I don't normally write reviews for things, especially things like this, mostly because they can come off tacky, obsessive, or otherwise embarrassing because sometimes letting out your feelings is tough sometimes. Hey, that's topical! But I wanted to leave a review because this was a game that I started following like over a year ago, roped in by the explicit scenes more than anything, which was what I honestly expected it to continue being for me, but I was very pleasantly surprised with how the game turned out! It's a story that really resonates with me personally, at least with one of the characters, although not quite in the same way as the game itself. It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea because of some of the themes it explores, and I get that, but I truly believe that it tells a great story, even with the flaws it may have.
Tl,dr at the bottom if you want to skip the word walls
Where to begin? I suppose it's best to start from where I began with the game. It's mostly just word vomit about my history with the game, but SPOILERS AHEAD!!! I joined at a stage fairly early in development, I could go digging through my Itch downloads, but I ain't doing allat rn. The point is, I was still an awkward teenager when I first discovered this game and, being the impulsive ball of hormones I was, I picked up the game for free because why would I pay for something I could get for free, right? Mind you, I've paid for this game twice now and do not regret it at all. Back to the point, I was in a stage of my life where I was playing games like this for the kicks, just having my fun with it before going back to playing Minecraft or whatever the game of the week was for me. The game's story was before when Mat was just going to college, and Carlos was just introduced. I think it specifically ended right after the cafe scene! It didn't really pique my interest beyond how attractive I found some of the characters from a superficial level, but I still casually followed its development. I played the build that introduced the college campus, I remember hating Peter and the "baby's arm" comment was hilarious to me at the time. The build that really made me drop my peenar and actually focus up was the build that finished the winter break section. I always tended to go the route of Fabien when I played through it. Occasionally I would play a little with Carlos, and I loved Jin as a character, but I would always wind up back to Fabien. I felt like the story was starting to actually try to tell something beyond mindless sex at that point in development, and I felt a real sense of joy watching Mat and Fabien grow closer. The full release really surprised me with how the relationship would wind up going. It was a surprisingly mature angle to get into the weeds of Mat and Fabien's relationship. It was death-defyingly slow moving, the narrative felt like it moved in waddles after the New Year's party scene, but I feel like that's exactly what it needed to really understand the characters' relationships. There was some tell-don't-show going on, but I could overlook that because I understand that the story still has to move forward for all characters, and it's better to have some development than none at all.
Mat and Fabien are cousins. Technically they're not actually, but that's the idea. They were raised effectively as brothers, and the complication arises that their parents (Fabien's father-in-law and Mat's father) are brothers by blood, which creates a strict, taboo dichotomy. Even if Mat and Fabien aren't blood relatives, they may as well have been due to their upbringing; however, their connection is extremely close, bordering on something more than just friends or family-in-law. I really appreciate that the story was fairly earnest in how it approached their arc. At first, they tiptoe around each other, fooling around and doing small things that could be passed off as anything, but when they start developing true feelings for each other and they realize that's what they're feeling, they barrel right into it without thinking about the consequences. The (sort of?) climax is even foreshadowed right before the New Year's party, when Fabien, after going official with Mat, asks to take things slow and low-key. It snowballs into something way more than they bargained for when they start coming to terms with the fact that, even though they're not relatives by technicality, they still kind of are in a social sense, which obviously creates a great deal of tension. The context is lost on some of the onlookers, which is also a fun use of dramatic irony that makes the characters feel a little more real, but I digress. I love that the story was messy, it was sloppy, people were jerks, there were inconsistencies, because the real world is full of that stuff! Most relationships are rocky between the rainbows and butterflies, especially ones with the baggage that a relationship like Mat and Fabien's would inherently bring. It may not be "satisfying" to many who follow the story because it is sloppy and messy, there's no cut-and-dry "good ending" to the conflict, but I personally feel like it raises some interesting questions about the nature of relationships and love, not to get philosophical. My biggest problem with the story is that it ended where it did, I wish I could have seen more of it! While it is at times a bit silly, a little hard to believe, and a little too convenient, I enjoyed every second of the game and wound up forgetting about being horny in the first place, which is saying something with these types of games for me. I'd genuinely play it for the plot more than anything.
Tl,dr: It's a flawed game that tells a really poignant story as somebody who grew up as an uncertain queer youth. The pacing is inconsistent, but sometimes that plays to the game's favor. The story discusses taboo themes such as incest, which can turn people away just on principle, but I feel they were explored in a mature enough way. The characters are a little fantastical, but still believable enough not to ruin immersion imo. Although it does have issues and conveniently glosses over some things to keep the story moving, they weren't so egregious in my opinion that it took away my enjoyment of the game. I'd play this game for the story first, and the sex second.
Solid 7-8/10 game that, given some more polish, could easily go beyond that. I look forward to more!
