Ok, so I just finished Act 1. It was a struggle to get through parts of it, but in the end it was one of the best games I've played.
However, I'm not sure I'll be able to make it through Act 2.
You definitely can, act 2 is lighter and only has a single heavy moment, and if you pay attention....I won't spoil further.
I'm generally ok with NTR, but only certain types. I'm not into humiliation/cuckoldry, I don't want the type of NTR where you lose the Love Interest in the end. I project onto the MC. It's ok to struggle, but in the end I need it to end with a "win". I can feel bad as I go through it, but I need to feel good at the end. As for NTR content that I like and maybe these aren't all considered NTR, but sharing, cheating, swinging, group are all ok. Bring it on, just as I said I need there to be a "win" for the MC in the end.
I won't get too much in the phylosophycal aspect of what a win is.
But I can get a bit more deep on what a win in L&J is.
MC never won once in the whole game.
He does not have and will never have something special with Lacey, he lost a grand total of 13+5 years that no one will ever give back.
He is a witness to the events in the game and never has any agency, even his "victory" over Jared is essentially him asking favours and never get involved directly aside from 2 phone calls.
Even his "conquest" aside from Lacey come as zero effort, so I cannot chalk them up as wins, he just witness everyone falling in deep love with him, the only good man on the planet.
More later maybe.
Act 1 was a win for me. Even with the end content with Morty and the struggle afterwards it still felt positive. I would love it if Act 2 has more of them exploring this kind of thing, but I suspect that it's not going to be that fun.
I'm going to go over a few things and I'd like an honest response from people here if I should wait on Act 2.
So act 1 was loss after loss for MC, he is completely manipulated into being compliant and weak.
Try to remember the only thing Lacey kept for MC and how easily she gives it away again.
How she removed control over her at a crucial moment while promising not to, how unhinged her approach is to show him....which is the end obviously does not work because is ultimately abusive as fuck.
I won't spoil, since this was obviously a scene added for fetishists, but the JD is cannot seen as positive, because it isn't, and the last dialogue in the bathroom should make it clear.
Not to mention the undelying submission of MC desires to Lacey.
MC does not appreciate that sort of fetish and it completely goes against his character unless you want to take into account that he is being molded into it in a cruel and selfish way.
Act 1
The things I liked:
1. Jared. I loved this character and he was one of the best villains in any VN I've played. I loved him because of how much I hated him in the story. He wasn't always an in your face bully, but a manipulative villain. And the most important part is defeating him. That leads to...
2. The end of the Jared story. I loved how that story ended. I physically cheered when I played that part. I had already decided that if Jared succeeded and the MC had to let him in the door to sleep with Lacey I was done with the game. So I loved how this ended. However, in a lot of stories authors feel they have to bring back a good villain. This is the biggest thing that made Act 1 a great game. If Jared comes back in a later act it will make all of this in Act 1 mean nothing. I really hope that doesn't happen. However, if you were to develop a relationship with Bella and Jared were to come back because you were doing the same thing to him with Bella that he was doing with Lacey, that would be great. And a good opportunity for the MC to have to deal with become what he hates.
Jared is sort of a standard ntr villain, which is fine.
The ending is rather disappointing, instead of going down we get a full on transformation so MC can have a +1 to the harem and have a bit of a power fanstasy.
The sad part is that Lacey almost does more to influence Bella than MC.
MC becoming what he hates is lost on me, it is not shown nor hinted.
Overall the scene is ok, but does not hold well under scrutiny.
But you know what is the worst part? Jared is only the initiatior, Lacey happily flirted and tried to seduce him (not fuck this is important to remember), and yet the bad guy is Jared.
Lacey was ok with being groped for a job she let him do it in the hot tub, after he groped her ass and titties he geta invited home for a 1 on 1....I mean....
I get it, people rrad the text, they immerse in the shock value and lose the full picture, this is akin to what MC feels probably.
3. The character development. I said I need a story to have a win, but I also need a story to show character development. Act 1 did that for me. I did struggle with the MC continuing to bring the same things up over and over again and I hope at some point he will start therapy and work through this. From the stuff I've read in Act 2, the character development achieved in Act 1 and that alone makes me hesitant of playing Act 2.
If you think that MC should "get over it", you are totally missing the emotional payload MC has to bear.
Just to remind you before you call him out to stop confronting Lacey or the others (which rarely happens anyway), remember that while MC was about to kill himself the person he gave 15 years of his life and saved from suicide and harm was getting impaled without a care in the world.
Actually one thing she did care about: leaving with Isaac.
All his friends betrayed him or gaslit him.
While Lacey was busy dancing at Jareds both Mia(not a friend) and Anna(best friend) didn't warn or help him.
No one is on MC side aside from Christine and even she has ulterior motives.
We look at MC but we should look at the rest of the cast to actually grow and take accountability.
what I would agree with you is MC being self criticizing constantly, even when we see no reason for him to do so.
it gets old and tiring, especially because the single thing MC should be criticizing himself for is never brought up again.
