VN - Ren'Py - Yesterday's Crossroads [Ch.3 v0.4.1a] [CHAQUINN0]

Reading all the good reviews I decided to play. And was totally disappointed.
People compare this game with "Summer's gone", say that story is good, that the game is plot-driven... Well, it seems we played different games. "Summer's gone" is playing with your emotions, have believable characters, actual story, interesting one I must add. "Yesterday's crossroads" have only one thing in common with SG and other good games: these renders are beautiful. But that's it, nothing more.
Maybe it was aftereffect of good writing ("Leaving DNA" in that case) but this game reads as really boring. There's nothing interesting going on, it's like we began watching a silly soap opera right from the middle. Boring people live their boring life. It was only prologue but I began to fight with a desire to sleep even before the first chapter.
But there was one thing that kept me awake - dumb plot. Boyfriend and girlfriend are one step from living together, they are long in relationship and it's like they are close to marriage. Out of the blue girl says she's leaving in a few days for job offer in another country. She's decided, her plane is the day after tomorrow and there's nothing can be done. Boyfriend (yeah, that's MC) fall in sadness but continue to living his life. And that's what's the game about. Last time I saw such dumb story moves was in 90's when I was a teenager and watch everything that was on the TV, even silly American (from USA to Brazil) soap operas. That's unbelievable characters living unbelievable life.
No good plot, no good characters, boring writing... Although I can say only good things about renders. So five stars for renders minus four stars for story and characters.

I have to admit when I was starting to play this game I wasnt expecting it to be the way it is. Reminds me a lot of Summers Gone. Great intertwined story, great music. Visuals might be couple levels lower than SG. Also for the ones who are looking for a quick fap keep moving guys. Its really way too similar to SG in that regards. Looking forward for the next chapter. Keep up the good work, Dev.

The project actually does a lot of things right ... the graphics are good ... the characters are good ... the story is good ... the sex scenes are ... medium well expandable .... the only thing i don't find so good about the game ... and I really hate to say this ... there are too many women .... that sounds a bit illogical now but i'm overwhelmed by the amount of female characters the developer throws in front of me ... half of them would still have been enough .... somehow after a while you can't keep up anymore ... too bad ... but it was worth a download

The only flaw to this game is that they cut the MC's glorious flow.

Seriously, it was so strange to see him have beautiful long hair and everyone shitting on it and he himself saying that being bald would be better than the long hair. Crazy stuff, man had some ridiculous flow then chopped off his lettuce for a boring haircut.

Rest of the game is great and the girls are great, I just seriously needed to get the hair thing off my chest, I know it's super important to everyone to hear this opinion.

The game has an enjoyable cast of characters, beautiful renders. Excited to see where this one goes plot-wise. More diversity between the main girl subplots than I was expecting, even for the girls I was less than enthused to check out at first. Team Olivia all the way (so far).

Good game, there are a lot of relationships that feel "right" for the MC. I normally go for my favorite LI, but when i like a lot of them (which was the case), i go to the one that feels more "canon". However, in this game most of them feel like "fate", it'll be very hard to choose (i'm playing the "catch em all" path, which will obviously backfire, but i need all the context to make a choice lol). Very therapy heavy dialogue, but it feels like the characters are connecting little by little, well done.

Also, as a brazilian, i 've never thought that i would fall for a "gemidão do zap" in a F95 game lol, there are a lot of brazilian references, which make me wanting to support more the game. For my fellow countryman involved with this game, continua assim irmão.

