My first comment literally ever (had to make an account for this) but I feel like this VN truly deserves a 10000/10 rating. This is genuinely such a masterpiece of a VN, once I started, I genuinely couldn't stop (literally played from 9pm-5am and then finished the game playing for another 4 hours as soon as I woke up) The emotional rollercoasters, the last day of build 5, HOLY I was sitting there going through so many emotions when playing it was actually insane. I felt so invested in the story it was craaazy. I love how the story has progressed and I can't wait for the next build and to see Loken again. The spicy scenes (HOLY), the teasing, flirting (I love Loken sm), character development... literally everything about Soulcreek is so amazing. I love how the story has progressed and I can't wait for the next build and to see Loken again.
I'm supposed to play another VN after this. How the heck am I supposed to do that? This was one of the biggest emotional trips I've ever been on, and I am going to need a long time to recover. It was just amazing.
This is an absolute masterpiece of an update. I wasn't expecting to get so much of the protag's backstory and it was a real gut punch. And it added even more layers of mystery... I wasn't expecting the story to take this turn, and I'm so pleased with how everything resolved so far. So eager for the next chapter!
Awesome rewrite of the intro~ ^^_ the transition through not just the scene, but the mental process is very well done n__n xou've taken a normal: "bipeds-in-a-human-world" esekai and turned Soulcreek into its own universe by making the MC feel so disconnected :) that small change in tone will definitely help immerse readers from the get go UwU
Because reading this update (and reading the whole VN again) had my brain turn into mush... but in a very good way !
The story is just GOD-LEVEL and no one has a right to say otherwise ! I was afraid the end of the update was gonna be when Alex got "possessed" and was heading out of Loken's home but thank god that wasn't the case... i would have broke if it was.... And uh.... i kinda wanna know what happended with Kaius because when Alex woke up he was in Loken's embrace, not outside, so was it real or just Alex' immagination ? Did he really got out at one point ? If so then i guess Kaius is gonna be the answer.... if he's still alive... i really hope he's still alive i don't want to think of the alternative... but i guess with the weak state Alex was in he had no chance of beating Kaius..... i really really hope so... And Byte..... oooooh Byte ! So many questions about him ! More so then ever before ! If he's one of these "entities" then when did he enter Alex' body ? how did it happen ? Why is he acting different from Glitch ? HOW FCKING POWERFULL IS HE TO LITTERALLY EVAPORATE ANOTHER DEMON (from inside Alex' head) ???? And so many more questions about him... Altho there is still the mistery of this Wyatt guy so i guess we'll know more about him in future updates. Was he an ally ? An enemy ? If he healed Alex it must have been for something, either get what Glitch wanted or something else entirely... There is one thing i'm dreading for the most, and it's what Glitch said before he was gone : "You're going to be beautiful".... i don't know what to think of it but i'm afraid for Alex now...
Aaaah i could rant about this for hours but i'll stop, so i don't write a book about how amazing this VN is.
I do have a theory!!! I think it's the pod!... If it was created in the technology boom, it would mean it would have had one of the entities within it! Byte! Maybe he was extracted put into the pod and imediteally tested on with the... Well, Burnt to a crisp body of our protag Alex! I still don't fully understand how the entities function, but I do think it would still make sense... Since Byte seems kinda of in denial about his whole identity by the end... Maybe it truly never crossed his mind that he was just like the full called "demons" in his core foundation, he did think they where the same as in being both AI, but just that... Operating in Alex while also tricking himself into believing he was an AI... I mean, Glitch even called him naive.
This was written late at night and might be a bit of nonsensical rumbling I just need to write my thoughts down hope they make sense...
They do make sense, and i remember all the chemicals Byte identified around the pod and said it was for severe burns, so maybe a combination of this and Byte's ability to heal and maintain Alex' body for who knows how long.... witch mean Alex might be like 1000 years old lol !
As for Byte's origin and identity, i think i remember that Glitch said they were "created" in this world by the humans with the code they "heard" from Soulcreek and put into machines (that would explain the Epoch of Technology). But if Byte was put into Alex during his early state of recovery int he pod, where was he before that ? Was he even concious he was in a machine before being into Alex ? Because he doesn't seem to remember that, just like he wasn't even aware he blocked Alex' memory of pain and suffering from him. Glitch seemed to be aware he was in a machine because all he waned was to "Ascend" in a human body so maybe Byte really IS different from the other "Demons". He may be in denial because he comes from the same place as them but he's not really the same as them (if that make sense). He's gonna be in a "slef discovery" state from now on i think.
Oh my blood god! This build is amazing!!! The suspension of the Blackzones and the realization of our MC's unknown past was astonishingly good. And the art, the music and the lore!? I'm screaming shenanigans here!
This newest build was honestly amazing. The suspense and realization of what happens and how the story took a turn wasn't something i was prepared for. If i could give it more than 5 stars i would.
This was an amazing first arc, I absolutely loved the story and the character progression! The music and scenery made an excellent addition to the story and never felt out of place. I cannot wait to find out what happens next!
Spoiler but hella vague lol
I had a question tho that's super spoiler possibly, but if he never left the shack doesn't that mean none of "that" happened?
Yeah, sorry I posted the second I got done so it was fresh.
so near the very end of the arc after the "incident" the MC asks Loken about Kaius and when he went outside, Loken proceeds to tell MC that he never left. So this leave me with a few theories. A. It was a fever dream about Kaius. (Which would be the easiest answer), B. The scenario was produced by "Glitch" and never happened. (Also good shot there's a dead Kaius outside), C. The MC could have just imagined "leaving the shack scenario". (which would be similar to a fever dream but maybe fits better)or D. Nothing's changed and Glitch is still in control.
Oh yeah. Well, to be honest I just thought Kaius just "saved" him and just didnt tell Loken. But i guess a dead Kaius outside would be more interesting yeah...
