Leaving DNA

Version Ep. 4.3a Mixed thoughts about Leaving DNA and not really understanding the hype surrounding it. As an adult visual novel, I would rate this around a 3 and as a normal visual novel perhaps at 4. If you are wanting sex, then DNA isn't for you as there are very little or even no sex scenes depending on your route. Even when they happen, often it's just a quick series of renders and simple animations that feels more like an afterthought. As a normal visual novel, DNA has an intriguing and engaging story that is certainly much better than most AVNs. However the character development and plot narration is not without flaws and can at times come across as overbearing, off the top dramatic and stretches believability. Story Our MC is an Assistant District Attorney who takes part in a murder investigation with his ex who's a police detective in order to seek out his father whom he has never met before and in the process unravel the mysteries surrounding a secret military unit his dad was part of. There are two unique aspects of the story which are well done - Firstly the courtroom drama in the game is interesting and realistic (at least to a legal noob like me). The developer appears to have done quite a bit of research into details on court procedures, legal nomenclature and specific law applications and the effort shows. Secondly on the murder mystery side of things, we have a number of plot twists along the way which do add to the excitement and keep things interesting. However not all twists end up well and some of them, especially those in the latest chapter, feel contrived, i.e. trying to inject drama for the sake of it and I suspect to pander to incest kink players. Some of the slice of life moments go overboard leading to players reading tedious WOT generic stuff without any clear purpose. For e.g. in Chapter 1 there was an extremely long scene in the bar where I was trudging along reading a support character go on and on about him peeing in a teddy bear suit and a side discussion over the morality of incest among a few minor characters. All I got from that very long exchange was Jamie was jealous when MC tried to hook up with a bar girl. The scene gave us no useful insights to either MC or Jamie's character or backstory. Quite a few such similar scenarios happen, for e.g. Chapter 2's para by para banter over Marvel characters, chit chats among one-off characters in a wedding in Chapter 3, a couple of random uni girls talking about their school and views on the legal system in the US in Chapter 4 etc. I get that some interactions that don't propel the plot forward or develop the key characters are needed to build up a holistic and believable story world, but they need to be used sparingly as condiments in a concise manner, not ramble on and taking up significant amount of time and space. Game Mechanic As far as I can tell it is still possible to opt to romance all the LIs currently. However, my senses is this isn't a harem game and you will eventually be forced to select only one of them. Background / Character Renders Standard Daz3D backgrounds that serve their purpose. Characters are adequately designed and serviceable for the story though I don't find any of them particularly attractive. Character Development DNA shows us there is such a thing as over development of character. The developer tries extremely hard to convince players why MC is a spiritually broken individual due to his tragic childhood in order to rationalize his struggles in work and love life as well as his obsession to find his dad. But if we look at the guy's background, though admittedly not ideal, it doesn't explain how it leads to all this PTSD trauma. MC has never known his dad while his mum died when he was six. He was subsequently adopted by two families who did not ill treat him (as far as we can tell) but sort of dump him when their family circumstances changed. He then ran away as a teenager for a while before being adopted by a good family whom he keeps in contact to this day. After that his life trajectory blasted off into space orbit - he got into a good college, emerged as a popular football star, his adopted father served as a good friend and mentor, went to a good university with all expenses paid by an old rich political family, became best friends with a brother / sister pair of that prominent family and subsequently got off to a flying career as an attorney garnering fame and goodwill from the community after his successful prosecution of a high profile criminal. Does this look like a guy who should be having an unexplainable compulsion to find his irresponsible dad whom he has never met before to the point of jeopardising his career and own safety? How about that constant mental anguish over not being able to find love because he doesn't want to open up to anyone? And then rushing to seek emotional salvation (MC's own admission in game) by acknowledging a mentally incapacitated lost sister? I suppose it is statistically possible, but as a novel this characterisation which forms the central theme of the entire game would require a willing suspension of disbelief. Sex Scenes As mentioned earlier, this isn't a game if you want good sex. The quantity is limited, the scenes are overly short with some renders and simple animations without sound effects and almost no dialogue, inner thoughts or narrative descriptions in some cases. Some of the scenes like Jamie's masturbation happened so fast without forewarning that it was all over before one can react. There was this scene where MC and Aghavni were in a car driving back office and out of a sudden Aghavni declared she was horny, they stopped the car and banged on the roadside. The one with Malena is slightly better, but also another "let's have sex" and bam, deed is done so let's move on. It feels like the developer is compelled to throw in a lewd scene every chapter to justify DNA's status as a AVN. BGM and Sound Effects There are a few BGMs for some moments, but most of the gameplay is silent. There is this particular quirk which I'm unsure whether it's a bug on my end or intentional, but often the music would just cut off in the middle of an impactful scene even though it would make more sense to phase out the audio when the scene ends. I don't recall any sound effects, so there are either none or minimal. Conclusion Leaving DNA is a mixed bag with obvious strengths and weaknesses. I like the overall mystery crime story and everyday judicial work parts, but don't find all that mental struggle and drama convincing. The romance could have been handled better as whatever promising start inevitably gets bogged down with all that self-pity which doesn't quite fit well with what we know of MC's background. The sex scenes need serious work, it's a shame they don't get the same detailed attention as the rest of the game and often come across as periphery and forceful just to tick off the proverbial checkbox.

