I hate just about everything about this. A shallow, vapid "critique" on a genre the developer clearly knows nothing about.

The only thing it has going for it is the shock value, but it can't even do that right. It warns you at the start how totally scary it will be, so the whole "cute but actually not" gimmick doesn't work at all, you just expect it. And even then, nothing here is anywhere close to as unnerving as say, Saya no Uta. It's safe, cynical pandering to streamers and people who think they're too cool to unironically enjoy actual stories.

This game blew me away. I had seen some of the very disturbing spoilers years before actually playing it, but when they were build up and I experienced them in full context, it really was terrifying. I'm not gonna lie, this is the only game that I've been actually terrified and creeped out by the game. With the whole first 75% being horror based, the last part of this game and the ending were kind of bittersweet for me, because I grew very attached to Monika. To get to the point, the emotions and the horror were captured absolutely perfectly in this game. 8.5/10

Doki Doki Literature Club! is a indie horror game, originally disguised as a ordinary dating simulator. As the game unfolds, more of the horror elements are reveled.

Personally, I believe that this game is a masterpiece of storytelling. The story in this game is absolutely told amazingly, and is very creative, especially for 2017, it's not as ''innovative'' or ''unique'' compared to some of the meta-horror games we have now, and it might not do as many ''out there'' or ''shocking'' things in its 4th wall breaks.

Back when this released, a lot of what it did, was very new at the time, and I believe after Doki Doki released, lots of other developers started to take note of Meta-Horror, and used it to their advantage.

Speaking of horror, the horror in this game is unique, but it's not necessarily scary. Besides one scene in the mid way point of the game involving Sayori, a lot of the game doesn't hit that peak of ''fear'', though that scene isn't really scary, it just really catches you off guard. Even if the scares aren't too scary, they should still be applauded for being immensely creative.

Where this game shines the most, is in its characters. Which makes sense, because this game entirely relies on it having good characters, since it is a visual novel. Every single character in this game, is fleshed out, and feels like a real human being that actually would exist in the world.

Each character also has a depressing side to them, that I believe, depending on the player, could affect them with how it's presented. There's a monologue with Sayori about her depression, and how they wrote that monologue is unlike any other game I have ever seen handle a topic like that.

All the characters are amazing. And, the first half of this game, which is a traditional dating simulator, actually isn't even that bad. I don't play dating simulators, because it's not my type of game, but, being honest, as a dating simulator, the first half was still quite good, and well written.

In the end, this game is truly special, and deeply emotional at times, way more than I expected, and for being a free game, this is an absolutely must play. There is no excuses to not playing this game at all.

Overall: 10/10