Date Released: 30 June 2021
Date Played: 9 June 2022
When Doki Doki Literature Club initially released on PC back in 2017, it was a cultural phenomenon that took the gaming community by storm. You couldn't go onto Youtube or Twitch without seeing scores of streamers playing the game and documenting their reactions to it. The game garnered so much attention that it became a cult classic that's undoubtedly wormed its way into the mind of countless gamers around the world. This is not only due to the fact that the game was initially given away for free by it's developer, Team Salvato, but also because of it's masterful and original method of story telling. See, Doki Doki Literature Club takes a long standing and much maligned genre, the visual novel/dating sim, and turns it on its head by turning it into a horror game that subverts your expectations. It deals with strong subject matter like depression, anxiety, abuse, and loneliness and presents them in a shocking manner that stands in stark contrast to its bubbly and cute façade. Due to the game's plentiful surprising moments, it is extremely difficult to review because I don't want to spoil the content for anyone who's yet to play it.
After the huge success of Doki Doki, the game has received a physical release in the form of Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! on all of the major systems. It has some additional content including 7 additional chapters that serve as a prequel to the story. I'll be reviewing the Nintendo Switch version here.
Story/Gameplay:
Since it's a virtual novel/dating sim, the only real gameplay is making choices when prompted with a question/decision. The rest of the gameplay experience is just reading.
You play as an unnamed male protagonist who is pressured by his neighbor and lifelong friend, Sayori, into joining their school's literature club. On his first visit, he discovers that the club is full of (as he describes it), "incredibly cute girls!" So, he decides to join in an attempt to woo one of the girls into being his girlfriend. If you've ever played a dating sim before, you'll know that this is all par for the course. Nothing about it feels any different than the countless other dating sims out there and if it weren't for the warning at the beginning of the game touting the horror elements of the game, then there would be little here to keep you interested (unless, of course, you're a huge fan of dating sims).
All the members of the literature club are given an assignment to write a poem each night and share them with the group the next day. Writing said poem consists of selecting 20 words from a series of lists and attempting to select the word that most closely associates with the personality of one of the four girls you're most interested in dating. Sayori is the girl next door (literally), Yuri is the dark and mysterious girl, Natsuki is the small, snarky, and cute girl, and Monika is the out-of-your-league homecoming queen type. After "composing" your poem, you'll present it to everyone in the club as they, in turn, reveal their poems to you. As you focus your compositions more and more towards the girl of your choice, their attitudes change towards you and the content of their poems shifts from observations about the world to more romantic leanings towards the protagonist. These poems are all really done well and are very thought provoking. I personally enjoy poetry, and have read my fair share, and I thought that the different writing styles of all the girls were quite unique and their content had some real merit. It's certainly much better than the average poems I've read over the last few years.
As you work to progress your relationship with the girls, tensions rise between them as they vie for your attention. There are arguments and hateful comments, that begin to cause rifts within the group. Just as things begin to heat up (not only in terms of animosity between the girls, but also in terms of affection between you and the girl you've chosen), talks begin about preparing for the school's club festival. This is where all of the clubs around the school set up an exhibit to show what they are all about and try to recruit new members. This all builds up to your first "date" with the girl you've selected. It's at this point, that the game takes a drastic shift. Now, I'm not going to give anything away, but be aware that what happens from this point on is absolutely shocking and unforgettable. Everything you thought you knew is thrown completely out of the window as a meta-fever dream of shock and confusion sets in. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced in any other game and feels like a roller coaster that has you questioning your own sanity at times.
I won't say anymore than that. If you want to know more, you'll have to experience the game for itself. When I initially played it on PC, back when it came out, it became one of the most memorable gaming experiences that I've ever had. It really stuck with me... and continues to do so even to this day.
Presentation:
The game has a very cute presentation with lots of pink, hearts, cute girls, bouncy music, and everything you can think of to make a dating sim appealing. Of course, it's made this way to trick you into thinking everything is ok before the whole experience goes haywire. Still, it's very appealing and has a nice charm to it. If I had to describe the style, I would call it, "Female Japanese Middle Schooler."
The character designs are outstanding as is their artwork. Of course, this is essential to make you want to date the various girls. If they weren't charismatic and drawn in an attractive way, you'd lose interest before the game tone shifts. All of the characters are very likable and it feels like you really develop a connection with each and every one of them. This is certainly reinforced by the writing and dialog in the game that is remarkably well done and very believable. In a game that relies only on narrative, Doki Doki stands head an shoulders above most other video games out there and tells a story that could only be achieved through this form of media.
To round out the fantastic presentation is a catchy and lighthearted soundtrack that fits the game wonderfully. It's overly cute to match the attitude of the game at the beginning and is... different when it needs to be.
Plus!:
The console releases of the game have some additional content like promotional art that you can unlock, a sound test of the game's soundtrack, and more. In addition to this, are 7 chapters that focus on the creation of the literature club and how all of the girls became friends and came to overcome their initial struggles with learning to accept each other. It's a nice gesture, but I feel like these additional chapters don't really serve to make the experience better. Since they are not interactive, you're essentially just watching 4 girls bicker and try to act as pseudo therapists towards each other as they try to explain how everyone should try to be more accepting of personal differences. It's a noble topic for sure, but it comes across as very preachy and honestly doesn't fit with the tone and concept of the core game. It truly seems as if it's written by a different person and has a strong "fan-fiction" feel to it that is pretty off putting.
Also, there are some essential "meta" elements to the PC version that really take advantage of combing through the game's files. This isn't possible in the console versions, so they present the whole game in a sort of virtual machine setting with a fake desktop, fake email inbox, and file browser. There's not really any way to get around this part of the game and I think the developers did a fine enough job translating the Doki Doki experience to consoles. Sadly, it does ruin a little bit of the magic of playing the game the first time compared to playing it on PC.
Conclusion:
Doki Doki Literature Club is one of the most memorable games I've ever played. The world, characters, and experience that Team Salvato created are fantastic and I will never forget my first time playing this game. While the PC version is the best version of the game to play, you shouldn't pass it up if you only have access to the console versions. You can play through the whole game in a single session or two, so it's jam packed all the way through and there feels like very little wasted time when you play (excluding the 7 bonus chapters). If you can handle being shocked and weirded out, and don't have an aversion to reading, you should play this game right away. Don't just watch a streamer play it or watch a reaction video. You need to try it out for yourself.
Pros:
- Very memorable story and general experience overall
- Likeable characters that are well designed
- Unlike any other game I've ever played
- Free on PC!
- Base game is a perfect length and doesn't waste your time
- The Plus! content doesn't fit well with the rest of the game and feels disjointed
- Playing through the game multiple times loses a lot of the impact of your first experience with it
- The "virtual machine workaround" on the console versions loses a lot of the magic of actually playing on a PC
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