Date Everything!

I think the cool thing about this game is how it overshadows every other dating sim in sheer quality and quantity of content. 100 characters? All fully voiced? Each one with a storyline you can take in several directions? Some of them connected? I don't think I've ever seen a dating sim this ambitious — and it definitely works. The art and writing are very decent too, and the punch the game finds for each household object are just delicious sometimes.

Date Everything! No. Literally. Just about EVERYTHING. I giggled at the concept, and well, I have ended up having so much fun. PROs: I like the fact that there are trigger warnings, and certain lines can be skipped. The voice actors/acting are A++++ Diversity? 1000/10! So cool to see so many body types, backgrounds, gender identities and cultural inspiration. The character designs are clever and fun, and not generic like many dating sims. Fun little story lines and quests abound. CONs: Lines "ending" seem so quick. I wish that there was more to do, or options once you hit the "love" stage. There's not any real spice if that's what you're after. Flirty talk and innuendos are abound, though. Everything is implied and FTB. Some characters are flat out annoying/creepy, and they're not even trigger warning characters, which is pretty true for real life, so can't complain too much. IDEAs: I kind of wish there were more things to do than sleep. If you're looking to do things like cook, bathe, etc, this game doesn't do that. It'd be so neat to make our own avatar. Yes, yes I know it's first person, but it's so delightful to create a character. All in all this is an enjoyable, fun, flirty and sometimes even emotional! If you're looking for an escape with visual feasts for the eyes and ears, well, this is it.

At the time of review, I've played for 25 hours, Realized 95 (96 with Skylar) Objects, found 100% objects, maxed all stats, and hit an epilogue. What a game! The usual goal of a Dating Sim that isn't also something else (like an RPG with romance/friendship companions) is almost always about an indulgence of a fantasy (there is nothing wrong with this). It's about giving a Player an ability to experience love and friendship for personal attention, and fulfill that. Date Everything has something else in mind, a far greater challenge to write and build, and with a higher aspiration: to offer the Player an opportunity for growth. Date Everything is all about finding humanity all around the Player. Every object has their story, their challenges, their personality, and their bodies that all influence how they interact with people and their world. Over and over the game provides opportunities for a Player to learn how to use empathy to learn more, and to help others become their best self. Characters are built to be imperfect, and the game asks the Player to exercise forgiveness, patience, and boundaries. It's not shoehorned into kindness -- the game offers the ability to be cruel, unkind, uninterested, and full of hate. But the game also plays out those consequences, showing the result. The game cannot alter someone who can't start with feeling for others, and it isn't here to preach to the uninterested, but it also won't let the Player escape from the consequences. Objects are written with great complexity (which also includes writing characters who are simple, because those too are worth time) and variety. The details of what an Object needs vary but ultimately all boil down to one thing: they need someone to listen to them and really hear them. The Player learns not how to Date by defining themselves in a character creation and then telling dates who they are constantly, but instead how to devote their time and energy into knowing someone else, and letting those choices of how they interact become what defines the Player/Avatar. And so, the Player becomes also part of character growth. Personally, I would have loved a character creation so that I could make my own characters and have them be part of the world, but I understand that some of the point was to make this a lot about making the Player the one interacting and truly doing these things (not my preference, but that's okay! the game doesn't prohibit how I think of the Avatar). I also wish there had been a third person POV purely because I find first person very difficult on my eyes/motion sickness. The camera was stable enough, however, that I was able to work with the perspective, since there was nothing like combat or need to swivel my camera around while walking. It's a fascinating game filled with current understandings of psychology and sociology. There are deep critiques at systems of society as we are now, all of which are great conversations to have. Yes, it's political, because all art is political, and all stories are products of their time. Date Everything won't always be a cutting edge conversation, and some concepts may in time become considered outdated (:fingerguns:), but that's not always the point of the art -- this is made for now. So, play it now. I recommend this game to anyone who has enjoyed most the parts of RPGs that delve into companions like Baldur's Gates, Mass Effects, Dragon Ages, Persona, Suikoden, and Final Fantasy games. I also strongly recommend it to those who like Dating Sims to give this one a try, even though it will differ from the usual sim goal. And finally, while it's not really a gaming genre, I recommend this game to those who struggle with social interactions and building meaningful relationships, because while this game won't reward for just choosing an option marked with a heart enough times, that is part of the point -- it will give you a hand in walking through the world to become a better listener and a more caring person.