(This comment was written a month and a half ago, but I couldn't post it because my account was stuck on "Awaiting moderator approval." I'm relieved that it's finally back to normal now. I'm so sorry for the long delay!）
Finally, the update for Finn and August's routes is here!
Damn it, who knows how I endured the wait for nearly two and a half years?
I started playing as soon as the update was released, spent about one week exploring all the routes, and then another a few days carefully polishing this review (my native language is Chinese; this entire review was translated by AI, so please forgive any minor errors!). I hope it's not too late!
(Super long review warning! Spoiler warning!)
First, let's talk about some very obvious changes:
Almost all of the original backgrounds have been remade; many new scenes and background music tracks for the new routes have been added; the sound effect at the end of each day has also changed (it feels weird the first time you hear it, but once you get used to it, it actually fits quite well); Ms. Lind's character sprite has been updated, and August has been given a smoking habit (a standard feature of a delinquent? Haha), which is also shown in his sprite (perhaps there are slight adjustments to other characters' sprites? But I didn't notice?).
These changes didn't feel jarring at all; I quickly got used to them, and now they actually feel refreshing! Most importantly, the art style and overall atmosphere of the game haven't changed—the backgrounds are warm, the music is soothing, and the character sprites are beautiful! Everything still feels the same as it did in version v0.4.4!
Next, regarding the story... To be honest, after finishing all the routes, endings, and side chapters, I had mixed feelings. It's precisely because of the addition of Finn and August's routes—these two characters with their enigmatic pasts—that now only a few routes seem to qualify as "good endings":
The good ending of August's route sees the protagonist help August redeem himself and become his friend, but August also completely cuts off all ties to Finn (including in the physical sense, as he destroys almost everything related to Finn within reach); the normal ending involves the protagonist exposing August's crime of blowing up the Anemone bridge; the bad ending has the protagonist blowing up the Anemone bridge and both ending up in jail together.
Finn's route good ending is, in my opinion, the relatively most perfect one: Finn decides to leave the past behind and move forward, peacefully saying goodbye to August; Finn and the protagonist become good new friends, while August eventually transfers schools. The reason I say "relatively most perfect" is that although Finn and August have forgiven each other, there's no option for them to reconcile, which is a bit regrettable (but at least no one gets hurt!). As for the bad ending... God, it's absolutely insane—it's undoubtedly the worst of all endings. After August takes his own life, Finn can't accept it and ultimately chooses to take revenge on the so-called "culprits"—the school, the court, society, or perhaps themself—by setting the school on fire. The most heartbreaking part is that Finn ends their own life in the blaze... (Although this outcome is very heavy, I can't help but joke that arson really is Finn and August's signature move...)
As for Lark's route, there's not much to say—it's still the same as before. However, whether it's the good, normal, or bad ending, none are as oppressive as those in Finn's and August's routes. They respectively correspond to becoming lovers with Lark, remaining friends with Lark, and cutting ties with Lark. But it's worth noting that if you choose to go down Lark's route, no matter what choices you make, August will ultimately end his life (based on my understanding of the story, the reason August commits suicide is because of Finn—the person he relied on most, who knew him best and spoiled him the most, no longer cares about him, causing him to lose hope in life)... But what baffles me is, even if we chose to persuade Finn to go see August, why would August still... Sigh, I can't figure it out no matter how hard I think...
As I mentioned earlier, the pasts of Finn and August are simply too complicated. Therefore, even with the addition of three side chapters (by the way, I'm not sure if the three side chapters I've unlocked—Podcast [Episode 1], Finn & August 01/02—are all of them at the moment, because below these three there's another one labeled "? ? ?". But clicking on it just gives a black screen and returns to the main menu. Is it a bug? Or is it a placeholder for other unfinished chapters?), there are still many puzzling aspects:
First, what exactly caused the falling-out between Finn and August? It's worth noting that before August was sent to juvenile detention for the serial arson (especially the burning of the interstate highway bridge, which was presumably his last crime), they had likely already fallen out. Because Finn mentioned that August burning the interstate highway bridge was an act of revenge against them for leaving him at the Lighthouse Cafe that day, and that was the last place they saw him before he did it. So, what exactly happened between them that day at Lighthouse Cafe? The game doesn't provide a clear explanation...
