Thank you guys for the feedback, it's just unfortunate how some can be harsh and highly subjective with the reviews though. I can understand people saying there's no real plot yet, I probably should've extended 0.11 a little because the story really starts right at the beginning of the next update. Up until now, it's mostly been character introductions. I agree MC is far from being perfect, he's not meant to be. I’m also aware writing isn’t my strong suit, but I’m always trying to improve.
I also thought a kidnapping scene similar to the one in 22 Jump Street (where frat guys kidnap two others at gunpoint with ski masks, and it's no big deal afterwards because it really isn't that deep) was a good idea, didn't expect to see some people hate it with passion. I guess it's because this is a comedy movie and my game isn't really centered on that lol
Not sure if I'm one of those you'd consider "harsh", but that isn't the intention. My objective with reviews is to provide contructive criticism to devs whenever they are around, but most importantly, paint a picture of the game to other players, so they can decide if they wanna give it a go.
Hiding or sugarcoating issues with the game really isn't helpful to anyone. Take the last review, for instance (if it's still there, not sure if it's allowed), which is clearly just a generic copy-pasted review with the name of the game changed. Sure, it helps your overall score, but what is anyone supposed to take from that? You got no feedback, and the people reading have no idea what the game is like.
As for subjectiveness, ultimately that's all reviews are. Some people really value visuals, but others really value story. You will probably do well with the former, but worse with the latter. As the dev, you gotta know to filter what kind of feedback is helpful and can be improved upon. For instance, a lot of people brought up that the LIs look too similar, even the ones not related. So moving forward, maybe design the next one with more unique features, like short hair, darker skin tone, and so on.
As for the kidnapping, I agree with what most people said, but I'd just like to add that me, and probably others, though this was what would kickstart the plot proper. You ended on that cliffhanger, so we assumed it was gonna be this big thing that would change the course of the story. Maybe the MC would have to commit a crime himself to escape, maybe he would have to get involved with criminals, something along those lines. In the end, tho whole thing was super inconsequential, which is my biggest gripe with it.