With regard to all of the Vanessa/Riley slow-burn hate, I'd like to express a contrasting point of view...
Early on in my play-through of the game, I felt like the MC had
no chance with Vanessa, so I'm pleased that she is beginning to warm up to him, and I feel like the progress of that relationship is right on track, considering where she started, and her personality and issues.
When I play the game, I mentally insert myself into the role of the MC
(as I suspect many others do), so yeah,
my MC is a bit frustrated by Riley's current "friend-zone" tendencies, but I personally consider that good, entertaining, nuanced storytelling
(if I was just looking for a quick wank, I'd go to PornHub instead). I think Riley is hot AF, so
my MC is playing the long game, and holding out hope that Riley will have an epiphany, realize what a good thing she has right in front of her, get over whatever hangups she has
(often not so easy IRL), and throw herself at him hard
(making up for lost time...). I see her as the
final boss; defeating Bowzer/King Koopa, figuratively speaking.
Keep up the great work,
Venus!