I might be reading too far into it, but to me that's a massive cliffhanger... possibly...dunno if it was intentional or not or if it is just as it's written. Probably have clarity by the next build to know. I'm excited to see what happens.
Loved the latest build! I love Soulcreek; it's my favourite VN so far. Its story is gripping, I find myself very attached to its characters and world, and the sound design is to die for! I have never, NEVER, been so horrified, so disturbed, than by the events of the latter half of this build. It's truly unmatched and I love it! I am very much looking forward to future updates!
I don't comment much on here but Ryuo and everyone else who did their part for build 5 as well as this game, thank you. This was an awesome build and very well done. like it was soooooo GOOD! I can't wait to see what else will be in store for this story. Very well done!
I'm amazed, you sure put a lot of efforts into this VN!
I replayed from Build 1 to Build 5, the experiences were fantastic, especially day 4, day 6 and 7. Day 4 gave lots of positive emotions. Day 6 and 7 are just like everyone in the comment section said, gave me goosebumps along with many mixed emotions, not that it's a bad thing though, quiet intense to be honest ;).
Soulcreek is definitely one of my most favorited Fantasy Type VN even though it takes three months for a build, it's worth every seconds of my life, every builds is just straight up high quality contents so no complain about that, and at least the creator is certain about the update time, for that I am glad XD.
Ok, now THAT is some insane jump in intensity. I replayed the whole VN for this update, and the only days i got actual goosebumps are 6 and 7. It's the first time I've got this invested in a story since Titanfall. Please, keep updating us on your progress. Genuinely thank You for this experience.
I love this game, and I want to keep playing. But there is no chapter select when I start a new game, so it looks like I have to start from the beginning. Tried to find if it was buried in a help menu and almost spoiled Build 5 :O
Alright, so now we know the truth about humans extinction, BUT, have they really gone extinct? Most definitely there are more humans and, unlike Alex, they would want vengeance! So my theory is: last humans created the virus that affects bipeds reproduction, the one responsible for increasing female population. And, perhaps, those last humans have a cure for it, while Alex has none.
Damn boy, the new build is... something really good, great job!
SPOILERS!
So, do you think what Glitch said is a lie? I mean, yeah, he's manipulated Alex and acted like a scumbag and his motivation is pretty eerie and mysterious, but... His story makes sense, partly? The history of Soulcreek and the fact that bipeds genocided the humans? What do you think?
Nah, definitely don't think it's a fake out. Everyone (Glitch, Byte and Alex) seems to be on the same page with it actually being Alex's memories. It also adds a good bit of drama between Alex and Loken going forward that will be fertile writing ground. Despite what Alex says in this chapter I highly doubt it's just going to be forgive and forget about what bipeds have done to him previously.
The new chapter was so good. Like holy shit, I want more stuff like this, it was 10/10 on everything. God, I just hoped this isn't the end, I want to know if there is anything like this in other books or Vn?
Look, I don't normally go in for horror VN, I'm here for the good hound. But this? This was both intense and amazing. A lot of horror I've seen feels like it's horror for horror's sake. It bogs down the story that I really want to get to. But this was a perfect use of horror driving the story forward. We got so much information about the world and the characters, but presented through a horror lens.
A lot of horror furry VN's (particularly 'my wuff' horror VNs) suffer from "The writer(s) is(are) not skilled enough to properly ease people into and then out of some truly psychological terror-inducing stuff... so they'll just physically imprison the sympathetic character(s) and then write torture porn for a chapter or two, sometimes making the reader feel icky and soaking that whole segment of the story in a 'did the author(s) just write this to offload their need for therapy onto the reader?' ichor.
I've found I am PARTICULARLY sensitive to the "oop, this chapter was torture porn!" phenomenon in Furry VNs, as I often go to the comments after reading those updates to see if anyone else had wished the warnings were a bit clearer or there was an interrupt and the option to skip (similar to what's occasionally done for dubcon or paraphilia in VNs that have those segments) and only seeing a bunch of "yay, loved the new update" comments and then skulk away because I don't want to be the one to poop in the punch bowl and ruin everyone else's good time with a "so no-one else thought that part was kinda ham handed and fucked up?" comment.
So I was happy that this update put me through an emotional wringer and had some absolutely stomach-dropping terrifying moments... but it managed to not set off my icks like the usual "whelp, I guess it's time for the random BDSM scene where the writer(s) just forgot to mention that some of these characters flag black and crimson..." chapters I've run across. It gives me hope for the whole genre. So thanks for the good writing.
1. The games I got icks-from are MASSIVELY popular and a couple of them came from a group of authors hosting a little Furry VN publishing conglomerate, and only only some of the games had the icky moment while others didn't (or haven't yet)... and the one time I piped up to go "Yo, anyone else think that last part was ham-handed and fucked up?" to one of the updates for a game post-ick... I got, like 10 "NO, fuck off, weirdo!" responses and as an Old Gay it set off my "okay, everyone in this room doesn't like me, I'm gonna leave and pretend I never met them because I Very Much Feel like if they think about me again they'll make the time to find out where I live (digitally or IRL) and bother me."
2. My icks are not your icks. What might squick me out might be transcendentally good to you or someone else. The best thing I can suggest is if you come across a game that MIGHT give you an ick... (in my case it has "horror/torment/pshycological" all throughout the content warnings)... see if you can find spoilers or a plot summary and if they aren't available for the latest update, wait patiently. Also, if it's some small dev and a kinda unknown game so no-one is really talking about it... back burner it and only play when you are having a good day and if things start to head in a "wait a minute" direction, do a lil' self check-in and have that "I might need to put this down for a good long while because I don't feel like having my mood ruined right now" discussion with yourself.