Yeah ....it's an ADULT visual novel alright.... not for what you think though . holy shit it's so fucking dark and heavy. It's brilliant, well paced , extremely well characterized . the protagonists and antagonists are very much alive . the models and assets are industry standard . the framing and setpieces are not the best but they do the job well. ( my only gripe is there's too much light and colour for such a story ) the story makes sense , is consistent . the dialogues are amazing and the most immersive I've read in an AVN ( and I've been reading a shitton of them throughout the years , the bar isn't really high, but that game, the writing rivals a good fucking book . you know those you swallow entirely in a single weekend. yeah this AVN is THAT level of writing. ). but good fucking lord it's DARK man . play or watch something cheerful afterwards because if you start to be immersed in the story you WILL experience a rollercoaster of emotion. but it plays more on Anger than on sadness. and it does have a David Fincher/Joel Schumacher (Gone Girl/8mm) kinda vibe. it's an ode to those 2000s mystery thriller movies . you know the ONLY THING IT LACKS ? a good music score. 90% have no music or sound. which I deplore it would definitely add to the immersion . something uncanny / bittersweet. but I get it , not every dev has the budget for that shit . Anyway . Bravo . fucking amazing.

It's crazy how gud ts is despite the lack of sexy time and shit like dat. Strong mc that feels like his own character Strong main cast Deep mystery where, just like in PC and Coms, u don't know what will actually happen next. This is attributed 2 solid/strong character writing. Overall interesting story. It's just peak, progressively and essentially grows stronger by exceeding all expectations. Right amount of twists and and turns. I was completely locked in by episode cliffhanger which made next update more satisfying/gratifying, especially with 3sum if u play a fucked up corrupt John rockford. Tl-dr: LDNA is basically a game whereby it expect copper (meaningless sex romp) but find a gold mine of shit both unrelated and related 2 d sex that is in the game now. Its that enjoyable. Only games with as strong character writing as this are PC, Coms and maybe AFW. Want peak/greatness and you'll be rewarded in AVN heaven by playing ts. Hopefully this stays 4 gud. Happy new year mfing gooners.

A very solid title with clear potential for a longer series. The story draws you in from the very beginning, the dialogue is well written, and the pacing of the narrative is well balanced. The visuals are high quality, the characters are distinctive, and the animations are smooth and polished. The mechanics are intuitive and do not interfere with immersion. For an Act 1 release, the game offers a substantial amount of content and definitely leaves you wanting more.

This game made me cry, laugh, grin, sigh and gasp all in one evening form the narrative that absolutely hooked me. The story is compelling, the law procedures realistic enough to make me sympathize with everything going on while also educating me and ponder the law system. 5 stars.

Top-tier story-writing. Earns emotions in the player. * Writing: 5/5 * Visuals: 5/5 * Choices Matter: 3.5/5 * Emotions: 5/5 This is not a lewd focused game. There are gorgeous people and some sexy scenes. But most of the game is story. Really good story. My favorite games invoke emotions -- make me feel something! This game has a number of emotional moments that are very rewarding. Among the many things that stand out about this game it is also the only one I have seen discuss the actual harms caused by incest in the real world. AVNs have no shortage of incest fantasies but they really need to stay as just fantasies.