I have to say this is an interesting one.
I kinda went in and selected some choices that were maybe not optimal so I feel like in the middle of nowhere with not being offered a lot of choices to pursue who I want to. Maybe it's my bad choices, or it's just a slow burn very linear story, didn't re-try options yet to figure it out.
I have to say it barely feels NSFW, more like a romantic novel, which does make it a bit boring, closer to a teen novel than to what an AVN usually means.
A bit too much 'therapy speak' by everyone especially MC, and everyone has some trauma, which feels very cheesy and not realistic. However at least there's complex situations and emotions which is what a lot of AVNs lack. I guess I'd like it to be in the middle, something more realistic.
The girls are super cute and pretty, and while everyone seems to just silently fall for the MC as it's customary in many of these novels, it's done more tastefully than usually - still very vanilla but not so much in your face. I appreciate the subtlety in the emotional department.
I'm curious where this will go, but it feels pretty high production quality in both writing and imagery. I wish it had a bit more depth story-wise, a bit more meaningful choices - playing entire chapters without being able to close a relationship and start another because you realized who you like is frustrating.
Good luck to the developer and I hope he gets more encouragement as he deserves, good luck to a successful completition. There's a lot of potential here for a high quality full time dev.
There's not enough of the story for me to properly rate, a bit reluctant to give 4* but I feel 3 would certainly not be fair given some of the high quality delivery so here we are, I may revisit the score and review in later updates.

This VN is suitable for those of you who prioritize story over sex. I really like how the developer makes the MC develop mentally. How the MC accepts his suffering and tries to move on. In addition, here we are also taught the meaning of the consequences of decision making on our lives and those around us and the importance of being open to people who care about us.

I hope the developer continues to present VN in a format like this and only adds 18+ scenes as story support. Not as the main thing in this VN. Hopefully this VN will be more widely known and many will support the developer so that this VN can be completed well.

Hi, Dev.

I don’t usually write game reviews (in fact, this is my first), so please take this feedback with a grain of salt due to my inexperience in this area.

First, I want to mention that I won’t review the pros of the game because I generally find them decent. The dialogue and grammar are okay, and the render quality is good. I’m also not too focused on the lewd scenes, as I prefer games that are more story-driven. That said, I’ll share what bothers me the most.

(I’m currently in Chapter 2, so I haven’t played the full game yet.)

My main issue is that everything seems to revolve too much around the main character. There are very few conversations between other characters that don’t somehow focus on him. Almost everyone thinks he’s perfect, even the male characters. I cringed a bit when one of the girl’s boyfriends kept complimenting the MC and asking questions about him for no clear reason. The girls do the same, and while they might have some past with him or lingering feelings, it doesn’t feel like a convincing reason for them to be so focused on him. While the MC does show some personality, there aren’t enough moments to explain why he’s so special to the girls. Complimenting them or giving them a "pat on the head" when they’re down isn’t enough to justify how obsessed they are with him.

You don’t have to give every character a major backstory or arc, but I think they should have more agency beyond just being obsessed with the MC. There’s a scene where a minor villain (I think that’s what he is, maybe I’m wrong) sees one of the love interests with the MC, gets jealous, and acts like an incel to highlight how good the MC is compared to him. But then, in the very next scene, he essentially repeats the same dialogue.

We already know he’s not dating the girl because he’s misogynistic and insecure, and we also know the MC is a "great guy" compared to him, so why repeat it? I just feel that each scene should serve a different purpose.

If the focus on the MC is intentional, at least show the characters having varied feelings toward him. The story seems to be going down the route of "I like the MC = Good, I dislike him = Bad," which in my opinion is kind of lazy. Not every character should either love him or hate him based solely on their perception of him.


Also, give the MC some agency. Most of the scenes are him reacting to what others do in his life. Give him a purpose other than just getting over his ex. If you're going to focus so much on him, at least make him lead the scenes. Show us why the characters are so drawn toward him.



Anyway, if that's the direction you want to take with your characters, that’s okay too. Perhaps this style of storytelling just isn’t for me. Best wishes!

Great game with gorgeous looking women. It's refreshing to see high quality non-harem, non-incest games on this site. Also the mc isn't a complete jerk, so that's always a plus.

One thing that needs a bit work in my opinion are the sex scene, make them have more dialogue, more foreplay, more build-up... right now you're just clicking through different positions and choosing where to finish.

Story 3/5
Story is pretty good i liked it most of it, and i gotta say its one of the first and proberly only game ive played where there is a forced LI at the start that makes sense to the story past and future and that truely is needed for story.
Ive seen many that claims a forced LI has to be there due to story but its almost never true untill this game.

