Romance Is Dead

Author: Tall Tales Productions

Availability: Free, Download

Format: Visual Novel

Genre: Supernatural

Rating: Teen

My Scores (Out of 5):

Writing: 4

Art: 3.5

Gameplay: 4

Romance: 2.5 (“With endings this sad, it's not just dead: it's buried!”)

Found at lemmasoft forums

Summary

In Romance Is Dead, you are Madeline “Maddie” Washington, a biology student at the University of New Orleans. You've come to the conclusion that romance is dead. Perhaps it's a good thing, then, that you've now found yourself in the company of three guys who are also dead! ….Wait, what?

Review

The Writing

Major props to this game for being the first one I've ever played (much less reviewed) that has a black protagonist. I point this out because most of these games tend to feature characters who are either white or “Asian but with white skin and fair hair”, and I'm not the only one who's noticed this trend, either. Perhaps the tide is finally turning! What's more, this isn't just a palette decision: the issue of race, and the language and ideas associated with it, actually gets brought up a bit, just as it was in A Due.

I also enjoy how this game has such a strong sense of place. This isn't just “Anytown, USA”: this is New Orleans. It isn't just a school, either: it's the sciences section of UNO. The amount of detail given in the story makes me inclined to believe that the creator(s) either came from this area or did lots and lots of research, because it all feels very rich and real. Even the state's history is taken to account for the characters' back-stories, as voo-doo and segregation and the Louisiana Purchase all play a part in making these characters who they are.

The story is also strongly dated, which is a bold and often-risky choice: pop-culture items like Buffy the Vampire-Slayer or The Walking Dead are often discussed, and we are reminded, quite firmly, that this is the 21^st century. A lot of works set in the present try to avoid committing to a specific point in time, since time is always moving. Time will tell if this decision will preserve the work or make it rot.

The Art

I was very surprised at how cartoony the art-style was. It's not like anime, either, but more like something you would see on Western-made television. While it's not bad, it does seem to me like a style more suited to a comedic piece than a romantic one. The backgrounds are just filtered photos, which was a little bit disappointing when it's so clear that somebody involved in this production can actually draw. The music is nice, being a little bit creepy and a little bit jazzy and quite a good fit, though perhaps not quite the auditory match-made-in-heaven that Cafe Rouge struck gold with.

The Gameplay

The balance in this game felt perfect to me, having a good amount of branch-off points and dialog changes without actually carrying the story too far away from the main plot-line. All of the choices make a difference, both in the ending and how you get there, yet the anchor-points in the plot keep it from becoming a sprawled-out mess. The mystery of Adam's death and zombification always remains at the center, but how this gets resolved and who you end up with at the end is deliciously left open.

TL;DR

Romance is Dead is a very well-made game. The art could be a little better in some ways, but the writing more than picks up the slack for it, and the whole thing is assembled beautifully in a way that encourages lots of replay. Overall, I enjoyed this game quite a bit and look forward to seeing what else Tall Tales Productions comes out with.

Of course, this is only my opinion. Does this game capture your heart, or does it just stink like a pickled corpse? Let us pick your braaaaaaaaiiins in the comment section.

Number Days Sim Date

Author: Pacthesis

Availability: Free, Online/Browser-based

Format: Dating Sim/Point-and-Click

Genre: Supernatural

Rating: Teen

Found at: pacthesisgames.com OR simdategames.net

My Scores (out of 5):

Writing: 4.5

Art: 4.5

Gameplay: 4.5

Romance: 4 (“Ooh, now we're talking!”)

Summary

In Number Days Sim Date, you are Evelyn/Insert-Name-Here. You've gone with your friends to the grand opening of a new theme park, only to suddenly find yourself alone in a park that's now surrounded by a glass wall. A few other people are in the same predicament as you, and you've all gotten the same cryptic text message on your phones: “Your time here will end when your number reaches zero.” Your number is Twelve...

Review

The Writing

First of all, the plot is amazing in both concept and execution. The story is like an episode of The Twilight Zone, and I can easily picture it being adapted into a book or movie. In fact, if anyone reading this knows Pacthesis (or, better yet, is Pacthesis), I'd like to point out that the indie game Five Nights at Freddy's has already made such a transition, so it might be time to get an agent and/or publisher and claim some of that sweet, sweet Internet Money.

The characters are very distinct and fleshed out, each possessing flaws, passions, and quirks that come up again and again in both the cut-scenes and the dialog-trees. No two are interchangeable, and even characters with similar traits (weirdness, intelligence, shyness, etc.) express those traits in very different ways. This helps make the endings very satisfying and emotional, both in story-mode and free-mode.

