This is one of my top 5 favorite H-games. Whether or not *you* will like it depends entirely on how willing you are to engage with a true sandbox type game.
Unlike most games on this site (which are misappropriately given the sandbox tag, due to them giving the player a paltry selection of choices in an otherwise scripted experience), this game is a true sandbox, in that it expects you to build a story almost entirely within your own head. As for tools, the game gives you to use:
1. its detailed character creation software, complete with highly customizable personalities.
2. its academy gameplay portion, which serves as a light narrative framework for whatever story you choose to invent.
That framework is focused on the academic escapades of up to 24 students (and one teacher) at a Japanese school. If controlling the salacious affairs of fictional students doesn't sound appealing to you, then obviously this game isn’t for you. But most anime fans are probably the type to eat this shit up.
Before going on, the obvious issue that most people have with this game is with modding it. Of course, you can still play it in its vanilla form (almost) but the mods add such significant graphical improvements and content additions that I’d describe them as essential. That's right, if you want to play this game, you should take the time to READ THE INSTRUCTIONS and follow every last detail of the Modern Installation Guide. I’m not saying you need to install every mod or texture pack, of course. If you don't give a shit about your character’s eye textures or mouth color, then obviously you shouldn't worry about adding those files to your game. But you should appreciate that these are things you can easily mod if you feel like it. The modding community for this game didn't document and explain every little change they made, but they did successfully add a lot of new ways to tweak characters and make them more unique, so I think it’s true that they've done great work.
If you don't feel like getting creative with any of the finer details, then this game comes with a whole class of premade characters that you can try out before even opening the editor. If you’re a new player, then I’d recommend doing just that. Experiment with the defaults before trying anything else. Then, you will have a better idea of which things are useful to change. It is necessary to experiment, if you want a rewarding experience.
Now, when I think of this game’s unique appeal, I think of its roleplaying and relationship management aspects. What many people don't understand about sandbox games like this, is that even though it's possible to make yourself a god who succeeds in every interaction (there are even in game settings to do so), there is more entertainment value in failure and self imposed constraints. If one of your classmates is in a bad mood and tells you to fuck off, then you should color in the details (in your own mind) of exactly why they're mad, and imagine what your character would realistically do next. If you play out the game while tracking the triumphs and failures of your class of students, imagining and roleplaying reasons for their changes in grades, rivalries, and romances, then the H content in this game will become much more meaningful.
It's worth noting that the LLDH system is not perfect. It’s still difficult to have relationships develop organically, and choosing how to interact with NPCs is hardly distinguishable from deliberately manipulating the system. The biggest flaw of all is that once you’ve got a character in a relationship, there’s not much else to do with them. The game becomes stale, so you’re probably going to either start on a new character, or have their relationship fall apart.
I really wish there were more ways to keep relationships interesting after having sex. Illusion has tried introducing item collection, and even crafting, to games like AI Shoujo and Koikatsu, but I feel like that is an inadequate solution to the problem of wanting further depth in a relationship. Personally, I wish they tried expanding their LLDH system to one that incorporated 16, or even 20 axes, instead of just 4. Imagine if there was a special axis for friends who only spend their time studying together, with unique dialogue to match. For relationship partners, you could have a unique point system for taciturn relationships, and a separate point system for clingy or sex focused ones. Illusion could also have incorporated more group actions, potentially leading to character statuses like being a third wheel. There are many ways to develop characters and relationships, and I wish Illusion focused on those more in their subsequent games. The most important part of my suggestion is that if the LLDH system were expanded, then your actions could lead to more variable outcomes, and make relationships more unpredictable and interesting. Despite its predictability though, the LLDH system is still the closest that Illusion has come to developing a full fledged dating simulator within one of their games, so I’ve got to give it some credit.
At the end of the day, it’s up to you to choose how much you want to roleplay before cutting to the H-scenes. And even if you don’t find the roleplaying aspects of this game enjoyable, that doesn't take anything away from the fact that the character modeler and animated scenes remain both incredible and groundbreaking, in their own rights. I’m not someone who plays this game consistently for years on end, but I really can't stop coming back to it and making new characters occasionally. At present, I think of it as the greatest sandbox H-game that exists.
