That's what I call an "overdo" or just dumb. The "walking the tightrope" way is much more exciting and good one. To fuck with rules by giving a proper hints, making some characters look younger (but not like 10-12yo lollys, why I'm not wondered that it's a male devs thing, if it's so?), and then doing some clumsy or nonsense excuses if being caught or bringed too much of attention.
Layla and Cara(i would put Val, Julia, Sienna and perhaps Elena here too) have that look that you can't say wether they are 16 or 18 just by looking...
The HS girls are all reasonably tall and fully developed and our interactions is restrained to seniors, the MC doesn't "go shopping" in the lower grades.
So you get the look(and sometimes the behaviour) of a young girl with solid deniability i guess.
there are various games where fem chars look under/way under 16 (and pretty much on every game milfs look at 30-35 at most), it's not male dev thing, fem devs do that too.
And those "doesn't look a day over 30" Milfs often have 18 year old daughters, sometimes a 20/21 and a (very young looking)18 year old lol.
Gabi was already checking out the MC back then.
It went from that cinderblock prison school feel to a lot more natural light.
It looks like one render wasn't placed in the series: the updated one with Layla and Lucas in the park
Thank God Rachel lost that orange spray tan look.
And this ruins Zach's life even more going from a cheer to a chant and a Bulldog to a Falcon.
The MC's hair went from helmet to hedgehog.
Hmm, what could be happening during this huge Erynn beach scene? Zane makes an appearance? Val of course. Hopefully a lot of "Dirty Dancing" in the water with Erynn.
MC does remind Gabi of a guy she likes, she immediately notices lol.
The graphics improved in general, having windows is nice and Rachel's skin looks better like you said.
The park doesn't seem to have evolved nearly as much as a location... I hope Nyx won't get unhappy with her "park" sometime in the future.
I kinda liked Bulldogs... pointless change, whatever.
Teasing that the Erynn scene is long kinda raises expectations... maybe some other random appearances could happen, maybe Melissa invites herself(hopefully not Emily) or something... maybe a non Val route still appears there with Layla, Elena and Sienna.
The big question remains will we properly meet Zane? This would be a big step in the Erynn relationship, perfect time to say "she's with me".
