VN - Ren'Py - Companion of Darkness [Ch. 8] [Berkili4]

The Good
The Story

The story Is the reason for playing this game. It's one of the better games out there when it comes to story. Honestly this might even be the best out of the 54 games ive played. This game's story could easily be something I would see on tv. The story does have a few issues.

Part of the story gives a reason for lewd scenes. While It's a nice to see having a reasons for lewds that make sense. At the same time it does feel like a cop out to find a way to include lewds because of this being a AVN and AVN's are automatically considered porn games by many.

Another issue I have with the story is early on there is a few characters that are introduced. They had a good introduction enough so I wanted to get to know them better. But they seem or at least feel like they are just forgotten about .We finally got reintroduced to one of them in the last chapter. Tho I will say there is a story reason that makes sense why they are forgotten about. Which goes to show this game really cares about telling a story first if characters can feel forgotten about but it making sense as to why they are in the narrative.
Mixed
Character developments / Relationships Building

For the most part this was done well especially with the dark ones. But with a few select characters like Clara it left me wanting to get to know her character a bit better. Because part way through the story she has a bit of a character change because of story reasons. When that happens it feels like alot of the character developments for her either stopped or slowed down. But is a shame because her being my favorite character which left me wanting more to get to know her better / character developments.

The other issue I mentioned earlier about characters that had a good introduction but then feels like they are forgotten about for awhile. Only reason this isnt completely a negative because the game at least gives a story reason and it makes sense why they would be forgotten about.
The BAD
The lewds

Like I mentioned Earlier how alot of the lewds are introduced being baked into the story does feel like a cop out to me but it does work for the genre and it's refreshing. Just personally I didn't like how that executed. But it isnt a big deal to me.

What I thought was bad about the lewds was the animations. They feel fine and okay at a slow even medium pace. But when the animations speed they feel really bad and weird to the point I didnn't care for any the lewds would almost make the game better for me to not have any lewds because I could not enjoy them when the animations were going at a fast pace.

The text really needs a proofreader. I usually tolerate small mistakes here and there but they are way too frequent here and keep constantly bothering me.

The music isn't good. There's the smooth music that plays constantly but then there's at the same time something almost like a siren blaring over it that's really just terrible.

There aren't many choices, at least not where I stopped playing and they aren't really good either. Some moments that one would usually think there'd be one, the game just moves on without giving much player input.

I also didn't get very far but the only character that I actually liked was Clara but even her original character gets destroyed. MC gets thrown around a lot and even refuses to fight back at some points. Maybe it gets better later on and I'll try it again but for a first time playing, I really wasn't impressed.

i really like the plot it's amazingly intriguing and I'm enjoying the unconventional harem route of the story(if there ever is a harem ending). The only drawback is the careless amount of grammatical errors like using the word "then" instead of "than", spelling errors, repeated words, incomplete sentences, etc. If this doesn't bother you as much as a reader and can just read through it then this game is highly recommended.

Also, don't listen too much to people trying to control the plot, this story is yours to tell and i wanna finish reading the story as such.

Edit: please make the dialogue box more transparent, it covers almost half the screen and the transparency settings adjustment is a little modest for my liking if you know what i mean.

This game legit has a movie level plot. Unlike most games here that try to do a big plot, it is actually good and manages to make you care about it without detracting fromt he H content.
Characters are top tier, each girl has its own personality and is cool to interact with.
H content is pretty good.
Plot is not to slow.
Overall 4,5 / 5. Only thing I'd like is for the story to be a bit less on rails and for choices to have more impact.

As for the story, as far as where I left off.
I heard a fight in the bathroom between the rich guy at school and the little whore at school, for a trivial reason (they didn't want to be seen) I was hunted excessively by the school, suffering bullying, the MC is scared and doesn't want to use the power of hot darkness that follows him, he agreed to never fall in love with her, he passed out in the locker room because he didn't want to use her powers, so he chose to change the classroom where he was with the only girl in the school who respects him, because pity gets a handjob... out of pity... for still being a virgin and a way for the author to compensate for the toxic school environment, so that's it... from then on, I started to feel bad about the story that was supposed to be something pleasurable,
the game can still be good... if you enjoy a heavy and toxic story... but I already prefer things where I feel valued with an MC who makes the most intelligent choices since there is a lack of choice for the player in an almost kinetic game .

