Manon passe en revue un thon 🐟

[manonamora (M.)]

Lewd Mod: Noir by HHRichards

Independent Release, from 2023. Written/created by Cisco Donovan and illustrated by Soft. More pornographic than Office Temptation. I only played the demo (1/3rd)
Made in Twine.

Lewd Mod: Noir is “noir” spin-off to the pornographic series Lewd Mod, where you play as a new analyst in a spy agency called the Red Hats, which combs through sexy pictures for “reasons”. Your arrival also marks the start of an internal investigation, as you learn there is a mole in the agency, selling out its members’ information. Your two points of contact, Agent Scarlett and Agent Cyanne, have different motivations on how to deal with the situation. And you can side with one or the other.

Along with the usual phone chatting from this author, the game introduce another game mechanic to add a bit more interactivity: “analysing” the pictures and indicate whether a Red Hat agent has been photographed or not. Very simple, very basic, and as the days go one, pretty sexy. And if you make a mistake? the game makes you check the series of picture again.

There is also a Noir Mode, which adds a greyscale filter to most of the game, particularly the picture you swift through, which honestly adds an air of mystery (and sexiness for sure). And to the atmosphere of the spy setting.

Story-wise, you have your run-of-the-mill spy story: there’s a mole weaving chaos into an agency, putting all the spies in some sort of danger, and YOU get the figure out what happens… eventually. You know, after you get to flirt with a woman or two. And there’s your very flirty and approachable “love” interest (usually blond), and the stern and sulry one (usually brunette). Shenanigans may ensue.

Now, there is some charm to the game. At first at least. The game sort of nudge you to play as some sort of himbo to get Agent Scarlett frustrated with you (and you get some funny back and forth), as a way to give some exposition and explain the main mechanic of the game. It definitely got some chuckles out of me.

But then… It kinda fell off. I can’t pin-point the exact moment when it went sideways for me. The vibe of the setting just shifted and turned sour. I think starting by the end of Agent Scarlett’s backstory, where she essentially slutshame other agents for their bigger chests (making her insecure about her own B-C cup herself), it sort of became… disappointing. And the cheating, again…
Up until then, there was some tension between Agents Scarlett and Cyanne – a sort of frenemies with sexy undertone, the kind you keep hoping they will kiss at the end of the story, because they realise how attracted to each other they are.

But then this happened, and it threw the vibes all the way off. And there is nothing wrong with conflict, heck, this is what makes stories interesting. But the pitting the women against each other, with a good dash of misogyny and bodyshaming, almost fighting for you, the lowly newbie analyst, cooled me off completely. In an agency that uses sex appeal as their modus operandi, how is there space for… this!
You’d think they would just treat it as the job, their body as a weapon, their actions the same you would filling a boring file in an office job. Instead, we get women hating each other’s bodies, some slutshaming and accusations… What a bummer… And it takes away from the whole sexy vibe too.

The end of the demo happens after the major choice of helping Agent Scarlett, while she’s targetted by a conspiracy, or selling her out to get into the good graces of Agent Cyanne, the boss. Follows a little conversation with whomever you sided, and a strip-tease of some sort. If only the women weren’t bashing each other during that conversation… It would seem less sad.

The consequence of this choice, I assume, continue into the next chapters (but I stopped with the demo). Part of me sort of hope the Agents actually realise their feeling for each other, ditch you, and drive into the sunset for their cool lesbian on the road ending. But I’d probably bet on your regular spy story of their both got betrayed by a third person (let’s call her… Agent Yarrow, and it’s the super boss) and team up to take her down (but then don’t apologise to each other, and make you choose again who should take the boss’ seat). That or the one you pick is actually the mole and you got to “save” the other one. Or they are both the mole.
With how the demo ended, I’m not tempted to find out. I’ll just stick with my fanfic of the two Agents making out on a beach.

Honestly, I’m so glad I started with Office Temptation, because this game was a huge improvement. There are still some issues with how it handles women (objectifying but in a respectful way is hard, I know). But the visuals is nicer imo.
Still… it’s hella weird the focus on the eyes, and the stares and so on… when none of the illustrations HAVE EYES.