The problem I have with the game is that it offers the illusion of choice, which to me is a hell of a lot worse than not having any choices at all. Maybe that sentiment is not nearly as widespread as I think it is, but regardless, the statement "You don't need to have complex choice-making mechanics in a game for it to be good" doesn't at all conflict with my opinion. People can react negatively to me all they want, as long as they're reacting to my actual opinions and not some straw man argument they seemingly conjured out of thin air.
And you definitely can have choices in kinetic novels. But you need to say that. Look at Pervader -- The very first sentence of the description says "linear visual novel." I know that going in; I don't have any false expectations. Also, in Pervader, all of the choices actually make sense because the MC isn't overdeveloped. In this game, some of the choices are flat inaccurate if you want any semblance of coherence with the linear aspects of the character development. But that's just a matter of the game quality, not the game type.