Seriously? Splitting up Robin and Kira is an option? I confess I did like Robin when we are first introduced to her. Shame on them both for not disclosing they were already together, it's kinda messed up even if they both were attracted to the MC and considered sharing him. When Robin was giving advice to the MC at the bowling alley about pursuing Kira, she could have mentioned in a subtle way, if you want to get anywhere with MY girlfriend, .....
I'm actually conflicted now as there was some chemistry present with Robin when the MC was hanging out with her, cheering her up, even if at the time she told him she wasn't looking for anything serious, just a FWB option, without disclosing already being in a relationship. I'm almost tempted to see how a solo path with just Robin would work. What's the branching path for just her?
The situation with Robin and Kira is not well handled, IMHO. Their path in Chapter 4 starts with a long conversation that tries to fill in all the missing pieces from the early episodes; it does a decent job, but it feels more like an infodump than an organic conversation, and it probably should have happened earlier. Anyway, the two girls reiterate that they're interested in the MC, but he thinks they should think things through before doing anything rash. This plays at almost unchanged whether you pick both or only one of them.
At the end of the chapter, the three go to the racetrack for a date, and Kira will offer to step aside so the MC can be with Robin. In the trio version, the MC says the three of them can start a family together and it leads to a steamy threesome. In the solo routes, he'll either admit he'd like to accept Kira's offer or explain that she's the one he really wants, but say he doesn't want to break them up. Either way, when the MC returns from his turn driving the race care, the unchosen girl has run off. He and the chosen girl finally find her on the grass outside, where she insists she's willing to step aside so the MC and chosen girl can find out if they belong together.
Overall, I feel like the plotline was very rushed, but the core was good. Unfortunately, Chapter 5 did a lot of damage to it.
First, because it skips right over all the delicate emotional issues that should be a big deal here and just reassures us that the MC and his chosen girl(s) have been having plenty of sexy fun. Second, because as soon as the episode starts it's blatantly obvious that SOMETHING is wrong with Robin, but while the MC will mention his concern, he never actually does anything about it. He leaves it up to Kira to find out what's wrong, which is mind-boggling on the solo-Robin path, and stays around to meet his dad despite being extremely uninvested in that idea.
And that's it. Robin and Kira leave and the MC spends a day loafing around LA. You can text one of the girls on the dock, but not both and the texts don't change much regardless of which you pick. It definitely leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
I mean, I understand that there are limits to the branching Drifty can handle, but the problems here are of his own making. If we got a little more conversation between the three, if it wasn't so blatantly obvious that something was wrong with Robin, if we didn't have that flashback to Kira now, and if the MC actually wanted to meet his father, it would be much easier to accept him sending the girls away. Instead, the game takes the relationship between the MC and Robin and/or Kira for granted. It seems to assume the relationship is firmly established and the MC should be confident it will weather whatever is bothering Robin now, despite it being both brand new and highly experimental. The paint is not only wet, it's barely half applied!
Which makes me very nervous about Chapter 6. It's already going to be difficult to sort this mess out alongside Linda and Cece, but if the game continues to assume only the specific crisis matters (rather than the delicate nature of the underlying relationship), it may well be impossible.
As for Kira, I dunno, people just like who they like, and I prefer her earlier flashback look as opposed to her modern look, I can't stand the lipstick in particular, makes her look like a wannabee goth chick, the hair with streaks I can live with.
No worries, everyone's entitled to their own tastes. I just find it interesting that Kira's current look works for me, because normally I'd expect to agree with you.
