Red Embrace: Hollywood

I LOVE this already so much I give it a positive review now (haven't played through completely but I certainly will and try different routes) while hoping the story doesn't disappoint later on. I read that there are no good endings at all which IS a problem for me. Bad endings depending on your choices is what's expected - but if you can't ever get it "right"? So well... I MIGHT regret playing this just a bit. STILL! It's just so beautifully and well made! First big pro: the customization of your character that can be as male or female or ambiguous as you want! PERFECT! Second big pro: there are so many different sprites for each character and they are beautiful! Third big pro: the writing! A bit of poetry here and there, a bit of humor, I really like it. Other pros: the setup, the story, the choices you can make. So even if there is no bright future here - what bright future could there be for a dead creature anyway, so... maybe just enjoy the ride? I'm up for it! Edit: Now I got to my first ending, always afraid it would be utterly sad/horrifying/tragic... and it wasn't at all!! It wasn't exactly happy either indeed - but as I had prepared myself for the worst I was pleasently surprised! It was honestly quite realistic and absolutely okay considering the circumstances, even satisfying. So in conclusion: no regrets on my part! Still love this game VERY much! Looking forward to other playthroughs! Second Edit (if you're still with me anyway): Played through nearly every ending, including the special ones. Man, is this a gothic masterpiece! Those expecting a simple romance story with some smut will be disapointed, so I get the negative reviews. It's like a philosophical dissertation and romance is an optional part of it. Some endings leave you feel empty on purpose and one especially is beautiful desperate horror... damn! Usually I'm not even a horror fan but the plot twist and the whole execution was brilliant and very fitting! The last special ending also makes up for everything, I think. A beautiful VN, do try it!

This game left me speechless... I wasn't expecting a lot from it and... wow. Beautiful art, music, story. I promise, you do not get the full experience unless you complete all the special endings... I came in expecting a somewhat darker dating sim with vampires and some adult content, just to get hit with a beautiful existential crisis and a life lesson mixed in with some depression because, wow this game can get super dark and sad. And that frustrated me at first, because I was hoping to find some good, 'happy' endings, but I'm so glad I kept playing. Because that's kinda the point... Also I love Markus <3

literally the most traumatizing game i've ever played, i'll never recover

Markus. I Forget every iconic character from every vampire video game/movie. Because I've never seen a character so relatable and so memorable for me. The more we talk with Markus, the more I said I must be talking with my own thoughts. Playful but threatening talks, casual yet grim vibes, chill yet commanding aura and... as it is obvious from his Clan~Golgotha, full of contradictions... which is absolute same vibe with my own personality. He never says his age in story, but I think he has lived so much that he has begun to see reality within dreams, and dreams within reality. Also he thinks there are lies within the truth and truths within lies. [h3] The fine art of readin' between the lines, learning from lies as well as truths? [/h3] He talks as if he is lying, but you know he tells the truth. Like a devil tells you to do good things. Every word that comes out of his mouth, feels like a snake slowly wrapping around you, but you know he will speak words of wisdom and philosophy. He makes you feel that sinister, wicked yet romantic aura. No matter what you say, Markus will give you another repartee which sarcastic, ironic, mysterious and surprising answer that draws you in. When he musing under the moon, you let yourself drown in ocean of thoughts, cold and deep, feels like sweet sorrow. This character is so well written that he is much more complex than the vampires in other game stories, absolutely like no other. All of the other characters also quite interesting for me, especially Aleusha. She talks extremely playful but weirdly she gives you confidence. She's not a vampire- a blood pet as they say, but if she was, im definitely sure she would be from Golgotha clan.

I don’t even know where to start with this one. Set in 1996 Hollywood, it strips away every illusion about vampires. There’s nothing romantic here — only power, obsession, and consequences. It barely feels like an otome. The characters are consumed by their own goals, and the MC is often reduced to a pawn in their pursuit of power. You can choose who to spend your nights with… but that doesn’t mean things will go the way you hope. I picked a route that broke my heart and made me question my own choices in a way I wasn’t prepared for (…and I’m still thinking about it). Intense, unsettling, and deeply thought-provoking.

I wish more VNs like Red Embrace: Hollywood existed. Words cannot express what I feel about Markus. Looking forward to Red Embrace: Paradisus.

bunun gibisini görmedim... 10/10

O jogo é maravilhoso, isso não tem como negar! Os personagens são cativantes, cada um deles com seu charme e personalidade própria. (Até os npc ) Porém, é preciso ter em mente que essa não é uma visual novel comum, não existe um finalzinho uwu bem de boas só você e seu interesse amoroso Você termina o jogo com uma sensação bem amarga e talvez até se questionando se em algum momento você escolheu algo errado pra chegar nesse final Mas super vale a pena continuar só pra descobrir mais e mais sobre cada personagem.

This game triggered my latest existential crisis. Thanks, Markus.

I love the music, the art style and how twisted and broken are main characters in this game. I already knew there will be no happy endings before i bought it(on sale) but I still l decided to give this game a chance, even if it's not typical genre I play. And I quite liked it, to mine own suprise. it's not that dark, gore and violent as I tought it wil be so that is that. After 1st playtrought and in middle of next one I saw that having different character as mentor change mid to late game a lot, so there is at least 3 playtroughts to do before shelfing this game for good. 1 playtrought took me about 9.5 to 10h, which I consider not bad for game where you practically only click in dialogue. You can also die in game in specific situations, so better save from time to time. I find endings(I got 3 so far on 2 playtroughs, you know load/save to explore game), they r not happy but I woudn't call them bad, they r just sad and makes you wonder what is going in characters/mentors heads. Game is generally good but endings can make you feel depressive like me, I need 1-2 days break before diving into next playtrought with different mentor, but it's worth it.