Whenever we think about robots, certain things come to mind, like calculating, executing actions, and carrying out repetitive tasks. In other words, it performs certain algorithms which the user has given, but when speaking about robots or androids, there’s a question that arises; do they have feelings like happiness, sadness, or do they feel pain as humans do? The answer to these questions can be found in ARTEMIS. DIGI.B is the developer of the sci-fi game, with its natural storyline, top-notch animations, and renders.
Short Synopsis and Cassandra’s betrayal
The main protagonist of the story is Aiden Andrade(name can be changed in the game) as the MC and his girlfriend Cassandra Reece are celebrating that a high-tech company TWR agreed to buy their small Artificial Intelligence startup. They were in a good mood, but the good times don’t last, as it turns out that the last person the MC expected to betray him has plotted to take the company away from him when they were under the influence of wine. The MC here drops a flashback from his counselor’s office, all these scenes that have happened to him in the last three years. MC even funnily adds: “She ran away with all her stuff and cleared all the bank accounts.”
We never truly know. Sometimes we’re hit with the worst scenarios, that are just impossible to anticipate.
MC’s mom
Kindra and June Moon
Two contrasting characters in the story played a crucial role in MC’s life. When the MC was depressed, June was there to help him recover, and Kindra was there when he needed financial stability. They played a vital part in the MC’s life, and most of it shows. The mom continuously taught him how to stand up and face life’s challenges, no matter what fate has in store for him. The story is kind of motivational too because it shows us how to get back up again and again when life keeps throwing us challenges.
Visuals and Production
Visually speaking, the characters here are simply stunning. Many of the characters are rendered in what I would call “realistically attractive”. My favorite of which is JUNE and DJ KINK (Kindra’s DJ Name). Both their designs are all at once hot, sexy, and mature. It is right now one of my favorite games in active development. So much well-developed content, beautiful girls, renders, and engaging dialogue amidst a gripping near-future sci-fi story.
Production-wise, I think that many games could take a page out of Artemis‘ UI design. It’s clean and concise but also harmonizes with the rest of the game. It works thematically without cluttering the screen with too much information. There is room for everything, and you don’t have to hide UI elements like other games for extra breathing room. One button for everything makes the experience more enjoyable.
Before we move on, I wanted to touch on the available sex scenes in the game. Whereas many adult games focus on the sex scenes being the main ‘meat’ of the game, here the developer doesn’t focus too much on the sex, and instead, it’s kept casual and natural, unlike most other AVNs. Initially, I thought the models were interesting, so there’d be a lot of sex scenes, and the game instead changes its direction to a more focused storyline and character development.
Pros
- Gorgeous hyper-detailed models.
- Good diversity of love interests in terms of looks and personality.
- Some of the most cinematic renders in all Visual Novels. The scene on the lake on the last update was one of the most photorealistic I’ve ever seen in any game, it blew me away.
- Intriguing, unique narrative that is still unfolding.
- The role of the ex-GF as villain is interesting.
- Great sci-fi themes and concepts.
- Hours and hours of content.
Cons
- The circumstances around the sorority and the entire group’s immediate interest in the MC is quite unrealistic.
- The role of the “Artemis” is still unclear in how she’ll fit in the overall story.
- Some of the girls seem to have more throw-away narratives and plots than others.
- Dialogue can get a bit long-winded, and I found myself skipping certain conversations / interactions.
Last Words
ARTEMIS is a story-driven game and an excellent one at that. As in the most recent update, there is a good amount of exposition and plenty of setup for future chapters with interesting places for it to go. There is a clear focus on Kindra in my view. I don’t think this is a bad thing. Trying to jump around too much probably won’t give enough time for the depth and character development needed to have the people in the story feel real.
The writing so far is strong, and it seems the author knows what they want. Characters feel distinctive and real. The character models change slightly from the first chapter to the second, but overall they are very good, with reasonable variety. The expressiveness of the characters is well done, and animated scenes are great. Character creation sliders are relatively low in comparison to others, but everyone is still quite a bit more endowed than average. The DJ KinK model in particular is great. The story is also funny, with some comical interactions that add a little fun for the players.