Well I just finished chapter 6 of this fine game and I have to say I am really enjoying this game, the plot/story line is fairly new to me when it comes to story/plot ideas, the renders/artwork is top notch and I can say I noticed any spelling or grammar errors, all in all this is one of the better adult games I have played.

I would highly recommend this game to my friends and I will be following this fine game for the foreseeable future.

[Review as of Ch6]

The English isn't perfect and the plot can be a bit scattered at times. Characters sometimes drop out of focus for a while. The sex scenes are nothing special. Power levels are out of whack and it makes things feel a bit deus ex machina at times. MC always has a guardian angel of sorts hovering over their shoulder which removes some of the tension and could've been handled more gracefully.

But overall, despite all of that, I like CoD a fair bit. It's sadly common for VNs on this site to kind of wander aimlessly, introduce tons of characters they don't know what to do with, and never really go anywhere plot-wise. CoD's plot moves forwards at a brisk pace, characters have their parts to play overall, and I've been left consistently intrigued about what's going to happen next. The author isn't afraid to take some risks with the story which may annoy some people but I think make it more interesting overall.

It isn't perfect, and tons could be improved with a second draft, but overall this is a VN I look forward to seeing more updates on!

11/14/2023 Ch. 5

So far this game has been amazing. The characters are well written and the story is great. I love how the story explores aspects of forbidden love and not in the typical incest sense. Unlike other games, this one has a big focus on story which is a massive plus for me. Aside from that, the characters have development and are not static. Overall a great game and can't wait to see what comes next.

First time I have felt the need to write a review on this site.
For whatever reason I really connected with the writing in this game and can't wait to see where the story goes from here and even played through most of it again after finishing it.

Judgeing by some of the other reviews it is not for everybody but for me it is my favorite VN on this site and I've been playing them for years now.

Story started out great, but to much started to make no sense, text could use a proofreader as well, alot of small errors and worng words, its still readable but it just takes a bit away from the experince when it happens to often.

The LIs names are very annoying atleast to me, when you name one Clara another Claire or Noel and another Nael it can just be hard to remember whos who at times.

You might also get the feeling MC is an evil person, forcing hes friends into the world of darkness without concent, he couldent really care less about the danger it will put them in.
He could even ask them risk free if its something they want but he never does, he just force it on them, and personaly i am not a fan of that since the story is about him being good so it dosent really make much sense when hes in fact not anywhere near good.

It will contain some spoilers befow so read on at your own risk.

It made the game boring and unplayable after that since the one LI i cared about wasent there anymore, still played through the 5 chapters but the fun was just not there after that, and no real point going on with a AVN if you dont care about a single LI.
So for me game ended in Chapter 4 with the new life ending, since Clara was the only one that mattered at any point.

Virgin scene is a bit of a joke, MC slams it in, girl feels no pain just pure pleasure, i get it that virgin dosent mean deflower scene but even so they just feel like any other sex scene and nothing like a virgin scene.

Girls in general looks nice and good builds, personalties are meh, like i said i only really cared about the Shy Clara, and the rest wasent really in my taste, some felt and act like whores and i am not into that, another has 0 emotions, so couldent really feel anything for any of them.

Animations are very good for this style of characters.

Music is about average.

Choices are very nice, they only effect who to have sex with but that is a very importen thing in my eyes, i do wish you would have a bit more controle over MC and hes thoughts, like when MC is asked if you want to save the blond girl, i would like to have been able to say no since i couldent care less about her and learning about her selling drugs and act like a whore dident change those feelings, but game will try to push you towards LIs so you cant really do anything but say no once they ask about sex or not.

Its not a bad game or story, it just wasent for me and when a game becomes unplayable or have to many issues like the stuff i said above, i cant rate it more then 2 stars it just wouldent be right, i did try to play all 5 chapters to see if the story alone would be enough to be fun, but it lost it charm to me and only became more boring and alot made no sense or just not explained, making the story a big mess.

Its worth trying out though and see if its for you.

Man, I like the mysterious tons and the power struggle but this game's story is a freaking mess.

