Some thoughts after a first blind playthrough. From what I gather, I ended up on the neutral path.
While I like that this MC isn't innocent and made mistakes, I don't like how he blames himself for everything. He was 14-15 and relied on the word of people in authority (headmaster/parents). I understand that Eve never really defended herself, and forbade Cassie from meddling. Instead, in the three years that passed, Eve played into her reputation, almost? I can't blame the MC for seeing her behavior as confirmation that everything said was true. She's sneaking out, partying and drinking alcohol as a minor (the game is set in the US), so she's earned that part of her reputation at least.
Cassie, I can't make sense of her. At certain times, she appears as a dominant but loving mother, other times she's submissive toward Eve (against her better judgement) and is oblivious that she's desired by men due to her low self-esteem/body image.
Eve herself is doing her best to get on my nerves. What's with the "Perv" nickname? I'm fine with it being used in private settings, but when strangers are present (Sushi with Jaye)? She'll berate the MC after he puts himself in danger to protect the girls. I get it, she was afraid and worried about him, but she shows low empathy by scolding him for it. On the other hand, she seems to take the lead with helping Kelly with her depression, showing more empathy toward her. The message I get from her, is that the MC is only there at her whims, he's the fourth wheel in their throuple. She'll actively include Kelly, her tormentor, but constantly excludes the MC because of "girl time".
This might be a consequence of the path I took, but I don't see Eve as appealing. She'll neg and berate the MC, and happily demand/accept favors while giving nothing in return. I'm not seeing an effort from her side to repair the relationship.
Speaking of the MC, at no point does he stand up for himself or tell Eve that she's being inappropriate. This seems a constant, MC Archer doesn't have spine (unless the plot demands one), or an actual personality. He'll watch TV, play video games, or hang out with the girls. He doesn't seem to have actual interests or hobbies. It's said he loves engines and cars, but it's never shown. He'd be a lot more interesting if he had an old beater to work on, instead of constantly being bored.
Speaking of being bored, what was with that shopping spree? The MC didn't want to go, Cassie promised him she'd make it worth his time... But then he just ended up following them while being bored when they were playing dress-up. How exactly did Cassie make it worth his while? I bet he would've loved to be working on an engine instead.
With the neutral path, there are a few interactions that I'm missing. After the call with Jane and the girls, the MC doesn't even consider talking to his buddy about it. He's suspicious, noting that the girls' behavior changed, but he doesn't follow up on it.
When the topic of living together for college comes up, it looks like this is a given. The MC doesn't wonder (out loud) how that'd work when they'll eventually hook up with people and bring them home (they're all friends in his mind, after all).
Finally, Cassie's kiss at the end of Day 6, part 3: "It's fast, joyful and without any ambiguity, but our lips connect nonetheless."
I'm curious to see how part 4 deals with it, but for me, it was nothing but ambiguous. More so because of the MC's reaction to it. The player can't refuse the kiss or influence his behavior. Instead, he seems immediately infatuated with her.
Looking at what other paths are available, it becomes clear to me why the MC is such a blank-slate pervert. He can be a dom for one LI while subbing for another. This in itself can't work with an MC that has a strong personality. He has to be whatever the situation demands him to be. It also explains why the early game had some blackmail choices, the MC is too weak to assert actual dominance through words and deeds, instead he has to resort to blackmail and manipulation. Too bad.
All this aside, I actually like this game a lot. The story has me hooked and the role of each character is clear and impactful. Their personalities are informing the story (except for the MC), instead of the other way around. While I'm having some trouble unifying certain character traits, I do hope (and expect) that this is on purpose. Maybe other paths explore this more, or perhaps future content will. In any case, I'm eager to find out what happens next.
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