I contemplated how many stars, because the first part is 5*, the last part is 1 (lacking 0 or negative).
2 may sound very harsh but it just shows my disappointment and frustration after staying up 2 nights till morning to get through this story. I think some people will give it 5 or 4, praise the first part and be upset about the 2nd, I'm a person that can't tolerate these huge emotional falls from such amazing heights to hell. could as well give 1 overall based on how I feel right now.
It took a bit of playing to warm up to the story but the whole relationship story was so great and well written. I got involved with some of the side characters because they seemed great but by the time I was getting into the Sandra story a bit more seriously I already regretted it, as relationship with Haley started to develop.
Such potential. Around the time Haley starts therapy the whole thing goes stale, then the characters got stuck / suspended. Everyone becomes 1 dimensional, feel like no one hardly reacts to anything and they just keep saying the same things. Haley behaves like an idiot for the rest of the game after those great intimate bed discussions they had in the first part that I loved so much.
Of course, a lot of stuff just didn't get resolved. After an uncomfortable and relatively long (compared to how empty it was) narration it just ends.
I went with Adriana story because you know, exciting, a hot mature (not a 32 yo "milf" but an actual mature
), being a bossy bitch and all, kinda kinky. After the story developed I thought that's going to be just a fuck buddy (+ FRIEND) story and was waiting how they handle the moving in, never occurred it's basically a breakup kinda thing where MC and Haley just stop being a couple, what the actual fuck? When they are most into each other they just stop being together, how does that make any sense whatsoever? There was no breakup or cooldown or anything it just happened like something defying lawa of physics.
I was already really upset by how Haley was clinging to that stupid car and just made me? accept it? (dunno... a watch is a gift even tho uncomfortable if expensive... a car is not a gift... I never felt that relationship was essentially transactional, especially after the bonding with Adriana over Haley issue and her divorce).
Then comes the father who I would have politely warned even stronger after the spam emails (this would be 3rd time) to just fuck off, in somewhat, but not a lot nicer words. Showing up on doorstep I would have just, fake politely (not hiding my agression very well), tell him there's no extra room for him and would have helped him to a hotel room myself, maybe offering to pay for it (as if his concern was real about saving the money, bahh, the asshole). Having the nerve to pop the question about therapy, man that guy was so obnoxious, you don't ask someone why they go to therapy no matter if they are a stranger or family. If you care about them the least you just tell them, good for you and say something positive and supportive. MAYBE if you're in a very close relationship (not living apart since years - not sure how much it has been) try to ask if you can help or ask the question in the most subtle and supportive way possible. With him showing up at session I was hoping I can just move, block his number and email and cut ties because, fuck him. No options apparently and both MC and Haley were completely oblivious the whole thing somehow. Getting an apartment just to preserve the lie? I mean come on now; if a parent cannot add anything positive, valuable to their relationship with their adult kids, then there should be no relationship. Respect for having a roof and food is all good and goes a long way, but you can't just keep majorly fucking with your kids lives, no matter what you think they do right or wrong, and expect to come out positively, what the hell. I'm talking from experience, no wonder I talk to my mom and don't really waste time on my dad. Don't hate him it's just there's nothing positive I'm getting from him since years, or perhaps decades; why bother? So I didn't understand the lack of proper reactions.
No way offered to really handle the mother except a couple tries. I had the feeling MC realized that for the past 5 or so years their mom was so shitty with Haley who in the first part of the story seemed more mature, responsible, professional, impeccable work ethic etc. than MC so a 'better' person if you want to compare that way; surely not warranting the behaviour of the mother. After realizing it, as the protective brother / lover I would have certainly challenged every single occasion when she belittled her (not sure that's the right expression but perhaps you understand what I mean), not allow even one of them to go unanswered. I mean she did say a few times he's the favourite child, but I though that's just in a way that happens in families but it's not really consequential, honestly felt pretty bad when I realized the stark contrast between how she handled her children. I mean how much could something like that fuck with one's self confidence? That should have been very important as part of healing process and should have been a recurring topic of discussion with Haley, reassuring her every time that there's nothing wrong with her and she's not inferior to anyone.
I feel the way parents handled the teacher issue was at least as bad for the long-term trauma. Sorting it (police?) and getting therapy when it happened should have been the way to minimize impact. That could have been raised in an argument if tensions mount and topic inevitably comes up, they are allowed to fuck it up because they are people but acknowledge it years later that it was a horrible way to handle it, and act a LOT, I mean a LOT more humble, instead of treating their children as children, which they are not at this point... I was not as much upset by how they fucked it up, but more of how they arebehaving now. No excuse. Also the father must have known what went down otherwise how the hell he allows her wife to treat their daughter like that? I mean the "woman!" exclamation and his first introduction already made it clear he was a tyrannic asshole so perhaps no expectations there, but it's his fault nevertheless. To me it's a miracle the kids were this normal, honestly.
The therapy did not really progress anywhere. I would have expected a few more sessions, say ~5 or whatever that is enough to show significant steps... follow up discussions between the 2 and her telling some stuff to MC... hell I expected her to completely break down as the peak of the story, only and build up from there if managed properly by MC, to hopefully get to a better and healthier Haley, and why not, a better and healthier relationship.
I can't relate in RL, no sisters and I have absolutely no dirty thoughts toward any family member (except a cute cousin in a passing thought or two when I was a kid), but in a fantasy setting I find it hot when a particularly close, intimate family relationship ends up romantic because it - in a world where all women are 10* and MC's dick is always big and hard - suggests a potentially tighter romantic relationship that one can build with a stranger, so yeah I was rooting for them. Male/female (or female/female) twins are kinda hot, forgive me for that.
I was scared about what the healing process meant for their relationship and sadly did not have opportunity to discuss it or help it either one or another direction. They could have normalized it sanitized / purified it to some extent and be stronger than ever with newfound confidence if they actually committed. I could have seen both pros and cons and even potential and somewhat realistic solutions if they meant it - move away, restrict ties to family to absolute minimum, name change, donor / surrogate kids even?
Between all of this the bedroom 'daddy' thing annoyed me to no end. After knowing what happened and seeing the idiot dad it would surely kill my desire immediately so it should have been completely eradicated by MC. The complete submissive thing, suspending responsibility, it's a great game but in this situation clearly unhealthy, not addressed. Fuck me, MC did well for a while then fell off the wagon completely; he should have managed all these things in a direction where God forbid they both have free will and somewhat different sexual (or other) preferences and still do fine. For a short while I thought the anal story, MC being big dick guy could be something where finally Haley doesn't just give in and MC doesn't let her give in to give Haley some dignity and identity; but of course, that was also screwed up.
I know this all doesn't matter and maybe no on cares but man, I'm super upset this story went south as much as it did. I don't know what makes these stories go on for years but if a quick closure is needed the fix should have been to cut the other relationships out with a realistic twist (they're fine and they commit) and just take a month to write a proper linear story with a couple decisions (ending in very similar things just different dialogue or few different end scenes to cut down development). The story ended but got no fulfillment or resolution out of it whatsoever. I didn't do the solo Haley ending yet just read about it and I don't feel lik doing it, it sounds really shitty. Sandra ending doesn't seem a lot better than Adriana one, they resolve anything just stay broken. What kind of life is that?
I feel like I would be better off if this was just abandoned and I would have never picked it up. I always thought stories should be finished, even if rushed just giving some satisfactory ending is better than not finishing, but for this particular instance the low quality of the second part hit me so bad I think it's worse than not having it.