You know, part of trying to find exciting new games to add to our backlog is keeping an eye out for the up and coming gems that are in development or are due to be released in the near future! However, when it comes to deciding on what games are worth keeping tabs on, it can become quite overwhelming. Truthfully, only being able to rely on 30 second trailers, 100 character blurbs, and some screenshots, doesn’t always do the game justice. That’s where things like demos, trials, and even early access releases become so important! Not only do they let you get an early look at a game before it’s released, they also give you a good idea of whether or not they’ll be a good fit in your covetous backlog!
So, in true Backlog Odyssey fashion, we thought it would be fun to embark on a journey into the realm of pre-release fantasy and try to find those demos/early access games that’ll have us begging for more as we wait impatiently for their full release! In this case, we’re taking a look at Future Fragments by HentaiWriter and team, which tries to redefine the meaning of an NSFW game, by giving us a cleverly designed game first, and all the naughty business a close second.
Now, before we dive too deep into what we found while playing the Future Fragments demo, and this will ring true for all of the games that we cover for these demo-centric features, is that all of our criticisms are purely based on the build of the game we received at the time of writing the article. We 100% understand that these games are still in development, and it’s very possible that many of the features we encounter have been changed, removed, or refined since this review was released. However, we’re hoping it gives you an inkling of what’s in store. The best part is, many of these demos will be free and widely available (apart from some early access games, and those locked behind a Patreon subscription of course), so you can go and check it out for yourself, or at least add it to your wishlist!
Although Future Fragments has a “game design first, naughty business second” approach, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist in the game, nor does it mean it’s not prominent and varied! With that said, we landed on a Level 3 for the level of adult content since you will encounter full nudity, and explicit sex scenes quite frequently. It may not be a true interactive part of the game, but you are rewarded (punished?) anytime you’re captured or defeated by an enemy.
When it came to the type of adult content, it was a bit harder to judge because it was a demo, and we don’t have the ability to see the full breadth of scenes found throughout the game, what we did see however was moderately high. You’ll be experiencing coital bliss with humans and machines alike, all attempting to pleasure you (and themselves) before you’re forced to respawn. There isn’t anything too out of the ordinary with regards to kinks, or fetishes, outside of vibrator/sex toys, and milking, but because many of the scenes could be considered of dubious-consent and non-romanticized, we notched it up a few pegs. That said, the main character never seemed to be in duress (maybe a bit annoyed if anything), and she always seemed to end up enjoying herself, so we landed on a nice comfy 65 for the second gauge.
First of all, the art direction and quality of Future Fragments’ animations are absolutely amazing and one of the biggest draws for the game! That includes the in-game sprites, the character portraits, and of course since this is an After Dark critique, the plethora of sex scenes found throughout.
Aside from its aesthetics however, the gameplay portions of the game really do stand out, and we appreciated the metroidvania-esque approach to its exploration, as well as the death defying action platforming. Like Mega Man, but with sex-driven robots!
I know we only got to experience one stage from Future Fragments, but we really enjoyed the clever mechanics the devs had us utilize in order to solve puzzles and progress through the levels. Things like switching gravity and freezing enemy attacks to use as platforms, really has us excited to see what they have in store for us in later stages. Top that off with small entertaining side quests, stat boosting accessories to collect, and branching storylines based on your in-game choices, and I think Future Fragments is geared up to be a well rounded and entertaining experience!
Nonetheless, there were a few nitpicky things that kind of rubbed me the wrong way. For one, the Future Fragments can be a bit wordy, and you encounter these dialog sequences quite often. That said, the fact that many of those sequences have voice overs, is quite impressive and I commend the devs for the effort it must have taken to put it all together. The frequency was the issue though, and it ended up feeling like I couldn’t enter a new area without being bombarded by a lengthy exposition, or a lot of data logs. Not to say they weren't interesting or entertaining, just a bit overbearing at times, and detracted from the overall flow of the experience. This also bled into the tutorial, which tried to explain every single facet of its mechanics. Nevertheless, this could just be a result of you playing a demo that takes place midway through the game. Luckily however, you can skip it and it's 100% optional.
As far as demos go, the build of Future Fragments we got to play was quite robust, and allowed us to play through an entire level from the middle of the game. Because of that we got a great idea as to what to expect from the game when it’s released. That includes both its style and variety of sex scenes.
Since Future Fragments is still deep in development we’re sure there will be portions of what we played that will be different in the full release, but we appreciate that it felt quite polished and nothing really felt out of place or missing. The only thing we wished we could have seen was a small portion of the other stages to get a feel for how the gameplay evolves as you progress through the game, and how different the environments will look.
Nonetheless, one thing we really did enjoy was how the devs included some easter eggs within the demo build to give you an insight into what they are planning for future features, and the fact that we could unlock all of the accessories found within the stage we played by encountering a special event. Little touches like that make all the difference.
Now that we’ve played through the demo of Future Fragments, it has us even more excited to experience the full game when it’s released. Although there were still some minor gripes with the design, we have faith that what we’ll end up with is a beautifully polished game full of lewd intrigue. If you’re on the lookout for a fun and captivating action-platformer with a bit of a naughty twist, then we don’t think you can go wrong. The best part is, you can try it out for yourself!
If you’re interested in checking out Future Fragments, you can find the demo right now on GameJolt! You can also follow the game’s progress by visiting the Future Fragments Patreon Page, joining their Discord Server, or by wishlisting it on Steam.
Have a curiosity for adult themed games, but are wary of what type and level of content they may contain? Use our at-a-glance After Dark Gauges, to quickly see if a game is for you! Check out the After Dark Gauges Primer page, for more information!
Originally posted on TwosomesUP. Hive blog powered by ENGRAVE.
