Back in September of 2017, I stumbled upon a little game on itch.io: a freeware dating sim called Doki Doki Literature Club! At the time, I was broke, dumb-as-rocks teenage weeaboo who really didn't wanna do their Algebra II homework, so I decided to spend the afternoon checking it out. It looked cute enough, and it was free, so what was the harm (besides the damage to my GPA)?
Well, if Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! now being billed as a psychological horror game didn't already tip you off, you can probably guess how that afternoon went.
So why bring this up? It's because despite my best efforts to re-evaluate Plus with a new frame of mind, that one September afternoon is too deeply interwoven with my opinion with the game. Before it became yet another contentious western Visual Novel, before it became the subject of hundreds of Let's Plays and Game Theory videos, before it became a line of marketable merchandise you could pick up at your local retail fashion store, it was just a subversive freeware horror game I was absolutely enamored with. The absence of discussion around DDLC at the time I played it meant that the glitch horror and surprise metafiction angle caught me completely off-guard, and all of it's Creepypasta-tier parlor tricks and 4th-wall-breaking meta-puzzles worked wonders on me, since I had yet to have been exposed to that kind of storytelling in my games. It was the most mind-blowing thing in the world when I figured out how to finish Act 3. I didn't even really think that games could do shit like that!
But at the time of writing this, that was 4 years ago, and a lot has happened since then: My interests have changed. I'm a different person now. I've expanded my palette and I've dipped my toes into so many other genres and experiences. But even barring that, DDLC, which was dated at the time by the likes of Eversion, Irusu Syndrome and You & Me & Her: A Love Story, is even more old-hat as glitch and meta-horror have become their own saturated brand of storytelling on the internet. The air of both success and contention afforded by the conversation around it and its legacy hangs heavy in the air now. Revisiting this after so long, a small part of me was worried that coming back to this with a fresh pair of eyes would retroactively ruin it somehow, like finally beating your dad in a game of basketball: He was never that good at it, you were just younger and more inexperienced.
And I guess in a way, it was ruined. The scares that caught me off guard years ago fell flat, both because I was now expecting them, and because the overt jump scares and glitch effects were so juvenile and cliché. The cynicism in the text is more apparent looking at it now, it's sly jabs at "anime and dating-sim tropes" taking on a more overtly cynical tone when taking into account the game's origins: It was born out of Salvato's love-hate relationship with slice-of-life anime, and the fact that the parody aspect of the game generalizes all visual novels as dating sims shows a level of both ignorance and contempt for it's own medium and the history behind it. It's a trend we've seen before with other developers holding a certain level of contempt for their own medium and it's inspirations (see: Necrobarista, YiiK, etc.), but what's most ironic is that in DDLC's case, its strengths shine much brighter when it's indulging in the tropes it's trying to poke fun at.
Despite the supposed horror elements being at the forefront of both the marketing and the cultural legacy of the game, it's when DDLC is trying to be a pastiche Visual Novel that it succeeds the most. Even if the main girls fall into the generic pitfall of "cute broken girl for generic MC to fix via high school romance," the main cast and their struggles are relatable and the grounded depiction of depression with Sayori is something that hit very close to home for me and many others (even if something like Yuri's self-harm is treated a little more exploitatively in the narrative.) With Plus' new side-stories removing the horror elements and focusing on a more realistic and slice-of-life story about communication and mental illness that's treated with tact, it becomes a lot more engaging and heartwarming in a way that, ironically, becomes what it once sought to decry with the base storyline.
Separating me from the equation for a second however, I don't think I would ever recommend DDLC+. It's horror is weak and old hat nowadays, and since that's the angle the game is marketed with and most well-known for, it's impossible to really get much enjoyment out of it approaching it from that mindset. It's confused with what it wants to be, and even if it's strengths lie in everything else it does, hardcore VN enthusiasts are not going to be impressed with what both DDLC and Plus contains. It's a game I honestly think you just had to be there for to fully enjoy. But even if I wouldn't recommend it, I don't think I can bring myself to call it bad with the vitriol everyone else seems to have for it now. It was important for me, as a gateway to VNs and a game in general. It reminds me of a time in my life that, even if it wasn't wholly positive for me, was important nonetheless.
Well, if Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! now being billed as a psychological horror game didn't already tip you off, you can probably guess how that afternoon went.
