Neutral Drow reviews: Xchange

[NeutralDrow]

Huh. Missed some things.

Incidentally, does anyone actually notice alt text? I didn't do any for this review (didn't get to images, and captioned images don't allow it), but I did so for the other...

Having played this game and the sequels, I'd certainly have to agree with you. The first one is particularly awful, however, be careful with the next two. When people tell you that they are 'better' they're generally referring to the graphics, writing, and other more mechanical factors. All three X-Change games follow the formula of 'Man turns into woman, gets raped repeatedly by everyone she meets'. The second and third do improve things by generally making it clear when you have a choice about WHO to be raped by, by the bottom line is the same.

Thank you for the warning. I probably wouldn't have been in danger for a while, yet, but it's good to have reassurance that I won't waste my time in the future.

The most recent game, however, Yin-Yang (A New X-Change) is worth a look. It follows a new cast of characters, and while there is still a fair amount of unavoidable rape, I'd say it only constitutes 1/3 of the game, and most of these are concentrated into a few distinct paths (whereas in all others it's 90% of the scenes). The remaining scenarios actually more orientated toward semi realistic characters.

...I guess that's something I can consider. Far in the future, though. I've still got a bag of others to go through.

Funny part is NeutralDrow is this. One down, two to go. The Xchange game actually was a series. Enjoy your work for these game if I remember correctly were created in the late 90's.

And now thanks to the advice above, it will be a series I wash my hands of completely (minus maybe, maybe the new series).
<color=white>Line Break!

Next review planned: Yume Miru Kusuri (A Drug That Makes You Dream). Only a third of the way through so far, though, so it might take a couple weeks (allowing for recovery).

<color=white>Warning: from what I've played so far, though, I can say it will be a positive review.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Not haven't played the first one, but I can recommend the second and especially the third one.
The Orgy-bus makes an re-apperance in the third one and it's explained more what it actually is - which is a bus where men and women have sex while driving around in a bus.

That's...that's not an incentive for me. At all. I went through most of this game with a look of horrified disgust frozen on my face, and the only thing the orgy-bus did to change that was causing me to mouth "what the fuck...?" over and over until it was finished.

But yeah, try them out and review them!

Judging from the advice above...I think if touch the Xchange series ever again, it will probably be Yin-Yang Alternative. Or if I compromise my principles and torrent Xchange 2, because I absolutely refuse to pay for it.

<url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.151706-Lightning-Warrior-Raidy-a-Lordlee-and-Neutral-Drow-review>That's kind of what I did, once, but I don't like doing it.

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

So there's no happy ending if you stay a woman? You're always demeaned in some way?

...I am not amused.

 

[NeutralDrow]

So there's no happy ending if you stay a woman? You're always demeaned in some way?

...I am not amused.

I'm going to have to check some spoilers, but I think the sequels may have rectified that (the second is supposed to have over 20 endings). I just don't feel like clawing my way through the rape to find them.

 

[King of the Sandbox]

Whoa... necro thread of epic proportions!

Also, "Clawing My Way Through The Rape" Is totally my new band name.

Nice review, though. I could only suggest maybe more pictures to break up the wall o-texts, but other than that, good jorb.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Whoa... necro thread of epic proportions!

Eh. Far as I'm concerned, if someone necros one of my reviews, I'm apt to jump for joy at the free front-page exposure.

Also, "Clawing My Way Through The Rape" Is totally my new band name.

I'm trying to imagine what genre the music would be in.

Nice review, though. I could only suggest maybe more pictures to break up the wall o-texts, but other than that, good jorb.

<url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.128851-TYPE-MOON-reviews-Tsukihime>Trust <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.135672-Neutral-Drow-reviews-A-Drug-That-Makes-You-Dream>me, <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.148564-Neutral-Drow-reviews-Little-My-Maid>that's <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.163769-Neutral-Drow-reviews-Kanon>what <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.206764-Neutral-Drow-reviews-Kana-Little-Sister>I <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.178061-Off-Topic-Reviews-Soulbringer>usually <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.194259-Off-Topic-Reviews-Ragnarok>do.

I usually break that pattern only if the review is unusually short, or if it's something that doesn't deserve the effort.

 

[Therumancer]

Like usual, I enjoyed your review, and greatly respect your opinion.

The only thing I am wondering at this point though is that why you keep reviewing Japanese Hentai if it bothers you that much. While there are definatly exceptions, the entire point of most of it was to be shocking and do things that people were unlikely to be able to get IRL. Hence all the rape, tentecles, and exagerrated fetishism. The attitude always seemed a bit differant from American porn, which goes in all these areas at times, but is still based in fairly vanilla sex and banal romance. The Japanese seem to take the attitude that "Vanilla" is usually too boring to make a game, visual novel, anime, or whatever out of.

You do a good job with reviews, so I'm kind of wondering why you keep going with this specific genere instead of things where you are likely to find thirty differant titles your going to hate for every one you think is good, just by looking at the apparent intentions of "Japanese Porn" in general.

Unless of course your actually into this stuff, and there isn't all that much wrong with a lot of it when it comes to fantasy, as I've said before I can be quite perverted myself (I've confessed in the past to having pretty much the entire run of Kondom's "Bondage Fairies" accross all their various series for example). If that is the case, why bother to badmouth it when your taking about it? I don't think anyone is going to be all that judgemental given that your already playing enough porn games to write a review series about them.

No offense intended, I'm just curious.

 

[NeutralDrow]

The only thing I am wondering at this point though is that why you keep reviewing Japanese Hentai if it bothers you that much. While there are definatly exceptions, the entire point of most of it was to be shocking and do things that people were unlikely to be able to get IRL.

That's the attitude I set out specifically to counteract. The idea that eroge are all tentacle-filled rapefests frankly doesn't even give enough credit to the normal, shallow sort. Quite a few of these titles don't interest me because there's nothing interesting about them. There certainly are genuinely disgusting things like this game, or Virgin Roster, or Tsuki: Possession, or Water Closet...but there's also boring and cliched titles like Come See Me Tonight, or Do You Like Horny Bunnies?, or Let's Meow Meow, which still don't deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as the others.

Besides, it's that attitude that lets the major exceptions slip through the cracks, which I find unforgivable. Those exceptions are the ones I seek out. With this game, I just got unlucky.

You do a good job with reviews, so I'm kind of wondering why you keep going with this specific genere instead of things where you are likely to find thirty differant titles your going to hate for every one you think is good, just by looking at the apparent intentions of "Japanese Porn" in general.

I'm not finding thirty I hate for every one I think is good. You're giving me too much credit. I'm specifically avoiding what I suspect I wouldn't like...and even then, I still have 25 titles in my playing list, plus however many more I may find in the future.

The ones I think are good are fantastic. Frankly, I'm chafing at being restricted to titles that have been translated. There're a number of games that seem to come recommended, but my Japanese isn't nearly good enough to play (like <url=http://vndb.org/v232>Brighter Than the Dawning Blue).

Kondom's "Bondage Fairies"

See? Right off the bat, any chance of my being interested is drained.

I don't think anyone is going to be all that judgemental given that your already playing enough porn games to write a review series about them.

Even if they weren't, I would be. I have standards.