Video Game Review: We Should Talk

We Should Talk

Whitethorn Games

Genre: Simulation

Nintendo Switch

I’ve always been a fan of dating simulators, so I knew I was interested in We Should Talk as soon as I saw it. I had little knowledge of the game, which shows because We Should Talk isn’t quite a dating simulator. Still, it’s a game where you simulate a conversation with your significant other over text messages. You won’t really be dating, but you will still make impactful decisions on your relationship.

We Should Talk is a simple game. Players play as a woman in a bar who is enjoying some drinks before going home to her girlfriend. The gameplay is completely made up of crafting sentences to communicate with others. Players will talk to bartenders and patrons while texting their significant other. The game can be completed in about 30 minutes. Then, players will see one of nine endings.

What makes We Should Talk feel a bit unique is how the dialogue is crafted. Rather than choosing between a few sentence choices, players can pick between groups of words to form their own sentences. This gives players a greater sense of control while playing We Should Talk. When compared to similar games, everything feels less black and white in this game. It feels like there are more reactions and responses since players can curate what they say.

The dialogue itself isn’t anything too remarkable, but the story is still interesting. I felt genuinely attached to the couple, wanting to ensure that they stay happy and together. On the other hand, I felt awful causing strife between the two when going for other endings. It’s easy to get invested in everything in We Should Talk, which is impressive considering how short the playthroughs are.

Some of We Should Talk‘s dialogue is a bit cliche, but overall the writing is solid. The conversations feel modern, with a bit of relevant slang thrown here and there. Texting and composing messages feels good, with all word combinations working. Some texts feel a touch unnatural when you look at them, but this doesn’t hurt the good experience.

The graphics in We Should Talk are satisfactory when one considers what the game is, but they aren’t impressive. The character models have a nice little animated style, but everything looks a bit fuzzy. It would be silly to expect a 4K gaming experience, but the game looks noticeably rough when played on a larger tv screen. Still, We Should Talk looks fine in portable mode, and most players won’t be enjoying this game for the graphics anyway. The ambient music in the background of the bar is nice to listen to and adds to the atmosphere. The story, conversations, and music all do a fine job of making this an immersive experience despite the graphics.

There isn’t much more to say about We Should Talk. It does a good job of doing what it sets out to do, and if this is your kind of game, you will dig. It won’t convert anyone who isn’t already a fan of the genre, but it doesn’t need to.  If you are looking to get invested in the relationship of strangers, be sure to pick up We Should Talk.