Let's begin by saying the obvious: I don't like dating sims. Part of it of course is the low tier anime-like writing, but mostly it's the concept and the systems built around it.
The game loop basically consists in choosing a couple activities to do each day, each one improving or decreasing certain stats (studying makes you intelligent, sports makes you athletic and so on) in order to impress the girl you like. Let's be real, who does that? Shouldn't you think more carefully about how you spend your high school time, thinking about yourself and your future instead of some random girl you just got to know? You could say that's just my bias because I know how the game works, but the truth is the game itself tells you which stats will make you be liked by each girl and at what point (more or less, and with more variables) a milestone will be reached. Which leads me to the second point: numbers.
Of course these games have to work with a bunch of numbered variables in order to make it feel engaging and somehow realistic, this is not black and white, but why do they need to be exposed to the player? Wouldn't it be more fun to get to know the girls and what they like with each interaction? Wouldn't it be much more special to start noticing certain things that make you think that you're in the right direction instead of the game telling you? Wouldn't it be beautiful to have the girl you like suddenly confess to you, knowing that all you've done in the game is be yourself and do what you thought was right?
The game's depiction of relationships as maths, as trophies, is something I absolutely hate, and as much as I want to love this game for its atmosphere, the light-hearted dialogues, the cute character design, its beautiful music and the overall charm it has, I just can't stand it.
The game loop basically consists in choosing a couple activities to do each day, each one improving or decreasing certain stats (studying makes you intelligent, sports makes you athletic and so on) in order to impress the girl you like. Let's be real, who does that? Shouldn't you think more carefully about how you spend your high school time, thinking about yourself and your future instead of some random girl you just got to know? You could say that's just my bias because I know how the game works, but the truth is the game itself tells you which stats will make you be liked by each girl and at what point (more or less, and with more variables) a milestone will be reached. Which leads me to the second point: numbers.
Of course these games have to work with a bunch of numbered variables in order to make it feel engaging and somehow realistic, this is not black and white, but why do they need to be exposed to the player? Wouldn't it be more fun to get to know the girls and what they like with each interaction? Wouldn't it be much more special to start noticing certain things that make you think that you're in the right direction instead of the game telling you? Wouldn't it be beautiful to have the girl you like suddenly confess to you, knowing that all you've done in the game is be yourself and do what you thought was right?
The game's depiction of relationships as maths, as trophies, is something I absolutely hate, and as much as I want to love this game for its atmosphere, the light-hearted dialogues, the cute character design, its beautiful music and the overall charm it has, I just can't stand it.
4 Comments
That's totally fair @railgun233 and thanks for your comment but... 2 things: is it fair to judge it by how you play it instead of how it is supposed to be played? And does playing that way actually change any of the systems and outcomes I don't like about the game?
What I want to mention is the content of story mode is just a little piece of this game. It just allows you to meet three girls in 100 days and pick one of them as your girlfriend. Real-time mode is what makes this game different that you can date and interact with your girl just like in reality. And the systems of these two modes are completely different. The time of the game in this mode is synchronized with reality. In real-time mode, you don't need to increase your stats to attract a girl (since you're already lovers) and her favorability depends on the frequency you interact with her. (date, gifts and so on)
So the story mode isn't really how this game is played (as evidenced by they barely changed it in the sequel). But considering you have to beat it to unlock real-time mode, it's fair you dislike it.
railgun233
1 year ago