I am what many would consider a cock-loving homosexual. Ergo, many of my close friends were were initially confused when they saw me playing this game. It makes sense, none of these women do anything for me in the ways intended.
However, let me ask you this: Have you ever taken a human life? For most, I assume the answer is no. In fact, the very idea of it is absolutely revolting. And yet, you've likely spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours doing just that in the context of a video game. Can the same not be done for dating women, even if I myself have only and likely will only ever date men? I think so.
Anyway, while the terms "dating sim" and "visual novel" are often used interchangeably within English-speaking audiences, I feel HuniePop is a prime example of how the former can exist without the latter. Much of the actual dialog is just surface-level smalltalk with the girls, with the occasional pep-talk/racist remark from your rizz fairy companion. If you're looking for a complex story, character development, worldbuilding, etc., you're in the wrong timezone, like how did you even think this was the place to find that?
The writing itself is fine, for the most part. Each girl definitely feels distinct enough to where you won't mix them up, at the very least, although I do admit I would have liked a bit more interactions between the girls. The aforementioned rizz fairy, Kyu, is who you'll end up getting to know the most, since she's the mascot/companion, which is somewhat unfortunate considering a lot of her dialog sounds like an edgy high schooler in the mid-2010s. It's not awful, but as someone who was an edgy high schooler in the 2010s, it takes me back to a time I'm more than happy to forget.
Speaking of, there's an undeniable dash of 2010s racist humor that, while not abhorrent or even seemingly coming from a place of hate, definitely caught me off guard. Stuff like Kyu referring to "yellow fever" and "chocolate" when you first encounter the Japanese and black girls, along with the Latina and Japanese girls's "unique gifts" being things like a sombrero and samurai helmet, respectively. (Word of advise: If you value your life and wellbeing, do NOT, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, give an athletic Latina you just met maracas). They're at least self-aware enough to have the Japanese girl acknowledge it, but yeah, definitely worth noting.
The gameplay is where it really gets interesting, though. The combination of Match-3 puzzles, time management, etc. is actually really engaging, and is why I actually saw this game through to the end. I'm just a sucker for these kinda games, I guess. While I personally found myself playing as an emotionless sociopath, purely seeking the optimal outcome of each encounter, I could definitely see how someone might be able to enjoy this game casually. While the endgame may be a bit of a slog and a grind, made even worse by the menus used to track things not being easily cycled through, I doubt many interested in this game are seeking 100%, so I guess it's a more personal complaint.
Overall, I enjoyed the game for what it was. I'm sure actually being attracted to the girls would elevate the experience, but it's not as critical as it seems.
However, let me ask you this: Have you ever taken a human life? For most, I assume the answer is no. In fact, the very idea of it is absolutely revolting. And yet, you've likely spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours doing just that in the context of a video game. Can the same not be done for dating women, even if I myself have only and likely will only ever date men? I think so.
Anyway, while the terms "dating sim" and "visual novel" are often used interchangeably within English-speaking audiences, I feel HuniePop is a prime example of how the former can exist without the latter. Much of the actual dialog is just surface-level smalltalk with the girls, with the occasional pep-talk/racist remark from your rizz fairy companion. If you're looking for a complex story, character development, worldbuilding, etc., you're in the wrong timezone, like how did you even think this was the place to find that?
The writing itself is fine, for the most part. Each girl definitely feels distinct enough to where you won't mix them up, at the very least, although I do admit I would have liked a bit more interactions between the girls. The aforementioned rizz fairy, Kyu, is who you'll end up getting to know the most, since she's the mascot/companion, which is somewhat unfortunate considering a lot of her dialog sounds like an edgy high schooler in the mid-2010s. It's not awful, but as someone who was an edgy high schooler in the 2010s, it takes me back to a time I'm more than happy to forget.
Speaking of, there's an undeniable dash of 2010s racist humor that, while not abhorrent or even seemingly coming from a place of hate, definitely caught me off guard. Stuff like Kyu referring to "yellow fever" and "chocolate" when you first encounter the Japanese and black girls, along with the Latina and Japanese girls's "unique gifts" being things like a sombrero and samurai helmet, respectively. (Word of advise: If you value your life and wellbeing, do NOT, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, give an athletic Latina you just met maracas). They're at least self-aware enough to have the Japanese girl acknowledge it, but yeah, definitely worth noting.
The gameplay is where it really gets interesting, though. The combination of Match-3 puzzles, time management, etc. is actually really engaging, and is why I actually saw this game through to the end. I'm just a sucker for these kinda games, I guess. While I personally found myself playing as an emotionless sociopath, purely seeking the optimal outcome of each encounter, I could definitely see how someone might be able to enjoy this game casually. While the endgame may be a bit of a slog and a grind, made even worse by the menus used to track things not being easily cycled through, I doubt many interested in this game are seeking 100%, so I guess it's a more personal complaint.
Overall, I enjoyed the game for what it was. I'm sure actually being attracted to the girls would elevate the experience, but it's not as critical as it seems.