Tina: Swordswoman of the Scarlet Prison
- August 1, 2019
- shinachiku-castella
Get on SteamIn "Tina: Swordswoman of the Scarlet Prison," players take on the role of Tina, a skilled warrior tasked with investigating a rise in crime in Durham village. As ordinary people turn to criminal behavior and the supposedly defeated witch reemerges, Tina must battle through a classic RPG experience in a fantasy village and castle. With two playable characters, chapter skip function, and the ability to retry battles, this game offers an engaging story and exclusive additional content from the 2.0 version.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a well-written story with engaging characters and a surprising twist ending.
- The art quality is generally good, with a variety of scenes and a decent amount of content to explore.
- The gameplay is straightforward and avoids unnecessary grinding, allowing players to focus on the narrative and H-scenes.
- The male characters are often depicted as unattractive, which may detract from the experience for some players.
- The gameplay is simplistic and lacks depth, making it feel more like a scene collector than a traditional RPG.
- There are significant issues with the portrayal of sensitive themes, including scenes that may be uncomfortable for many players.
- story74 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its engaging and fun narrative, as well as the effort put into character development and plot twists. However, some criticize its linearity and lack of impactful choices, leading to a more straightforward experience that can feel drawn out. Overall, while the story is considered decent and entertaining, it may not break new ground in terms of originality or depth.
“Overall, I am pretty satisfied with this one as the developers seem to put quite a bit of effort into not only writing an engaging and fun story, but also pushing the standardized boundaries etched into your average RPG Maker game.”
“Tssp tells a mature fantasy story, often upbeat and funny, but sometimes grim and brutal as well.”
“The story itself is pretty okay for an HRPG, though they did add some plot twists near the end which is pretty nice.”
“The story is about as casual as it gets; not that it's necessarily a bad thing, but there isn't much left to think or figure out from the player's perspective.”
“You'll come to see that story progression consists of interacting with game points and telling it to move to the next chapter, and that any sort of 'investigating' that you do is actually just wandering around trying to find the next h-scene.”
“The story doesn't even count as a story to me as it's so stupid.”
- gameplay21 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally considered lackluster and straightforward, with many reviewers noting its minimal interactivity and reliance on standard RPG Maker mechanics. While some appreciate the quick progression towards adult scenes and the inclusion of helpful guidance features, others find the overall experience tedious and uninspired, lacking any significant post-ending content. Despite these criticisms, a few users mention that the game offers a decent story and enjoyable art style, making it marginally better than its competitors.
“The gameplay itself is pretty straightforward; use skills, items, and spells to defeat whatever faces you, beat them, and move forward.”
“There's about 7-and-a-half hours worth of gameplay to see all the content.”
“More on the gameplay side, I’ve noticed something a bit odd, as the game tells us that we’ll automatically defeat enemies below our level without entering battle, a pretty nice mechanic, especially in an ero-RPG, since sometimes the leveling and dungeons might get boring or break the pace when we really want to be doing other stuff.”
“The gameplay is basically non-existent.”
“There are visual novels with more interactive gameplay than that.”
“Most of the gameplay elements were standard fare for RPG Maker games, so don't expect anything groundbreaking.”
- graphics15 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are polarizing, featuring a grimy and intentionally unattractive art style that emphasizes dirt and decay, particularly in male characters, which some players find off-putting. However, many appreciate the high-quality artwork, especially for female characters, and the unique aesthetic contributes to the game's overall narrative and thematic depth. While the visuals may not appeal to everyone, they are often praised for their boldness and alignment with the game's adult content.
“But that really isn't why we're playing games like this, the scenes are great, the artwork is great, some small issues with crashing but that was about it.”
“Definitely 8/10, I love the graphics and the background music of this game.”
“Like a lot of eroge, the main draw is easily the artwork.”
“All the artwork is done in this grimy and utterly revolting way with all the dirt and yellowing of everything, along with everyone looking like substance abusers. If not for these design choices, I'd settle and call this one pretty mid.”
“The artwork in the men is gross; there are lots of ugly characters.”
“This game is not for those who detest ugly characters, since the shinachiku-castella art style features a lot of unattractive designs.”
- music12 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality, with standout tracks noted during boss battles and key story moments. However, some players feel that the soundtrack is limited in variety, particularly towards the end. Overall, the music enhances the experience, with many expressing a desire for a collection of the tracks.
“The music was very good as well.”
“Did I mention that the boss battle soundtrack is awesome in this game?”
“I really enjoyed the story and the choice of music that the devs picked for every scene and every location.”
“The music in this game is so hype compared to other HRPGs; I really like it and wish I could get a collection of MP3s.”
“The music is also banging.”
“Some solid OST (and even some music with vocals).”
- grinding4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the lack of grinding in this game, as the simplified battle system focuses on stronger enemies and bosses, allowing for a more streamlined experience. This design choice enables players to concentrate on story and character interactions without the frustration of repetitive battles for items or money. Overall, the absence of grinding is seen as a significant positive aspect compared to other RPGs.
“The game's design allows for a smooth experience without grinding, letting players focus on enjoying the content.”
“I appreciate that there’s no grinding with normal mobs, which means I can concentrate on collecting the CG!”
“The battle system is simplified, giving priority to stronger enemies or boss-class foes, greatly cutting down the time spent grinding for items and money.”
“This game does so many things right compared to other RPGs; there is no awful grinding. You only have to fight boss monsters, the two main characters have some personality, their interactions are entertaining, and they actually have some backstory.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as goofy and funny, contributing to an upbeat tone despite the presence of darker themes. Players appreciate the blend of lighthearted moments with more mature and grim elements, making for a unique storytelling experience. Overall, the humor enhances the game's appeal, encouraging recommendations even at full price.
“Yes, I highly recommend this game! The story is goofy and funny, and the CGI is very clean. If it's on sale, you gotta pick it up; if not on sale, I would still pick it up, but I bought it on sale.”
“Tssp tells a mature fantasy story that is often upbeat and funny, but sometimes grim and brutal as well.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a well-crafted balance of wholesome and kinky scenarios, providing a satisfying mix of lewdness and cuteness that resonates with players. However, the fighting elements are noted as forgettable, which detracts from the overall emotional engagement.
“The scenarios were pretty nice, with a mix of wholesome and playful elements that created a balance I didn't even know I needed.”
“The emotional depth of the characters really drew me in, making their experiences feel genuine and relatable.”
“The blend of heartfelt moments and lighthearted interactions made for a truly engaging experience.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted for its focus on sexual content, featuring over 50 sex scenes; however, the animations are criticized for being repetitive. While the soundtrack and female character design receive positive remarks, the overall depth of character development appears limited.
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with anyone in the game.”
“I was expecting a rich narrative with evolving characters, but instead, I found predictable arcs and one-dimensional personalities.”
“While there are numerous scenes, the character interactions are repetitive and fail to offer any meaningful growth.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for having zero replayability, indicating that players find little to no incentive to revisit it after completing it once.
“Zero replayability.”
“The game offers no incentive to play again after completing it once.”
“Once you've finished the story, there's little to draw you back in.”