I greatly enjoy how the plot itself isn't just flavor, but is instead used to showcase the characters' personalities by letting us see how they operate under pressure. Who takes charge? Who follows? Who tries to solve things by himself? I also like how every character's path ties into the game's over-arching theme of “Be Yourself, and Accept Others for Who They Are”, which is a good message. I do wish, however, that the dialog-trees were a little more synced up with the main story-line, since characters sometimes reference things that either haven't been introduced yet or were already solved.

The Art

Not only is the art well-drawn, but I'm very impressed by the level of effort that clearly went into it. Dialog is accompanied by a profile-picture with changing expressions, and the main part of the game features animated figures, decent backgrounds, and some very lovely CGs. I also like how the lighting changes from day to night, and the way inventory items appear in the backpack as actual items rather than just abstract icons of equal size. The music is fun, too.

The Gameplay

Number Days offers two modes of play: story-mode and free-mode. This makes it easier to go back and get alternate endings without the main plot getting in the way. Story-mode also offers chapter-select, and each section begins with helpful tips on how to play.

Like Cafe Rouge, much of the game involves wandering through the map, as opposed to just selecting a location and being magically teleported. Unlike Cafe Rouge, though, there is a handy mini-map to consult if you get lost. Also, as in MemoryDays and HeavenlyPlaygirl Dating Sim, characters' locations often change; however, the relocations are much more frequent and random, here, which can be very annoying when you need to find someone.

The classic Dating Sim Interactions of Talk/Gift/Date are all present and all affect the game, but with interesting side-effects that I won't discuss because of spoilers. There is also a point-and-click element of finding small objects scattered across the map, which presents an extra challenge. Strangely, there is also a set of...non-minigames? I'm not sure what to call them, since they're an activity that you can do to get tickets for prizes, but “playing” them really just amounts to rolling a die to see how well your character did. It took me a while to realize what was going on, and then, since I usually hate mini-games anyway, I wasn't sure how I should feel about it. Luckily, nothing about this section is truly necessary anyway, unless you really want to give your new friend an expensive present.

TL;DR

Two words: Magnum Opus. Number Days is one of the best games I've ever reviewed and may well be Pacthesis' crowning achievement. The plot and characters are well-developed, the art is lovely and brings the story to life, and the game-play is both elaborate and well-balanced. Most of Pacthesis' earlier games have struck me as being slightly experimental, and this game is where the previous experiments finally pay off.

What do you think, though? Does this game deserve all the happiness, or is its number up? The comment section is open today, with free admission and no height-restrictions!

Memory Days Sim Date

Author: Pacthesis

Availability: Free, Online/Browser-based

Format: Visual Novel/Dating Sim

Genre: School Romance

Rating: PG

Found at Pacthesisgames.com OR Simdategames.net

My Scores (out of 5):

Writing: 2

Art: 4

Gameplay: 3.8

Romance: 2.5 (“Middle of the road, maybe”)

Summary

In Memory Days Sim Date, you are Ai/Insert-Name-Here. You used to only come to West Cigam for the summer, but a change in your father's career has resulted in you moving here, permanently. Now, you have the opportunity to let those people you met in passing become friends...or more. What memories will you make, now?

Review

The Writing

Plot-wise, there isn't really a lot to this game; you just attend school and talk to boys until summer break comes. What makes this especially annoying is that the intro seems to tease so much more, with cryptic references to weird happenings in West Cigam, and a character whose cousin has gone missing. Unfortunately, the only “weirdness” that you get to actually see is a cameo by Xolga in one character's route. Even the theme of Memory seems a little bit shoe-horned to me, since while memories and making memories are frequently referenced in the dialog, there doesn't seem to really be any call for it: nobody is on a quest to remember or forget something, memories do not provide a key to any plot-point, nobody's personality is defined by a memory...it just seems to be rolled onto the game like a coat of paint.

The characters themselves have some pretty interesting drama in their back-stories, but these don't really come into play at all until the end of the game. The dialog in the talk options is mostly small-talk that doesn't really give more than a hint of their personalities, and the event scenes range from sweet to mundane. All in all, I find this to be Pacthesis' blandest work in terms of writing, with a lot of smoke but very little fire.

The Art

The drawing style is about on par with Pacthesis' other work, but what really makes the art here stand out is the extra effort put into the technical things like scenery changes, wardrobe changes, and animated bits. Guys will change their clothes depending on where they are, and the backgrounds will change with the seasons. You can even decorate your room a bit, which I thought was a nice touch. It's a very nice level of variety that most games don't usually have, and I greatly appreciate it.

The Gameplay

I get the impression, between the art and the gameplay, that this game was really more of a “technological experiment” of sorts, since it's very different from all of the author's earlier games and has a lot more moving parts. Guys change their locations every day, the shops change their wares every week, and it's actually possible to break up with a guy, after which you can't talk to him for a while. Also, your actions are limited not only by energy, but by mood, which almost prevents exploitation of the work-food mechanic. There is also a need to spend some time studying, since failing one of the periodic tests will result in a sharp drop in mood and energy.

