▁N arr ative ▁paths ▁became ▁more ▁character - dri ven ▁and ▁logic - based ▁as ▁development ▁went ▁on . ▁The ▁word ▁count ▁for ▁the ▁game ▁would ▁be ▁around ▁ 1 3 3 , 0 0 0 ▁when ▁development ▁was ▁over . ▁ ▁A ▁philosophy ▁used ▁by ▁Vern on ▁Shaw ▁while ▁developing ▁the ▁game ▁was ▁" sin cer ity ▁wrapped ▁in ▁c yn ic ism ", ▁meaning ▁the ▁player ▁would ▁play ▁the ▁game ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁intr igue ▁about ▁gay ▁d ads ▁but ▁walk ▁away ▁with ▁life ▁less ons ▁about ▁father hood ▁and ▁relationships . ▁Griff is ▁rec alls ▁the ▁switch ▁from ▁the ▁game ▁being ▁about ▁d ads ▁having ▁sex ▁to ▁being ▁about ▁relationships ▁came ▁towards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁development ▁when ▁character ▁ar cs ▁had ▁been ▁fully ▁established . ▁The ▁lack ▁of ▁references ▁by ▁characters ▁to ▁their ▁sexual ▁orientation ▁came ▁from ▁the ▁developers ▁feeling ▁that ▁most ▁media ▁dealing ▁with ▁que er ▁people ▁was ▁about ▁soci etal ▁issues ▁and ▁not ▁about ▁the ▁relationships ▁themselves . ▁Instead , ▁the ▁game ▁de als ▁with ▁issues ▁like ▁social ▁anx iety ▁and ▁to xic ▁mascul inity . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁game ▁was ▁" m ixed ▁or ▁average ", ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁review ▁aggreg ator ▁Met ac rit ic . ▁The ▁game ' s ▁writing ▁was ▁pra ised ▁by ▁publications , ▁such ▁as ▁W ired ▁UK ▁and ▁PC ▁G amer . ▁Crit ics ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁game ▁does ▁a ▁good ▁job ▁at ▁transition ing ▁from ▁com edic ▁to ▁serious ▁segments , ▁with ▁Sim one