Damn good chapter of the story, we learned so much about the cascade and Alex. You are quite a versatile writer, what a roller coaster of emotions that was! I love how you left it off but still enthralled with what is in-store for Soulcreek.
I am speechless. Seriously, you've outdone yourself, especially with this update and the game so far. This is by far my most favorite VN since I started reading VNs. The whole update was an emotional rollercoaster and I was actually crying by the end which proves that this is a masterpiece. I really cant wait for more content and where this might go.
You've created something beautiful Ryuo, but remember not to overwork yourself, especially after this big of an update.
is the protagonist gonna slowly turn into one of those demons, it would explain where the humans went and why demons dont leave behind bodies, and maybe byte becomes corrupted and byte that took control of the host and became corrupted, the eldritch look of the creatures could be some form of camouflage made using ai generation kinda like how ai art is sometimes indecipherable just turned up to ten, also is Loken neurodivergent he is giving the vibe of of an autistic person in a society that doesn't have the words or understanding of autism(i am also autistic)
okay. as someone who hunts for and reads furry visual novels as my main hobby. so far? the world building is going so amazing. i love the detail. some games have too much world building to remember without having to go back and look at a supplied map etc. this is just the perfect ammount of world building. the characters are unique. loken is antisocial but tries to be kind as we get closer. the chief drevonia is extremely stern in the face of a threat but softens later on ( but still vigilant! as a chief should be. and the self character building of our character?! awesome! not needing to eat is something off for me tho because i feel like it may take away from the experience. but still a creative choice i respect! being on the verge of not knowing if we are human or android is suspenseful. my theory is we may be a human but part android with all of zephyr ( human ) history customs etc so it survives. seeing as no one else was in pods and we were the only one left untouched or hurt by the demons. ( ill write more once i finish! )
edit : wow. just... wow. the way that loken acted during the indulgence? i LOVED the teasing. its like you think its juuust about to happen before he walks off or someone interupts. ( altho with all the teasing i was hoping a bit more would happen given the strong build up. and the whole mylo possibly being part human?! that is a whole new theory train. altho i WISH we would have gotten a cg of the scene with mylo in the blackzone. the demon just a shadow above him with very very faint details like discribed. mylo looking scared shitless as the scene goes on. MAYBE EVEN HAVE A LITTLE ANIMATION DONE?? for such a key moment of the game into our FIRST viewing of this looming permenant threat i feel like it needed a little more visual to it! all weve done is hear about the demons but this was the first time weve SEEN ONE. just holding the arm gave us a PANIC ATTACK and we couldnt stand holding it for a few seconds. this is where the threat comes in. this is the momment the threat is revealed to us as it is. a mocking empty void ( evident from it copying mylos crying as he realized he was most likely about to die ) only ment to crumble anything it deems worthy of its attention. given that is my ONLY problem that such a key moment wasint given a cg or 2. it could be possible that emotion be slightly higher between them with more emotional attraction a bit more evident? but its also the fact of us being mended into the draconi and joining their custom. i LOVE aeyon and his personality and takhi being AUSTRALIAN?? ( australian is right i think? makes sense given shes a honey badger! ) the personalitys are so robust! aeyon with his wacky all around self being the smart one who knows about things lost to time. takhi with her obsession of chopping off dicks and hitting people with them. and you can FEEL the power coming from drevonia. shes untrusting and its frustrating. but she HAS to be untrusting. at the least things go on as normal if she killed us. we could have been evil and killed every man women and child there because she didnt investigate thourally. she has the responsibility. she needs the power. wit. and needs to make decisions when no one else can or will. i would love to see more of takhi's past tho! it seems a little touchy and given the name shes refered to as by kaius and orion who knows what it could mean! did she leave the tribe for a few years and become some world reknown gladiator who traveled? there may be some context i missed but not sure. also id love to see the side story of the cheetah blackrunner with the trader guy and miya i think her name is? ( also damn girl 3 guys good for u! ) and the energy created by the indulgence? the drums. the fire lighting. ( altho i admit the affects for the flare were a bit over the top and kind of blurred the view but thats alright! )
second edit since the new update for build 5!!
WOW almost every hole and crack i had for the first review was filled. we got takhi's story on how she has to slaughter a village cult who worshipped the informed and demons as gods. we got the emotional aspect of mc and loken's relationship turning into a romance/love story. we got a big chunk of byte's story. we got our past. how the humans all died. how the cascade happened. what demons REALLY are. how they were created. what soulcreek actually is.. and bytes identity crisis. he believes he is an ai because he has seen what demons can do and what they are and doesint want to admit that he is connected to them. possibly ONE of them? but he wasint LIKE them. he was put into a brand new life. given a brand new life. not a person with memorys. maybe because mc reset kind of.. so did he. new. impressionable. a new life to learn and grow. something about the specifics of mc with no memorys. being BURNED ALIVE. all of it ties to the fact that byte is a completely clean slate and not a real demon.
