I can look past the no incest, but it's really shitty how there's no internal dialog for the mom, given all she's going through. This is a great example of a game with a male protagonist for no good reason. Other than maybe the dev just doesn't know how to write women. The son is one thing, but why the fuck do we have to read what the asshole cop abusing her is thinking? Meanwhile she's like, "..." so he or her son can describe her experience for us. It's so cringe.
So, I'll answer you here, since your profile is set up such that I couldn't start a PM with you to respond to the review where you make an extended version of this same complaint.
This story was very consciously designed to be done with multiple
male protagonists and to be "from their point of view" at any given time. Parker and Bill, of course, being the primary ones, but with a bit of Carl thrown in. So, you're not "hearing Bill's thoughts," you are "being Bill" at one moment in time, and then later shifting to "being Parker" or "being Carl." Hence the fact that all the narration is done in the first person, regardless of who is the "MC of the moment," and that it's rare (no sure I
ever did it, but I might be misremembering) that you switch points of view during a scene.
Since you're supposed to be put in the protagonists' shoes at any given point, this is very specifically why you do
not hear the thoughts of the other characters. Even the other protagonists. When you "are Parker" in a scene involving him and Bill, you don't hear Bill's thoughts, because Parker can't. When you "are Bill," you don't hear Parker's thoughts, for the same reason. Although, of course, you may figure them out later when the story shifts back to the other's point of view. And none of the females are protagonists (again, conscious choice), so you never "are them," and then never "hear their thoughts." (Exception: In the "Scenes that Didn't Happen" companion, there are scenes told from female POV's.)
Essentially, you're intentionally left guessing as to what's going on in the other characters' heads, just the way that the protagonists are. This is particularly the case for the female characters - Parker's supposed to be confused about them, and guess wrong. You, as the reader, are supposed to empathize with him and
also wonder what they are thinking, because you don't know what's going on in their heads either.
All that being said, I'm perfectly OK with the fact that you don't particularly care for this - that you want a story where you're "inside the minds of all the characters at all times." I just don't happen to prefer that particular method of storytelling, as it feels like it takes all the mystery out of some of the events. In fact, in my own experience, giving you the thoughts of someone other than the protagonist is a very rare thing outside of adult games - I don't ever remember reading a novel where that was done "as events happened," even if the novel uses multiple protagonists. Not saying it
never happens, just that I don't recall ever having seen it.
So, bottom line, this aspect of the story was a very conscious choice, right from the beginning. Sorry that you didn't care for it. Good luck finding projects that you like more.