So why bring this up? It's because despite my best efforts to re-evaluate Plus with a new frame of mind, that one September afternoon is too deeply interwoven with my opinion with the game. Before it became yet another contentious western Visual Novel, before it became the subject of hundreds of Let's Plays and Game Theory videos, before it became a line of marketable merchandise you could pick up at your local retail fashion store, it was just a subversive freeware horror game I was absolutely enamored with. The absence of discussion around DDLC at the time I played it meant that the glitch horror and surprise metafiction angle caught me completely off-guard, and all of it's Creepypasta-tier parlor tricks and 4th-wall-breaking meta-puzzles worked wonders on me, since I had yet to have been exposed to that kind of storytelling in my games. It was the most mind-blowing thing in the world when I figured out how to finish Act 3. I didn't even really think that games could do shit like that!
But at the time of writing this, that was 4 years ago, and a lot has happened since then: My interests have changed. I'm a different person now. I've expanded my palette and I've dipped my toes into so many other genres and experiences. But even barring that, DDLC, which was dated at the time by the likes of Eversion, Irusu Syndrome and You & Me & Her: A Love Story, is even more old-hat as glitch and meta-horror have become their own saturated brand of storytelling on the internet. The air of both success and contention afforded by the conversation around it and its legacy hangs heavy in the air now. Revisiting this after so long, a small part of me was worried that coming back to this with a fresh pair of eyes would retroactively ruin it somehow, like finally beating your dad in a game of basketball: He was never that good at it, you were just younger and more inexperienced.
And I guess in a way, it was ruined. The scares that caught me off guard years ago fell flat, both because I was now expecting them, and because the overt jump scares and glitch effects were so juvenile and cliché. The cynicism in the text is more apparent looking at it now, it's sly jabs at "anime and dating-sim tropes" taking on a more overtly cynical tone when taking into account the game's origins: It was born out of Salvato's love-hate relationship with slice-of-life anime, and the fact that the parody aspect of the game generalizes all visual novels as dating sims shows a level of both ignorance and contempt for it's own medium and the history behind it. It's a trend we've seen before with other developers holding a certain level of contempt for their own medium and it's inspirations (see: Necrobarista, YiiK, etc.), but what's most ironic is that in DDLC's case, its strengths shine much brighter when it's indulging in the tropes it's trying to poke fun at.
Despite the supposed horror elements being at the forefront of both the marketing and the cultural legacy of the game, it's when DDLC is trying to be a pastiche Visual Novel that it succeeds the most. Even if the main girls fall into the generic pitfall of "cute broken girl for generic MC to fix via high school romance," the main cast and their struggles are relatable and the grounded depiction of depression with Sayori is something that hit very close to home for me and many others (even if something like Yuri's self-harm is treated a little more exploitatively in the narrative.) With Plus' new side-stories removing the horror elements and focusing on a more realistic and slice-of-life story about communication and mental illness that's treated with tact, it becomes a lot more engaging and heartwarming in a way that, ironically, becomes what it once sought to decry with the base storyline.
Separating me from the equation for a second however, I don't think I would ever recommend DDLC+. It's horror is weak and old hat nowadays, and since that's the angle the game is marketed with and most well-known for, it's impossible to really get much enjoyment out of it approaching it from that mindset. It's confused with what it wants to be, and even if it's strengths lie in everything else it does, hardcore VN enthusiasts are not going to be impressed with what both DDLC and Plus contains. It's a game I honestly think you just had to be there for to fully enjoy. But even if I wouldn't recommend it, I don't think I can bring myself to call it bad with the vitriol everyone else seems to have for it now. It was important for me, as a gateway to VNs and a game in general. It reminds me of a time in my life that, even if it wasn't wholly positive for me, was important nonetheless.
very glitchy
First time i've ever played a VN, It was a pretty unique experience. Curious on the rest of the genre
The way Natsuki stands in this promo art is literally the most thug-gangster ass-shit like
holy hell it's so badass
holy hell it's so badass
Not As Good As I Remember
The original story is a thrilling enough, simple kinda GOOSEBUMPS-esque experience, but dude, the side stories carry hard.
Somehow when the thing just decided to go and drop its whole 'subversion X-factor' and instead shoot for more wholesome interactions and genuine character development-y stuff, I found that new take on the game generally more engaging to read through than the original conceit. The topics of anxiety, language, friendship and literature and the like were all broached nicely! More fun to dissect meaningfully than the boy-crazy ridden stuff of the og anyway.
There's obvious whiplash you might feel when comparing the level of earnestness and emotional depth outta the characters between the main game and the new stuff, and there's this go-nowhere overarching 'meta virtual machine' thing used to justify the multiple experiences and extra content procured, but its surprisingly solid all the same! Had a better time going back to this one than I thought I would! :)
Somehow when the thing just decided to go and drop its whole 'subversion X-factor' and instead shoot for more wholesome interactions and genuine character development-y stuff, I found that new take on the game generally more engaging to read through than the original conceit. The topics of anxiety, language, friendship and literature and the like were all broached nicely! More fun to dissect meaningfully than the boy-crazy ridden stuff of the og anyway.
