Deleted 319 days ago
Ah I'm really relieved to see someone else feels the same way, I didn't want it to come across like I was hating on the game or anything. I loved the game, which is why the direction it took in the end really disappointed but also riled me up, because I felt it could have been so much more than what it ended up being, if that makes any sense.
Oh man I really feel for you, I ended up discovering the demo about a month before the final release, instantly got sucked in/immersed into the world and was really hype and checking in every day to see when word of the final release was, but I still have it easy in comparison to those who were beta testers, kickstarter/patreon backers who waited so much longer (and had a higher level of emotional attachment.)
That's not nuts, I can totally see why you feel that way - at times it DOES feel like the game is actively trying to punish you, especially when it comes to initiating any kind of intimacy. Flirting is fine, but as soon as anything physical gets involved it seems to cross a line in the sand that the game wants to punish you for. You know that one common ending where Lazarus kills you, and while you're dying he begins taunting you that he won't even eat you because you might enjoy it? That's how it feels the devs went about implementing the sex scenes - they'll give them to you (due to fan demand) but in return, they'll make sure neither the characters, or the person playing can enjoy it (in good conscience.)
Then to top it all off with the "true" unlockable ending being some vague meta message about how nothing you did really mattered? Like, how did they think that was going to be received by their fanbase? It's the literary equivalent to suddenly dunking a freezing cold bucket of water all over your audience's head after they've poured their time, money and effort into playing your product. I fail to see the message they were going for, other than punishing their players for wanting mutually consensual sex and a semi-healthy relationship out of a dating sim game.
On the one hand I respect them for venturing out of the expected norms of their field, if no-one ever tried anything experimental or new within a genre fiction would be terribly boring as a whole - but on the other I also feel it's a shame that it had to happen to this game in particular. I just wanted a dark, power fantasy vampire dating sim with controversial elements sprinkled in, not a sermon on why escapism is bad and there's nothing but cold, empty suffering to show for all of your efforts. It just felt like a bit of a slap in the face to the player.
Oh Lord the end of your post has been sending me, I couldn't stop laughing. Like, Markus runs a fucking sex shop! There is -no- reason why they couldn't have paused, pointed out it wasn't exactly working out as-is, dashed out to buy some vampire lube and then continued when they came back. The way these characters forced themselves through extremely uncomfortable sex made you feel like the world was going to end if it didn't happen right there and then - and the fact it isn't even implied to happen again afterwards all points to it being no fun for everyone involved.
Even in fiction we all have our limits, and 'no lube' is a very fair one to have, lmao. I don't know why half the LI's have such an aversion to getting intimate inside the comfort of a bed. Not everyone is into exhibitionism/nearly getting caught as a kink, even I had to take the druggy dumpster diving experience with a grain of salt - Saorise showing up immediately afterwards didn't exactly help, either.
Ahhh Dammit nooooooo!!! Well there went my dream ending of being special because Markus "chose" us...although he does hint at your choices not really mattering when you first encounter Lazarus .." No need to take the path less traveled...it doesn't matter in the end." (cries) ..before I read all the comments I've already played 76% of the game.....I was hoping with all the choices in game that raises or lower your humanity ...or going all out vampiric would have a impact since it hints at some thing in game, like in Markus route when your "dreaming" but actually go AWOL from the hotel in reality , Markus said " Here we stand tethered, in between"....I was kinda hoping you two evolved into Gods in his special ending. Damn the dev. misleading asses!!! He was all where I end ..You begin. If I was a writer on this I swear I'd have went Epic with Markus's route, tying in theme's from the other two stories. But hell this whole this is just disappointing....I just gonna go head on and say it the BEST part OF THE ENTIRE game is when Heath and the MC are hiding in Markus's store and he was all "...Dare I ask why you two are hidin' amidst the strap-ons? I laughed so hard I almost pee'd myself. I paid 20 for a laugh and some mental abuse I'm starting to feel like a masochist.
4 years later and I AM WHEEZING OVER THE LAST SENTENCE OF THIS COMMENT because that’s exactly how I feel with 80% of the game that I went through. Screaming and crying and shaking and tormenting my roommate with my howling. I have Markus special ending to go through and then I’m playing some cutesy lovely VN fuck this man skkajahwgagagaga