Review: Haley's Story
Ed's H Game Review!
Haley's Story
Game Type: Ren'Py Choice-Based Visual Novel
Creator: Viitgames
Version Played: Final
This was going to be a huge review. Which I had to rewrite from scratch.
A year after I last played the game, I found myself with both a burning desire to get it all off my chest, and absolutely no desire to play through it again.
Haley's story is a game that does a lot of things I really love and a lot I really don't, and not much in between. It's an incest game about a pair of siblings. That right there sets a scene in your head, but it shouldn't. Because at least as far as scenario is concerned, I have never seen anything like it. It's an adult game... about adults. Actual, functioning, real people with real people problems. Workplace politics, sharing an apartment to save on rent, finding a day to go dancing. I can't stress just now NICE it feels to be able to actually relate to one of these characters. I'm old, I'm not in school anymore! That scene I mentioned above? I know you can envision it. Some barely-out-of-high-school (or not even wink, wink, ugh) kid sexing up his family just because he can. Haley's Story is decidedly not that. And it handles the subject matter of these two with a lot more taste and maturity than a lot of games.
Maybe... maybe too much taste and maturity. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually kind of wish it was sleazier.
The story is far too chaste. Sure there's sex, but nothing... fun. People have sex when they're supposed to, with all the usual real world ugly hangups. I don't play porn games to have actual girlfriend problems.
And that brings me to the biggest problem. The writing. It's not BAD. But it's way too squeaky clean for a porn game. It's a slice of real life. It reminds me of Art House Films like 9 Songs or Shortbus that have explicit sex in them, with all the same problems. The game isn't porny enough to be called porn, but too explicit to be called anything else. It's just not hot. It's not! And as characters are concerned, the title character can be really abrasive at times. There's teasing, and there's the sheer volume of shit-talk that Haley spouts. She's a tough pill to swallow as the main love interest. At the same time, there's a bunch of side love interests who, while varying levels of interesting and personable, both muddle up the story in a way that doesn't quite land and takes the focus away from Haley at critical times. The game's called Haley's Story. Not Affair-With-Your-Boss-But-Also-There's-Your-Sister Story. It all feels really uneven.
The images aren't the best either. Like, they're not BAD, but once you start noticing some artwork tricks, you can't unsee it. Here, let me poison your mind a bit. Haley's defining feature is her massive braid. But if you pay attention to it, the artist has it in a different place in every single frame, creating a sense of frenetic motion, but also making it look really, really fake. What's more, the sex images are not all that well composed. The artwork as a whole is close to being good, but never once gets over that line.
One bizarre moment came towards the beginning of the last third of the game: A crossover! Coming from - of all games - Ptolemy Games' Alexandra. We have that game's MC, his main hitter James, the title character Alexandra, and throuple girlfriend Isabella all make cameos. They, uh... they don't belong in this game. This game is a very quiet slice of life, and that game is a Mafia Melodrama. Now it makes sense a BIT in context why they show up. But honestly it takes me away from this game. It feels weird. And what's worse is that after the completion of this plot point, no one ever talks about it again which... FOR FUCK'S SAKE, DON'T JUST LEAVE THIS SITTING THERE. FOLLOW THIS UP. WHAT HAPPENED IS IMPORTANT. Ugh.
In my original version of the review, I did some deep dives into some of the routes, but honestly, I just don't have the energy. They're not really worth it. This is a game that just almost barely works. It's certainly not BAD. I can't think of anything in the game I straight up hate or dislike. But other than concept, there's very little here I would go to bat for either. I want it to be good so much. I want adult games about adults. I want to actually relate to the characters I'm seeing and dealing with on some level. But I don't think anyone can blame me for wanting to play something better constructed than this. I want to give Viitgames credit for completing their work and releasing a competent product. But sadly I honestly can't give them credit for much more than that.
Pros: Interesting, adult perspective. Some decent writing moments. Tries to do something different.
Cons: Kinda boring. Not very hot. Story is jumbled. Not great artwork.
Overall: An interesting experiment that doesn't live up to its potential.
Total: 6/10
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