There's obvious whiplash you might feel when comparing the level of earnestness and emotional depth outta the characters between the main game and the new stuff, and there's this go-nowhere overarching 'meta virtual machine' thing used to justify the multiple experiences and extra content procured, but its surprisingly solid all the same! Had a better time going back to this one than I thought I would! :)
Play the original one on PC.
Yapping simulator for an hour and then the game actually starts and had me pissing myself by the second hour. Very meta game, creepy asf so definitely play with someone.
PELO AMOR DE DEUS esse jogo se passa no passalacqua sei porque estive lá e curiosamente conheço uma menina de lá que é todas as dokis reunidas
Yuri best girl.
To be honest I don't know what all the buzz is about.
This game reminded me a bit of the newgrounds browsergames from the early 2000s. You have a comparably flat game with a shocker element to it. Just like the newgrounds games back then. But they where free. And this one wants your money. 2.5/5.0
This game reminded me a bit of the newgrounds browsergames from the early 2000s. You have a comparably flat game with a shocker element to it. Just like the newgrounds games back then. But they where free. And this one wants your money. 2.5/5.0
great for my autism
Uma carta de amor em formato de obra, literalmente. Um jeito nada convencional de contar uma história através de uma visual novel com uma arte bem bonita e uma trilha sonora maravilhosa, envolvendo um plot-twist chocante, surgido de uma ideia mirabolante. Uma trama que lhe deixa curioso e faz você se importar com o que está à sua volta, pior ainda, com o que foge do seu controle. Uma ótima experiência, entregue por tamanha dedicação do autor.
Ainda não joguei as histórias paralelas, mas pretendo concluí-las logo.
(Escrevi isso ouvindo a playlist do jogo, boa demais kkkkkk)
Ainda não joguei as histórias paralelas, mas pretendo concluí-las logo.
(Escrevi isso ouvindo a playlist do jogo, boa demais kkkkkk)
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! is the first visual novel that I have played, and it was a great first one to play. I knew something strange was going to happen in the game, but I was still taken by surprise. I really enjoyed the narrative and I think that the writing, especially for the characters, is great. I feel that though the characters are a little off the rails they still have aspects about them that can make players identify with one of them some way or another. I do wish that since this was a paid release of a free game that they had added more than just some backstory to characters, voice acting in particular, but that doesn't keep it from being a great game with a great story.
I wish friends were real.
I feel that fight Club and Doki Doki Literature Club share a similarity more than just sharing the word 'club'. The first rule of Doki Doki Literature Club should be not to talk about it.
Now I don't mean that in the general sense, after all that's how I heard about the game in the first place but I refer to the details of what this game is. I went into it blind knowing nothing about it (despite it being out 5 years) other than it was a freeware visual novel initially on PC before getting a console release and it gained a lot of traction. That was the best way as it both was and yet wasn't what I expected. I didn't like the game at all at first but by the end was impressed by the angle it was going for and some of the very clever things it was doing. I gather the PC version is even more effective in that regard.
It's hard to talk about anything else in Doki Doki Literature Club. I can talk about the cute character art, the surprisingly good music, the rough length it takes to finish but honestly I feel this is a title that you just need to try for yourself to understand why it became popular.
Recommended
Now I don't mean that in the general sense, after all that's how I heard about the game in the first place but I refer to the details of what this game is. I went into it blind knowing nothing about it (despite it being out 5 years) other than it was a freeware visual novel initially on PC before getting a console release and it gained a lot of traction. That was the best way as it both was and yet wasn't what I expected. I didn't like the game at all at first but by the end was impressed by the angle it was going for and some of the very clever things it was doing. I gather the PC version is even more effective in that regard.
It's hard to talk about anything else in Doki Doki Literature Club. I can talk about the cute character art, the surprisingly good music, the rough length it takes to finish but honestly I feel this is a title that you just need to try for yourself to understand why it became popular.
Recommended
This review contains spoilers
My background knowledge before getting into playing this game myself is a bit unusual. I was no stranger to seeing it all over the web back in 2017 but I only saw the "clickable" parts so to speak. What I mean is I would see all the compilations of the scares and the Let's Players freak out to it, and I was also aware of its fourth-wall breaking elements. What I was not aware of was its overarching story. I mean yeah, I knew about the characters and their general traits and even their darker secrets from a surface level, but that was about it.
