The Copycat is a very interesting visual novel that delivers what it promises: an NTR game, as stated in the welcome message when you first start the game.
Personally, NTR is not my favorite genre, but it is one that I can enjoy from time to time, especially because I have learned to appreciate it from the perspective of an observer. That is, I enjoy the bitter moments the protagonist goes through without identifying with him. Also, of course, I enjoy the humiliations that his loved ones have to endure. In that sense, I don't understand people who consume NTR material and then complain about feeling humiliated by identifying with the protagonist. Are they idiots? There is only one reason why someone would consume NTR material looking to identify with the protagonist: you do it because you like identifying with the pathetic, cuckolded masochist. If that's not the case, play the damn game from the perspective of an observer and just watch how they mess up the life of the idiot in turn.
In the case of The Copycat, this is very simple, since the developer did not assign the protagonist a single characteristic with which a reasonably dignified person could identify. In fact, the protagonist is so stupid, ugly, and pathetic that you only wish worse things would happen to him.
So, could we define The Copycat as a "classic" NTR game, if I may use the expression? Well, yes and no. First of all, it is necessary to highlight that this is not a plain NTR game; it is an American NTR (I don't know the developer's country of origin, but I am referring to the style). What does this mean? In one word: blacks. While in Japanese NTR the protagonist is usually turned into a solemn cuckold by old, ugly, or fat men (usually a combination of these three characteristics), it is evident that in the American market it is convenient to exploit what appears to be the greatest fear of certain white Americans. Again: blacks and interracial stuff. And in that sense, I think the game does quite well, considering that this is simply a porn game with no other aspirations.
Of course, to achieve this, the developer presents these black antagonists resorting to all the clichés imaginable: stereotypical names, people reduced to simple and foolish creatures with animalistic behaviors (the developer's vain attempts to convince us that Jamal is somehow "intelligent" are truly touching), and, of course, very large penises. It's the same reason why in the real porn industry, if you are black and have a small penis, no one will hire you, while if you are white and have an average (or even below average) penis, you can still be a big star. So, the game is evidently racist and discriminatory... against blacks, of course. Nothing new under the sun, but this is a standard "American" NTR, so we can't complain about that. I would like to know, however, what black people think when consuming these games, considering that we never see a black protagonist in a typical Harem (at least none that I know of), but we do see them as mere tools in the narrative of white "humiliation."
But probably the weakest part of the game is the whole "plot" background, so to speak. On one hand, there's the serial killer issue, whose identity has not yet been revealed (unless I missed something). On the other hand, there's a certain secret organization, and finally, the gang of black "mobsters." The latter is undoubtedly the most hilarious and ridiculous part of all. Of course, I don't expect the author to present the mafia as it is. I mean, for example, a sophisticated and elegant 'Ndrangheta boss with deep connections to the world's major cartels, arms trafficking, human trafficking, etc., heavily involved in politics and international financial capital. But presenting a couple of idiots who, at best, are the last link in a transnational drug trafficking business is an insult to intelligence, no matter how much you try to cover it up with unnecessary quotes from Marx and others.
So why do you give it such a high rating then? Because this is a porn game. And the objective of a porn game is, at the end of the day, to deliver entertainment and sexual gratification. The Copycat does this really well. In that sense, I would like to mention, to conclude, a few things about the mother character, Gretchen. I have seen many criticize the character for her personality and appearance. Regarding the former, many complain that she grovels and degrades herself in front of her son's tormentor, who caused so much harm to her family (without going into details, it is the hottest part of the story). But this is ridiculous. In NTR, the humiliation and degradation of the protagonist's loved ones (girlfriends, mothers, childhood friends, etc.) is a basic element to achieve the degradation and humiliation of the cuckold. Gretchen's personality and actions are, therefore, absolutely logical in a genre like this. If you don't like that, then you shouldn't play this game. As for her physical appearance, the fact that she is a repeated model with impossible proportions really doesn't seem like a problem to me. After all, 90% (and I might be understating it) of developers here work with prefabricated models with slight modifications. We can think of them as "porn actors and actresses." As for the "impossible proportions," it is a criticism that makes no sense. After all, it is a computer-generated graphic. If you like curves in real life, you will really enjoy someone taking them to the extreme. If you don't like them, there are hundreds of games with more "normal" models. I don't understand why many assume that "it would be better" if she had "more realistic proportions," making their particular tastes seem like the only ones that deserve universal validity.
