Screens
Review
Depraved Awakening, developed by PhillyGames, is an adult visual novel set in the gritty Free City, where you play a private eye digging into a client’s suspicious death. Built in Ren’Py (~10-12 hours, v1.0, 2018), it blends detective noir with steamy encounters, offering branching paths and multiple endings. Its 3DCG visuals and tense moments shine, but a shallow mystery and uneven writing keep it from classic status. Here’s my take, inspired by player feedback.
Gameplay and Mechanics
You navigate Free City through point-and-click dialogue, making choices that shape relationships and the case’s outcome—play the upright sleuth or a lust-driven rogue. Decisions impact endings (~7, from tragic to romantic), with routes tied to key women (Carli, Judy, others). The system’s simple—no minigames, no stat grinds—with a gallery for H-scenes and rollback for choice tweaks. However, choices often feel cosmetic; major plot beats (club entry, confrontations) land the same, like guessing a password that changes nothing. The UI is clean, with mods (incest patch, walkthrough) easing play, and it runs flawlessly on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android (~2.5GB). Pacing lags early—slow buildup, wordy chats—but v1.0’s polish (no bugs, fixed typos) keeps it smooth. Compared to other VNs like Long Live The Princess, it lacks investigative depth—no clue-hunting or interrogations—just linear prompts
Story in Depraved Awakening
You’re a washed-up ex-cop turned PI, hired by Richards to tail his shady wife. When he plummets from a high-rise, ruled a suicide, you smell foul play and dive deeper, risking heat from crooks and cops alike. The noir vibe—dingy bars, femme fatales—hooks early, with drama and gunfire spiking past the halfway mark. It’s no L.A. Noire; the mystery unfolds too fast, spelling out culprits in plain chats, not clues. Writing swings from gripping (stakeouts, betrayals) to clunky, with the MC’s monologues—lusty or mopey—dragging scenes. Choices nudge romance or corruption, but the case’s core stays fixed, missing detective grit. H-scenes (~30, covering anal, group, BDSM) fit the plot—sleazy deals, club flings—but their prose lacks spark. Multiple endings, tied to relationships, add weight (Carli’s path shines), yet the rushed climax leaves some threads (like Stella’s fate) dangling. It’s a pulpy thrill, not a brainy whodunit.
Characters in Depraved Awakening
The MC’s a divisive lead—gruff, flawed, but often impulsive, swinging from duty to grabbing ass without buildup, which alienates some. His arc (righteous or depraved) hinges on choices, though his dumb risks (solo crusades, no FBI tip) frustrate. Heroines steal focus: Carli’s fiery, Judy’s sweet, others range from MILFs to vixens, with ~10 romanceable women. Their designs—blondes, redheads, tattoos—pop, but some feel like bimbos or props, lacking depth beyond kinks (voyeurism, cheating). Judy’s a fan favorite, grounding the chaos, while side characters (crooks, cops) are forgettable. Chemistry sparks in banter, less in forced scenes—bedding hated characters feels off. The cast’s variety drives replay, but shallow bonds cap emotional pull.
Graphics and Sound
The 3DCG renders hold up in 2025—sharp, with sultry lighting and detailed faces (sweat, smirks). Heroines glow in ~150 CGs, from bar hookups to bedroom romps, though animations (~40) are stiff—basic thrusts, no flair. Scenes cover footjobs, creampies, and more, but short loops and no cumshots dull impact. Backgrounds (clubs, apartments) set a noir mood but repeat. Audio’s weak: generic music loops, no SFX or voices—H-scenes crave moans for heat. PhillyGames’ later works (City of Broken Dreamers) upped polish, showing this as an early effort. Still, visuals carry it, with no crashes or sprite glitches.
Replay Value of Depraved Awakening
Seven endings and ~10 romance paths push replays, with choices flipping outcomes (save Stella or not). A single run takes ~10 hours; skipping text cuts it to ~5. The gallery and mods (scene unlocks) ease scene-hunting, but repetitive early chats deter casual revisits. Fans replay for Judy or Carli’s routes or to test darker paths, but limited case divergence (no real sleuthing) caps variety. No updates since 2018—it’s done—but its A-tier rank on VN forums keeps it alive
Overall Impression
Depraved Awakening is a noir fever dream with serious heat and heart, but it’s no masterpiece. Its visuals—grimy, sexy—nail Free City’s vibe, and heroines like Judy make choices feel alive. The story kicks into gear late, with gunfights and twists that thrill, earning its “movie-like” rep. But it fumbles as a detective tale—too straightforward, with an MC who’s more horndog than Holmes. Choices tease freedom but rarely shift the case, and H-scenes, while plentiful, lack spicy prose. Early pacing crawls, and forced flings (bedding foes) can sour the mood. PhillyGames crafted a bold debut, ranking A-tier for fans, but compared to Leap of Faith or Long Live The Princess, it’s light on depth.
Perfect for noir fans who love spicy VNs and don’t mind a dumb sleuth. If you want tight mysteries or emotional buildup, it may flop. A hot, flawed case worth cracking.
Rating: 7.5/10
Best for story fans and 3DCG lovers. Grab the walkthrough mod, focus on Carli or Judy, and skip early monologues.
Info
Genre: 3DCG, Male protagonist, Adventure, Anal sex, Animated, BDSM, Big tits, Corruption, Creampie, Footjob, Graphic violence, Group sex, Male domination, MILF, Mobile game, Oral sex, POV, Romance, Sex toys, Spanking, Stripping, Titfuck, Vaginal sex, Voyeurism, Lesbian, Prostitution, Interracial, Cheating, Slave
Version: 1.0 [Completed]
OS: Windows, Linux, Mac, Android
Language: English
Dev: PhillyGames Patreon – DeviantArt – Twitter – Discord – Steam
Download Depraved Awakening
Win/Linux: MEDIAFIRE – MEGA – GOFILE – PIXELDRAIN – UPLOADHAVEN– NOPY
Mac: MEGA – PIXELDRAIN – UPLOADHAVEN – NOPY
Android: MEGA – PIXELDRAIN – WORKUPLOAD – NOPY
Others: COMPRESSED – ANDROID+WALKTHROUGH MOD
Patches: Incest Patch+Walkthrough Mod* – Incest Mod only*
*unoficcial
Extras: Walkthrough – Walkthrough 2 – Fan Sig – Fan Sig 2 – Italian translation
Installation
Extract and run.