a negative light. I also really enjoy his character in general. Take out the kink and he’s still great. But why would you want to do that? I say keep the kink! Hi appears to be quite genki, but there’s always a lurking dangerousness about him that rises to the surface unexpectedly from time to time. I like dangerous men. Wrap it in sugary-sweetness and you’ve got a poison I will gladly swallow.
Mmmm, speaking of dangerous men, let’s move on to Sol. This dark and broody fellow is sharp. So sharp. His glare will cut you, and I’m cool with him looking at me like that. Granted, he appears to look at MC a whole different way than he does everyone else, and that’s okay too. He gives off the Daddy vibes, dressed in his tailor-made suit and keeping the others in line. I find him absolutely adorable and hilarious. I’m not sure if I’d call him a tsundere, but that’s the closest I can think of, except he is never really lovey-dovey towards the MC, and he is also never really cold to the MC. He masks his kindness for the other characters with aggression, which marks him as tsundere, so….? :shrug: Sol is Sol, and I don’t want him to be anything other than who he is. I wonder if he’ll be up for spanking or if that is Hi’s territory?
Last, but not least, we have Leo. There’s much more to Leo than we see, and I think that’s the point. He’s used to living in the spotlight, so he has a certain way he presents himself, but you get to be privy to everything beneath the mask. Leo is good-natured and seems to just be having a good time. He seems to be a spectator in life more than anything else. Yes, he has a career, and makes an impression, but even when the story focuses on him, he kind of waits in the wings for his cue. He is pretty, for certain. And I’m surprised he isn’t more in love with himself, as these types typically get cast as narcissists. I think it’s because he’s written as someone more level-headed than the typical pretty model. And, again, it is quite refreshing to have a handsome man that makes a living off his looks not be obsessed with himself as much as his fangirls are.
Boy Crazy Rating: 95% There is a clear husbando winner for me in this bunch, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want the rest as well. I would pick any of these hot hunks to be my husbando.
Romance: Love Unholyc has an awkward mix of romance and… well, everything else. It is a lusty game, and certainly plays that up, but there are some very sweet moments throughout. The reason it is awkward is because it is almost always steeped in drama of some sort, or broken up by moments that very seriously ruin the mood being set. Have you ever heard the saying “death by 1,000 cuts”? That’s sort of what this game brings in terms of romance, except the death part is actually the end romance. Haha. I honestly wish I knew a loving term with the same meaning. Basically, there are many small moments and things that make the game romantic, but any single one wouldn’t be enough to classify the game as high in romance. However, because there are 1,000 “cuts” (read: moments), it fills my romance bar all the same as one big romantic scene would.
Heart Palpitation Rating: B+. There’s a lot of love in this game, most of it is hidden under layers of drama.
Spice: If you haven’t noticed, this is a T-rated game, meaning they find it suitable for 13+. A rating that low typically results in cutesy romance where hand holding and gentle kisses are had. A rating that low typically is due to violence giving it the T, instead of boys giving the D. I went in fully expecting the T rating to adhere to these typical standards, and BOY WAS I WRONG. Now, it isn’t chock full of c*ck, but it is contextually very adult. It is a lusty game. Your first interaction with the LIs starts the game off strong in what to expect for sexytimes. It certainly doesn’t get lewd, and there is no intercourse implied or otherwise (yet), but the topic of sex is not off the table; nor are any of the sizzling interactions that I so love. I enjoy the build up. Yeah, it would be nice to read some smutty-smut every once in a while, but I’m down with some good old-fashioned teasing and husky murmuring. What can I say? I’m a sucker for sexual tension and everything that comes with it.
Cold Shower Rating: Pass. Fanning yourself doesn’t take away the heat, get yourself a cold shower. Better yet, if you see a visual novel section coming up, just start the shower.
Angst: Where would we be without draaaaamaaaa? Love Unholyc is interesting to me because it can add all the supernatural drama it wants, since you are part devil, and still sound like a plausible story. And it does that, but it doesn’t go overboard with the supernatural part. I mean, the whole story is about the supernatural part, but what I’m saying is there is plenty of normal drama drama, not just devil drama. Actually, this game is brimming with it. Drama, that is, not devils-- No, it’s brimming with devils too. So, you’ve got your classic drama, your supernatural drama, your soap drama, and then you get your late-night (read: adult) drama as well. All of this is mixed in with the romance and spice, then spread around through the main story as the core ingredient, with toppings slathered on sub-stories for flavor.