The power levels are out of wack. The whole plot against Matt was utterly pointless. The fight was boring, the build-up to that fight was meaningless. Tons of important characters and plots were introduced but had no time to flesh them out and ended abruptly as they were introduced. Choices that have absolutely no value like joining the Brotherhood. Characters that absolutely have no value suddenly elevated to important to the plot like Emma whose only impression was resting bitch face who got slapped with a lesbian redhead and they do stuff, then suddenly, bam she is now one of the most important characters in the current arc.

But worst of all was Nael and Gabriel. Ms. Mary Sue and Mr. Gary Stu. A perfect couple of double plot devices that did nothing but tear the already paper-thin plot into nothingness. And now the author has to bench them like Gege benched Goro in case they need to bring them back to handle another fight like Matt because fucking hell that was the only thing they were created to do.

Review for Ch. 5R

Playing this felt like watching a D tier anime you've never heard of. I played for maybe 40 minutes before I couldn't really stomach it anymore and closed the game. It's just not very good.

I liked the premise of having ancient horror girls as companions who sort of merge with you and give you power, but then it throws us into an uninspired high school plot with the lamest MC imaginable. The dialogue/general writing is subpar and makes me cringe at points, and none of the characters made an impression on me in the time I played. There just isn't a single thing here making me want to play this game. It failed to hook me.

I held the skip button a bit to jump around and see if anything got better. It did not. You get beat up by a bully because you decide not to use your new powers for some dumb reason and then a girl you barely know offers you a random hand job. Decided it wasn't even worth holding the skip button after that. Maybe this game gets better the more you play? Either way the start wasn't nearly good enough for me to want to find out.

Enjoyed the game so far!
The MC is not some kind of 'god' or 'badass' character and sometimes there are things for which he has no answer or simply cannot do anything about.
The decisions don't seem to have a heavy impact and there does not appear to be defined 'routes' at least so far.
About the renders. It has original renders and I have not seen repeated characters from any other game, they are unique. The animations and the intimacy scenes are fun to watch and read.
The argument and the story is pretty solid and if you like fantasy and superpower things, ignore the haters and give the game a try, is a breath of fresh air.

absolutely fun to read kinetic story. very little VN choice matters stuff, but for once I don't miss it.

the characters are pretty unique, the MC has his own internal conflicts to deal with, and there's a romance-or-brutality thing going on that's fun to watch unfold, all while learning more about the game setting and behind-the-scenes machinations that sometimes don't end up quite as expected (but usually do).

luckily I ignored the haters and gave it a shot. really glad I did. can't wait for the next release.

also, seeing cameos from some of my favorite VNs was a super nice bonus. was funny as Hell.

Fanatsy genre needs more good games like this. A game where mc isn't all powerful and having answers for every situation. It's also refreshing to see emotions portrayed somewhat realistically. Impulsive decisions, missing someone dear etc.
Writing is great. I wish the Dev would focus the emotions of the characters,coz I feel like that's Dev's strong suit. Coz I didn't feel anything for the companion at the beginning and by the end of ch5,I somehow felt what mc was feeling.
Renders for the earlier chapters aren't bad, but I wish some of the scenes didn't feel chaotic. Especially the action scenes,they're good but it feels movie-ish( maybe that's what the dev was going for) I know it looks cool and all, but for me,it felt out of place.
Wish there was a scene gallery. Looking forward to playing the next chapter.

MC is just useless. Always gets saved but can do nothing on his own. His action does not matter.



Here we have an ultimate being that can fuking reverse whole planet back - her goal to kill humanity but over thousands years she couldn't!



Here we have some guy who controls her - he is invincible and she listens to him - yet he still hasn't achieved his goals, whatever they may be.







Overpowered characters suck - especially when they on your side - sure Nael kinda want to kill the MC - but we know she wouldn't do it and even more in crucial moment she and her partner will play deus ex machina and save the day - witch making all MC actions unnecessary and useless.







It will be great if there would be great if the MC would solve the conflict with Matt by himself - but no, Nael arrives and her partner, acting like a clown, saves the day, just because.



It would be great if they and the MC star conflict between themselves but I just don't see it. This overpowered thing and clown partner are too shallow. What are they doing? Why they are doing it? In first chapter it seemed that they are gathering power by killing but they don't need it. In the events they are shown to us they either just fooling around or saving the day - we shouldn’t fear for the character because they will save them anyway.



MC doesn't have a clear goal too and looks pitiful. He will just go after the plot flow, I assume.



