I don't think it's one or the other. For all the faults Episode 4 had resolving it, I think the twist of Josy showing up as Maya's surprise girlfriend was good for the game. Likewise I think the destruction of the mansion in Episode 5 was a good moment that hit hard and paved the way for the MC's rise to glory; hosting the Halloween party wouldn't feel nearly as satisfying if the audience didn't share the sense of how tough the path back has been.
Of course, the flipside to this is that we need lulls in the drama to appreciate what's been lost or gained. If everything is balls-to-the-wall drama all the time, it loses its impact. Nothing is at stake if any winnings will immediately be imperiled before we can spend them. No sense worrying about any particular crisis, it's business as usual.
DPC excels in the slice of life material and struggles with high-stakes threats, but his instincts to have both is correct. He just needs to learn that less is sometimes more. If he keeps the scale personal most of the time and saves his powder for a few pivotal moments, he can get an even bigger narrative bang without having to strongarm the story into a series of convoluted crises.
My previous post (that I thought would has a lot of "facepalms", but has had a lot of "likes" instead) was a rant, and I was exaggerating a bit (only a bit). I don´t think that this game would be better without any drama and soap-opera narrative resources. But I do think that it has way to much of all that.
The story of Maya and Josy is, first of all, far fetched. The coincidence of Tremolo dating the two of them at the same time in different cities, and then Josy appearing suddenly in the worst moment... that`s cheap soap opera material at its finest. Second, the story of the cute, beautiful and wonderful with-candy-glass-and-a-cherry-on-the-top lesbian romance, ruined by an intolerant religious middle aged white man (the devil!!!) and the prejudices of the society, is a postmodern cliché that I hate. The same goes for the plotline of Chad and the other guy.
All the drama and mystery about Isabella and her husband aren´t good to the story, either. Just creates a dark aura around the character that seems to anticipate a situation with her similar to the one of the ending of Acting Lessons. If at some point, Isabella has any psychiatry problem like a nervous breakdown because of Jill, the appareance of her husband in the worst moment, or something like that, and commits suicide or has to be hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital , is going to be even worst that AL. And that´s the kind of situation that DPC seems to be preparing.
Could it not be better, if this game were a bit lighter? If it would have dramatic and emotional scenes only when needed, and never forced. In a story, drama, emotions and mystery is like cayenne in cooking. A pinch here and there is good for the recipe. Put it in every single plate, and you ruin the dinner for everybody.
Some drama plotlines could be maintained: For example, the mystery about Tremolo´s mom as a recurrent theme through the storyline until, at the end, we know some kind of revelation about Lynette and maybe Jill´s family or family friends. Also, the story of Quinn´s dirty business, connected with Vinnie (the minor antagonist) and Burke (the main antagonist), if DPC is able to not let that plotline of noir cinema become too intrusive and ruin the lightness and sense of humor of the game. But the rest of the big dramas and socking revelations should be out.
- Sage should be a popular girl dating with a popular muscular bowhead that doesn´t value her as she deserves, and Tremolo solves that. With his magic cock at first, and then being a good, supportive friend and a charming, flirting and funny guy.
- Isabela should be a separated woman, bored with her life, that finds a second youngness with Tremolo. There could be some subplots around jealousy and regret connected with Jill, but that´s all. And with a happy ending, please. No more things like the ending of AL, pretty please DPC.
- Maya and Josy, should be just two girlfriends that met Tremolo and, to their surprise, find out that are both attracted by the handsome and charming boy, so they start to compete or cooperate to, either get Tremolo for one of them into a solo path, or to share him into an harem path with the three of the characters. Maybe the scene of the surprise for Tremolo when he knows that they are actually a couple, and the subsequent anger, could be maintained. But all that Drama around Maya´s dad should go out.
- Jill, more or less like she is. Maybe a bit less naïve. And Tybald could have found a less boorish way to manipulate her into dating him, than blackmailing. That´s just lazy writing.
And that´s all. A bit of drama, mystery and emotional moments, but not the overload of situations of Mexican telenovela that we have in this game. Thanks God that DPC knows how to create great characters and funny, sexy and witty dialogues and situations. If not, this game would be just crap.
Always nice to discuss things with someone as willing to get into the weeds about the topic as I am.
