Okay so Ladykiller in a Bind is good and charming and fun but it does get dark and manipulation-y in a lot of places, and the content warnings for the scenes near the end are serious business.
It felt pretty clear to me that the writing was aware of the gross/coercive elements, and recognized that they weren't okay. I recommend this game, but caution when playing is warranted.
@starkatt I had just...metric assloads of Issues with that game's writing, but I think its conversation system is one of the most important innovations in games since the first Telltale Walking Dead game.
So when people ask me if they should play it, I just have a very frustrated, borderline angry "I don't know maybe?"
LKiaB thoughts
@DensetsuNoGomez I'm curious what your issues are with it. I wonder how much they overlap with the areas of my discomfort.
LKiaB thoughts
@starkatt On the topic of The Sex/Manipulation Stuff...I feel like the game asks you to be kind of an asshole a lot of the time, but weirdly never really drops any meaningful consequences on you for it? Because that would get in the way of all the sex-having. I have to preface this by saying that I have not played through all the game's content, so there might be things I'm missing, but reading other reviews kinda backs up this impression.
LKiaB thoughts
@DensetsuNoGomez I think there's a fundamental narrative dissonance here that undermines any of the superficial ways the game nods to consent.
LKiaB thoughts
@starkatt I'm just going to say it: "skip sex scene" was the *wrong* choice. that button should have been labeled "withdraw consent" and with just a little bit of changes to the writing, it would have fucking worked, and I would be able to take the characters a whole lot more seriously in their wise-beyond-their-years "sex positivity".
LKiaB thoughts
@starkatt Also, the fact that you "have" a safeword but you can't use it during BDSM scenes? Except sorta to opt out of the flogging scene?
I don't mean to harp or sound like I'm nitpicking but consent is NOT just the permission to say yes. But then like, this IS a porn game that's supposed to be ABOUT having sex with people so I'm just supposed to expect my character is going to sex people whether I want to or not?
LKiaB thoughts
@starkatt This might just be a personal thing as well: but I really hated hanging out with all these spoiled rich kids guzzling booze like they're well into their 20s and all know how to hold their liquor. I get that's part of the fantasy maybe, but sorry, even with all the queer characters I found it totally unrelatable. Give me a We Know The Devil or a Spaceport Janitor over that any day.
LKiaB thoughts
@DensetsuNoGomez mentioning this since you're not following me: I launched another thread about some of my more-congealed thoughts. https://awoo.space/@starkatt/1192697
LKiaB thoughts
me: hey this chick is pretty nervous and like, can I just talk to her about some cool Japanese cartoons? To ease the tension? Or even just because that's enjoyable??
game: NOPE UR GOAN FUKK HUR
LKiaB thoughts
@DensetsuNoGomez I'd even be fine with that if it wasn't simultaneously trying to cast the protagonist as Tender and Caring in the interactions with her.
LKiaB thoughts
@starkatt Here Let Me Take Your Hand Young Ingenue And Introduce You To The Magical World Of Girl Sex But Also Take Advantage Of Your Discomfort And Bully You Because That's Hot.
LKiaB thoughts
@starkatt And I know I know I KNOW this is a kinky game with non-normative, non-vanilla relationship dynamics but its just all. So. Muddled. And its like you never fully get to call a time out on all of it.
LKiaB thoughts
@starkatt #accurate
Another weird little personal problem with it: for a game so heavily influenced by anime to the point that one of the main love interests is an *explicit* anime nerd to the point of maybe being slightly self-insertish...your character's I-don't-get-it-fuck-off-nerdy-stuff-sucks attitude is just such a buzzkill downersaurus rex.