I have always dabbled in VNs, but as of late I had been trying to experience some of the more renowned ones on VNDB. HenPri was one of those games, but it wasn't until recently that it was translated. I had finished the prior games from Qruppo, Nukitashi 1&2, both of which were fun games, and was waiting for HenPri so I could mark it off my list, expecting a good game in line with their prior works. What I got instead was one of the better VNs I've ever played.

HenPri is a comedy/drama game set on a desolate and corrupt prison. While there is porn, the "Hentai" in the title is moreso in reference to the weird and out of place members of society that are cast out into the prison. Tulip Prison specializes in the sexually deranged, be it stalkers, rapists, bizarre fetishists, etc. Shuichiro, the protagonist, is one of these sinners, a serial exhibitionist whose crimes catch up with him. In the presence of more brutal and deranged psychos, Shuichiro must do what he can to survive both the inmates and guards.

There are multiple routes, all culminating in a grand route, each with their own epilogues. While primarily a comedy based on sex-jokes, the routes can get into some pretty dark content, as the cast is chewed up and forced to go to some extreme lengths to survive their trials. While it does take place in the same world as Nukitashi, you'd probably be fine just coasting off the context provided in this game. For fans of Nukitashi, while it does rely on the same sort of sex-joke humor, the cast is a lot different in terms of their approach to problem-solving, being a lot less altruistic and forgiving, and the setting is a lot more oppressive and dark than the bright Seiran Island. Altogether, it's a fresh experience from their prior work.

I think what makes HenPri so impressive in comparison to its predecessors is how different every route feels. Every single route has its own problems, and the cast is explored and viewed in different ways each time. Even for certain scenarios that are repeated, the cast approaches it from a different perspective and plan every time. The grand route in particular is an extremely impressive route, as every single character, no matter how big or small, gets their moment to shine. The epilogue leaves nothing behind, as everything is perfectly attended to and given its respect.

Art is nice, a good upgrade from the prior games, and if I had any complaints, it'd be that there's quite a few typos (I played pre-patch so the recent patch might have cleaned it up). If you're a Nukitashi fan wanting more, play HenPri. If you want to see what happens when a cast of freaks gets bottled up in a prison plot full of riots, gangs, sadistic guards, and conspiracy plots, play HenPri. If you want a plot with soul that knows how to introduce sex while being about more than sex, play HenPri. I could not recommend this game more.