Story starts with MCs girlfrend through years leaves him due to a job offer in her home country then story is about the break-up and getting over it and finding someone new, to then be slamed in the when the Ex comes back out of nowhere.
Personaly i would have a hard time forgiving her due to the way she left and the lack of information and that she kept it hidden untill she leaves, but you can forgive her, question is do you really want to.
Ofc ill proberly try a forgiving route at some point but not untill game is finished.

I also think its refreshing to see a none harem game for once, it really makes for a better game and gives some replayability compared to a standard harem game.

But there where things i really dident like, i found it a bit weird and stupid how you see keep seeing possible LIs feeling down or sorry for MC turning them down, i dont really feel the need to see that since it serves no real purpose for the story and its just a weird attempt to make the player feel bad which is idiotic when game is none harem.

Another thing is all the flashbacks, its a bit to much to hear how MC apprently has already fucked some of the LIs in past and taken multiple girls virginity (which ofc you dont get to see either) which is fine, i couldent care less about it since its before the player gets anything to say in it.
Also wasent a fan of getting a Keyla sex scene out of nowhere, sure its from the past but when you hate Kayla and find her brainless its the last thing i want to see, i get its story related but it could be explained instend of shown.

I guess its to show that Keyla dosent have a brain, she saied yes to marry someone when on the same day she was going to break up with him, i mean really? thats proberly the worst and most idiotic thing in the story, but atleast there arent much of that stuff, but with Keyla it only becomes even more idiotic since she dident tell MC hes GF was leaving due to wanting them to break up, which makes no sense since shes married....and not only that she never tried anything after she got her wish and MCs GF left, and Keyla does nothing? so whats the point of her trying to ruin MCs life? just dosnt make sense, its just shows her as an extremly shitty friend, to bad MC dosent know about it so we could blow up and tell her to fuck off and never see her again but sadly game isent made like that, but if it was then i could see a reason as to why it shows us the past and all she has done.

Later it also shows that MC is a shitty friend since hes fucking hes best friend girl behind hes back.....its like they are trying to make players hate the MC and thats just a stupid move.

Overall i did like most of the story, but theres simply just to many choices already made for you by the "past" choices that the player might never wanted to do, like backstabbing hes best friend whos like a brother to him, they really should have made that kind of stuff a choice for the player to either stay true friends or to backstab, i hate when choices are made for you.

Then theres the content, i get its a none harem so it takes a bit of time to get with anyone since they all need screen time, but for me personaly i could only see one real choice for MC and thats Olivia since everyone else are either brainless or turned lesbian or lies/hide stuff from MC, Olivia seems to be the only normal girl and one of the few that isent from MCs past.

Not sure if it just has to many LIs but i think so, its been more then 1½ years now and all MC has done with Olivia is kissing her, so people only on her route will get bored pretty fast and shes proberly also the one with the least screen time, not even forgiving the Ex-GF will give you more sex scene that whats at the very start hell you dont even get back together with her even if you arent with anyone else, so as an adul game it falls really flat.

Girls 2/5
I liked a few of their faces, but the diversity in builds seem very poor since they all look the same.

Animations 3/5
Cant say ive seen much but the one sex scene that is forced wasent bad but not great either so average, they are also pretty short any not much of dialogs either, it feels like its something that just has to be there, so its ignore and over very fast.

Music 5/5
Its nice to hear some real songs with lyrics, its just to rare in games.

Choices 3/5
Well i like the fact that you can freely pick who ever you want to be with, but other then that the main story feels very very kinetic and alot of that has to do with the past choices made without player input, so you cant play the good guy since that choice has already been made for ya.

Ver. 0.4.0a.

One of the best serious romantic dramas AVN market has to offer. I'm only giving this game 4 stars due to personal taste.

Pros:
1) Very good writing.
2) Good visuals.
3) A great selection of girls.
4) The game has a database of characters through which a player can get to know them better.

Cons:
1) Next to no action (I know, an AVN doesn't have to have action, but I'm explaining my "taste" point from earlier).
2) The plot is trivial at its core, its practical realisation is what elevates the game.

A truly beautiful game with some of the most beautiful love interests and renders out there.
If you are playing purely for the lewd scenes then this may not be for you. But if you enjoy romancing beautiful girls then look no further.
The developer also doesn't milk his supporters which is something worth a mention. His $5 supporters get new updates on release day which is almost unheard of, so if you can go support him.