The overall format is actually closer to a visual novel than a dating sim, since the relationships with the guys are based entirely on events fixed in time (and choices made at those events), while talking, gifts, and dating don't actually matter at all. Granted, having a good conversation with your guy (or going on a date) can boost your mood, but they do nothing to actually raise your relationship and can be safely ignored altogether. Mostly, you just need to go to the right location on the right day and take things from there.

TL;DR

Memory Days does have some impressive features, though the writing is pretty thin and, partly as a result of this, the gameplay seems to drag a little bit. I can't really call it a bad game, though, since it's very clear that a lot of effort was put into its creation and, in many areas, this effort pays off. It's a mixed bag in my opinion, but overall, I think it's worth checking out.

So, am I being too harsh on a good game, or too light on a bad game? Is this game a cherished memory, or just a weird thing best forgotten? Go ahead and tell me in the comments!

Lads in Distress

Author: Catfish Crew

Availability: Free, Download

Format: Visual Novel

Genre: Fantasy / Literature

Rating: Teen

Found at catfishcrew.itch.io

My Scores (Out of 5):

Writing: 4

Art: 5

Gameplay: 3

Romance: 3.5 (“A good notch or two above actual fairy-tales”)

Summary

In Lads in Distress, you are Princess Charming of Lunar Kingdom. You're skilled in magic and have quite a bit of a hero complex, which is why you have no problem with entering into a loveless political marriage to help your struggling kingdom. Of course, you still get to pick your groom, although three mysterious princes have been emphatically vetoed by your parents and it seems all of them need some kind of rescuing. Hmm.....

Review

The Writing

How do I love this game? Let me count the ways: I love that it flips the genders on classic stories, putting the girl in the position of the dashing hero. I love how Princess Charming manages to avoid crossing the threshold of Mary-Sueism by having her arrogance and savior complex actually treated as character flaws to be overcome. I love how each prince is recognizably based on a fairy-tale. I love how it twists the fairy-tales enough that, even if you're familiar with the story each prince is based on, you'll still be caught off-guard. I also love that Mer is clearly based on the original Hans Christian Anderson version of The Little Mermaid, as opposed to a certain popular 90's movie.

Granted, the script could have been proof-read a little better, and there might be a little bit of fridge-logic in one of the paths, but overall, the writing is pretty good. I was impressed that this story didn't romanticize royal marriages the way many fantasy stories often do, with love-at-first-sight and beautiful commoners becoming royalty because of their shoe-size; rather, we get the much more pragmatic truth of royals marrying for political reasons that have nothing to do with love, looks, or foot-wear. Yet despite this unromantic premise (or maybe because of it?), the relationships themselves are very sweet in how they unfold, with something that started out so cold and calculating slowly growing into friendship, trust, and love over time.

The Art

After much thought, I could not justify giving the art score anything less than a perfect 5. Calling it “beautiful” just isn't enough. It's...sumptuous! Everything, every artistic aspect, is clean, perfect, and of a professional quality. The backgrounds are gorgeous and richly detailed, with a wide variety of locations that don't “recycle the set”, so to speak. The music is exquisite, orchestral, and perfectly meshes with the game's setting and tone. The characters themselves are lovely and intricately detailed, with a very broad range of surprisingly nuanced expressions that match up well with the descriptions in the text. Even the color palette works on a level I don't usually notice, giving each character a distinct look that reflects something about them while still harmonizing with each other and the background. If this artwork were a cup of coffee,even the saucer would be perfect!

The Gameplay

Alas, I wasn't really sure what score I should give the gameplay, since while it doesn't really do anything “wrong”, I still came away feeling a little unsatisfied. To give just the facts: there are three potential suitors in this game, each with two endings (although they don't fall neatly into the labels of “good” vs “bad” endings, with one dark exception). After the initial three-pronged split, each path is pretty linear, with your choices mostly just adjusting subtle stats to determine which ending you get. Mer's route spiced things up by having options appear, disappear, or have a different outcome depending on your past choices, which I thought made things more exciting, but for the most part, there's only a narrow range of change in each route. (I was also privately disappointed when the fairy companion didn't turn out to be a surprise fourth suitor, but this did not factor into the score at all).

I feel that the general lack of any bad endings takes most of the risk and tension out of the game. While this can be a major plus for someone who just wants to relax in a comforting story, like the equivalent of a bowl of chicken soup, it's a drawback to anyone looking for more of a challenge. The value of a victory is mostly based on the threat of defeat, and without any real chance of losing, it falls to the main story itself to shoulder the burden of getting the reader invested. Of course, this is only a review of the NaNoRenO version, and it's possible that the future extended version will turn out better.

