I finally took the plunge with the latest update and started playing the game. I am now one week in and I feel it's time for a short summary.
Yes, the game cannot deny that it's developed by Mr. Dots. You have the inner monologues which are bordering on the excessive, cutaways to other protagonists and the sinister plans of the antagonists. You got the relationship menu when you click Daughter's (in my case Lisa's) picture. And you got more or less the same cast as Melody:
- MC: successful jack-of-many-trades with self-doubts what he is doing
- Lisa / Daughter: virgin big-boobed "kindness coin points-gather machine", in this case a bit shy who wants to be a model instead of a musician (see: Melody)
- Elena: small boobed slightly manipulative promiscuous best friend, possibly evil (see: Sophia)
- Jennifer: no-boobed Melody-lookalika who has already joined the workforce and is therefore busy (see: Xianne)
- Georgina: the giant-boobed smart one with a crush (see: Rebecca)
- Maria: boss bitch, definitely evil (see: Bethany)
- several dim-witted antagonists
This does not mean that I think one game is a carbon copy of the other, just that we have more or less the same stereotypes. I appreciate that there is a slow burn as MC is struggling with the incest thing, this is definitely not the game in which you jump everybody from the beginning. In fact, apart from several masturbations and some groping and a voyeur scene there is not much action going on during the first week. Of course all that is easy for me to say since I don't have to wait ages for a new update since September 2016.
One thing I would have liked is a slightly different corruption representation, those black flower petals hurt a little since it feels that something is dying off. Also, at one point I received a sharing point; however, I have absolutely no idea who to share Lisa with. Photographer dude and his creepy brother? *cringe* All those dudes who are just walking up to and disrespect her? I'd rather punch them all the way from the main city to the beach. (Yeah, I tend to get a bit protective about my virtual daughters.) Martin? He will have to be thoroughly assessed if he is worthy. Since he is currently banging Boss Bitch the jury is definitely out and it's not looking good at the moment. [He looks a bit like Liam by the way.]
One more point I don't like that much is that the game forces you on several playthroughs to get all the bonus pics in the gallery and that at one point I had to jump back from Day 5 to Day 2 since five of them have just been re-locked for some reason.
Predictions: At one point we will see our ex-wife again, Lisa may leave at the end of C1 to go back to school for a time jump and return at the beginning of C2. That's it for now, I will return when I am up to date.