Ebonheart (FR)
Active Member
- May 15, 2018
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I don't find either of them especially charming. Cindy of course owns her part of their relationship failing but Wade is also a terrible, dismissive, selfish, gossiping boyfriend.
As for Perry I don't think I have a super strong dislike for him as a whole, he just has a lot of bad qualities that makes him really unattractive but I suppose mainly his behaviour is super self-destructive, yammering on about other people and judging them endlessly, drinking heavily despite clearly being unable to handle himself when drunk and his resistance towards living a better life, at least for the first half of the game. It's good that he can improve his lot, I just wish it could happen with less screaming, kicking at clutching at the doorframe as you drag him to that point.
Sure, you’ve laid out a pretty solid list of their main flaws. Like I said before, they’re basically side characters to Ian, and their flaws mostly serve to highlight Ian’s strengths in comparison. That said, these flaws at least give them some depth and room to grow, depending on the choices the player makes through Ian.
Wade is probably the flattest of the two, personality-wise. He’s basically bored with his life, kind of lost and unsure about what he wants to do, stuck in place, a bit selfish, and not really paying attention to his relationship. He seems more focused on himself than anyone else, except maybe when he gets involved in Perry’s love life. Cindy isn’t much better in terms of selfishness. She’s ambitious, controlling in the relationship, acts like everything should go her way, and doesn’t really listen to Wade. Their communication is a mess, and even if Wade’s jealousy is somewhat justified, it ends up being suffocating for her.
As for Perry, he’s not meant to be attractive or a threat. He’s not a rival or a love interest, and definitely not there to steal the spotlight from Ian or Lena. He’s more like the spoiled kid who never had real problems, probably lived off his parents, didn’t need to work hard for anything, and lacks direction or ambition. He’s insecure, especially because of his stutter, and struggles socially. Comes from a pretty good family since his dad’s the mayor, but they don't seem super rich either. He acts kind of privileged and snobby. Maybe he sees himself as this artsy or intellectual type but he’s mostly just out of touch.
He doesn’t really realize how much his own attitude is holding him back. He thinks the comfort of his current life protects him from reality. That’s why Ian has to push him constantly to do anything. And when Perry does try, even a little, good things can happen. I get why people find him annoying though. He starts from pretty far back and changing someone like him would definitely take time and effort.
Still, even if he’s far from perfect, Perry can be funny, frustrating, or even a little endearing in how awkward and clueless he is, especially around girls. That makes him feel more human to me, not someone I’d call likable, but not totally hateable either.