I think that was the point. You're riding on cloud nine, about to have a threesome and move to L.A. to be a big actresses boy toy, and then you snap into reality and morbid loathing. Reality isn't kind and can throw you for a twist (such as a car accident, or illness) when things were seeming to be perfect. There is no build up for those events and they come unexpectedly.
I can understand those that were upset by the change in tone for their own fap happy reasons, but it's not due to bad writing (we all have different tastes and desires). It's due to the unexpected that takes away what you thought that you had worked for and earned. As others have stated, if the tone had been there (or even the "thriller" tag) for setting up a bad turn of events, you wouldn't have grown as attached to the characters, and would have been suspicious of every event as being the one that will throw you for a loop.
So much is wrong with this points. You say that reality is not kind. This is some times true, but you think it is reality when crazy nurse burn down house less than day after girlfriend almost raped by the stepfather who also beats other girlfriend same week best friend tell you he have cancer, and also blackmailed by ex into trying to fuck her so girlfriend gets job as actress? Also nurse who rape you while in coma? You think that is real? I say bull shit.
But once more with people upset because no fap happy tone. That saying, by you, and others is insulting to people with reasons given for why they do not like the tone change. If players were only in it for fap there are always being better games for that, as sex scenes were weak link in the game. EP1-5 have good characters, and moving story (well, end of five was getting with the bad, but not enough to be to scary.) Please stop telling people why they did not like some thing, and listening to why they say they did not like some thing.
You say surprise was good. You felt emotion. Others like when story actually does correct work for plot twists and doesn't cheat to get emotional reaction. Which is still what this was in my thinking. When you say people don't like because of emotion or lack of fap, it is insult. And I am knowing that it is easy to fall to when angry, and did before when should not have and made point in not kind ways.
If you ask me, I didnt think there was a drastic tonal shift. The game, from the start, had lots of very heavy drama interspersed between moments of joy. These "ups and downs" gradually started to get more extreme as the episodes went on. We were getting higher highs and lower lows.
The fact that we even care this much about the death is a testament to good writing. I didn't give two shits when Tracy in DoD died. Sure, it was preventable, but even if that was the only route, I couldn't care less.
That we care what happened to the girlfriends is showing that there was good writing in EP1-5. On that thing we are agreeing. That we are angry at becoming target of what feels like bad joke does not mean that 6-7 are written well. If a story is good for 70% and then becomes bad... you wouldn't say the bad part must be good because it make you angry. You just say that the 70% is good. That is what criticizers are saying.
You think there is not tone shift is good for you. I said before that lots of people think there is means that it was not handled well. Villains are all very bad, never feel like people that could exist... because villain so bad, threat never feel like it is an actual part of story in game, instead it feels like add on for more dramatic , very much when so much happen in so short of a time. Surely many postings talk about this. While villain drama work for you, for others it did not. Then with no chance to even think that drama is important, fire happens that is done so bad it is to be laughing. Attempt not even made to save both (and excuse for lack of attempting this is weak) it is choice put there because it was decided to be there, not because natural. And that is problem.
Story and game work when choice come from character. This happen often with Liam, Megan and Melissa. Story does not work, and never did when drama is show horned. Peter, Dick, Ana, and Leah. All fail as villain. All scene with them are not scenes of characters like people, all are scenes with plot that has to happen, because planned in the story, and every thing is used to make sure it happen.
Look at Leah as example. In order for Leah to be villain she is she must to be, ninja stalker, able to secret take photography from impossible angle and open area, work in two different parts of hospital at same time, get obsessing on MC in less than week, be okay with telling stalkered about girl he like, able to lock pick door or make fake key. Able to hide inside of house while three people living in it. Able to knock out two girl with none seeing her. Then setting fire that burns so that all exit are cut off while no witness by neighbor in suburban town. But because choice was made to kill a girl in bad way, story had bend to character and world to make fit.
That is problem game has. Game was designing around killing a girl. But game leading to the killing of girl did not do to make a natural part of the game. That is what is failure... biggest failure.
