Straitened Times

It is so crazy that it works is how I would describe Straitened Times! This is a lewd visual novel sandbox style of game that as I write this, I am pretty sure is still being worked on. I have had a lot of fun with this game and think that if you can get past the grindy sandbox nature of things here, you will also have a lot of fun. It is a game that does demand quite a bit of attention from the player, but if it does capture your attention at the start, you will find yourself enjoying your time with this game.

The Holy Gang In The Motel

When I first read the premise of what Straitened Times was offering, I had to read it a few times just to make sure that I got it. We are part of a holy communion, but when the “father” goes to jail, our MC has to step in and take charge of things. The problem is, the communion has to start from the bottom and the bottom is a seedy motel! The story here is freaking weird, but I must admit that I kind of dug what they were going for here. There is a decent cast of characters, but not so many that it becomes hard for you to follow.

Being The Kind Of “Father” I Want To Be

The gameplay of Straitened Times is twofold. On one hand, we have the visual novel aspect where you read the story, get to know the characters, and then decide what to say and do. This stuff works and I did feel that my choices were making a difference in the way that things progressed forward. I am sure more things will be added, but I liked the interaction with the characters and how each one had their own personality.

Getting Trapped In The Sandbox

As Straitened Times is not a straight up visual novel a huge part of the gameplay has you having to click around screens and complete various objectives. Some things are dependent on the time of day and there is a fair bit of grinding required in the game as well. To be fair, I have seen far worse in the game, but even though there is a checklist of tasks that you are working towards, it can be very hard to know what you have to do, when you have to do it and where you have to be. It is the kind of game; you will want to have a guide for as you play or some cheats.

The Juice Is Worth The Squeeze

I can see why some people may find the gameplay of Straitened Times to be a bit of a chore, but I do have to say that I think the fantastic renders and the awesome lewd content make it worthwhile. This is a great looking game; it is one of the few lewd games that does not have a character who I did not think was hot! Of course, this led to me wanting to see as many of the lewd scenes as I could and when I did get a new one, I really felt like I had earned it.

Even though I had a good time with Straitened Times, I can see why some people may have a hard time getting into it. The story is not hard to follow and something that I enjoyed; I think the rather cryptic at times gameplay may be where some people struggle with things here.

Pros:

• I thought the story was well told
• The character renders and XXX scenes are fantastic
• There is a lot of depth to the gameplay
• I felt like my choices actually mattered

Cons:

• It can be hard to know what you are supposed to do
• There is a lot to do before it gives you a XXX scene

I am pretty excited to talk to you fine people about Straitened Times today. To say that I had low expectations for this is an understatement. The premise when I read it sounded just so freaking weird that I was sure it was going to make no sense at all and be something that I end up just clicking through to get to the lewd content. What we have here is a lewd sandbox style of game that as you would expect does have a bit of grinding, however, it is actually done very well here and it made for a very memorable experience.

The Father, The Son, and the Seedy Motel!

I had to read the synopsis of what Straitened Times was about more than once before I played it. The game is about this holy communion that has a father, a few sisters, and all the types of people you would expect. However, one day, the father ends up getting sent to prison for some financial misdoings! This leads to a spot at the top of the communion and we have to step in to take it over! We pretty much have nothing and have to build from the ground up and speaking of “ground” below our beloved communion is a seedy motel that will certainly come into play.

As It Means To Go On

I know that you may read the synopsis of Straitened Times and also read my intro and still be confused about what this game is and I get that, I really do. However, once you are deep into it, the writing is very well done and you will find that the story is very easy to follow and it is ultimately about us being the “father” and deciding what kind of father we want to be if you understand what I am talking about here.

Nothing Wrong With A Little Bump & Grind!

Now, as Straitened Times is a sandbox style of game there is going to be some grinding here. While there is a lot of dialogue, visual novel options to play with. You will also have to click on different areas, complete tasks, and so on here. Some tasks will require more repetition than others. However, unlike some other sandbox style lewd games, I never felt like it was obnoxious or got to the point where I was getting sick of it and wanting to turn the game off. It gives you a checklist to keep you on track and there are a couple of good guides to use as well.

Not Just Getting By On Looks!

Ok, so the story is good, the writing is good and the gameplay is fun. However, tying all of this together is some truly incredible lewd content. Actually, before I get to the lewd content, I have to say that Straitened Times is a very good looking game in general. We have a very realistic looking game here with characters that look more like real people and are just a tad exaggerated. The sex scenes in this game are great, not only are there many different sex scenes, but there are also awesome thanks to the girls being so easy on the eyes.

Pros:

• The story is strange, but it works
• The writing is good and gets you invested in the story
• This is a fantastic looking game with awesome XXX scenes
• I liked the sandbox gameplay and never felt it was too overwhelming

Cons:

• While the grinding is not bad, there is still some grinding in the game
• While the XXX scenes are amazing, you can go a while without seeing one