I felt compelled to write a review of my personal opinion of AWAM after finishing the game's most current release. Please keep in mind these are my opinions and may not reflect your own. You should know immediately that this game is a slow burn, and Sophia's fall from grace is a slow and steady decline. If you're looking for immediate satisfaction, this isn't the droid you're looking for.
I wanted first to compliment the writer's passions for classic rock, guitar, and art history. It was very informative and enjoyable to experience in the game. In-depth discussions of scales on a guitar, musical theory, and Madonna conspiracies with AC/DC references were a pleasant find in an adult-oriented game. I may have even learned a few things which are always satisfying as a reader.
The protagonist, Sophia, is quite likable. There is a subtle naivety to her that teeters between preposterous and captivating. I grew up around LDS families in my youth, and there were many mothers I knew that was a lot like Sophia. The very thought of someone seeing anything below their shoulders was enough to warrant a gasp of shock, especially with their children around. So in my mind, I had to basically treat Sophia like a Mormon mother being corrupted with the environment around her to get myself in the mindset to see where she was coming from. To go into a whole tangent about Sophia would be long and arduous, so that I will reserve that for another time. But overall, I loved her character, but there is a lot that I also didn't love.
The husband, Liam, is probably the most casual and boring of the characters in this story. He is very much caught up in work while trying to maintain friendships and appearances most of all. The boring male archetype is trying hard to be ahead of the game and jealous of others who are more successful. Pretty much the dynamic for most male backstories I've seen in film, tv, and games. Not that it bothers me, it makes the other aspects of the game far more interesting to consider as he is so disinteresting and easy to dislike. Especially the casino nonsense.
Dylan, to me, is a bit of a throwaway character. I feel he is another standard archetype of a young guy. Horny all the time, infatuated with sex, and into sports/video games. Nothing truly compelling about him nor do I feel or care about his plight. Honestly, I avoided him as much as I could and felt nothing when I sent him along to boarding school.
Sam was quite a surprise of a character; while carrying a cool and calm intelligence and a helpful and confident demeanor, he is quickly transformed into a Dylan clone when the two of them are alone. I was hoping he would develop into a character that really educated Dylan on acting mature and erring on the side of intelligence but instead went the swooning, perverted idiot route behind the scenes. Especially disappointing after the great scene between him and Sofia during the guitar scene.
Ellie was probably the most interesting character outside of Sophia. A certain wonderment to her interactions with her mother that really felt compelling and genuine. The awe she has of all the world around her, her friend's discoveries, her own, her interactions with her mother, and her friends are very real-world feelings to me. Though obviously, the fantasy comes in with the mother/daughter interactions of the sexual nature. Julia and Ellie's most erotic and intense scene set up Sophia for the best slow-burn lesbian scene I've ever experienced. My body literally shook with anticipation and eagerness of the scene that I felt concluded with a very unexciting conclusion. However, nothing can take away that intense moment between Julia and Sophia. Powerful stuff.
Carl and Patricia and the various other characters pop in a bit and out a bit, and there's no real depth to their backstories. But I at least wanted to share my thoughts up until that point. Thanks for the wonderful experience, I truly enjoyed the game, and I appreciate the hard work put into the writing and the excellent models and scenes. There's a lot to be desired in character development, but at its core, this is a solid experience.
4/5 Stars