Written by Rastafoo69, edited by Manfred Manson and Otaku Apologist
My Lovely Wife, a prostitution game developed by Toge Productions. Released June 8th, 2022. Download on Steam for $15.00. For Windows PC. No voice acting. Censored genitals.
Your beloved wife has died in a horrible incident. Distraught and hopeless, you learn that you can bring her back from the dead with the magic power of carnal essence. All alone, you have to summon and tame succubi until they give you enough magic power to save your wife!
Note: This game seems to currently have no explicit sex scenes.
STORY
The game begins with a prologue where we learn all about Jake’s life before and after he met Luna, the woman he would one day marry. This establishes the protagonist’s motivations early on and helps the player relate to his plight when the wife finally dies.
“Carnal Essence” is the central mechanic of the game. When humans engage in acts of lust, it generates carnal essence. Humanity has no way of using or storing carnal essence, so you’ll have to summon succubi to help you gather it. Naturally, these succubi will be working in the town brothels to pleasure men and bring the carnal essence to you.
The goal is to revive your wife by summoning and killing succubi who accumulate a large amount of carnal essence. At the beginning of the game, your character rationalizes his actions by saying “I have to kill them, for Luna”. By the end, however, it doesn’t go so smoothly onward.
Whoever wrote this was good. Bits of lore are given to the player over time which can help you learn more about the various factions and what their goals are. Armed with that information, you can decide which faction to support, which will be the determining factor in which ending you unlock.
The plot twist is so damn good, it makes this a truly unforgettable experience. There are 43 total endings. Two are primary endings, and there are 40 “happily ever after” endings. The aforementioned forty involve the protagonist choosing to let his wife rest in peace, and instead marry one of the forty succubi! Of course, you turn them human first, so they can breed with you and live fulfilling lives.
The two primary endings are both tragic in distinct and unique ways. One ending is intended for people who ignored the lore of the game and rushed through. The other ending is far more meaningful but adds layers of complexity that truly set this game apart from many others. Like a tragedy from Shakespeare, this is an experience you do not want to miss.
GAMEPLAY
Created in the Unity game engine. The entirety of the game is operated by mouse clicks. It runs like a dream!
As a management-style game, the experience relies on a core loop of accumulating and spending resources. The carnal essence in question, you get to spend leveling up your character.
The protagonist has four stats; intelligence, boldness, attractiveness and luck. Ironically enough, these are four traits that succubi are well known for. And because you’re using their magic, you can rival them in power.
Grind out carnal essence, unlock new succubi and continue upgrading your character until you’re the #1 supplier of whores to the local brothels in town. Don’t worry, the succubi change their appearance to look human, so nobody knows you’re using dark magic.
A single playthrough takes a minimum of four hours, though that number is multiplied if you plan to unlock all 43 endings by romancing every succubi. The sheer volume and variety of romances make this a borderline harem game if not for the fact that you’re whoring them out daily.
The game has many minor features, such as character traits. The way you speak to your succubi has a chance of influencing them in positive and negative ways. For example, a bad dialogue choice can cause a girl to become “tacky”. Rather than being a desirable maiden, the men will be willing to spend less money on a prostitute whom they view as low class. So if your girl gets the “tacky” trait, she’ll earn less money. A woman who can’t bring in the big bucks is a waste of time, that means it’s time to kill her and move on to the next one!
Looking back, it’s rather absurd. But there’s no denying that this debauchery is addictive from start to finish.
GRAPHICS
The gothic art style is simply breathtaking. With over 40 characters to interact with, each character sprite and fullscreen CG is a blessing to the eyes. Despite the protagonist and his wife lacking mouths, they are expressive with their eyes and body language.
Every aspect is drawn with a medieval aesthetic. From the interiors to the exteriors, from the backgrounds to the event CGs; everything follows a consistent style that encourages full immersion and long play sessions.
The muted color scheme is undeniably impactful. In the rare cases where vibrant colors are used, it’s always eye-catching and alluring. Whether it’s the blue-skinned succubus who’s kind at heart, or the crimson-red blood of a resurrection experiment gone horribly wrong, the splashes of color always hit the player with a feeling of severity and high emotion.
The user interface is also incredible. From skill trees to summoning recipes, every aspect is hand-drawn with care and precision to deliver a truly wonderful experience. From top to bottom, this game’s artwork is very impressive. Rather than just leaning on the gothic aesthetic and cutting corners, this artist delivered.
VOICE ACTING AND SOUND EFFECTS (SFX)
My Lovely Wife has no voice acting.
The sound effects are all unique and merge with the gothic aesthetic so well, that they’re hardly even noticeable. They enhance the experience without detracting from the focus on visuals and dialogue. However, it’s important to note that the sound design never goes too far. There’s not a single “gasp” sound effect, even when someone is killed. Silence is golden in a somber game like this, and the developer knew that perfectly.
MUSIC
The music tracks are discord incarnate. Rather than digitally synthesized melodies that resolve perfectly every single time, each track gives a sense of imperfection. Piano and flute are commonly used, but never in a traditional way that you would associate with standard adult games on the market today. The overall “uneven” nature of the melodies ensures a sense of discontent that mirrors the protagonist and his efforts throughout the story, feeling never good enough. The irony is, that these tracks are more than good enough, they’re great!
HENTAI
My Lovely Wife features no sexually explicit content. Although prostitution does occur, it happens off-screen and is not discussed in any depth. Even in good endings where the protagonist breeds, no descriptions of sex are given.
CONCLUDING WORDS
My Lovely Wife is one of the most underrated adult games on the Steam marketplace today. The artwork is simple but incredible when you see the animations. The story is wonderful and the gameplay addictive. While it’s less sexy than most games, it makes up for that by excelling in every other category. I have to recommend this to you. And if you got all revved up from the review and want something way raunchier, below is a banner to a haven of hentai. Check it.
Overall
- Graphics
- Gameplay
- Story
- Music
- SFX
- Hentai
