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memory days sim date (F/M, free, /browser/)

• overall: C+. enjoyment: C.
• memory days sim date is a sequel to "anime sim date 2.0", which is a game that is virtually unplayable and not even on pacthesis's website. its a very short and sweet experience, playing as something very unique among the rest of the series, but while the game has a lot of potential and theres clearly substance to it, it comes off as... kind of rushed. the art suffers in areas despite having clear effort put into others, the writing is sweet but limited, and plot threads are sometimes ignored. this game could have been really good if she let it take a year or two longer.
• plot: A. a girl (default name ai) ends up moving to the city where she previously met a boy who made a big impact on her. now that she's here and seeing him at school every day, she has an opportunity to get to know him for real. honestly? this is a really sweet story that could be done really well. its very low stakes, but a lot of emotion built into it.
• characters: C. the characters are all from previous games, with the exception of daichis new girlfriend arisa (who only appears twice, which is a crime as shes adorable.) theyre all... okay. their designs are very basic, and their personalities are fairly "what you see is what you get". but they still somehow manage to feel like real people, and the small cast size helps with that. theyre just... these boys you know, theyre normal, they matter to you. i think it suits the game, even if it means they arent particularly memorable. ai's design massively sucks though
• writing: B. theres not a lot to it. the romance scenes are sometimes very cute, and tackling strong emotions well. but there isnt much in between, so its hard to take the story as seriously as it deserves. daichi's route especially misses out, particularly as it totally glosses over the arisa stuff. the writing isnt bad. there just... isnt enough of it?
• routes: kai > haru > daichi
• gameplay: C. the gameplay is actually pretty different from the rest of the series overall. some parts are similar; youre still navigating to different areas to find the boys, but its from a grid of locations rather than a messy map. other features like the dates are very simplified; a date will always succeed, its just a matter of whether you want to put in the HP. the core of the game is sort of like a schedule manager, in that you have the calendar laid out in advance telling you when certain things will happen, like holidays or school tests, and you must prepare as you see fit. managing money is important as items cycle out based on the season, so youll miss some entirely if youre not careful; theres a category of collectible items that serve only an aesthetic purpose, but theyre clearly labeled so you dont waste your money. talking to the boys doesnt seem entirely important, as their events will trigger as long as you find them at the right times. you can get all three boys to confess to you without ever even pressing the talk button. its very easy, but kind of fun. also, you can grind for infinite money on christmas which is hilarious.
• art: D. the art.... is bad. its a humongous step down from the previous games, and i have no idea why. the backgrounds are visibly half assed, the anatomy is ok sometimes and other times more poorly done than its been in a while, and while the UI is at least not as basic as usual, its pretty ugly. the art direction, however, is pretty decent. cutscenes have a HUGE amount of staged CG images with good composition, and some are honestly really pretty. however, the rest of the game is still too much of a step down, and it honestly seems like the game was super rushed.

http://pacthesisgames.com/games/sim-dates/memory-days-sim-date.html

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