Layla: Shattered Hopes

Very good start. Not much negative to say here even if I try to nitpick. Character models are good, writing is good, story is interesting and believable, animations are great, sound effects are great, if things keep going this way this can shape up to be one of the best corruption games out there. Please stick with this dev. Don’t want to see something with so much potential abandoned.

May as well have been a kinetic novel because it seems to have all of one choice that matters, which determines which story you are playing. After that it's just a linear, pretty run-of-the-mill porn-game-logic storyline about a woman who is so dense and incompetent involuntary sexual acts is her only solution. I guess maybe the other storyline does it differently, couldn't be bothered checking. Writing is okay I guess, nothing particularly exciting and it doesn't really save the story from being wildly cliché and rather forced (and not in the fun way), nor does it manage anything more than slightly tepid in terms of how hot it is. Art is pretty passable but nothing special. In the words of Immortan Joe: MEDIOCRE!

The renders are decent, despite the rather dated plot. A pleasant heroine overcomes several obstacles on her way to earning money. Overall, the gameplay quality is high, and there's no intrusive grind.

Version Ep. 6 Layla: Shattered Hopes is a well packed 2-in-1 AVN that allows you to play two largely independent stories either as a strong, driven and positive female making good of her life in the city or as a corrupted downfallen prostitute plying her trade in the desert suburb ghetto. Overall production values are up to scratch and this AVN as a whole shows good promise though players might need to overlook some of the stiff and unconvincing plot developments especially at the start. Story You play Layla, a village girl who makes her way into the city to seek better prospects. On her way, Layla gets recommended by a stranger, Michael, to stay in a cheap motel and work in a rundown sleazy cafe in the suburbs. The game branches fairly early into two main paths: 1) Become a prostitute for the cafe cum brothel or 2) Move into the city proper and work as a luxury hotel receptionist. As far as I can tell, these two paths take place in two completely different "universe" and do not cross over in any way. The developer's approach to the corruption / prostitution route is fairly unique. The way most games do it is to have an FMC get corrupted by sleazebags and spirals linearly downwards before eventually turning into a complete slut. From what I can see so far, that's not the case here. Besides the usual ugly male sleazeball tropes, the prostitute route features interesting bright spots like a fellow prostitute, Ella who offers Layla practical tips on how to survive, decent clients like Anthony and Lou who treat prostitutes respectfully as service providers and a hard truther colleague Marlene who is irritatingly honest in her jabs. The city route is a career building plus romance sort of story which is much more uplifting but some players will likely find it too tame and slow moving. Having said that, the way the story unfolds is not without flaws. The major choice between staying in the motel and leaving for the city is presented in a manner that feels abrupt and somewhat illogical. Love at first sight between Layla and her boss on her first day at work feels contrived and leaves players scratching their heads especially when we don't see any physical or emotional reasons for this. Game Mechanic Visual novel with choices that allows players to reject sexual advances and there is one major choice early on to choose between the prostitute and city route. Background / Character Renders Both background and character designs are nicely done in Daz3D; they aren't breathtaking per se, but are of good quality and definitely beyond average. FMC Layla is pretty enough, but not to the point of being unrealistically model like attractive. All the ladies featured have realistic proportions, no mega boobs and butts or crazy sultry lips. The males are a mixed bag ranging from butt ugly to realistic normal, I haven't seen a dashing handsome male character to date. Character Development Layla's character does show some depth and growth depending on your route, but sometimes it can be jarringly illogical. For e.g. not even reading a line on the contract before signing, totally trusting Michael and Jeff while distrusting Marlene at first sight makes Layla dumb beyond pale. I get she might not be sophisticated as a village girl, but this is venturing into retardation level. Michael reads like a guy whom the developer has no clear position for him and changes along as the story progresses. He starts out like a villain who is in cahoots to corrupt Layla, but a few chapters in we are suddenly told he's a good guy who just "erroneously" sent Layla to the bad guys. Then he's kind of just phased out of the narration like a tool who has fulfilled his purpose. Jeff starts off as a sleazy one man show rundown cafe owner. Halfway through in order to fill logic gaps as to why Layla is bound to an unconscionable employment contract she signed, the developer starts to build up Jeff as some powerful mafia boss with deep connections across the underworld and elite society. Roy, Layla's manager in city route, is rather bland and uninteresting - a typical well groomed polite black guy working in a hotel. He's supposed to be Layla's love interest at first sight, but the developer provides us with no reasons for this. The guy isn't particularly handsome, his character is standard corporate correctness and so far nothing in his background or personality stands out. In fact it's the supporting female cast like Ella and Jody who carry the show. Ella's convincing as a cynical but kind survivalist plying the whoring trade while Jody is a fun to be with big city girl. Sex Scenes The sex scenes are done very well and I do appreciate the fact that they strike a good balance between narrative and visual. Most Daz games adopt the "show more than tell" format which means it's just render after render with short loop animations and little narrative / dialogue. Having dirty talk and narration on Layla's thoughts and feelings during sex makes the experience much more immersive. The animations though a bit short, are decent enough with good angles and smooth loops. Some basic sound effects and moaning certainly aid in the experience. One point of note though is all the NSFW scenes are currently only available in the prostitute route as the city route is a slow burn one and we will need to wait for future updates to unfold. BGM and Sound Effects Acceptable combination of BGMs and background ambient noise and the occasional basic sound effects across complements the game well. Conclusion Layla had a rough start as the developer constantly tweaked the storyline and characters in subsequent versions as feedback started pouring in. The drawback of such an approach is the occasional illogic and inconsistency in plot / introduced characters, but it beats the common approach which is to waste yet more months or years waiting for the developer to rework everything from the start. The coherence does get better gradually in later episodes and backed by solid technical aspects such as graphic renders, sex scenes and decent sound, I suppose most players can overlook some of the earlier hiccups and perhaps focus on its strengths and hopefully better future updates.

