So close but not close enough

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and feedback! It’s clear you’ve put a lot of time and passion into playing the game, and your insights are definitely valuable. Let’s dive into the points you raised:

Consequences
Your perspective on choices feeling inconsequential is completely valid. When a game suggests that decisions matter, it’s fair to expect those choices to result in meaningful differences in the narrative. It’s totally frustrating when outcomes remain static despite experimenting with different paths. The idea of branching storylines that reflect a player’s actions is a core part of what makes games like this so immersive, and it’s fair to feel let down when that potential isn’t fully realized. I would love to go old school with a 4 disc game and have a DLC for each character.

Progression (One of my favorites)
The pacing concerns you highlighted are valid, especially when a game starts strong and then falters later on. A well-paced beginning can set high expectations, so it’s natural to feel disappointed in later chapters when they don’t maintain that momentum. The anticlimactic ending you described, along with the lack of closure, can definitely leave players wanting more—particularly after investing so much time into the story and characters. Personally, I invest endless hours in this one. A lack of resolution for key plot points or companions can feel like a missed opportunity to tie everything together in a satisfying way.

Romance
The pacing and depth of romantic relationships can make or break how personal and engaging a story feels. Its a huge call out in the community also. When these aspects feel underdeveloped or take too long to build, it can be hard to connect fully with the characters. The nudity toggle you mentioned is an interesting point—features that don’t seem to have a purpose can leave players scratching their heads. If it was intended to add complexity and depth to the relationships or narrative, it would have been nice to see it implemented in a thoughtful way that enriched the story.

Dialogue
Dialogue is such a critical part of character development, so it’s completely valid to feel frustrated when it doesn’t land. Bland or overly simplistic dialogue can make characters feel less engaging, especially when compared to others that are more compelling. Devrin, Bellara, Lace, and Taash falling short in this regard is something that’s worth pointing out, and it’s great that you found others like Neve, Lucanis, and Emmerick to be standout characters. Strong dialogue can elevate the entire experience, and it’s good to hear that at least some characters delivered on that front.

Thanks for sharing your impressions. Here’s hoping future updates or entries in the series address some of these concerns!