This game lost me pretty fast, not because of the writing or the dialogues, they are good, no it was because of the humour, the renders and the choices So many renders in the beginning are just a little off, characters are squinting way too often, are dirty or the proportions don´t fit For example the first choice in this VN, there is a woman staring at you with crossed legs and a tensed up bodylanguage as if she is about to piss herself. Next render is a close up of her face with a way too big forehead and a weird smile. She doesn´t say anything and you choise is to say hello or ignore her. If you ignore her, what in RL most of us would do, her path is closed, even when moments later you save her from a rape attempt and get stabbed because of it... The dev thinks it is funny to joke about cut off bodyparts and blood everwhere what made me think how disgusting the MC is or at a bar where someone is telling a story how he pissed himself in a bearcostume which is clear after the first two sentenses and it drags on and on and on. Everyone around seems to enjoy it and I am asking myself what is wrong with all these people... But it gets worse, right after this "joke" the vibe changes completly when they talk about a minor getting raped... Maybe the renders are getting better later on and the humour, can´t tell I already stopped playing and won´t come back

First three episodes are really solid. Fourth episode didn't click for me. Felt a bit railroaded into one of two extremes, and kind of took me out of my immersion in the story. Still looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.

4/5 - Would've given it a 5/5 if it had a ntr plotline with your ex and (redacted) but overall its solid. (would've really liked the ntr plotline tho) we, haven't had an update in ages so idk what else to say about this supposed game

Story: 10/10 Renders: 8/10 Animation: 10/10 Sound: 8/10 Characters: 7/10 This is a really well-written game, the story is really good and immersive. Although they are few, the animations are also done really well. I really like the story, narrations, and facial expressions of characters during dialogues, many devs mess it up. It is really done well here, it makes you connect with the game and feel the emotions of characters. The drama and plot twists in this are also good. The recap thing after every chapter is also nice. Talking about some things that could have been done better, I personally didn't like the character designs of some of the LIs. Some of their faces look weird, and side characters look better than the LIs. Also, I would say it has kind of fewer scenes, even though it has 4 chapters. I think the dev focused more on the story, but I think there should be a fine balance between both. But it's still a very good must-play game.

Nice one with a decent story and narrative. Feels like devs baiting us for a big plot twist in the story. Unusual approach with the "you can't have both of the best friends" rule. But i don't mind. It gives a reason to play multiple times with different choices.

Fantastic legal drama of an AVN. Usually, I have detailed reviews of games I've played on here, listing all the pros/cons, quirks, specific scenes, etc. Didn't need to do that with this. Smart, tight writing. Beautiful art and heroines. Perfect number of heroines. Decent animation. Fantastic music. Actual drama. Little bit of soap opera melodrama, too. Nearly everything works. Nearly every scene is plot driven or relevant -- even during some interludes -- especially with Chapter 4. Avoids lots of cliches, adds some of its own (like John's panic attacks and constant assessment and reaffirmation of his character). Decent amount of mysteries and conflict. I would personally like more lawyer jargon and events, but the narrative does a good job there for a legal drama. The only thing I say doesn't fit is there're quite a few twists here and there that feel so soap opera to the point of making soap operas blush. Almost every day John gets hit by several revelations, it might be a bit too much. "Family is #1", "I need to suck it up", "who is my daddy?" Then he sometimes mopes about not being honest or emotional, or having enough trust to share with friends. ( I'm surprised there isn't a therapist subplot. ) This emotion and trust element should have worked with a path for a certain LI by now, but everything seems almost open still. It's a bit crazy for our boy Johnny here. As a famous lawyer, the odd stumbling in conversation with a certain senator was quite odd. But hey, he's got it rough. Either way, you can't fault conflict causing characters to be off their game, and thus, there are plenty of great scenes. Great heroines with their own personalities and problems all tied into the story somehow. A touch contrived, sure, but it doesn't pull you out. And next comes another hook that makes you care about this or that character. It's not just sex. Didn't see any grammar issues. Didn't see any visual issues, but not top of the line. Art, lighting, and rendering could be bit better. Music could be a touch better, but lots of scenes just land perfectly with some basic piano tracks. Definitely not a straight up porn game with fetishes. We're here for drama and plot. But other than minor nitpicks? If you're here for a smartly written story, it's 5 stars. Not a perfect game on every level, but I'll say it's the best story and storytelling for an AVN I've come across. We're talking above Leap of Faith levels for plot, and soap opera melodrama.

