I am going to throw (another) hot take, but on the topic of Cait... I actually do not hate the healslut as much as everyone else.
Her scenes are pretty hot and in my opinion, she serves as a pretty great introduction to the world and tone of CoC2. Her missing sister is a serious issue, but she isn't turning into a soap-opera and still has a lighthearted, carefree character. Cait saying the she is willing to fuck anyone is also something I felt is on the same wavelength as me starting the game - it's a porn game that is literally called "corruption of champions", I ain't expecting a monogamous lovey-dovey romance as if it's some dating sim VN. I expect a porn-sandbox where I fuck anything that looks hot and Cait looks hot. She (at least the DCL design) looks decent - horny, but not too out there, no enormous cocks, only 15% furry, lewd outfit that makes some sense in lore. A slutty catgirl companion that might agree to any fetish I propose to her? Sign me in, that sounds hot.
That's not to say I think hatred for Cait is undeserved. Being the first companion that is also kinda mandatory to survive unless you really know what you are doing, it makes sense for her to be the most developed to showcase CoC2 promised "improvements" in making companions actually matter in the story. Plus, I assume that people on Fenoxo's Forums do like her, so it's not like more content with her is something that causes uproar for the fanbase they care about. The problem is that it often becomes too much, where she takes too much spotlight and feels like she is the actual main character.
In my previous posts, I did imply that personally I wouldn't find this to be a terrible thing (I mean, I've played games where playable is just there to be alongside an NPC who is the actual main character with an arc to go through), but for this to work that character should be... actually great and Cait isn't great, she is just a decent fit for an average porn game companion. And that's a subjective opinion, some people have higher standards.
The main problem with Cait and the story is that the entire fucking plot hook of CoC2 relies entirely on the idea that player will like Cait and will go on a quest to help her. There aren't many reasons to do so otherwise, you ain't even a local to truly care about the conflict (and the game not being a power-fantasy and featuring OP NPCs makes you wonder why are you even here). As someone who tried writing a story for a game like CoC2, I feel like whoever was responsible for this part fell into a narrative trap. They were too afraid to give MC too much concrete details and aspects that would give real justification for you to go on your adventure, so they left the backstory as simple as possible for you to fill the gaps yourself. At the same time, they were too convinced that Cait's struggle and the treat of Kas (or MC's crush on her???) will be enough of a motivation for you to care about the main story (it probably is for some).
There are games where you have to go to specific direction for the story to work. Shepard has to find and stop Saren. But that's because he has actual concrete personality that the player has a limited control over. Courier has to get to New Vegas. But because the game has enough freedom and angles, you can create an enormous amount of headcannons as to why you need to. CoC2 doesn't go both routes. MC is bland and has no reasons to care. You can hardly make your own reasons for this because you barely have any choices or freedom. So when your entire plot works only because "MC is a good champ who is willing to help a slutty catgirl out and stop a horrifying, powerful demon.", you have to wonder why are you even here, when it's clear that Cait is the one who actually matters and who the writer wants to developer and move through the plot.
