Developer: Team Salvato
Publisher: Serenity Forge
Genre: Visual Novel
Nintendo Switch
Doki Doki Literature Club was a surprise hit when it released on PC in 2017. The visual novel was free for everyone, had an exciting premise, and an unexpected tone. Word of mouth carried the game far, but I somehow managed to never get around to playing it. When Doki Doki Literature Club Plus was announced for the Nintendo Switch, I knew that this would be the best opportunity to experience the bubbly yet terrifying hit game.
I’d rather not go into much detail since the game’s premise and twist is what makes Doki Doki Literature Club Plus so special. It appears to be a cute but typical dating sim, with a harem that caters to the player’s every will. It doesn’t take too long before everything changes and suddenly the ESRB’s M rating makes sense. If word of mouth somehow hasn’t spoiled what Doki Doki Literature Club Plus has in store for you, I certainly won’t either. Just know that it is wildly unexpected and a fantastic visual novel.
One of the main elements that makes Doki Doki Literature Club so special is that the game is meant to be tampered with. On the PC version, players will find themselves editing the game’s save files to progress. This is handled well in the Switch version. The game opens with a virtual desktop before actually starting. It’s a clever and effective way to approach the game’s main menu.
The actual story and characters of Doki Doki Literature Club Plus are all memorable and well written. There are a variety of characters and as usual, a variety of endings. Most endings are built around the player getting close to a specific character. Most of the routes are exciting, and even more end in dread. Players will naturally feel motivated to push through to experience all the endings that Doki Doki Literature Club Plus has to offer.
As far as presentation goes, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus has some of the best of the genre. It falls short in some ways like a lack of backgrounds and settings, but makes up for it with great art. Everyone in Doki Doki Literature Club Plus looks wonderful, with tons of drawn expressions to hit the player with just the right emotion. Doki Doki Literature Club Plus features some upgrades in visuals, with cleaned up art making the game effectively run in HD. Out of the game’s 26 songs, 13 of them are new too. There is also a nice music player too listen to all of the tracks on. The game also comes with tons of unlockable art, wallpapers, and never before seen concept sketches.
For anyone looking for more content, in this upgraded version, there are six new side stories to enjoy. The side stories are a welcome addition because they emphasize the characters, giving a player a deeper look at everyone that they have come to love. They also add a few more hours to the experience, making Doki Doki Literature Club Plus easier to pick up for those who have already played before.
With all of the new content and upgraded assets, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus might be the best way to play one of the most talked about games of the last decade. Getting to play while on the go is just a nice added bonus.
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus
With all of the new content and upgraded assets, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus might be the best way to play one of the most talked about games of the last decade.
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Narrative
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Presentation
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Enjoyment