Hi, I'm the writer on the game. I completely agree with your criticisms, and the questions you raise (about the choices, and about the purgatory silliness.) I had plans for proper multiple endings but we ended up not having the time to add them in, since there were some glitches with the web version of ren'py and the finishing touches on the game, along with some textbox margins and other stuff.
About the stuff in purgatory... I guess I was trying to keep the mood lightened, so that we would have bursts of drama peppered by a little comedy, but it apparently ended up detracting from the theme instead of adding to it and making a richer product. I also wanted to illustrate the differences in character between James and Violet, because I wanted Violet to be the lighter half of the relationship, the more happy-go-lucky side whereas James was the moody brooder. Guess it didn't turn out that way.
Anyway, thank you so much for playing and giving your feedback! This was my first visual novel and my second game overall, and I've learned a lot of valuable stuff! <3