I’m so glad my words helped articulate what you were feeling!
Honestly, it’s kind of wild how the author handled the romance in this game. I get that they were probably trying to explore complex relationship dynamics, but the execution? Well, let's just say it didn’t quite hit the mark. If you’re going to give players the option of a monogamous route, at least actually make it feel like a valid choice, right? Instead, the game sets it up where you’re always secondary to the poly route, even if you’re supposedly on the monogamous path. It's like they said, “Hey, you can romance this character, but also, here's this other person who matters more, and you’re just kind of here for the ride.” That’s not romance; that’s just being the backup dancer to a show you’ll never headline.
Now, I get the whole “trauma and unresolved feelings” thing, but if you're going to have your character wrestle with their past, maybe give the MC a shot at feeling like they’re actually the one in the relationship, not a placeholder while the character works out their issues. In Gabriel’s case, it feels like you’re just... well, waiting for the moment where he turns back to Belladonna, because deep down, that’s where his heart is. And don’t even get me started on the “poly route choice.” It’s one decision that feels more like the game is saying, “Hey, either accept this mess or watch them go back to each other. Your choice!” Except it’s not really a choice when the game practically forces you into that situation, and it leaves you wondering if the author actually understood what the term monogamous means.
And the way it’s all handled with this big dramatic tension—like, yes, we get it, Gabriel and Belladonna have issues—but do we have to be involved in this melodrama, constantly pushed into a corner where we can never win? It’s one thing to explore complex relationships, but it’s another thing entirely to leave the player feeling like an afterthought, like they're just the person standing in the background while the real drama unfolds.
It’s such a shame because the world-building and atmosphere are so immersive, but this handling of the poly and monogamous routes feels like a betrayal. The romance should be empowering, but instead, it feels like the MC is caught in a relationship that they can never truly win. Hopefully, this feedback will get the attention it deserves, and maybe the author can address these issues in a way that makes all routes feel equally valid and fulfilling.