4. Lacey. I really like this character. She has had some much development over Act 1. She is still making mistakes and this wouldn't be a game if she weren't. I feel like she is trying to be better, she just struggles making the right choice to be better. And it doesn't help that Mia and Anna is helping sabotage her. I want her to end up with the MC and I want in the end for them to heal together.
5. Damien. I hate that the character went through this, but it was a great point for character development of all the characters. As I said earlier, I don't normally like cuck content, but the way it was done here it wasn't bad.
Lacey is the best character in the game but act 2 onwards.
What is often missed in act 1 is that Lacey is 100% selfish in her motives, even the "make thibgs better" motivation is completely self centered.
Anna never sabotage her, she goes with the flow and actually does give her a decent ultimatum (wrong moment but we can work.with it)
Mia sabotages her with the messages and is an overall monster in this game, we call her the pimp for a reason, and is ultimately reaponsible as much if not more than Lacey.
Lacey is extremely guilty and her attempt to make thinga better are not genuine as somebody would think (more in act 2) and her brain damage and memory are used inconsitently.
But memory aside, she is a fantatic charactet.
And btw, if you liked Damian you definitely like humiliation cuck content.
Remember that until then Lacey (allegedly) kissed only MC? The only thing they had?
The things I didn't like:
1. Isaac. I said I loved Jared because I hated him. I just hated Isaac. Not as the MC, but as the player. He is a trope and a stereotype. I understand the author is trying to use the BBC as a threat to the MC. But in a game where you are constantly told how big you are it is hard to believe. If I were the MC, I would be a lot more threatened by Lorenzo than Isaac. Lorenzo can give her the unique thing the MC can, love. I hope the MC will develop and learn his and not be as threatened. As much as I hate him, I was hoping after his mom gave him the come to Jesus talk he would show up at the house on Jared night, apologize, and help by adding some resources to beat Jared. Then have him gone forever. He is such a bad character, Lacey has such a large pool of threats that could be used against the MC I just wish he would go away from Isaac.
2. Isaac. Have I mentioned how much I hated this character?
Isaac was fine before, if you liked Jared (standard NTR boss) Isaac is simply another tropey character at first.
His treatment is not bad in act 1, especially after the reveal that Lacey actually has a genuine connection with him and gaslighted MC again when she painted him as "just a jerk".
Agreed on the BBC trope, by the way, did you notice how when MC is missing and suicidal after damian Mia and Lacey happily chit chat about Isaac dick size?
Lorenzo adored Lacey but Lacey just had fun with him.
She has no real affection towards him as far as we can see.
3. Barty. Another bad character. I've read that he comes back and I don't like that. I hope what you were told happened in Act 1 was true, but with Lacey I don't know.
Agreed and I won't spoil.
4. Mia. I did not like her, but she made more sense after revealing her secret. I know she is going to get worse before she get's better. I just really hope she becomes better.
Mia is written as an absolute monster with no empathy.
Try to think about her actions AFTER you discorver her secret.
Mia cheers when Lacey is SAd
Her whole college thing was to ruin Lacey's life for her own personal gain.
She let Lacey be treated like garbage by everyone (her own words).
Even when she realized she was hurting Lacey in the long run she kept going with her game (yes it was a game for her).
Wheb Lacey tried to get clea ed up she threw a last hurrah paety where Lacey almost dies
She betray Lacey with the messages and made them absolutely devastating to MC, under the guise of "play acting".
But then we have to accept that everyone loves her.
Worst written character in the game.
5. Anna. This is a big one for me. She is as broken as Lacey and the MC. She is clearly using her actions to try to drive Lacey and the MC apart because she wants him. In the process she is hurting him and doesn't see how much she is. I could end up liking her, but she needs character development. Her development has ben downward not upwards. She started as a great character and become worse.
You are assigning motives to Anna that are not in the material at all.
In fact she does the opposite since the beginning of the game (remember the cliffs?).
I could have seen her character do exactly what you say, but it is neither shown nor told in the story.
it would be good to her to elaborate on why she goes with Lacey's plans, such as losing access to MC (rememver MC dialogue about cutting her off if she doesn't respect his marriage?)
Conclusion.
Other than Isaac, even the parts I don't like I can see that they could be developed into a good story. Isaac's character is so lazy and cliche that I don't see that I will ever like him.
Even if I decide to play Act 2, I need a break and to play something more lighthearted first.
But I am going to ask, if I play and get to the end of Act 2 will I feel it ended on a positive note like Act 1. It's ok if there are still problems I just want it to feel like there is hope for these characters.
You should play act 2, Isaac is not even that cliche in act 1, as he craves love and connection instead of sex.
His behaviour with Kelly is kinda cliche tho.
I am sorry to say but if you ever replay act 1 you need to see how the ending is actually a pretty bad end for MC and his constant thanking Lacey for the abuse (it was abuse) ia actually a sign of deeply rooted issues, which might get explored later.
But get to act 2, act 2 is easy compared to act 1 and doesn't (mostly) rely on shock value.
Too bad the "paths" take a heavy hit in terms of quality and depth.