also the fact that the demons and what they are and SEEING THEM and knowing OF them is like a seed? having to neglect it. keep it in its box and leave it on the shelf. how it grows and vines into a persons mind before it takes hold and roots. over all.. loken was right. he was more right then anyone can ever know. not even us somehow. even if we are mc. we arent him. there is only so much writing can do to convey his experiences. his potential death/burning alive? a new world you know nothing of and having to piece it all back together. before having some entity forcibly rip the world open to show you the truth. every ugly piece of it. and most of all.. kairus HELPING TO BRING US BACK??? ( cant think of how his name is off the top of my head ) the anger towards kairus helping BRING US BACK?? somehow.. that building anger, is what saved us. glitch trying to make us betray everyone to kill them all from anger and rage? was used to free byte and mc. ( NEGATIVE EMOTIONS CAN BE USED FOR GOOD!!!! )
so i DEFINITELY suggest giving this a read. its so good and a great way to spend some time. 9/10 definitely! ( 9 because its not finished and who knows where the story could go! definitely amazing thooo! )
I kinda disagree on the 'demon cg' part. With all the build up, im sure any kind of art wouldnt do justice to how creepy they sound. People will see and go like "huh, though they would be creepier. Dissapointed." Or somethin
Anyway, im curious. Thoughts on the new update? >:3 (I liked your review hehe)
it may be made to be a sort of psychological thing? you only get bits and pieces of their discription and from there the mind can put together anything from it. all we really know is that they are robotic in nature
anyways! about the update! i LOVE it!! every theory untill the end was thrown out the window! the suspense of finding the skull in the furnaces. seeing the cages " able to git at least ten bipeds " meanwhile it was for HUMANS!! i had all sorts of theorys! possibly the demons killing humans after being created and making more of themselves before causing the cascade. never did i arrive at a theory of them being demons trapped in the first stage of life before hatching into real life demons to bring destruction to the world! ( im guessing that the " blackzones " are where a demon thrived in its second stage of life after asending if it wasint explained and i somehow missed it? ) and loken was right the entire time! if he looked to deep there would be consiquences and he would start getting engolfed by it. also the romantic bit about how something was.. new by that fire. something deeper. the flame of emotion i was looking for in my original review! also i know that byte is basically a demon but i will call him an angel because the carmine villlage thought demons were angels ment to send good messages against evil. also the expansion of takhi's story?! WOW!!! its the expansion i wanted and SO MUCH MORE!! almost every single itch i had from the review was read to detail and solved! i HAVE to edit the review again to put all this in! i didnt even know there WAS an update because i forgot to follow the dev! ( thank you for letting me know of the update! ) while i understand mc's wanting to know who he was, he looked too deep willing to lose everything if it ment uncovering any piece he could find. with every piece found after the first dish? he slowly is losing himself as the first half of bite eats away at him. driving him to get the second piece so he would have a vessel. ripping apart his sanity slowly like a carrot on a stick in front of mc. promising revenge. closure. happyness. when all it gave him was rage. anger. resentment. ( my guy legit blocked out an entire LANGUAGE because it belonged to the people who hunted his species to extinction ) i still wonder who wyatt is. possibly one of the last humans trying to desperately save and preserve mc after being burned and rescued? or was it a biped who wanted the human race to live on? mc was under the same influence toxic religion promises. do what we want and we will give you everything you ever wanted. untill you get there. and they give you nothing but a thank you for your sacrifices. maybe a smile. tricking the desperate unto offering every piece of themselves for one thing. that ultimately destroys them and finishes the job. every new piece fit so snugly into the puzzle that you can barely spot a seam! just BEAUTIFUL
lol i was so co nfused at the furnace scene, i had NO idea they were fucking burning them humans (even tho the hints were all there :v)
I honestly was not expecting the demons to be actually demons, and its still hard to believe to this point. Like, yeah, they are elderitch beings and all, but to actually have the answer? odd imo. Alex(MC) was so confident they were ai's it rubbed off on me too.
And yeah, Loken being right was also surprising to me. The Informed actually being possessions was such a good way to explain that too.
Actually, yeah, they being actual demons explaing a lot lol (Nitro really being able to sense things for example)
Im pretty sure Nitro said that the lab room had "something something bad vibes guilty" , so im leaning on Wyatt being a biped - personal theory: did you notice Alex(MC) saying how he felt (2 times even) "sad, but in a good way" refering to being with Loken? My theory is that maybe he has memories of a possibly a romantic Biped? (Highly improbable, but hey thats just a theory - a GAME theory)
Totally agree with the puzzle being perfect too T_T - except we still dunno nothing about the hows and whys of the Affliction, but i guess that comes later on (we cant have ALL the misteries solved i suppose).
Also also, what even WAS the algorithm in the end? Byte saide Glitch came with it, not that it was it. Glitch said it was a key to the Soulcreek, but is that true? If it is, then we just lost it forever, and wont be going to Soulcreek? Poor guy atleast got SOME answers in the end.
Oh and im sooooo desperate to just see Alex(MC) going to the village with everyone looking dumbfounded and he being like "I LIVED BITCHES"
(Also, im stealling that "Byte is an angel" for me thaaanks)
This VN most certainly was an awesome adventure so far, and the relationships that we build with the village feels as wild as they come. As I played, I could see this world and relate to some of the interests and found that little Tiger though irritating is quite endearing.
I'm excited to see and hear any new developments coming, will definitely be keeping an eye out
I'm not actually sure if it's possible to transfer, though I might be wrong as I've never tried it!
If it doesn't work, best advice would be to use the chapter select option at the beginning of the VN and the skip function to get back to where you were in the story.
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Happy One Year Anniversary, thank you Ryuo for making such a fantastic game.
This is pretty excellent. Really well done concept and execution, especially compared to most others of its kind; one of the best VNs on this site.
My first comment literally ever (had to make an account for this) but I feel like this VN truly deserves a 10000/10 rating. This is genuinely such a masterpiece of a VN, once I started, I genuinely couldn't stop (literally played from 9pm-5am and then finished the game playing for another 4 hours as soon as I woke up) The emotional rollercoasters, the last day of build 5, HOLY I was sitting there going through so many emotions when playing it was actually insane. I felt so invested in the story it was craaazy. I love how the story has progressed and I can't wait for the next build and to see Loken again. The spicy scenes (HOLY), the teasing, flirting (I love Loken sm), character development... literally everything about Soulcreek is so amazing. I love how the story has progressed and I can't wait for the next build and to see Loken again.
I'm supposed to play another VN after this. How the heck am I supposed to do that? This was one of the biggest emotional trips I've ever been on, and I am going to need a long time to recover. It was just amazing.