Shame it may be very interesting work but I just can't be annoyed by the MC and role in all of this mess.

There is a moment where the sound of a stomach growling can be heard, and that sound is so realistic that I legitimately thought that it came from ME.

Seriously, though? I find that about 7 out of every 10 games I try, I just end up holding my CTRL key to skip dialogue to see the rest of the scenes after a little while. I didn't do that with this game, outside of a very limited number of scenes when I was too busy wanting to physically attack whoever I could find that most reminded me of [REDACTED], for being such a spoiled piece of shit.

10/10, I would jump in front of a bus for Clara.

Companion of Darkness is a fantasy VN based in a world of eldritch horrors that take the appearance of hot girls. Fortunately, they only eat human emotions, not humans. As a result, we end up in the world of Companion of Darkness, where the cute girls have a sort of symbiosis thing going on with humans and give them DBZ powers. Ya know, like ya do.

The story is decent overall, but the author comes across as rather inexperienced. There is definitely a story to be told in the game, but between switching points of view, exposition dumps, and information the author knows and we don’t, problems arise. A lot of good dramatic tension is wasted and characters make decisions that make sense to them, but not the player. It’s not outright bad, but it could be better.

The characters are actually pretty good. They have backgrounds, personalities, and motives for their actions. Their decision making based on who they are alters the story in interesting ways. The only real issue I have with them is how much effort the author put into characters that won’t impact the story in any noticeable way. I could be wrong, but it sure seems like Matt hit the nuclear option and none of the school characters are going to matter anymore, right? (Ch. 4)

The renders look fine overall. They definitely improve over the course of the story and there are some backgrounds and outfits that I found really nice. Honestly, the combat is really where it shines though. The dev put a lot of effort into the fight sequences and doesn’t shy away from gore. While not the reason to play the game by itself, there are some good sex animations as well.

The gameplay kinda feels like false advertising though. While there are choices, the vast, vast majority of them are opt-in or out of sex scenes. I played through a couple times with different choices just to see if I could get things to change, and generally could not outside of a bad end (maybe good end though really?). Perhaps I’m just missing things or the choices matter portion just hasn’t happened yet, but so far it feels like a kinetic novel. That isn’t a bad thing per se, but I’d prefer if that was noted up front.

Overall, Companion of Darkness is worth a play if you’re in the market for a fantasy VN with DBZ combat and a little bit of TnA to make things spicy. The story is worthwhile, though not flawless and the art and characters are good enough to justify your time. I’m looking forward to where the author decides to go with things.

It's a cool game. The author makes it an effort to have each moment and dialogue as a new render. It feels more like reading a comic than a traditional visual novel and the story really has its moments;

This game is good.
No for real the high score is well deserved and here is why:

1. Renders:
Like many projects the renders start of a bit rough at the start but get way better as the game continues and are now at a really good level, where you can see that the dev put actual effort creating and working on these.

2. Character models:
Overall they look nice for HS2 models. Some might look a bit strange at first glance since they are not human characters after all but their essence is captured quite nicely and gives some more variation to the overall character cast looks.

3. Characters:
The characters are what makes the story feel alive. There are many different personalities to encounter and not everyone is like they first appear to be. They have actual motivations and secrets which will be revealed the further the story goes. Even some of the at first thought unserious and fun characters have more to them than their put up facade lets you see, which makes the characters more interesting and likeable.

4. Story and Screenplay:
This is the strong part about the game. The story is well thought out and has a good pase. Some might complain that not all answers are presented like that and that is true but also good, because having some mysteries and unanswered questions will make you want to know more about the lore of the game and how it all fits together. The writing is very good especially for plot twists and emotional scenes, fight and comedial scenes are also well thought out.

5. Lewd Scenes:
As good as the writing of other scenes is, sadly the same can't be said about the lewd scenes. Not saying they are bad but they lack a bit in depth and build up. Which is kinda sad since there is a good and strong emotional build up with the characters already, though the scenes feel a bit out of place or fast paced for the situation they are presented in.

Overall this game is very enjoyable. I like that the game also tries to delve in the meaning of certain philosophical questions if you want to theorise about them aswell. Even if you don't want to think much, it is still a fun read but I recommend playing this game for the story first and foremost and not the porn of the game. This game could easily be a real book or show aswell and I'm curious where the journey in the game will lead us to.