BDSM Tryouts

Once logged in, you're taken to the main Fetish Network portal. Thankfully, the site is conveniently placed right at the top of the list. One click and I was off to a members area that looked every bit as menacing as the tour page. The page itself is jet black with the exception of the images, which are of sexy young subbies, usually bound and gagged, always looking terrified. Really, the only minor relief from the sheer horror of it all would be the sleek navigational tools.

But this isn't just some spooky facade. All the scenes and sets they've posted so far have been pretty sweet. So, if ropes and pain are your thing, might want to stick around. Because, in addition to pulling off that gritty, raw style we've all come to know and love from our bondage sites, BDSM Tryouts pays tribute to the hard work and skill involved with being a true Master. All of the scenes feature intricate knots, often tied on film while the victim squirms. And despite the site being brand spankin' new and, as a result, only having a handful of episodes, I can, nevertheless, already see a lot of variation in the content. While some are full-on torture, complete with clamped nipples and temporary suffocation via plastic bag over the head, there's also a few more laid back ones, "let's take a step back and enjoy the beauty of a hogtied woman" sort of vibe.

Another great thing about these scenes is that the master/slave relationship is usually further imbalanced by the fact that the Master is an elderly man and the slave is usually a 20-something or teen. This could be played off in a lot of ways that would come across as hokey, but they chose, wisely I think, to go with the cool, methodical approach. Instead of screaming right away, they'll often let the slaves babble on. Then, once the sub is comfortable, the pain is unleashed. Cruel ... but hot.

I had mixed feelings about the video quality. On the one hand, we get some good-looking SD files with awesome running times, but on the other hand, there's no real HD options available. In fact, there's no other resolutions or formats offered up for the PC. Your only other options are a mobile file and, of course, streaming the scene. But, alas, there was no "HD" button on the embedded player, either. For what it's worth, download times were pretty quick, and the player displayed no buffering hiccups. In their defense, though, more options are listed. So perhaps, the site being brand new and all, they've simply not gotten around to it yet.

The picture galleries, on the other hand, are basically low-res screen caps with no "coming soon" higher res options in sight. On the bright side, they serve as a good way to preview the episode, and with 120-150 images per set, you're bound to find a winner every now and then.

I also think they really dropped the ball when they decided, for whatever reason, to not add a model index. They've put together quite the group of quirky — but hot — young ladies. It seems a waste not to have more info about them. I remember being quite curious about a beautiful young Subbie named Maya, who chatted incessently about her idea for a new tattoo while an elderly master did his best to ignore her, instead focusing on the knots. I'm sure her story, as well as the other girls, would add a lot to the whole thing. Perhaps even allow us to enjoy their pain a little more. I certainly care more in a horror film about the death of a character if I feel I've gotten to know them.

If this site has an Achilles' Heel, it's undoubtedly its lack of updates. However, this can hardly be helped since the site is barely over a month old. The main thing is, they've already added 4 updates this month, so if they keep it up, this will be one hell of a site down the road.

But there's no reason to sit and wait for that day to come. If you're truly into BDSM porn, and you don't already have a Fetish Network account, you might still want to take this one under immediate consideration. The network has over 42 sites, 24 of which fall specifically under the bondage category, and the rest not far behind. Hell, just between Device Bondage Videos and Pain Vixens, you should be set between updates for a long while.