This is an absolute masterpiece of an update. I wasn't expecting to get so much of the protag's backstory and it was a real gut punch. And it added even more layers of mystery... I wasn't expecting the story to take this turn, and I'm so pleased with how everything resolved so far. So eager for the next chapter!
Awesome rewrite of the intro~ ^^_ the transition through not just the scene, but the mental process is very well done n__n xou've taken a normal: "bipeds-in-a-human-world" esekai and turned Soulcreek into its own universe by making the MC feel so disconnected :) that small change in tone will definitely help immerse readers from the get go UwU
Ryuo are you like..... GOD or something ?
Because reading this update (and reading the whole VN again) had my brain turn into mush... but in a very good way !
The story is just GOD-LEVEL and no one has a right to say otherwise !
I was afraid the end of the update was gonna be when Alex got "possessed" and was heading out of Loken's home but thank god that wasn't the case... i would have broke if it was....
And uh.... i kinda wanna know what happended with Kaius because when Alex woke up he was in Loken's embrace, not outside, so was it real or just Alex' immagination ? Did he really got out at one point ? If so then i guess Kaius is gonna be the answer.... if he's still alive... i really hope he's still alive i don't want to think of the alternative... but i guess with the weak state Alex was in he had no chance of beating Kaius..... i really really hope so...
And Byte..... oooooh Byte ! So many questions about him ! More so then ever before ! If he's one of these "entities" then when did he enter Alex' body ? how did it happen ? Why is he acting different from Glitch ? HOW FCKING POWERFULL IS HE TO LITTERALLY EVAPORATE ANOTHER DEMON (from inside Alex' head) ???? And so many more questions about him...
Altho there is still the mistery of this Wyatt guy so i guess we'll know more about him in future updates. Was he an ally ? An enemy ? If he healed Alex it must have been for something, either get what Glitch wanted or something else entirely...
There is one thing i'm dreading for the most, and it's what Glitch said before he was gone : "You're going to be beautiful".... i don't know what to think of it but i'm afraid for Alex now...
Aaaah i could rant about this for hours but i'll stop, so i don't write a book about how amazing this VN is.
I do have a theory!!! I think it's the pod!... If it was created in the technology boom, it would mean it would have had one of the entities within it! Byte! Maybe he was extracted put into the pod and imediteally tested on with the... Well, Burnt to a crisp body of our protag Alex! I still don't fully understand how the entities function, but I do think it would still make sense... Since Byte seems kinda of in denial about his whole identity by the end... Maybe it truly never crossed his mind that he was just like the full called "demons" in his core foundation, he did think they where the same as in being both AI, but just that... Operating in Alex while also tricking himself into believing he was an AI... I mean, Glitch even called him naive.
This was written late at night and might be a bit of nonsensical rumbling I just need to write my thoughts down hope they make sense...
They do make sense, and i remember all the chemicals Byte identified around the pod and said it was for severe burns, so maybe a combination of this and Byte's ability to heal and maintain Alex' body for who knows how long.... witch mean Alex might be like 1000 years old lol !
As for Byte's origin and identity, i think i remember that Glitch said they were "created" in this world by the humans with the code they "heard" from Soulcreek and put into machines (that would explain the Epoch of Technology). But if Byte was put into Alex during his early state of recovery int he pod, where was he before that ? Was he even concious he was in a machine before being into Alex ? Because he doesn't seem to remember that, just like he wasn't even aware he blocked Alex' memory of pain and suffering from him. Glitch seemed to be aware he was in a machine because all he waned was to "Ascend" in a human body so maybe Byte really IS different from the other "Demons". He may be in denial because he comes from the same place as them but he's not really the same as them (if that make sense). He's gonna be in a "slef discovery" state from now on i think.
The latest build made me sleepless so many night. The story made me worried about the bad end. But I still hope it will become the happy ending.
After playing Build 5, the only thing I want is a happy ending for them ;-;
Please promise us they'll be alright . . .
THIS UPDATE BROKE ME BUT I AM RELIEVED AT THE SAME TIME!! ?
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
This update was lit 🔥🔥🔥
"The human is at home..."
God, this sentence sends shivers up my spine. And the sound of the mc screaming? Terrifying asf
Oh my blood god! This build is amazing!!! The suspension of the Blackzones and the realization of our MC's unknown past was astonishingly good. And the art, the music and the lore!? I'm screaming shenanigans here!
And Byte! Oh you son of a beautiful bastard! Is the bestest best friend ever! ( >•_•)>
This newest build was honestly amazing. The suspense and realization of what happens and how the story took a turn wasn't something i was prepared for. If i could give it more than 5 stars i would.
This was an amazing first arc, I absolutely loved the story and the character progression! The music and scenery made an excellent addition to the story and never felt out of place. I cannot wait to find out what happens next!
Spoiler but hella vague lol
I had a question tho that's super spoiler possibly, but if he never left the shack doesn't that mean none of "that" happened?Uuuh its so vague i dont even know what u mean lol
Yeah, sorry I posted the second I got done so it was fresh.
so near the very end of the arc after the "incident" the MC asks Loken about Kaius and when he went outside, Loken proceeds to tell MC that he never left. So this leave me with a few theories. A. It was a fever dream about Kaius. (Which would be the easiest answer), B. The scenario was produced by "Glitch" and never happened. (Also good shot there's a dead Kaius outside), C. The MC could have just imagined "leaving the shack scenario". (which would be similar to a fever dream but maybe fits better)or D. Nothing's changed and Glitch is still in control.Oh yeah. Well, to be honest I just thought Kaius just "saved" him and just didnt tell Loken. But i guess a dead Kaius outside would be more interesting yeah...
I might be reading too far into it, but to me that's a massive cliffhanger... possibly...dunno if it was intentional or not or if it is just as it's written. Probably have clarity by the next build to know. I'm excited to see what happens.