Leaving DNA... what's that all about then, huh? If it's a quick fap, harem with easy girls, then perhaps you should look elsewhere. BUT if you like a fukcing WORK OF ART with solid to sensational renders (they get better as the game progresses and they start out good) and an exceptional story with real characters and emotions, then you are in for a treat. My sole complaint? I started this VN last night and couldn't stop until it was sunny outside... thanks, Impious Monk! I like being surprised in life, to have to think a little bit, and Leaving DNA fullfils these wishes far, far more than I expected. It merits its high ratings because it delivers an experience that is rarely equaled, and not just compared to works on this site. BIG PLUS for the subtleties, the attention to detail, the hints and humour, and the fabulous interconnections that Impious Monk (and their team?) have meticulously created for our enjoyment. Leaving DNA can be an emotional ride if you let it, and it treats a number of serious subjects with intelligence and good taste as you are struck at its ambition. So many very average VNs attain 4 or 5 stars, and hey I'm not judging, but in my eyes, this one simply stands out from (most of) the rest. Read the Walkthrough PDF very briefly before starting, and prepare yourselves for something special. Once again, my grats and thanks to Impious Monk.

a very good game with very nice renders and animations. The story is a very good mystery so far I love it. It has a very mature way of story telling while it portrays very tough subjects as well as complicated feelings. Furthermore I really love the music scenes and this game managed to make me feel many emotions, kudos to everyone working on this! Update: This game made me cry damn, anyone wanting a mature captivating mystery story with lots of strong emotions should make his self a favor and play this!

I'm only now starting episode 3, but this story has me hooked. It is a slow burn, for sure, but that only adds to the realism of this game. I am very much enjoying the immersion into the main character and the game as a whole. Most games on here follow a relatively easy, but unimaginable in real life storytelling. Whereas this story actually makes you have to think along with the main character. It definitely does not fit the usual mold for games on this website, but it is very refreshing to have a story like this on here. I'm very much looking forward to what the rest of this game brings.

Some parts are pretty great, others are underwhelming. First of all it looks as if I'm playing some sort of a SFW version. I kinda went with my gut feeling on a lot of stuff and playing through 4 episodes I got no sex scene. If I come to think I think there was almost 1 kiss scene that didn't actually happen for some reason. The story is pretty good and backstories of characters too, I mainly played through because I was curious of the story, so I find this its strongest point. It feels like way too much emotional drama for everyone. It's like some stereotypical soap opera for women, just way too artificial, far from reality. We do have our struggles but man that's just coincidentally a LOT of stuff concentrated around those few characters. Some of the plot twists seem a bit too strong, a bit immersion breaking even perhaps. I like the renders, the women look great, well perfect models as usual but closer to real life stuff than a lot of other VNs. Their characters are interesting as well, but they all seems to be stuck in their own little emotional hamster wheel, it didn't feel like there was a lot of development for either one of them. MC is ok, quite well built as a character, but I feel he acts irrationally sometimes. For example his sudden fascination for his father was very weird, I would have never chosen to pursue that asshole/criminal, it's one thing to give second or third chances to somone and sure it's fine, but I feel that guy lost many chances and just did so much harm that there's just no way I would be interested in him as a father. So it was very weird when the character acted what looked to me, out of character. I had a couple more occasions where I felt very strongly I would have wanted to have a choice as an important decision was made on my behalf automatically. All in all this is maybe a strong 3, maybe a weak 4, but I don't feel like giving a 4 because of some pretty serious flaws. I don't really like some of the choices but I think the dev has talent and a lot of potential so I will perhaps follow up with the story later and would be interested if he makes anything else. One of the better developers on this forum, which we need, as currently we seem to have a handful overhyped ones and the rest don't get the support they need.

Very very underrated. Great graphics, writing, story, it has some mystery and romance. Love the fact that you can play this on the phone, thats plus points Aghvani is strong HBB, look forward to see more updates, strong start

Insanely well written characters. Was fully immersed into the story. Character models are unique, renders are beautiful too. All in all a fantastic game, probably one of the best stories on this site.

I am only at the start but the story already hit so much. I am glad there is some well written story and not only horny stuff there. Thank you for that i frrl likr the emotions will be hard and lovely in the future

A great game so far. Will hold off from giving my final rating, which will probably be a 5, when this completes. Great story, original and gripping plot, quality writing, decent renders and a dev that is not only nice but helpful. I hope this game keeps delivering because it is rapidly becoming one of my favourites.