I want to take a moment to fill you all in on a short story about my personal experience playing this game. If you’ve read my other reviews, you’ve probably picked up that I don’t do much of the crying. I get misty-eyed from time to time, and have had an iconic single tear roll down my cheek once. (FYI: There is nothing wrong with crying, or being able to cry! I simply am not the type to cry in these games, which is also totally okay.) I was playing around with the sub-stories that I unlocked, and one in particular had me searching for a tissue. Guys, I cried. It wasn’t sobbing, but it was so surprising to me that I was moved that much by a side story. Then, when talking about it with someone else, I teared up all over again. That’s twice! So, although there isn’t murder abound in this game, or super heavy themes, it is certainly moving.
Drama Llama Rating: 7/10. The drama llama is giving free rides, but it keeps doing that thing with its teeth. Grinding. Endlessly. Let’s just watch it for now.
Voice Acting: When they say partial, they’re serious about the partial part. We’re given more here than some other games I’ve reviewed that claim partial voice acting, but we’re also given very little considering there are phone and video calls. The game itself is a chatroom based game, and besides background music and keystrokes, it is silent. There are visual novel portions, and so far none of them have voice acting, despite there being only one or two a day. Season one has a total of 12 phone calls, all with voice acting, and that’s nice. There are also video calls with voice acting, though I haven’t delved into all of them, I assume they are all voiced. And in the lobby screen, all your dudes are hanging out, and they’ll voice lines depending on the costume they’re outfitted with. William is the only non-romanceable character with a voice actor (so far), but you only get a few phrases from him when in his section of the lobby. :rereads above: That’s a lot to say for “There’s some, but not a lot of voiced portions of this game.”
What we are given, however, is pretty okay; dare I even say good? I do. I dare. It’s good. :nod: I understand Korean even less than I understand Japanese, and ‘understand’ is a strong word. I can pick up certain words, participles, or phrases in Japanese. All I know in Korean is hello, and… yep! That’s about it! So, when I hear these fellas speaking to me, all I can do is go off context clues, and the way the translation is relayed to me text-wise. With that in mind, the voice acting is pretty good. It doesn’t sound flat, and each character seems to have a personality that I can pick out when I hear them speak.
Expression Rating: Yu. The small amount we are given sounds well done. I wish there was more, but I give it a pass.
Art: As I’m coming to this part of my review, I’m considering how I rate the art for all the games I’ve played, and I seem to find all the art well done, at the very least. There is a reason for that, it’s because I don’t play visual games that I don’t find visually appealing. It’s no different in this case. The art was what drew me to the game to begin with, because there were some lusty pictures shown promoting the game, and I was enamored by the half-naked men artistic style? Really, though, you’ve got your basic sprites here. Each character has a few different facial expressions, static poses, and unique style. You won’t be mistaking characters for each other, as they are all very different (except Sol in the butler skin looks very much like another butler we know in the game). I really do like the art, I think it’s attractive and clean.
Still Picture Rating: ★★★☆☆ Many characters. Such unique. Very few VNs.
CGs: Here’s where the goods are! I mean, if you’re not interested in the story, or the mechanics, or the voice acting, or the VN art, or… Nope, that pretty much sums up the game. There are a moderate amount of CGs, each main LI has their own album, and everyone else is thrown into the Other album. With the amount I’ve collected, and the amount left to collect, I assume what is slotted in the game is all they have plans to release; meaning I have about ⅓ of each album, and there are 3 seasons planned. They’re some good CGs. Easy to locate and look at when not presented in the VN or chatrooms. I very much like the style and detail given to each picture. I haven’t seen any odd anatomy, or bothersome issues relating to the art. Really, it’s good stuff.
Look at this Photograph Rating: 92% There are a lot of good CGs that I wish I could show you, but I don’t want to ruin the moments that you end up seeing them. Some of them have made it to my own storage, so I can revisit when I feel like it instead of logging into a game.
UI/Mechanics: Love Unholyc is a chatroom-style game, with visual novels, voiced phone calls, and video chats interspersed throughout the story. If you’ve played Mystic Messenger, it’s a similar concept, though not as polished since Love Unholyc just released two weeks ago (on 10/12/2020). You’re thrown into the game right away, and though it isn’t difficult to navigate the prologue, or find the “lobby” (read: main menu) once you’re done with the prologue, PrettyBusy has set up an in-game tutorial due to player requests for it. Which I think is pretty cool; they’re listening to players and meeting requests among the many other things they’re likely taking care of right now since launch wasn’t long ago.