Review as of episode 6, so far its been an enjoyable experience doing the corruption path. The protagonist is very beautiful and the men are the bastards I enjoy in games, the ones many hate but I think there is never enough of them in games despite the strong opinions on the contrary. The developer seems to be really putting work on improving the game and listening to the players. Great job. I cant wait for the next update, this game is exactly what I crave.

This is one of those weird AVNs where the story is the focus to the detriment of the porn. Kudos to the dev for wanting to write a cohesive story, rather than the mind-numbing nonsense we see in most games here. Unfortunately, the impact is completely diminished thanks to the ridiculous sex scenes. When I say they are 'bad', it's really something you need to see for yourself. Layla, the FMC, ends up handing out a bunch of BJs, and sleeps with a few men. I know what you're thinking - 'awesome! corruption is hot!' Right.... right. Now, what if I told you each of the men has a teeny, tiny dick that is even more hilarious given all the men are big fat giants (if giants were hung like an infant lol). It's really almost too much to believe. Statistically speaking, would think at least one man would be average-sized 'downstairs', but nope! All of them are tiny. Which, I mean, good for Layla? I figure, if a woman is going to be corrupted into becoming a prostitute, getting 100% of clients with tiny-dicks probably is easier on her lady-parts. And when your porn game has me pondering the mechanics of prostitution in this manner, you've failed at making porn, hate to say. I gave an extra star for being able to write well, but overall, this AVN doesn't manage 'Adult' aspect at all... it's more of a slapstick comedy about a young woman tolerating a bunch of small dicks for spending money than an immersive, sexy story

Played Episode 5. This is a pretty solid game, at least on the corruption path. There's also an innocent path, but TBH I found that fairly boring - no sex, no conflict (from the branching point). Not sure where that side is going, but hopefully it does something interesting soon. The corruption path is pretty good though, if a little uneven at times. The main character is very attractive, and she has good facial expressions that really help sell the story. There are some moments that seem out of place to me, like when the landlord gets her drunk to take advantage of her, but she suddenly blurts out something like hurry up and fuck me. But overall I like her degradation as she descends down that path, and her reactions as she goes.

Fun story if you like corruption. It goes a bit fast for my liking, but that can be good to. The art is good. The story is logical and well written. There are 2 branching paths, innocent vs whore that you choose somewhat early on. There currently isnt much in the innocent path. Definitely a game to keep an eye out as more content is added.

It's a gem. It is really well written. Layla has hopes and dreams (and *gasp* emotional depth). The story still follows porn conventions of course. But the paths are well done and I love how she rationalises what happens to her. Art is great, writing is great. If you like the topics (prostitution, corruption), you WILL like this. If you don't, College Harem Collector 14 is just over there --->

Very good game, so far, tho it is just beginning. The MC is deeply hot, and just the right blend of ignorant, driven, and stubborn to make believable her making the stupider decisions neccessary for the properly degrading, humiliating, and disillusioned outcome the game's title promises. The MC, it should be noted, can apparently avoid personally partaking in any negative sexual interactions in the game, if one chooses less risky paths. Just sayin'. Not that you'd want to, but you can (at least as of Ep 4). One hope I have is that the last choice in chapter 4 (which makes the pivotal decision of going with outright degradation or not) will still pan out for potential shocking humiliations, even on the "good" path: else the game's title is a misrepresentation. I suspect that the game won't go more than an update or two without such negative opportunities being snuck in there, since the creator certainly knows what venue is promised. It's clear a lot of work went into this game, and it paid off. The character designs are on point, especially with Layla (as noted) actually being hot (a hot MC is not always a guarantee in indie porn games) and the writing is actually pretty good, which is a rarity: there are even moments of actual poetry. Overall, QUITE good. If it starts getting to sexual situations far more rapidly in future updates (a slow start is absolutely reasonable, but the rhythm could certainly quicken, as things progress) I will probably upgrade to giving it five stars.