TL;DR

Lads in Distress is a fantastically beautiful game that turns classic fairy-tales completely on their heads. The game mostly stays on its rails with only a few endings, only one of which can be called “bad”, so you generally can't lose. Overall, I think it's very worth playing.

What do you think? Is this game so good it leaves you speechless, or does it deserve the kiss of death? Let down your hair in the comments section and tell us your thoughts.

Memento Dears

Author: OtomePalace

Availability: Free, Online (Demo) / Free, Download (Full Version)

Format: Dating Sim / Visual Novel

Genre: School Romance

Rating: PG

Found at kongregate.com or deviantart.com

My Scores (Out of 5):

Writing: 4

Art: 3.8

Gameplay: 3.8

Romance: 3.5 (“Pretty good”)

Summary

In Memento Dears, you are Melodie. You've lost your memory after a mysterious hit-and-run, much to the consternation of your family and friends. As you try to put the pieces back together, you get the impression that something important happened with someone right before the accident...but who was it?

Review

The Writing

The writing is good, save for a few English errors here and there (such as “I too tired”). It's kind of ironic, considering that an early line of dialog has one character correcting another's grammar. Regardless, the story and characters are good, and the premise itself is very interesting.

What I really like is the strength and cohesion of the theme in this story: Bachelor #1 comes to strongly represent owning or clinging to one's past, while Bachelor #2 represents abandoning the past and embracing the future. It raises an interesting question: how important is the past? Granted, the hidden third Bachelor doesn't really fit as well into this theme; his story-arc is more about fear and bravery, and while one could argue that “bravery is needed to face the past/future, blah blah blah...” I just don't think it meshes all that well.

Also, the back-story does not change based on which course you take. I like that kind of consistency. I also like how different characters and paths contribute different pieces of the puzzle.

The Art

The art is anime/manga style and, while not flawless, it is rather decent. I like the quality and variety of the background music, and it's nice how the game uses sound-effects to let you know when something good or bad has happened.

The Gameplay

This game seems to perfectly illustrate the saying, “Aim for the moon: if you miss, you'll still land among the stars.” It's a very ambitious game, featuring stats, an explorable game-world, randomly-appearing characters, etc. In some ways, its complexity reminds me a little of Heartstring Bugs, especially since both are centered around a school. That being said, though, I do have a couple of major complaints.

The first and biggest flaw, in my eyes, is the Fake Gay Option. As I've said before: I have no problem with authors keeping it strictly dudes, but it's very infuriating to mislead your players (purposefully or accidentally) into thinking a NPC is obtainable when, in fact, she's not, and in a game this long, it's even more heinous. In the Stats page (more on that later), Suzie's relationship meter looks identical to those of the boys, even being marked with hearts at either end. We have the same talk/gift/invite options for her as we do for the guys, and in one outing scenario, she even asks “Is this a date?” and we have the option to respond “Yes”. What else is an unwary player supposed to think? Yet it isn't until the end of this very long game that we find out there is no ending with Suzie other than “You failed to get a guy. Your friend tries to cheer you up, but it just isn't the same.” At least Heartstring Bugs had a Best Friends Ending with the two girls that, while not romantic in the slightest, still provided a satisfying pay-off to all the time and energy invested in those relationships.

There are at least three better ways that this could have been handled:

1. Have a gay option
2. Make it clear from the interface that there is no gay option
3. Have a Platonic Best Friends ending.

Whatever you do, though, don't make the player completely waste her time.

My second-biggest complaint is the difficulty in finding the Stats and Inventory pages. I eventually found them in the Options tab, in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying “Beware of the Leopard”. The good news is that vital information like your energy-level and today's date are on the main game-screen, plain as day, so you're not completely flying blind.

Finally, I'm a little annoyed with how difficult it is to report back to the parents after I've purchased the items they sent me to get. It's the one instance where the “randomly-appearing characters” feature seems more frustrating than clever. Fortunately, it doesn't actually hurt the game in the long-run, since the amount of money involved is small and hardly missed, and interacting with the parents isn't really important otherwise.

Despite these flaws, I still found this game very enjoyable to play. Please note that it's apparently the first chapter of a series, although it stands alone just fine. I have not yet been able to track down any mention of the sequel, but I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for it.

TL;DR

Memento Dears has a lot going for it. The writing is good with a cohesive story and a strong use of its theme, the art and music are nice, and while the gameplay isn't perfect, it's still impressive in both what it does and what it tries to do. Overall, I strongly recommend playing this, and since the demo can be played online, you can try it yourself right now and see what you think.

In fact, what do you think? Does this game have a bright future, or is it something best left in the past? Share your thoughts and recollections in the comments!