Loved the latest build! I love Soulcreek; it's my favourite VN so far. Its story is gripping, I find myself very attached to its characters and world, and the sound design is to die for! I have never, NEVER, been so horrified, so disturbed, than by the events of the latter half of this build. It's truly unmatched and I love it! I am very much looking forward to future updates!
I don't comment much on here but Ryuo and everyone else who did their part for build 5 as well as this game, thank you. This was an awesome build and very well done. like it was soooooo GOOD! I can't wait to see what else will be in store for this story. Very well done!
I'm amazed by the latest build! incredible!
I'm amazed, you sure put a lot of efforts into this VN!
I replayed from Build 1 to Build 5, the experiences were fantastic, especially day 4, day 6 and 7. Day 4 gave lots of positive emotions. Day 6 and 7 are just like everyone in the comment section said, gave me goosebumps along with many mixed emotions, not that it's a bad thing though, quiet intense to be honest ;).
Soulcreek is definitely one of my most favorited Fantasy Type VN even though it takes three months for a build, it's worth every seconds of my life, every builds is just straight up high quality contents so no complain about that, and at least the creator is certain about the update time, for that I am glad XD.
Ok, now THAT is some insane jump in intensity. I replayed the whole VN for this update, and the only days i got actual goosebumps are 6 and 7. It's the first time I've got this invested in a story since Titanfall. Please, keep updating us on your progress. Genuinely thank You for this experience.
I love this game, and I want to keep playing. But there is no chapter select when I start a new game, so it looks like I have to start from the beginning. Tried to find if it was buried in a help menu and almost spoiled Build 5 :O
Thanks for the tips--I'll probably set it up to speed though and get to the new stuff :)
SPOILER THEORY FOR BUILD 5
Alright, so now we know the truth about humans extinction, BUT, have they really gone extinct? Most definitely there are more humans and, unlike Alex, they would want vengeance! So my theory is: last humans created the virus that affects bipeds reproduction, the one responsible for increasing female population. And, perhaps, those last humans have a cure for it, while Alex has none.
Oh fuck. yeah, we still have no idea about the afliction huh
Damn boy, the new build is... something really good, great job!
SPOILERS!
So, do you think what Glitch said is a lie? I mean, yeah, he's manipulated Alex and acted like a scumbag and his motivation is pretty eerie and mysterious, but... His story makes sense, partly? The history of Soulcreek and the fact that bipeds genocided the humans? What do you think?
Nah, definitely don't think it's a fake out. Everyone (Glitch, Byte and Alex) seems to be on the same page with it actually being Alex's memories. It also adds a good bit of drama between Alex and Loken going forward that will be fertile writing ground. Despite what Alex says in this chapter I highly doubt it's just going to be forgive and forget about what bipeds have done to him previously.
The new chapter was so good. Like holy shit, I want more stuff like this, it was 10/10 on everything. God, I just hoped this isn't the end, I want to know if there is anything like this in other books or Vn?
It's certainly not the end yet! We're about half way through!
I'd also recommend One Last Night! ;) https://mashedp.itch.io/one-last-night
Just finished the new chapter, this game better not end like the movie Upgrade. I demand a happy ending.
holy fuck. . . . .thats all i have to say without making an hour long video essay about this visual novel(just played the new update)
Do it coward >:3
Look, I don't normally go in for horror VN, I'm here for the good hound. But this? This was both intense and amazing. A lot of horror I've seen feels like it's horror for horror's sake. It bogs down the story that I really want to get to. But this was a perfect use of horror driving the story forward. We got so much information about the world and the characters, but presented through a horror lens.
A lot of horror furry VN's (particularly 'my wuff' horror VNs) suffer from "The writer(s) is(are) not skilled enough to properly ease people into and then out of some truly psychological terror-inducing stuff... so they'll just physically imprison the sympathetic character(s) and then write torture porn for a chapter or two, sometimes making the reader feel icky and soaking that whole segment of the story in a 'did the author(s) just write this to offload their need for therapy onto the reader?' ichor.
I've found I am PARTICULARLY sensitive to the "oop, this chapter was torture porn!" phenomenon in Furry VNs, as I often go to the comments after reading those updates to see if anyone else had wished the warnings were a bit clearer or there was an interrupt and the option to skip (similar to what's occasionally done for dubcon or paraphilia in VNs that have those segments) and only seeing a bunch of "yay, loved the new update" comments and then skulk away because I don't want to be the one to poop in the punch bowl and ruin everyone else's good time with a "so no-one else thought that part was kinda ham handed and fucked up?" comment.
So I was happy that this update put me through an emotional wringer and had some absolutely stomach-dropping terrifying moments... but it managed to not set off my icks like the usual "whelp, I guess it's time for the random BDSM scene where the writer(s) just forgot to mention that some of these characters flag black and crimson..." chapters I've run across. It gives me hope for the whole genre. So thanks for the good writing.
Yo, could ya give any examples? Would really like to avoid these kinda things :v
I dun wanna.
1. The games I got icks-from are MASSIVELY popular and a couple of them came from a group of authors hosting a little Furry VN publishing conglomerate, and only only some of the games had the icky moment while others didn't (or haven't yet)... and the one time I piped up to go "Yo, anyone else think that last part was ham-handed and fucked up?" to one of the updates for a game post-ick... I got, like 10 "NO, fuck off, weirdo!" responses and as an Old Gay it set off my "okay, everyone in this room doesn't like me, I'm gonna leave and pretend I never met them because I Very Much Feel like if they think about me again they'll make the time to find out where I live (digitally or IRL) and bother me."
