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Dad dating sim 'Dream Daddy' arrives on PS4 October 30th
If you slept on Dream Daddy, one of Engadget's best games of 2017, you'll soon have another way to play the charming dating sim as the "Dadrector's Cut" is headed to PS4. You'll be able to try it on console for the first time October 30th.
'Sailor Moon' in a post-apocalyptic pigeon-dating simulator
Hatoful Boyfriend is a pigeon-dating simulator. You read that correctly and, yes, it means exactly what it sounds like. However, Hatoful Boyfriend is also much more than a pigeon-dating simulator: It's a dark tale of science experiments gone awry and a formerly human world now run by birds. In Hatoful Boyfriend -- released on Steam in September and on its way to PlayStation 4 and Vita this year -- you play as a young (human) woman and uncover truly terrifying things about this strange new avian world. Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star is a new game in the same pigeon-dating universe, due to hit PS4, Vita and PC this fall. As Mediatonic Producer Luke Borrett explains direct from E3 2015, Holiday Star features even wackier stories, including scenes reminiscent of Sailor Moon, a trip to a manga convention and birds in tanks. Watch a portion of our interview with Borrett below.
Konami's 3DS dating simulator uses facial recognition to block virtual cheating
We may still not have an official price for the Nintendo 3DS, but it looks like you can now at least count on yet another unique gaming experience not found on other handheld systems. Konami recently announced that its "Project Loveplus" dating simulator for the system will not only take advantage of the system's 3D capabilities, but that it will also include a so-called "boyfriend lock" that uses facial recognition to prevent any virtual cheating. Apparently, if someone else picks up your 3DS and tries to play the game, your virtual girlfriend will act confused and respond with phrases like "who are you?" -- which, incidentally, is a question you might also want to ask yourself before looking for ways to import the game from Japan (yeah, don't count on this one being released over here).
Metareview: Brooktown High
Enough with the ugly jokes! It's time for Brooktown High to finally prove its worth. Does this American attempt at the dating sim score ... or does it just have two left feet? Let's find out what the critics think: Gamespot (56/100) simply couldn't find enough to do: "It's apparent that the game really wants to be played through multiple times to see the different possible outcomes, but it's unlikely that you'll want to play through the game more than once, if even that. Without enough to do, Brooktown High ends up being as shallow as the lame caricatures that populate it." IGN (52/100) thinks that sloppy execution ruined what could've been a better game: "You'll find yourself in the midst of the same conversations time and time again, and though they'll sometimes change on dates depending on where you are, when talking on the phone or at school you'll wind up hearing the same things over and over and over again." Games Radar (50/100) thinks the game is unfair: "Your dialogue choices are out-and-out traps. For example, we had a discussion in which the only options were to either insult the girl or ask her out - one of which made her mad, the other of which forced us to cheat on our girlfriend - who immediately found out." Burned! Looks like the game has received universal critical dismay. Unfortunate, because the genre, which proved so popular in Japan, needed better representation than this. Unless you really want to play a dating sim, it looks like the rest of us can simply walk away.
The sexually charged antics of Brooktown High
Steve has pointed out the general unattractiveness of the Brooktown High girls not once, but twice. While we would have appreciated some characters that were a bit more easy on the eyes, we have to admit that the newest trailer for this PSP-exclusive dating sim looks pretty fun. The incredibly deformed character designs work well in context of the crazy antics that take place in this sexually charged school. I hate to admit it, but ... does this game actually look fun?
Enter the dating scene at Brooktown High [Update 1]
Gamespot has a hands-on preview of Brooktown High: Senior Year, the first dating sim created specifically for the US. Konami is known for their popular dating sim series Tokimeki Memorial, but it seems they are testing the waters for dating sims in the US with Brooktown High. But will US gamers fall in love with a genre that most are virgins with? That question certainly can't be answered yet, but one can't accuse Backbone Entertainment of making a bare bones title due to the risk. In Brooktown High: Senior Year, you'll create your own guy or gal, use your school lessons to help you improve yourself for the opposite sex, and of course talk to lots and lots of potential love interests. As with any school, everyone is in different social groupings and has different expectations of what they're looking for in a significant other, so you'll have to deal with them accordingly. The game also features licensed music and several mini-games to help keep your daily school day interesting. Given the success of DOAX (which was more dating sim than volleyball game), maybe Brooktown High does stand a chance of getting an A+ grade with gamers. Brooktown High: Senior Year gets to 2nd base on PSP later this year, from Backbone Entertainment and Konami. [Update 1: Gamespot also has a great interview along with gameplay footage available.]
