Reviewed on: 2025/02/09
Score: 7/10
Playtime: About 6-7 hours for a single playthrough.
[h3]TL;DR:[/h3]
“Follow the Leader” (FtL) is a story-driven AVN with nine lewd scenes and over 60 choices of varying effects.
While the story plays out in a predetermined way, individual events branch depending on the choices the player makes. Other choices will determine the mutual love and trust between the (renamable) MC and the LI, or if they enter an intimate relationship.
Players who want a more kinetic experience or [i]canon[/i] playthrough can use the built-in walkthrough for guidance.
Visually, this game is on par with most current releases. While I have a few nitpicks about people not always looking at whom they're speaking to, or some environments looking a bit bland, these are the exception.
FtL has animations. These are only present in lewd scenes and are nicely done. There's some clipping here and there, but nothing too noticeable or immersion-breaking.
At $15, this game is fairly expensive. We've seen AVN raise their prices over the past months, following inflation, the cost of living, and the price of assets. If you're on the fence about making this purchase, I advise you to wait on a discount, or to read the more detailed review below.
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[h3]Adult:[/h3]
The nine lewd scenes contain the usual vanilla actions like hand jobs, blowjobs, cunnilingus, and vaginal intercourse.
There are four scenes with Ten, two with Nine, one with Eight, one end-game harem scene (MFFF), and one scene that happens in a VR environment with a side character.
Other adult themes are death, violence, severe illness, mentions of sexual assault, and some references to BDSM.
[h3]Visual:[/h3]
[b]UI:[/b]
FtL's UI is pretty and heavily customized. It has a custom save/load screen, and a scene gallery.
The save/load screen is something I wish more Ren'py games would adopt. Instead of pages and pages of saves, we get one infinite list of (re)nameable saves. The main menu also contains an image of the latest saved game, which, I thought, was a nice touch.
While in-game, there's a custom and toggleable quick menu. It has buttons that are very accessible, even on mobile or on the Steam deck.
[b]Characters:[/b]
All major female characters have large breasts and bigger butts, some bordering on the uncanny. That said, there isn't all that much breastplay or focus on these exaggerated features. For me, this was a good thing because I generally don't like breasts this large. If the game had focused on them a lot, it would have been a turnoff.
[b]Scenes/Renders:[/b]
“Follow the Leader” has many locations and environments that were chosen and combined to fit their role in the story. They are detailed and enhance the story through environmental storytelling. There are some issues here and there, like a missing horizon, or a single house that looks remarkably empty.
Similarly, render composition and character posing are done well. Characters have facial expressions, react to dialog and choices, and will sometimes emote. That said, I prefer even more expressiveness, like characters opening their mouths when speaking, and moving more often during longer dialog.
[b]Animations:[/b]
The game includes 47 animations across nine lewd scenes. These can be different camera angles or a different action in the same scene.
These animations are generally well done. Bodies are positioned realistically and seem affected by gravity. Characters breathe, parts jiggle, and extremities move. There is some clipping here and there, as well as some slider-movement, but I don't think these take away from the experience.
[h3]Sound:[/h3]
FtL has custom soundtracks that are chosen to fit specific scenes. Tracks are balanced nicely, never sounding too quiet or too loud.
The game does not have any SFX or ambient sounds, which, I think, is to its detriment. There are several instances where I missed more visceral feedback, like when a gun goes off. Similarly, some ambient noises would be great in urban or outdoor environments.
[h3]Novel:[/h3]
Because of how fast-paced and action-packed this story is, there's little I can say without spoilers. What I can say is that the synopsis on the game's Steam page is a good description of how the story kicks off.
From a narrative perspective, FtL reads a lot like an 80s action movie. Action and danger come in ebbs and flows as our protagonist and his refugees look for a way to escape Baron Zeke's reach. They'll hit dead ends, have to regroup, or have to find a way to pay for their expenses. They'll meet people, some of whom are more trustworthy than others, each presenting a challenge for them to overcome. But, like in those movies, we also know that the MC will reach his goal somehow.
Bits of exposition about the world and characters are sprinkled throughout the game's events and allow readers to feel more familiar with the Love Interests as time passes. Choices will decide if the MC gets more intimate with the ladies, or if they remain good friends.
Overall, I found the story engaging, its characters well-developed, and the LI very likeable. It's also of note that all main characters have an arc where they evolve from victims into fully actualized humans with their strengths and weaknesses. While I wouldn't call this story character-driven, the personality of the MC (through player choice) and his group play a large role in how events unfold.
One minor point about the game's narrative is how it combines with the LI's relationship points and choices. I think there's an opportunity to add more unique dialog based on the choices the player made concerning individual LI. Though, this will largely be unnoticeable unless you play through the story several times while making vastly different choices.
Concerning choices and the game's branching events; I think it's too bad that this game doesn't have Steam achievements. These are a good way to inform players about the existence of different paths and the unique effects of their choices.
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