I actually played Love Plus (there's a unofficial translation) for curiosity. I'd just read the article of the guy that married one of the game's girls and was wondering what made this game so popular.
I had played some other visual novels and dating sims before, so I knew what the game was about and how it worked. I was looking for the small details that made the difference.
(I played this about 2 years ago, so my memory may be a bit fuzzy)
You start by creating your character and quickly meet the three girls: A small 'lolita type' tomboy; a tall serious girl, with good grades and great at sports; and a kind of normal girl that enjoys fashion and pop songs.
You meet them at school, talk to them, go on dates and may start a relatioship with them. The typical japanese girl stereotypes, high schools life, normal stuff. But here's what the game did right: (I only played the courting phase of the game. Stopped when one becamy my girlfriend)
- While in the start I tried to be neutral and natural with the girls, there was one that I liked more. The game noticed this and increased the rate of encounters with that girl.
- I don't remember any of the girls being angry at me for one of my actions or choices. They sometimes were sad, but it wasn't a deal-breaker. In other games is easy to mess up a relationship with the girl. Not in this one. In fact, it is highly probable it is impossible.
- This is a big one. The girls change according to what you want/like! You, as a player, chose the girl according to her looks/stereotype/voice/whatever but, by playing the game, she responds to what you do by gradually becoming more suited to what (the game thinks) you want.
- The game is on the Nintendo DS, so you can always carry your "girlfriend" around. This is important for the next point.
- When a girl actually becomes your girlfriend, the game switches to realtime. You have to go on dates with her at a certain time, and this means you have to turn on the DS at that time of the day or she would be pissed.
When it got to the realtime phase I stopped playing. I didn't want to play a game that demanded that from me, and I already had a (flesh and bone) girlfriend :)
But what I learned from this is that, where in the other game you have to make an effort to actually achieve the girl you want, in this one is the opposite. You simply play the game and it adapts the girls to you! No effort involved.
The game is enjoyable, and the girls are well designed, different and interesting. Give it a shot if you have the means.
You start by creating your character and quickly meet the three girls: A small 'lolita type' tomboy; a tall serious girl, with good grades and great at sports; and a kind of normal girl that enjoys fashion and pop songs.
You meet them at school, talk to them, go on dates and may start a relatioship with them. The typical japanese girl stereotypes, high schools life, normal stuff. But here's what the game did right: (I only played the courting phase of the game. Stopped when one becamy my girlfriend)
- While in the start I tried to be neutral and natural with the girls, there was one that I liked more. The game noticed this and increased the rate of encounters with that girl.
- I don't remember any of the girls being angry at me for one of my actions or choices. They sometimes were sad, but it wasn't a deal-breaker. In other games is easy to mess up a relationship with the girl. Not in this one. In fact, it is highly probable it is impossible.
- This is a big one. The girls change according to what you want/like! You, as a player, chose the girl according to her looks/stereotype/voice/whatever but, by playing the game, she responds to what you do by gradually becoming more suited to what (the game thinks) you want.
- The game is on the Nintendo DS, so you can always carry your "girlfriend" around. This is important for the next point.
- When a girl actually becomes your girlfriend, the game switches to realtime. You have to go on dates with her at a certain time, and this means you have to turn on the DS at that time of the day or she would be pissed.
When it got to the realtime phase I stopped playing. I didn't want to play a game that demanded that from me, and I already had a (flesh and bone) girlfriend :)
But what I learned from this is that, where in the other game you have to make an effort to actually achieve the girl you want, in this one is the opposite. You simply play the game and it adapts the girls to you! No effort involved.
The game is enjoyable, and the girls are well designed, different and interesting. Give it a shot if you have the means.