![]() well, I really can't even relay the premise without being struck with an overwhelming urge to stop and point out the ridiculousness of it all. ![]() The somewhat weak gag upon which it sells itself – that is to say, being able to call itself the 'best pigeon dating sim ever' – is but a point of entry into. Hatoful Boyfriend tries, at least, to throw off that identity. That is to say, engaging in a lot of really one-sided conversations while staving off the sense that I'm slowly being covered in liquefied faeces. For a while I was worried that Hatoful Boyfriend would go down a similar path, and that once the novelty of “ha ha, I'm trying to chat up pigeons” wore off I'd be stuck with the actual tedious reality of trying to chat up pigeons. We've certainly had our fair share of one-joke games in recent years, usually in the form of low-effort mock simulators the kinds of games that sound hilarious on paper – and in obnoxious screamy Let's Play thumbnails – but ultimately boil down to one gimmick and some janky physics if you're lucky. ![]() That might not be the most accurate measure, though, since I can't say 'dating sim' with a straight face either. It had to be a joke, right? I can't even say the words 'pigeon dating sim' with a straight face. And therein lies my downfall, because I assumed there'd be a joke waiting for me. So here's my justification: I thought it would be a laugh. The very first thing one has to do after purchasing Hatoful Boyfriend – before downloading the game, before installing it, before one does anything at all – is to justify that purchase.
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