I'm liking it so far, excellent renders. The only downside to me is the Whore path writing feels rushed. How is this a ''shattered hope'' if she is ''forced'' to accept that fate for money , but at the same time she is showing a desire to fuck strangers? this feels more like a win at the very beginning than a tragedy. It'd make sense if she realized later that she has a kink for it ( to somehow ease the pain of that fate).

The writing is pretty good, it's engaging. I never feel bored reading through any scenes. The art is good, the main character looks atractive. The type of story you really enjoy is the one that keeps you wanting to find out what's next, excited to see what's ahead. This game has that for me.

*Revised rating for Ep6 Possible spoilers. The story of a naive country girl who decides to leave her dead end home town and travel to the big city in search of a better life. Along the way, she meets a stranger who knows someone who can hook her up with a job and a cheap place to stay. Desperate to hit the ground running, she accepts the man's offer against the advice of a kind cab driver. Shortly after arriving at her new place of residence, she meets the owner of the seedy motel. It doesn't take him long to get our not-so-brainy damsel intoxicated and take advantage of her. He then boasts to his friend that he has found a new slut who will make him rich. Our MC soon realizes that the patrons of the seedy cafe where she now works will only "tip" for sexual services. So now she is torn between keeping her dignity and staying poor, or going against her morals and prostituting herself for some extra cash. Pros: 1- The gorgeous MC is by far the highlight of an otherwise average corruption story. 2- If you like to see old men and low-life's fucking hot young women, then you might enjoy this. 3- The premise of the story, albeit unoriginal, shows promise if the writing were to improve and the story diverges from the simple corruption-based path it's headed in. *update -There now appears to be a path that allows the MC to avoid becoming a cum dumpster. However, I did not play this option. 4- Some of the naughty dialogue, especially from the elderly cafe cook, was actually pretty hot, but overall, the erotic dialogue falls a bit short. Cons: 1- The game starts off with a poor attempt at artistic writing, which feels terribly out of place in a corruption porn game. This style of writing demands great skill and is very rarely done well by amateur storytellers. Fortunately, the attempt at artistic writing ends once she boards the train. Unfortunately, the remaining dialogue isn't much better. *Update- This was somewhat improved but still lacking, IMO. 2- The sex animations were inconsistent. Stop frame renders were mixed in with actual animation, and it looked awkward. Also, during the only sex scene, the male's penis changed shape numerous times. *Update- Animations vastly improved, but the above issues still exist. 3- With the exception of the sizzling MC, most of the character models used were pretty run-of-the-mill. *Update - Some improved models are used in the update. 4- The scene where two assholes in a car try to pick up the MC was one of the worst scenes I have ever seen. The moron who was supposedly dancing looked like he was having a seizure. I was actually expecting to see him start to foam at the mouth at some point during this painful scene. *Update - Slightly improved, but still a cringy scene that should be completely overhauled. Final thoughts- There are some AVN's that are flat-out bad, but because the MC is drop-dead gorgeous, it still manages to create interest. This may be one of those scenarios, as the MC is stunning. I also have the feeling that the game is just going to turn into your run-of-the-mill corruption game where everyone takes turns fucking the naive girl. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, but it just isn't very interesting. *Update- The writing has improved somewhat, but it is still inconsistent, almost to the point where it appears that multiple people were working on it. If you take the darker path, watching this poor woman being constantly abused can be somewhat depressing. I did not take the "happy" path, so I cannot comment on how that plays out. * Boner Rating - Erect. A serviceable game that should appeal to its targeted audience.

Sometimes I really wonder what kind of world the developers live in—or want to live in. A very pretty protagonist, but for the first 20 minutes, it's just ugly guys. For a change, not just old and fat, but a few younger ones too, but their faces are still awful. Go out, walk through your city, and find some templates for male characters that don't fit this stereotype. Unfortunately, some of the heroine's facial animations or poses don't look very flattering. For example, Laly's appearance fluctuates between 16 and 36 years old within a single conversation. Or the pose when she serves the first order in the cafe. The gestures with the second customer are very consistent, and I also liked that the player isn't asked whether or not to allow touching with the third customer. The developer's decision here is very fitting. At this point, it's a shame that the version is already over. I find the writing style refreshing, as a lot of it is narrated alongside the story, which creates a more atmospheric atmosphere. I thought the job interview in the cafe was brilliantly narrated. Unfortunately, I'm the wrong person to judge grammatical or spelling nuances. The scene with the two youngsters in the car was also something new. However, the driver's animation could be improved. If he's going to slam on the brakes to facilitate a conversation, he should at least occasionally look over to see who his friend is hitting on. Generally speaking, I think Laya's story could be quite interesting. I would like to see some visual decisions reconsidered and improved. So, with a clear conscience, I'm giving it 4 stars, but it's not good enough for 5. Not yet? Addendum: The game isn't over yet. I was fooled by the save prompt.