2023-06-22 11:55:26
I’m not going to lie, I never really understood the appeal of dating sims. Like cooking and playing with animal companions in an RPG, I’ve always found these elements of the game to be less engaging than the main narrative and gameplay – even though I’m well aware that there is a growing audience for these niche mechanics. So when I was recently scheduled to check out Summer Game Fest Play Days in Los Angeles with Eternights, I wasn’t shaking with the pre-first date excitement and excitement. But aside from the incredibly horny dialogue that Territory brings, I ended up liking what I saw of Studio Sai’s upcoming hack-and-slash JRPG. At its heart, Eternnights is a cross between a dating sim and an action RPG. On the one hand, the gameplay revolves around talking to a group of characters and seeing if you connect with any of them in a deeper, spiritual sense. You’ll chat with people in person and on dating apps, and choose conversation options from a branching narrative system to connect with those people — or distance yourself from them. If things are going well, you can go on a date, hopefully get closer and so on. Then, on the other hand, there are action RPG elements that require players to use a series of hack-and-slash moves and abilities to defeat a series of enemies and bosses. These enemies are twisted humans who have been devoured by a strange force and turned into monsters and savage creatures, and it’s up to you to fight back once morest these monsters in hopes of finding a cure, saving humanity, and avoiding a true apocalypse. These hack-and-slash systems aren’t as complex as Soulsbornes’, but require a bit of precision to get right, and they’re really smooth and effective, and exciting to use. As you can probably see by this point, Eternights really got me during the fight sequences. The game also seems to strike a good balance between dating analogies and action. For anyone who’s been looking for a game like this – reminiscent of Persona 5 Strikers with deeper dating elements – then there’s a lot to appreciate. Likewise, for those who value one of the themes more than the other, balance means it’s easy to endure and enjoy Eternnights without being put off by another, often-speaking, conflicting theme. Here’s an ad: Having said that, for anyone who finds the dating analogy subgenre, some of the dialogue options can be hard to digest. Admittedly, we’re all just evolved monkeys governed by animal instincts, but some of the dialogue and action options made me question my belief in humans. But once more, that’s the impression of people who aren’t generally inclined towards dating sims, so maybe I’m in the minority with that opinion. What I can tell you with confidence is that both the actual gameplay and the progression system feel very tight and intuitive. Eternnights is a solid JRPG at the end of the day, and players will find themselves facing a variety of unique challenges, whether it’s environmental puzzles, dancing mini-games, and more. Match that up with a plethora of animated cutscenes and plenty of dungeons, and you’ve got a pretty complete game, even if I’m sure it’s tailor-made for a different demographic than my own.
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