Here's my "review" of the last update (that might as well apply to the game as a while). I won't write it as a proper rated review until more content has been added into the game though.
I'll start with more universal stuff: I, as well as many others, tend to dislike "dream scenes" as they usually are only present in games in order to check some kind of "X amount of needed sex scenes quota" in the story. They usually add nothing but "fan service" to a game, and feel very hollow (even if the scene is hot). This update had one such scene. It's not exactly the same kind of "hollow dream scenes" that other games have, but as it is right now, it kind of is.
My suggestion is to make it relevant to the story/MC by making it repeatable and award Mind Points. This would also expand the possible array of scenes and let
eXtasy Games get away with a lot of other setups in the future. For instance, we could have a small adventure in a sci-fi or in a pirate setting in order to unlock other relevant-to-the-story powers. Having the option to revisit those "mind locations" and get some repeatable scenes with the characters in there, all the while getting Mind Points for it seems like a great way to go about it (since all the characters are also a part of the MC's mind).
That said, the adventure as a whole did feel kinda "fluff-ish". However, I think that instead of backing off from that approach, it'd be better to double down and make it even more "ridiculous", all the while having whatever it is we're doing in that "mind-world" to intertwine more with the objectives.
Now, in regards to Ava... I'm not sure where you want to go with her character, but she is definitely in a prime position to be worked on as an antagonist. Perhaps even the main antagonist of the story. She could be helping us now only because that also helps herself, but ultimately she'd want to suppress us and take over the MC's body. Now, I hope that isn't the case and she'll remain as our partner-in-crime (as she has been so far) permanently. But if that's not the case, I hope there'll be a way suppress her into that role. I'm thinking of her in a similar way to how Johnny Silverhand was handled in CP77 (although I hated how that story concluded in all their endings).
That said, my own personal take of her sex scene... Your mileage may vary, but
I hate handjobs. Just hate them. Whenever one appear in a game, I feel like that was wasted potential. It's what every boy, teen or man can do and has been doing all their life whenever one just wants a quick release. And her being a part of my own inner conscious just made it so it felt like a "dream wank", not even a real one. Goddamit, at least make it a blowjob, if not something better. Some people might get off to handjobs on account of the imagery that "it's a hot girl doing it for you instead of you by yourself just imagining a hot girl doing other stuff" but cmon! I'd much rather not have had the dream peasant girl scene and gotten more quality time with Ava instead if given the choice. Maybe others disagree, but that's
my own personal take on that. In the (hopefully near) future, I hope to have a
lot more options with Ava in regards to Mind Point farming.
Next is, again, absolutely a
me thing that a lot of people might disagree or just not care one way or another. It's about the incest. A lot of people enjoy it and that's fine. I myself do enjoy daughter and sister stuff, but hate mother content. Hypocritical? Probably, but that's how it is for me. I'd request that you make the story make sense even if the incest is optional. In the beginning of the game, I wanted to set Sophia as aunt and Chloe as cousin (though having her as sister would be just as fine), but those weren't options because, iirc, Chloe's relation to you depends on how you choose Sophia's relation to you to be and you can't directly choose it. That was probably done for story reasons, as you probably need Chloe and Sophia to be daughter and mother in the story. I just wish I could avoid the whole mother thing without missing out on content (My Bully is my Lover is a game in which you can theoretically choose whatever relation to the family characters you want, but anything other than direct familial bonds make the story make no sense whatsoever).
Finally, just a bit of how I felt the story took an unexpected turn on account of what characters we'd be able to work on first. Based on how the story started, I thought we'd be working first and foremost on Chloe and Sarah, Luna and Scarlett and only then would we really start to "work our way up" in regards to people that have more power and/or authority, such as Eleanor, Sophia and the Principal (as well as possible other future characters). The bully guy wouldn't even be on the list, though I liked the way that was handled. Still, I'd prefer investing in those previously mentioned girls before rewiring the bully and getting his girl (though having him as an enforcer could be a potential boon for the story in several ways). Speaking of, someone else suggested ways to have Sharon return to the story a while back and I'm fully onboard with their suggestion.
Back on topic, personally, I wouldn't have gone onto Eleanor like we have at this point in the story as it did feel somewhat bait-and-switchy, as some people have pointed out. I don't know if the game in the future will allow us to progress with the girls in any order we desire or not, but as of now, the order did seem somewhat strange to me. Not that that's a bad thing, just isn't really what I expected. Sarah already being the closest non-familial girl to us seemed like a great start point, especially considering the progress we've made with her so far and the fact that we can even work together in the coffee shop. Luna and her behavior seemed like something I'd want to explore much earlier than me trying to influence a teacher. Putting Scarlett in her place would be priority number one for me, even if only for petty revenge since she's such a bitch. Getting Chloe under control would also be tied to number one goal due to her possible usefulness as a very smart girl, but also due to her accessibility, living literally in the room next door. A great way to practice our growing powers with several boons attached to it. Having all those options but then going straight to Eleanor seemingly out of the blue felt weird to me.
So yeah, I think that's it from me as of now. I'm greatly enjoying the game and I'm looking forward to updates to it about as much as some top shelf games in the site. I feel this game isn't really "up there" yet, but it's definitely heading that way.