The only hint I ever got at DDLC's writing beforehand was Sayori's death and just how...somber and real it was. The haunting piano and singing ringing out in my mind as I imagine feeling grief overflow me upon seeing the death of my best friend. The writing here also excels at highlighting that grief, by sending the MC into a state of shock and denial, before turning to blaming himself and letting Sayori's death sink in. "Screw the Literature Club. Screw the festival. I just...lost my best friend" was able to get me choked up even before I was able to get back in touch with my emotions. I knew I wanted more of this aspect of writing. But I didn't think it was in there as my impressions were that it was only going to be a spooky meta game.
That's why, straight off the bat, I had no qualms playing the Plus version of this game instead of the original version when I played it with my girlfriend. As I've mentioned in my OneShot review, fourth wall break mechanics tend to be ruined for me upon learning that they exist, as to me their whole shtick is that they're meant to surprise the player with something completely out of left field. Therefore, there was no advantage to me playing the original, and more to gain from playing Plus due to its side stories and additional bonus treats.
I'm really glad I went for it.
It's extremely hard to put into words what exactly I like about the characters in DDLC other than the formulaic. It's simply one of those times where I throw any articulate thoughts out of the window and go THEY'RE JUST LIKE ME FRRRRRR FUCK. Sayori is a literal mirror to how I feel I am with my friends. I just want my friends to be happy without them having to worry about me, except in my heart I really do want someone to care about me but I don't like myself so like why should they. It's funny that my gf literally nicknamed me that before I even played the darn game.
Knowing how relatable she is to me makes her death all the worse. I've...made people worry about me. Realizing now that if people can get attached to what is essentially PNGs running on C++ (Python if you're playing the original) and cry when something bad happens to them, then I can start believing that enough friends care about me for who I am.
Based on her favorite words from the poem minigame and the song Sayonara, I was able to get a grasp as to how she might have written. I know, it's cringey, but you're way past the event horizon for "professional Backloggd review." Poetry lines that pop into my head when I think about the both of them combined go like "Why, oh why, oh why, oh why, is this dull pain still mine?" "How can I dry all my tears when there's no sun to shine?" Basic, but emotionally charged. I think that sums up Sayori pretty well.
And duh, of course the other girls were relatable to me. I related to Yuri's anxiety about saying the wrong thing, Natsuki's hatred of being looked down upon, and Monika's false show of confidence. When I was going through the later side stories I went genuinely silent as I realized how much the literature club mirrored my own special interest group.
I'd like to bring attention towards Yuri and Natsuki's dynamic (though I'm sure everyone else in the fandom has brought theirs already). Natsuki feeling looked down on for her own interests, even if Yuri isn't looking down at her directly as a person, is something I never really thought would be explored in a piece of media. Yuri's not wrong for having her own opinions on manga, and neither is Natsuki for being disinterested in fantasy. But yet they still feel hurt and I'm glad I don't feel alone in that line of thinking. We as humans have interests that make up core parts of our identity, and by someone being so brash about not liking it, it feels like an attack on one's self. Genuinely, I do wish I didn't care at all about what people think about my tastes (see: the ever-growing criticisms of OMORI) but it's hard and I'm not that type of person. I guess I can accept that. I just wish I didn't try so hard to please people so different from me and put so much value into their words.
There's one more section I'd like to note that's truly remarkable and that's the "Just Monika" sequence. I now know that within the context of the story, Monika isn't just some control freak gone mad with power. She's a "real" entity wishing to seek a real connection in a world of pre-scripted dialogue trees. Her just staring and coming up with surprisingly deep takes about the world and everything she can think of helped sell that narrative. It feels like Dan Salvato just wrote down whatever was on his mind and we're talking to him instead. And damn, what an iconic image of Monika looking at you while the classroom floats by in an endless space. No wonder people post it so much.
So yeah, DDLC+. What an experience. It's hard for me to criticize anything about it right now as I'm still riding the high off it, but even if I were to find more wrong with it I could never forget what it's done for me, and especially my girlfriend. Dear God, the woman just came up outside of her after she played that game and her speech just went all cutesy. I love her so much. It's the same with OMORI in that I'm well aware of the game's flaws but I'm still treasuring my time with it no matter what.
The only hint I ever got at DDLC's writing beforehand was Sayori's death and just how...somber and real it was. The haunting piano and singing ringing out in my mind as I imagine feeling grief overflow me upon seeing the death of my best friend. The writing here also excels at highlighting that grief, by sending the MC into a state of shock and denial, before turning to blaming himself and letting Sayori's death sink in. "Screw the Literature Club. Screw the festival. I just...lost my best friend" was able to get me choked up even before I was able to get back in touch with my emotions. I knew I wanted more of this aspect of writing. But I didn't think it was in there as my impressions were that it was only going to be a spooky meta game.
