Heya, probably my first comment on any game ever, lol. As someone living in Russia, this hit me quite... hard. For vArIoUs))) reasons in the game, if you get what I mean. It amazes me when little projects like this can make you cry, and I needed this. I needed this so fucking much. The characters are so real and the subject matter really pulls at my heartstrings, living in a world limited to your country, feeling like you're waiting for the apocalypse and everything is getting worse every day, from the way queer people are treated to the economy. Maybe I became too vulnerable after my breakup with my girlfriend, but I embraced that painful experience with open arms, all the way to the last line and the closing of the game.
I don't know if I was lucky or not, but my first route was Val, the one who reminds me of myself the most, the one who tries his best to stay in a cocoon of safety and comfort, trying to break away from what's happening around him, but fails and goes into loneliness in a desire for warmth and support. It was an incredibly sensual scene, the conversation, the sex and that ending, the only animated cutscene in whole game, because of which you can't look at the other endings as just abruptly cut off, accepting the reality of the situation and feeling this unpleasant emptiness inside you.
Like, you feel bittersweet feelings for the ending with Val, and then emptiness, despair, rejection of what is happening; you feel sick from Edgar's ending, and then it all ends so quickly, as if laughing at you, without even giving Jack a chance to splash out his emotions; you hate Charlie, you feel disgusted by him, and the ending does not let you cool down, does not let Jack cool down, and at the same time you still somehow feel empty from it; and the Nomi ending makes you relax, you even laugh nervously, until you are left with emptiness and a feeling of sadness from the ending...
But this time it continues and damn, man, it's incredibly cruel to say such motivating words after you twisted my soul, thank you! And after like 48 hours this game does not leave your head, and tears automatically flow down your cheeks when you understand how meaningful this game was (how meaningful was you, Keith), how much it resonates with your life, being, practically, about something completely different. And even now I can not stop shedding tears, and it is so fucking good. Thank you, the artist and the musician, if you had not all gathered together, this clearly would not have been such an experience. I hope for the best, I only have 6 months left to graduate college and move to a more accepting city where I hope to feel better than I do in my dump, lol (seriously, it's really annoying when a person thinks you're a pervert for liking not only girls and tries to turn others against you). Take care of yourself, you will get through this!