I have a feeling the prologue in this game will annoy some people but everything gets explained later on and the narrative in this one likes to take its time to unravel itself and slowly introduce characters' backstories and motives so might not be the best thing to play for impatient people.

Also, this game is heavily focused on drama and romance with adult content taking a backseat so for people looking for a quick fix this ain't it. For those who enjoy a good romance drama with multiple choices for love interests, appealing visuals, interesting writing, and characters check this one out, it's pretty entertaining.

Although, besides it might come off as too vanilla for some, the writing sometimes can be a little too on the nose with those self-reflecting life lessons, and the cuts to flashbacks could use better timing.

One of the better AVNs out there these days. All the characters have several layers and have their own storyline which makes it more interesting. Great graphics and the LIs are beautiful and varied in looks and personality. I like the fact that there are several routes and choices have meaning and consequences. The fact that I enjoy the romance and the lewd scenes are just bonus is a testament to the quality of this AVN.

Just wanna give an honest disclaimer for people looking to get into this AVN while it is good theres one major thing that should be noted off the bat

The prologue of this AVN is wholly unrealistic lol. I was having the worst time stomaching the beginning, which is that you start with a girlfriend. Not really a problem, in itself. However you'll quickly take note of all the LI's available and realize, that something significant will happen to the relationship (esp if you read the little overview note).

I'm going to just say how it plays out is incredible unrealistic, both by the MC and the one friend. If you're curious I'll spill it here :

I feel like that prologue had a lot of building and the way it played out negatively affected me for the entirety of the story, but thats just me. I just cant fathom the way it was written lol. Not to say its a bad AVN, it gets better but it left a super bitter taste in my mouth throughout a large portion of the game. (Sorry Dev!)

One of the best AVNs you can play. It focuses more on the story, but the H scenes are very good. It is very deep and presents characters that are very different from each other, letting the player focus on his tastes.

I hope it gets the recognition it deserves.

Great game. Well written characters, not plot driven but the emphasis is still on the story more than anything else. There is a solid amount of content for how long its been in development.

Only thing would change is that the MC cheated with his best friends girlfriend in a flashback, which does not seem to line up with how the MC is portrayed at any other point in the story.

I haven't enjoyed a VN this much since AOA and that says a lot considering how picky I am.

Story:

There's a lot of drama in this story. But not the kind that feels forced, it's the kind everyone should be able to relate to. There's people who are still mourning their losses, heartbreak but overall a bunch of people that's just trying to move on with their lives and find their happiness. I enjoy the MC and the way he carries himself. I gotta give a nod to the Dev on how mature he made him especially how he handled the Kim situation. He wasn't as bitter and spiteful as most people would've been. He didn't curse her name to high hell it was just an overall mature response. When you have a MC like that it makes it more... understandable as to why some many women are willing to fall for him.

The situation with Keyla is messy and I think that everything or should I say the moral of this story should be about telling the truth and being open with the ones you love. Don't marry someone if you're not 100% sure because it's a colossal waste of time and you'll end up hurting others.

Michelle is still a mystery to me and everything that surrounds her. She's probably my favorite character or at least tied with Olivia and Julia. Then there's Julia who comes with the abusive EX baggage. I believe he resurfaced towards the end of the chapter. Curious to see what's the play with him.

Olivia is a really cool character, I hope she gets more screen time soon. I hate that she's losing her parents but she's handled it as well as anyone in her situation could.

Overall, the story is solid in my opinion. The lewd scenes could use work in terms of more dialogue added particularly from the MC's pov.

Dialogue:

Great.

Renders:

Top Notch.

Animations:

Good.


Overall impression:

This is a story that I can get behind, the choices matter, the characters aren't forced on you and the MC isn't a buffoon. Great work, CHAQUINN0!

Side note: There's two Kim's, Kimberly the potential love interest and Kim the EX. Also the transitions could be smoother, I never know when a scene ends.. until it ends.

Started Yesterday's Crossroads on release and it's constantly gotten better and better with each passing update. The amazing story telling and amazing render quality has made it a top AVN game for me, and IMO some of the most beautiful girls in AVN are in this game.