That's why, straight off the bat, I had no qualms playing the Plus version of this game instead of the original version when I played it with my girlfriend. As I've mentioned in my OneShot review, fourth wall break mechanics tend to be ruined for me upon learning that they exist, as to me their whole shtick is that they're meant to surprise the player with something completely out of left field. Therefore, there was no advantage to me playing the original, and more to gain from playing Plus due to its side stories and additional bonus treats.
I'm really glad I went for it.
It's extremely hard to put into words what exactly I like about the characters in DDLC other than the formulaic. It's simply one of those times where I throw any articulate thoughts out of the window and go THEY'RE JUST LIKE ME FRRRRRR FUCK. Sayori is a literal mirror to how I feel I am with my friends. I just want my friends to be happy without them having to worry about me, except in my heart I really do want someone to care about me but I don't like myself so like why should they. It's funny that my gf literally nicknamed me that before I even played the darn game.
Knowing how relatable she is to me makes her death all the worse. I've...made people worry about me. Realizing now that if people can get attached to what is essentially PNGs running on C++ (Python if you're playing the original) and cry when something bad happens to them, then I can start believing that enough friends care about me for who I am.
Based on her favorite words from the poem minigame and the song Sayonara, I was able to get a grasp as to how she might have written. I know, it's cringey, but you're way past the event horizon for "professional Backloggd review." Poetry lines that pop into my head when I think about the both of them combined go like "Why, oh why, oh why, oh why, is this dull pain still mine?" "How can I dry all my tears when there's no sun to shine?" Basic, but emotionally charged. I think that sums up Sayori pretty well.
And duh, of course the other girls were relatable to me. I related to Yuri's anxiety about saying the wrong thing, Natsuki's hatred of being looked down upon, and Monika's false show of confidence. When I was going through the later side stories I went genuinely silent as I realized how much the literature club mirrored my own special interest group.
I'd like to bring attention towards Yuri and Natsuki's dynamic (though I'm sure everyone else in the fandom has brought theirs already). Natsuki feeling looked down on for her own interests, even if Yuri isn't looking down at her directly as a person, is something I never really thought would be explored in a piece of media. Yuri's not wrong for having her own opinions on manga, and neither is Natsuki for being disinterested in fantasy. But yet they still feel hurt and I'm glad I don't feel alone in that line of thinking. We as humans have interests that make up core parts of our identity, and by someone being so brash about not liking it, it feels like an attack on one's self. Genuinely, I do wish I didn't care at all about what people think about my tastes (see: the ever-growing criticisms of OMORI) but it's hard and I'm not that type of person. I guess I can accept that. I just wish I didn't try so hard to please people so different from me and put so much value into their words.
There's one more section I'd like to note that's truly remarkable and that's the "Just Monika" sequence. I now know that within the context of the story, Monika isn't just some control freak gone mad with power. She's a "real" entity wishing to seek a real connection in a world of pre-scripted dialogue trees. Her just staring and coming up with surprisingly deep takes about the world and everything she can think of helped sell that narrative. It feels like Dan Salvato just wrote down whatever was on his mind and we're talking to him instead. And damn, what an iconic image of Monika looking at you while the classroom floats by in an endless space. No wonder people post it so much.
So yeah, DDLC+. What an experience. It's hard for me to criticize anything about it right now as I'm still riding the high off it, but even if I were to find more wrong with it I could never forget what it's done for me, and especially my girlfriend. Dear God, the woman just came up outside of her after she played that game and her speech just went all cutesy. I love her so much. It's the same with OMORI in that I'm well aware of the game's flaws but I'm still treasuring my time with it no matter what.
Jogo todo bugado, eu ein
DDLC+ is the little push that DDLC needed to achieve that glory they were so close of getting. The base game is already very good, enough to be worth it alone, but adding 7 side stories (6 which have 2 parts) which adds around 5-6 hours more of gameplay + all the unlockable pictures/music, makes this a really great experience.
The side stories dive deeper into the 4 characters (not including the main character, but giving him some references every now and then) and show a lot more of their personalities and...you could call it a ''new side'' of them? i guess?
The way the side stories are written, the conflicts they show, and how they resolve them, along with new OST and CG's make it a really enjoyable experience.
It's a 10/10 for me, and i hope everyone else who plays this game gets to enjoy it as much as i did!
The side stories dive deeper into the 4 characters (not including the main character, but giving him some references every now and then) and show a lot more of their personalities and...you could call it a ''new side'' of them? i guess?
The way the side stories are written, the conflicts they show, and how they resolve them, along with new OST and CG's make it a really enjoyable experience.