Perhaps it’s because I scope out the menus in every game I play, or perhaps it’s because I’ve played Mystic Messenger which functions much the same, but I had no issue understanding how the game worked, and what did what before the tutorial was in place. That’s not to boast or brag, that’s to say that I think the UI is pretty easy to navigate and figure out, despite the odd translations for some menu options. They also have quick buttons at the bottom of the screen that lead to the same place the menu buttons are linked to. There isn’t really a way to get lost, returning to the “lobby” is a simple task, though finding things the first time through might be difficult if you’re not investigating your options fully. On the topic of UI, I like all the little details in the menus. The game has a lot of personality.
I said before that this is a chatroom-style game; that’s real-time, not whenever you feel like it. It’s based on your time, so if a chatroom opens at 0734, it’ll be 0734 for you no matter where in the world you are. Prepare yourself, because you are now on Love Unholyc’s schedule. Looking up a chatroom time guide is ideal, so you can plan your day around the chatrooms. I’m sure if you miss enough you’ll bad end, but I haven’t seen that happen yet. You get phone calls when completing certain chatrooms. And visual novels are played at certain times of the day, as well. This aspect of the game functions much like Mystic Messenger, with windows to enter chatrooms, and non-participation if you miss that window. You can miss a visual novel window (unlike Mystic Messenger), but you can’t advance the story without purchasing participation for the VN with time tickets; meaning missing VNs is very bad because you literally have to pay to continue playing, or start all over, or load a previous save (which also costs time tickets, so you’re still paying).
What’s this button do? Rating: B. With a tutorial in place, the game should be easy to navigate for those unfamiliar with the setup. Attractive designs for menus. However, being forced to pay to continue if you miss a visual novel is shady practice for f2p players.
Errors: You don’t even want to know… :sigh: I guess since you’re here, you do, so let me first say this is a review of the game two weeks after launch. It. Is. Rough. Very rough. If I picked up Love Unholyc in another two months, I would probably drop the game like it was a hot potato if things hadn’t been smoothed out by then. The devs seem to be working around the clock, patching, fielding questions and comments, and keeping everyone updated on their social media, so I do not envy them, and it’s likely things are going to continue to get better as time goes on. But it is r-o-u-g-h. Without going into detail of specific bugs (as they are likely going to be patched by the time people read this) there are issues. Some game-breaking errors have been found. Most are not game-breaking, luckily enough.
Translation is… not good. It’s not the worst I’ve seen; surprisingly enough it was native English speakers writing fanfic that tops that chart, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t issues. Besides the obvious misuse of tenses, there are spelling errors abound. Sometimes words are missing in the visual novels that end up changing the meaning of the sentence spoken. Also, there are a handful of times I’m confused on who is being spoken to, or what is attempted to be relayed based on the context of the conversation, and it doesn’t help that there are errors with coding who is actually speaking. For instance, Hi is supposed to be asking a question about himself, but they have it listed as Sol actually asking the question about himself, with Sol’s sprite highlighted, even though it very clearly should be Hi asking and not Sol asking. Sometimes the characters end up talking to themselves because of this coding error as well; Leo asks for something from Sol, then Leo answers in Sol’s place as if he were Sol, Leo then responds to his own response as if he were Leo having a conversation with Sol. Yeah… it can get confusing.
I’ve found more than a few chuckle-worthy issues because of the previously mentioned errors. They get captured on my screen for me to relive down the road. However, as I mentioned, the devs seem to be working hard to make this product shine, so I’m excited to see where it goes from here.
Here there be Bugs Rating: Fail. You got your translation bugs. You got your coding bugs. You got your game-breaking bugs. It’s a whole slew of creepy crawlies in this game. With time, it’s likely to die down, but if these issues are the type to bother you, best you keep away from the colony for now. Come back and see ‘em in a few months.
Background Music: I know this doesn’t get totaled into my overall score, but sometimes I feel it should be. This is one of those times. There are at least nine soundtracks for BGM. I say that because PrettyBusy has released an OST already, and it has nine songs on it. I think the music is quite nice. I actually have spent the last day listening to OSTs from other games, so when I queued Love Unholyc’s up I could easily fall into the score and felt I had an easier time judging the quality. Now, it’s not something I have to have, but I am considering it; and if you enjoy BGMs for games, I’m willing to bet you’ll enjoy this one.
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