izigame.me

Outline:
The degree to which this exceeded my expectations is unreal. I picked it up at a big discount on a whim thinking that maybe it'll have some redeeming qualities. I'm a big Adventure Game fan and do appreciate mature content, but I find almost all 'mature' games to be pretty trash. This is a serious exception.
As with any of these kinds of games I would hesitate to call them mature, but this game compared to the others is. While it gets pretty full on in places and may push too many boundaries for some kink-wise, everything it does is tastefully lit and clearly treated with care and attention.
Most of these kinds of games are shot and lit like a cheap soap opera with no attention to the art of it all. Everything being a flimsy excuse to push out some shoddy XXX scenes. This game is entirely different. The scenes are beautifully rendered and we're not rushed to get there.
The game is a slow burn. We're put in to what feels like a living world, with tons to explore, surprises to be found, endless puzzles and secrets, tons of characters, scenes, comedy, and so on. It's something of a mashup of the old saucy New Grounds games and mid-century Cinema Erotica. Like the works of Tinto Brass and so on. It's prefect.
Gameplay:
It's not particularly deep per se, but there is a lot going on in this game. It is essentially like a super premium version of the old New Grounds games. Lots of running around, meeting people, finding things, collecting this and that, solving puzzles, etc. This style is probably a bit divisive, a love it or hate it thing, but I loved it.
My first playthrough, which is also my 100% playthrough, took exactly 50 hours. This was without any walkthroughs, which were absolutely not needed until the very end for one or two matters. The game is well structured. I almost never felt lost despite the sprawling nature of the game. It's very well designed. Every next place to visit, or re-visit, each new thing to find, and so on will lead you to some scene or another. It's perfectly paced and it just keeps going on and on in the best possible way. A number of times I thought the game was about to end and it just opened up even further.
The only vaguely serious gameplay criticism I have is of the 'Temple Puzzles'. A somewhat Paganitzu series of extra challenges which overall felt pretty messy, rushed, and sloppy. It was for quite a few of these that I required a walkthrough.
Story:
It's pretty great. There are numerous plots going on, and an over arching story that evolves wonderfully. Overall the game is pretty grounded. At least it starts off so. You're just a young guy, trying to make it, looking to follow in his fathers footsteps. This opening - well the first third of game perhaps - is what really sells the rest of it. As eventually things are not what they seem. There are conspiracies, secrets, and otherworldly goings on. Starting from this little slice-of-life-esque adventure, the game ups the ante over and over again. It never gets stale and always has something new to surprise and titillate with.
Characters:
The cast of characters are also excellent. The one sticking point for some may be the player character. He's a bit of a cringe young man, but in a sense that's true to young men, and pretty quickly I found him to grow on me. Particularly by the end of the game he really comes in to his own.
As for the ladies, they are quite varied and each are excellent. I don't think there is a single bum note among them. Each are unique personalities, with unique voices in the dialogue, well written, and each of their personalities are woven in to the story of the game appropriately and with fun and excitement put first.
This is one factor in which this game is just light-years ahead of the competition. These characters aren't shallow mannequins existing just to show some nudity. They're fleshed out. They're interesting. They're surprising. They propel the plot. Of course, this isn't comparable to great works of fiction but in this scene, and perhaps in all of Erotica media, these ladies are first rate, and the variety of antics they get up to, and in particular get the player character in to, was like nothing I've played before.
There are also many extras. Some of whom are there throughout the game, and some who are featured briefly. Again, they're all great additions. They're mostly well written, usually serving as comedy or plot checkpoints. The care taken with them really help sell the world.
Erotica:
As I've said previously, I think the quality and tone of the game is up there with the Erotica greats of cinema past. Every scene is beautiful, the actors are well lit, and the overall artistry clearly had proper time spent on it.
The erotica is also varied and well delivered. Much like the plot the erotica develops, mostly, at a slow burn. That doesn't mean that you're left without any of that kind of fun at any point. Even as the player character is developing his relationships and so on the game manages to sprinkle in some form of titillation or another. There's always a surprise around the corner.
Speaking of which, the sexual scenes and scenarios are pretty varied. Each lady brings some new flair or context to each situation, and as I said it can get pretty kinky, but thankfully it never veers in to bizarro territory. No Futa, Furry, or that kind of thing. It's just men and women getting up to hi-jinks and pushing a boundary or two. Still might be too much in some areas for the more vanilla-minded.
Music:
The soundtrack is great and tastefully selected. Each theme fits the areas and scenes perfectly.
Achievements:
Thankfully there are no nonsense achievements. Just quality narrative, do all the things, collect all the things achievements.

Verdict: On a sad note, I think this game has spoiled me for any other game of its kind. I can't see anything living up to the fun and thrill of this game and its compelling characters and exciting scenes. Even the sequel, which looks like it should be good, seems tonally very different. Opening immediately with the magical and so on. I'm hesitant to try it, as what I really want is just more of this. A direct sequel or to play it again for the first time.
Needless to say that this is the best game of its kind. I've played it for three times the playtime than I could stand to play of Starfield. By that right, it is a better game than Starfield by far. There is no competition (if you think there is, drop it in the comments). This is a must play.