It's a 10/10 for me, and i hope everyone else who plays this game gets to enjoy it as much as i did!
DDLC Plus took the already superb DDLC and added more story for all 4 girls and gave us more well hidden nuggets to dig for. Dan Salvado made one of the greatest and most unique gaming experiences of all time. This game surprised me more than any game ever has before. I can’t wait for what he does next.. most likely Project Libatina! Literally the only reason this doesn’t get a five star is it isn’t something that is replayable. As far as a one time experience it is easily a 5 star game.
My opinion of DDLC has waned over the years, as I've played through it enough to see it as only just barely hitting the mark of a well-executed psychological horror game. But I think, with the extra side stories included within this "expansion", I am able to appreciate it a lot more.
The greatest part of this game was always the characters. They were well designed and have some great interactions together.
My biggest gripe with the main game was that it ends up focusing on the "breaking the fourth wall" haunted game surprise concept a lot more than the actual characters. This is certainly what Dan Salvato was going for (he says as much in the end note), but I couldn't help but feel that Doki's strongest aspect was not the horror, but the dark reality of the character's hidden mental states and secrets. This is EXACTLY what the side stories focus on and I couldn't be happier. They focus on relationships between the four characters. No computer glitches or creepy text, just raw visual novel story with emotions flying high.
I feel that everything about this part just works. The writing is beautifully done, the visuals continue to compliment the story and the new soundtrack was a delight to hear. I was extremely touched by these chapters.
Unfortunately for me, it's very likely that any future DDLC games will be related to the other aspect of this world, being that DDLC is a simulation created by some unknown organization. I can only assume the focus will be on this fictional world housing DDLC's fictional world, which is a bit disappointing for me. Still, I did like the improvements made to the menu, with the new desktop making it much easier to open and close the game, as well as being an efficient way to keep track of which scenes you have and haven't seen.
Whether or not you'll enjoy DDLC+ really depends on how much you like psychological horror, but are also willing to sit in for some really good and emotional VN fun (or the other way around).
The greatest part of this game was always the characters. They were well designed and have some great interactions together.
My biggest gripe with the main game was that it ends up focusing on the "breaking the fourth wall" haunted game surprise concept a lot more than the actual characters. This is certainly what Dan Salvato was going for (he says as much in the end note), but I couldn't help but feel that Doki's strongest aspect was not the horror, but the dark reality of the character's hidden mental states and secrets. This is EXACTLY what the side stories focus on and I couldn't be happier. They focus on relationships between the four characters. No computer glitches or creepy text, just raw visual novel story with emotions flying high.
I feel that everything about this part just works. The writing is beautifully done, the visuals continue to compliment the story and the new soundtrack was a delight to hear. I was extremely touched by these chapters.
Unfortunately for me, it's very likely that any future DDLC games will be related to the other aspect of this world, being that DDLC is a simulation created by some unknown organization. I can only assume the focus will be on this fictional world housing DDLC's fictional world, which is a bit disappointing for me. Still, I did like the improvements made to the menu, with the new desktop making it much easier to open and close the game, as well as being an efficient way to keep track of which scenes you have and haven't seen.
Whether or not you'll enjoy DDLC+ really depends on how much you like psychological horror, but are also willing to sit in for some really good and emotional VN fun (or the other way around).
A psychological horror "dating sim" VN that you don't need explained to you if you were on the Internet at all in 2017. This version is not worth it over the freeware original if you're not already a fan, but if you are, you'll probably enjoy the side-stories and bonuses the game includes.
(Bonus half-star for the "PM died for this" text still being present the Switch version)
(Bonus half-star for the "PM died for this" text still being present the Switch version)
I don't usually play games like this, but I was intrigued that it was tagged as a Horror game. This is one of those games that the less you know going into it, the better. While it starts as a harmless game of you being roped into joining a high school Literature Club, things get weird. It was endearing enough to replay it a few times to get all the different outcomes and endings.
VN fans in constant cope because a smash player wrote smth better than their favorite 800 hours long mid
This review contains spoilers
A club of four girls, led by a hopeless perfectionist, and her vice president, the voice of reason.
The latter starts to lose herself as time goes on, causing the perfectionist in control to panic. Her only response is to eliminate the cause of her worry.
Without that extra help, a new world begins, even more hectic than the last. Those who used to be completely fine on their own are now taken over by somebody who's already started losing control of the world she created, all the while desperately grasping for the attention of the one she can finally relate to the most.
One girl has lost her mind, devoting her life and thoughts to the protagonist of the story. The other, thought to be easily manipulated after years of abuse and an uncaring familial relationship, starts to take notice of the problems in the club. Both of these girls prove a threat to the club president, and are removed from the world hastily.