2. My icks are not your icks. What might squick me out might be transcendentally good to you or someone else. The best thing I can suggest is if you come across a game that MIGHT give you an ick... (in my case it has "horror/torment/pshycological" all throughout the content warnings)... see if you can find spoilers or a plot summary and if they aren't available for the latest update, wait patiently. Also, if it's some small dev and a kinda unknown game so no-one is really talking about it... back burner it and only play when you are having a good day and if things start to head in a "wait a minute" direction, do a lil' self check-in and have that "I might need to put this down for a good long while because I don't feel like having my mood ruined right now" discussion with yourself.
honestly? yeah, u right. mad respect 👍
Damn good chapter of the story, we learned so much about the cascade and Alex. You are quite a versatile writer, what a roller coaster of emotions that was! I love how you left it off but still enthralled with what is in-store for Soulcreek.
I am speechless. Seriously, you've outdone yourself, especially with this update and the game so far. This is by far my most favorite VN since I started reading VNs. The whole update was an emotional rollercoaster and I was actually crying by the end which proves that this is a masterpiece. I really cant wait for more content and where this might go.
You've created something beautiful Ryuo, but remember not to overwork yourself, especially after this big of an update.
Take care :)
Amazing!!!! Loved it so much. :)
Oh this build is straight up fire (sorry Alex)
Too soon! xD
jesus
NOOOOOO
new build was fantastic, kept me on my toes!
SPOILERS
is the protagonist gonna slowly turn into one of those demons, it would explain where the humans went and why demons dont leave behind bodies, and maybe byte becomes corrupted and byte that took control of the host and became corrupted, the eldritch look of the creatures could be some form of camouflage made using ai generation kinda like how ai art is sometimes indecipherable just turned up to ten, also is Loken neurodivergent he is giving the vibe of of an autistic person in a society that doesn't have the words or understanding of autism(i am also autistic)
( spoilers ahead ffs play this game!!!!! )
okay. as someone who hunts for and reads furry visual novels as my main hobby. so far? the world building is going so amazing. i love the detail. some games have too much world building to remember without having to go back and look at a supplied map etc. this is just the perfect ammount of world building. the characters are unique. loken is antisocial but tries to be kind as we get closer. the chief drevonia is extremely stern in the face of a threat but softens later on ( but still vigilant! as a chief should be. and the self character building of our character?! awesome! not needing to eat is something off for me tho because i feel like it may take away from the experience. but still a creative choice i respect! being on the verge of not knowing if we are human or android is suspenseful. my theory is we may be a human but part android with all of zephyr ( human ) history customs etc so it survives. seeing as no one else was in pods and we were the only one left untouched or hurt by the demons. ( ill write more once i finish! )
edit : wow. just... wow. the way that loken acted during the indulgence? i LOVED the teasing. its like you think its juuust about to happen before he walks off or someone interupts. ( altho with all the teasing i was hoping a bit more would happen given the strong build up. and the whole mylo possibly being part human?! that is a whole new theory train. altho i WISH we would have gotten a cg of the scene with mylo in the blackzone. the demon just a shadow above him with very very faint details like discribed. mylo looking scared shitless as the scene goes on. MAYBE EVEN HAVE A LITTLE ANIMATION DONE?? for such a key moment of the game into our FIRST viewing of this looming permenant threat i feel like it needed a little more visual to it! all weve done is hear about the demons but this was the first time weve SEEN ONE. just holding the arm gave us a PANIC ATTACK and we couldnt stand holding it for a few seconds. this is where the threat comes in. this is the momment the threat is revealed to us as it is. a mocking empty void ( evident from it copying mylos crying as he realized he was most likely about to die ) only ment to crumble anything it deems worthy of its attention. given that is my ONLY problem that such a key moment wasint given a cg or 2. it could be possible that emotion be slightly higher between them with more emotional attraction a bit more evident? but its also the fact of us being mended into the draconi and joining their custom. i LOVE aeyon and his personality and takhi being AUSTRALIAN?? ( australian is right i think? makes sense given shes a honey badger! ) the personalitys are so robust! aeyon with his wacky all around self being the smart one who knows about things lost to time. takhi with her obsession of chopping off dicks and hitting people with them. and you can FEEL the power coming from drevonia. shes untrusting and its frustrating. but she HAS to be untrusting. at the least things go on as normal if she killed us. we could have been evil and killed every man women and child there because she didnt investigate thourally. she has the responsibility. she needs the power. wit. and needs to make decisions when no one else can or will. i would love to see more of takhi's past tho! it seems a little touchy and given the name shes refered to as by kaius and orion who knows what it could mean! did she leave the tribe for a few years and become some world reknown gladiator who traveled? there may be some context i missed but not sure. also id love to see the side story of the cheetah blackrunner with the trader guy and miya i think her name is? ( also damn girl 3 guys good for u! ) and the energy created by the indulgence? the drums. the fire lighting. ( altho i admit the affects for the flare were a bit over the top and kind of blurred the view but thats alright! )
second edit since the new update for build 5!!
WOW almost every hole and crack i had for the first review was filled.
we got takhi's story on how she has to slaughter a village cult who worshipped the informed and demons as gods. we got the emotional aspect of mc and loken's relationship turning into a romance/love story. we got a big chunk of byte's story. we got our past. how the humans all died. how the cascade happened. what demons REALLY are. how they were created. what soulcreek actually is.. and bytes identity crisis. he believes he is an ai because he has seen what demons can do and what they are and doesint want to admit that he is connected to them. possibly ONE of them? but he wasint LIKE them. he was put into a brand new life. given a brand new life. not a person with memorys. maybe because mc reset kind of.. so did he. new. impressionable. a new life to learn and grow. something about the specifics of mc with no memorys. being BURNED ALIVE. all of it ties to the fact that byte is a completely clean slate and not a real demon.