And this leads to the second major question—what was August's (and Finn was certainly involved in some of them as well) motive for committing the serial arson?
There are many places in the game associated with the word "burned down": an automobile factory, townhouses, the St. Germain dormitory building, the interstate highway bridge, and so on. Trying to figure all this out is indeed quite difficult:
For instance, regarding their burning of the automobile factory, townhouses, and the St. Germain dormitory (as for the dormitory fire, Finn flatly denied having done it, but judging from the overall story and the supplementary side chapters, I think they were lying—it was very likely the handiwork of them and August). In the side chapters, Finn mentioned that this was their own personal revenge. What was the reason? And why did they target these specific buildings? Were they trying to get back at the rich kids at St. Germain who usually bullied them, and that's why they chose to burn down the dormitory and the projects their parents had invested heavily in?
As for the interstate highway bridge incident, as mentioned earlier, we only know that August targeted it because he wanted Finn to be reminded of him every time they came to the river to gaze out and saw it burned. However, we know nothing about the actual cause of the incident... But based on my reasoning and speculation, it's very likely that August was dissatisfied with Finn's cowardly nature, and a conflict erupted between them as a result. This can be glimpsed in the side chapters and in their farewell conversation at the cafe.
Moreover, since Finn was also involved in quite a few arson cases, why was only August caught? Why did all the blame fall on August? Did August choose to sacrifice himself to protect Finn?
If so, this leads to my third question—what exactly could the relationship between Finn and August be called in the past? What kind of profound relationship could make you accompany someone in committing a string of shocking mistakes, and after being caught, still resolutely refuse to betray them, even bearing all the consequences alone?
Since the game doesn't give Finn a clear gender distinction like Lark (♀) or August (♂, Maybe this is doubtful? Because he has the alias "Juliet", which doesn't sound like a boy's name, But the personal pronoun used for him in the game is clearly "he"), and the character is written as a non-binary neutral role, it's hard to simply frame their relationship as a romantic or intimate one... Although I'm very tempted to interpret it as two souls deeply in tune, saving each other, and deeply in love with each other (i.e., forcibly viewing Finn as female, because their way of speaking and acting always gives me a very indecisive feeling...), it's obvious that the author deliberately wants to prevent us from assuming that directly...
However, if you dig deeper into the meaning of every line during their final farewell at the cafe... Finn says, "We'd better not go back to that kind of relationship we used to have," and August tells them not to bring up "the night they first got drunk", also consider their expressions when they were having this conversation.... Uhh... Although I don't want to let my imagination run wild, in this context, isn't "that kind of relationship" really referring to an intimate, romantic relationship? And even one with 18+ content? The final answer probably can only be revealed by the author themselves, because I feel like no matter what, I'll end up misinterpreting it, haha!
By the way, Finn and August have such vastly different personalities—one indecisive and cowardly, the other unruly and fierce. It was perhaps really lucky that they got together in the first place, but I think it might also have been fate that they ended up apart...
Although these questions really made me pull out a lot of hair while playing, I must admit that these gaps leave players with much room for thought and imagination, which I think is necessary!
Alright, that's all my experience and reflections on this update. It's quite long, so thank you very much for reading this far, whether you're a player or the author! Feel free to discuss related topics with me below!
Finally, a note to the dev team: As a loyal fan of you and your game, I sincerely hope the game will continue to get better and better. All of the above opinions on the story are my personal feelings, speculations, or conjectures. If they deviate from what you intended to express, I earnestly ask for your correction! Regarding the questions I raised, if you plan to flesh out these aspects in future minor updates, then I am very glad that the issues I pointed out can help your team refine this game that all of us players love! I know your team has poured a lot of effort and overcome many difficulties in making this game, so here I take the liberty of expressing my heartfelt gratitude to your team on behalf of all players of this game! Thank you for giving such a gift to dragon lovers around the world! Finally, as the saying goes, "Health is the capital of revolution," I wish your team good health, and I look forward to the next (and final) route update!