Unlike most games on this site (which are misappropriately given the sandbox tag, due to them giving the player a paltry selection of choices in an otherwise scripted experience), this game is a true sandbox, in that it expects you to build a story almost entirely within your own head. As for tools, the game gives you to use:
1. its detailed character creation software, complete with highly customizable personalities.
2. its academy gameplay portion, which serves as a light narrative framework for whatever story you choose to invent.
That framework is focused on the academic escapades of up to 24 students (and one teacher) at a Japanese school. If controlling the salacious affairs of fictional students doesn't sound appealing to you, then obviously this game isn’t for you. But most anime fans are probably the type to eat this shit up.
Before going on, the obvious issue that most people have with this game is with modding it. Of course, you can still play it in its vanilla form (almost) but the mods add such significant graphical improvements and content additions that I’d describe them as essential. That's right, if you want to play this game, you should take the time to READ THE INSTRUCTIONS and follow every last detail of the Modern Installation Guide. I’m not saying you need to install every mod or texture pack, of course. If you don't give a shit about your character’s eye textures or mouth color, then obviously you shouldn't worry about adding those files to your game. But you should appreciate that these are things you can easily mod if you feel like it. The modding community for this game didn't document and explain every little change they made, but they did successfully add a lot of new ways to tweak characters and make them more unique, so I think it’s true that they've done great work.
If you don't feel like getting creative with any of the finer details, then this game comes with a whole class of premade characters that you can try out before even opening the editor. If you’re a new player, then I’d recommend doing just that. Experiment with the defaults before trying anything else. Then, you will have a better idea of which things are useful to change. It is necessary to experiment, if you want a rewarding experience.
Now, when I think of this game’s unique appeal, I think of its roleplaying and relationship management aspects. What many people don't understand about sandbox games like this, is that even though it's possible to make yourself a god who succeeds in every interaction (there are even in game settings to do so), there is more entertainment value in failure and self imposed constraints. If one of your classmates is in a bad mood and tells you to fuck off, then you should color in the details (in your own mind) of exactly why they're mad, and imagine what your character would realistically do next. If you play out the game while tracking the triumphs and failures of your class of students, imagining and roleplaying reasons for their changes in grades, rivalries, and romances, then the H content in this game will become much more meaningful.
It's worth noting that the LLDH system is not perfect. It’s still difficult to have relationships develop organically, and choosing how to interact with NPCs is hardly distinguishable from deliberately manipulating the system. The biggest flaw of all is that once you’ve got a character in a relationship, there’s not much else to do with them. The game becomes stale, so you’re probably going to either start on a new character, or have their relationship fall apart.
I really wish there were more ways to keep relationships interesting after having sex. Illusion has tried introducing item collection, and even crafting, to games like AI Shoujo and Koikatsu, but I feel like that is an inadequate solution to the problem of wanting further depth in a relationship. Personally, I wish they tried expanding their LLDH system to one that incorporated 16, or even 20 axes, instead of just 4. Imagine if there was a special axis for friends who only spend their time studying together, with unique dialogue to match. For relationship partners, you could have a unique point system for taciturn relationships, and a separate point system for clingy or sex focused ones. Illusion could also have incorporated more group actions, potentially leading to character statuses like being a third wheel. There are many ways to develop characters and relationships, and I wish Illusion focused on those more in their subsequent games. The most important part of my suggestion is that if the LLDH system were expanded, then your actions could lead to more variable outcomes, and make relationships more unpredictable and interesting. Despite its predictability though, the LLDH system is still the closest that Illusion has come to developing a full fledged dating simulator within one of their games, so I’ve got to give it some credit.
At the end of the day, it’s up to you to choose how much you want to roleplay before cutting to the H-scenes. And even if you don’t find the roleplaying aspects of this game enjoyable, that doesn't take anything away from the fact that the character modeler and animated scenes remain both incredible and groundbreaking, in their own rights. I’m not someone who plays this game consistently for years on end, but I really can't stop coming back to it and making new characters occasionally. At present, I think of it as the greatest sandbox H-game that exists.