also the fact that the demons and what they are and SEEING THEM and knowing OF them is like a seed? having to neglect it. keep it in its box and leave it on the shelf. how it grows and vines into a persons mind before it takes hold and roots. over all.. loken was right. he was more right then anyone can ever know. not even us somehow. even if we are mc. we arent him. there is only so much writing can do to convey his experiences. his potential death/burning alive? a new world you know nothing of and having to piece it all back together. before having some entity forcibly rip the world open to show you the truth. every ugly piece of it. and most of all.. kairus HELPING TO BRING US BACK??? ( cant think of how his name is off the top of my head ) the anger towards kairus helping BRING US BACK?? somehow.. that building anger, is what saved us. glitch trying to make us betray everyone to kill them all from anger and rage? was used to free byte and mc. ( NEGATIVE EMOTIONS CAN BE USED FOR GOOD!!!! )
so i DEFINITELY suggest giving this a read. its so good and a great way to spend some time. 9/10 definitely! ( 9 because its not finished and who knows where the story could go! definitely amazing thooo! )
I kinda disagree on the 'demon cg' part. With all the build up, im sure any kind of art wouldnt do justice to how creepy they sound. People will see and go like "huh, though they would be creepier. Dissapointed." Or somethin
Anyway, im curious. Thoughts on the new update? >:3 (I liked your review hehe)
it may be made to be a sort of psychological thing? you only get bits and pieces of their discription and from there the mind can put together anything from it. all we really know is that they are robotic in nature
yeah, id say theres nothing scarier that NOT knowing what it looks like
anyways! about the update! i LOVE it!! every theory untill the end was thrown out the window! the suspense of finding the skull in the furnaces. seeing the cages " able to git at least ten bipeds " meanwhile it was for HUMANS!! i had all sorts of theorys! possibly the demons killing humans after being created and making more of themselves before causing the cascade. never did i arrive at a theory of them being demons trapped in the first stage of life before hatching into real life demons to bring destruction to the world! ( im guessing that the " blackzones " are where a demon thrived in its second stage of life after asending if it wasint explained and i somehow missed it? ) and loken was right the entire time! if he looked to deep there would be consiquences and he would start getting engolfed by it. also the romantic bit about how something was.. new by that fire. something deeper. the flame of emotion i was looking for in my original review! also i know that byte is basically a demon but i will call him an angel because the carmine villlage thought demons were angels ment to send good messages against evil. also the expansion of takhi's story?! WOW!!! its the expansion i wanted and SO MUCH MORE!! almost every single itch i had from the review was read to detail and solved! i HAVE to edit the review again to put all this in! i didnt even know there WAS an update because i forgot to follow the dev! ( thank you for letting me know of the update! ) while i understand mc's wanting to know who he was, he looked too deep willing to lose everything if it ment uncovering any piece he could find. with every piece found after the first dish? he slowly is losing himself as the first half of bite eats away at him. driving him to get the second piece so he would have a vessel. ripping apart his sanity slowly like a carrot on a stick in front of mc. promising revenge. closure. happyness. when all it gave him was rage. anger. resentment. ( my guy legit blocked out an entire LANGUAGE because it belonged to the people who hunted his species to extinction ) i still wonder who wyatt is. possibly one of the last humans trying to desperately save and preserve mc after being burned and rescued? or was it a biped who wanted the human race to live on? mc was under the same influence toxic religion promises. do what we want and we will give you everything you ever wanted. untill you get there. and they give you nothing but a thank you for your sacrifices. maybe a smile. tricking the desperate unto offering every piece of themselves for one thing. that ultimately destroys them and finishes the job. every new piece fit so snugly into the puzzle that you can barely spot a seam! just BEAUTIFUL
lol i was so co nfused at the furnace scene, i had NO idea they were fucking burning them humans (even tho the hints were all there :v)
I honestly was not expecting the demons to be actually demons, and its still hard to believe to this point. Like, yeah, they are elderitch beings and all, but to actually have the answer? odd imo. Alex(MC) was so confident they were ai's it rubbed off on me too.
And yeah, Loken being right was also surprising to me. The Informed actually being possessions was such a good way to explain that too.
Actually, yeah, they being actual demons explaing a lot lol (Nitro really being able to sense things for example)
Im pretty sure Nitro said that the lab room had "something something bad vibes guilty" , so im leaning on Wyatt being a biped - personal theory: did you notice Alex(MC) saying how he felt (2 times even) "sad, but in a good way" refering to being with Loken? My theory is that maybe he has memories of a possibly a romantic Biped? (Highly improbable, but hey thats just a theory - a GAME theory)
Totally agree with the puzzle being perfect too T_T - except we still dunno nothing about the hows and whys of the Affliction, but i guess that comes later on (we cant have ALL the misteries solved i suppose).
Also also, what even WAS the algorithm in the end? Byte saide Glitch came with it, not that it was it. Glitch said it was a key to the Soulcreek, but is that true? If it is, then we just lost it forever, and wont be going to Soulcreek? Poor guy atleast got SOME answers in the end.
Oh and im sooooo desperate to just see Alex(MC) going to the village with everyone looking dumbfounded and he being like "I LIVED BITCHES"
(Also, im stealling that "Byte is an angel" for me thaaanks)
This VN most certainly was an awesome adventure so far, and the relationships that we build with the village feels as wild as they come. As I played, I could see this world and relate to some of the interests and found that little Tiger though irritating is quite endearing.
I'm excited to see and hear any new developments coming, will definitely be keeping an eye out
I love this story so much!!! I can't wait for more! :)
Great story! How was your day?
Guys sorry to bother but I need help. I am using Android and when I tried to move the saves from VN it's just isn't working anyone have advice ?
I'm not actually sure if it's possible to transfer, though I might be wrong as I've never tried it!
If it doesn't work, best advice would be to use the chapter select option at the beginning of the VN and the skip function to get back to where you were in the story.
The image of the husky and the Human alone got me sold in this game I'm gonna try it out!