All that's left in the world is the former club's president, and the boy of her dreams. She believes she's done everything that was necessary. She lets herself speak her mind, reveals everything to the boy, despite knowing the whole time that he had more power than she ever would. Her downfall begins, deletion. In one final attempt at affection, she gives the world back, but nothing can fix the literature club. It's nothing but an endless cycle, better left ruined and destroyed, lest the power of the president come back to haunt the room.
I loved the original Doki Doki Literature Club for the story it told, the characters it portrayed, how easy it was to get attached to everyone, only to watch it all crumble to the hands of the higher power in the second act.
Thanks to the new "side stories" added through the Plus rerelease, they gave each character so much more to love. It honestly started to dawn on me just how much I enjoyed and, to a pretty decent extent, related to these characters through the new content. Reading the conversations they would have to each other, I could see a bit of myself in some of their faults, problems of my own that I would go over in my head from time to time, problems that I've worked hard to get out of or mediate over the last few months. That, as far as I could tell, is one of the points they wanted to make with some of the 6 side stories. It's a form of literature, it's meant to express oneself, to give a glimpse into another's thoughts, to write from the heart, into the heart. As much of a limited genre the visual novel might be, it's still just as great of a way to tell a story that can affect the right people it needs to, sometimes even a better way. It's easy to be immersed, to find solace in the fact that, however fictional the character may be, someone out there can articulate the feelings that others, like myself, are incapable of saying or writing, and to make those incapable, feel just a little better and less lonely in their thoughts.
It's a fantastic experience through and through, one that I was not expecting to love and empathize with as much as I did, especially now, feeling as I had just a few months earlier, and not as carefree as I was when the original first came out. Doki Doki Literature Club, along with the Plus release, is one of the most hauntingly beautiful stories ever told, in my own opinion.
The latter starts to lose herself as time goes on, causing the perfectionist in control to panic. Her only response is to eliminate the cause of her worry.
Without that extra help, a new world begins, even more hectic than the last. Those who used to be completely fine on their own are now taken over by somebody who's already started losing control of the world she created, all the while desperately grasping for the attention of the one she can finally relate to the most.
One girl has lost her mind, devoting her life and thoughts to the protagonist of the story. The other, thought to be easily manipulated after years of abuse and an uncaring familial relationship, starts to take notice of the problems in the club. Both of these girls prove a threat to the club president, and are removed from the world hastily.
All that's left in the world is the former club's president, and the boy of her dreams. She believes she's done everything that was necessary. She lets herself speak her mind, reveals everything to the boy, despite knowing the whole time that he had more power than she ever would. Her downfall begins, deletion. In one final attempt at affection, she gives the world back, but nothing can fix the literature club. It's nothing but an endless cycle, better left ruined and destroyed, lest the power of the president come back to haunt the room.
I loved the original Doki Doki Literature Club for the story it told, the characters it portrayed, how easy it was to get attached to everyone, only to watch it all crumble to the hands of the higher power in the second act.
Thanks to the new "side stories" added through the Plus rerelease, they gave each character so much more to love. It honestly started to dawn on me just how much I enjoyed and, to a pretty decent extent, related to these characters through the new content. Reading the conversations they would have to each other, I could see a bit of myself in some of their faults, problems of my own that I would go over in my head from time to time, problems that I've worked hard to get out of or mediate over the last few months. That, as far as I could tell, is one of the points they wanted to make with some of the 6 side stories. It's a form of literature, it's meant to express oneself, to give a glimpse into another's thoughts, to write from the heart, into the heart. As much of a limited genre the visual novel might be, it's still just as great of a way to tell a story that can affect the right people it needs to, sometimes even a better way. It's easy to be immersed, to find solace in the fact that, however fictional the character may be, someone out there can articulate the feelings that others, like myself, are incapable of saying or writing, and to make those incapable, feel just a little better and less lonely in their thoughts.
It's a fantastic experience through and through, one that I was not expecting to love and empathize with as much as I did, especially now, feeling as I had just a few months earlier, and not as carefree as I was when the original first came out. Doki Doki Literature Club, along with the Plus release, is one of the most hauntingly beautiful stories ever told, in my own opinion.
This game made me weirdly introspective about some things and I wanna get my thoughts out about it. I just hope someone reads all of my off the rails rambling.
Over the years I've noticed something within myself where horror games (and media in general) just haven't been hitting the same. The name of Freddy Fazbear just doesn't command the same respect as it once did in my 8 year old head. I feel like playing those games would only end up being a fun distraction rather than something that'll screw with my mental state and traumatize me, which actually leads into something else. A truly good piece of horror doesn't just make you fear the dark corners of a room.
To use FNAF as an example again (I have issues, I know, but any other horror thing you can think of can probably work), if you don't have questionable fantasies, "omg, what if chica is around the corner of this dimly lit hallway" isn't a thought you'll be having after you turn off the game. Or unless you're a child more afraid of the concept of playing those games than you will be actually playing it like I was. You fully understand the threat is in the game/movie/whatever, and the threat is only present when you engage with it. Great horror media makes you fear the dark corners of your mind. Actual nightmare shit, I mean, and this game is probably the thing that's done that for me the most (although I didn't actually have nightmares). When I was playing, my thinking was along the lines of "Dear God, what horrific events will happen next?" When I was done, even when I was going to bed, and into the next few days, it was "That stuff happened, and it won't get out of my head. Send help." I recognized it wasn't real, but the horror didn't stay inside of the screen. To quote peak songwriting:
"And when the story ends, it becomes part of me"
- Undefeatable, Sonic Frontiers OST (I told you this was off the rails)
I feel like the reason why it got me so much, even after I was spoiled to hell and back because of the nature of the internet was because the game pulls off a really good bait and switch. I feel like if I went in blind without reading anything but the title and genre, I'd think "Man this game is well written and cute, why is this marked as horror? Is this a joke?" Instead, I was thinking "Man, this game is well written and cute, so what if the spoilers were a massive prank internet users made? It's gotta be. I will choose to ignore the warning signs." Ignoring the warning signs was a mistake. The writing definitely helped, though, because it made me want to believe it was a normal visual novel. The other additions to this version were also nice and well written, but I can't really talk about how on the off chance someone who wasn't spoiled is reading this. In fact, it'd be a miracle if anyone at all was. To the untainted soul reading this, the game will ruin your day, PLAY IT! I don't care if you know what the deal is, you don't know the details! Do it, or the sight of fictional anime girls won't be the only thing you'll have to fear...
Over the years I've noticed something within myself where horror games (and media in general) just haven't been hitting the same. The name of Freddy Fazbear just doesn't command the same respect as it once did in my 8 year old head. I feel like playing those games would only end up being a fun distraction rather than something that'll screw with my mental state and traumatize me, which actually leads into something else. A truly good piece of horror doesn't just make you fear the dark corners of a room.
To use FNAF as an example again (I have issues, I know, but any other horror thing you can think of can probably work), if you don't have questionable fantasies, "omg, what if chica is around the corner of this dimly lit hallway" isn't a thought you'll be having after you turn off the game. Or unless you're a child more afraid of the concept of playing those games than you will be actually playing it like I was. You fully understand the threat is in the game/movie/whatever, and the threat is only present when you engage with it. Great horror media makes you fear the dark corners of your mind. Actual nightmare shit, I mean, and this game is probably the thing that's done that for me the most (although I didn't actually have nightmares). When I was playing, my thinking was along the lines of "Dear God, what horrific events will happen next?" When I was done, even when I was going to bed, and into the next few days, it was "That stuff happened, and it won't get out of my head. Send help." I recognized it wasn't real, but the horror didn't stay inside of the screen. To quote peak songwriting:
"And when the story ends, it becomes part of me"
- Undefeatable, Sonic Frontiers OST (I told you this was off the rails)
I feel like the reason why it got me so much, even after I was spoiled to hell and back because of the nature of the internet was because the game pulls off a really good bait and switch. I feel like if I went in blind without reading anything but the title and genre, I'd think "Man this game is well written and cute, why is this marked as horror? Is this a joke?" Instead, I was thinking "Man, this game is well written and cute, so what if the spoilers were a massive prank internet users made? It's gotta be. I will choose to ignore the warning signs." Ignoring the warning signs was a mistake. The writing definitely helped, though, because it made me want to believe it was a normal visual novel. The other additions to this version were also nice and well written, but I can't really talk about how on the off chance someone who wasn't spoiled is reading this. In fact, it'd be a miracle if anyone at all was. To the untainted soul reading this, the game will ruin your day, PLAY IT! I don't care if you know what the deal is, you don't know the details! Do it, or the sight of fictional anime girls won't be the only thing you'll have to fear...
nunca tive tanto medo em carregar no space
DDLC is a very good psychological horror game that uses the medium of a video game in a pretty interesting and unique way. Overall, I really liked it and had a fairly good time with it.
I DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YOUR SUBVERSION WHERE IS NATSUKI
Went into this mostly blind (just knew it was a dark twist on the romance-em-up genre) and it was one of the craziest, most disturbing, and most awesome gaming experiences ive ever had. Never played a game like this before.