Doki Doki Literature Club Plus Review
Since its original release in 2017, Doki Doki Literature Club has captivated countless PC gamers with its combination of cutesy art, visual novel gameplay, and disturbing twists. Doki Doki Literature Club Plus sees the game release on modern consoles, along with new content that expands the game’s story. Doki Doki Literature Club Plus puts the player in the role of a high school teenager who is encouraged to join a literature club by their childhood friend, Sayori. The game is heavily inspired by visual novel dating games, and follows the same general conventions, with the story being told entirely in text. The game does not include voice acting, so players should expect to do a lot of reading. The player character chooses to stay in the club after being attracted by its additional members, Yuri, Natsuki, and Monika, and from that point, the game begins a fairly generic visual novel dating game routine – at least, in first – with the player trying to woo one of the girls. This process is accomplished through one of the few methods that Doki Doki Literature Club Plus players have to interact directly with the game: writing poetry. The end of each day gives the player the opportunity to compose a ‘poem’ for the club, made up of different words associated with the girls in the group. Although it’s a simple mini-game, it’s also one of the first hints that the game is hiding some interesting revelations. Early on players may scratch their heads trying to decide which terms to choose which character, as the answers aren’t as obvious as they first seem.
As most who have heard of Doki Doki Literature Club probably know, there is much more to the story of the game than is first revealed. As Doki Doki Literature Club Plus suggests with trigger warnings, the game contains graphic images and shocking scenarios that one would expect to find more in the line of horror games with visual novel elements, like Corpse Party, instead of what at first looks like a fun date. game. Unlike the original, players have the ability to read about what they can expect in the aforementioned warning. It’s completely optional, so players can jump right in without any spoilers, but those who might have certain sensitivities can also be warned about what’s to come in this disturbing game. Players can choose between simply reading a general content warning or being alerted before any major alarming moments. For players of the original, it’s important to note that the main campaign is pretty much the same. However, there is a lot of additional content added to Doki Doki Literature Club Plus that extends the gameplay time. Multiple side story campaigns can be unlocked as the player progresses through the various routes of the main campaign, detailing stories about the club members before the events of the base game. Players who want to know more about club members or want to have a chance to see what they are like before some event takes place here.
The routine of the world of Doki Doki Literature Club has also been a staple of the game’s fans, and DDLC Plus doesn’t let them down here either. Players will find many mysterious details to be revealed that were not in the original version, while others will likely lead to new questions about the nature of the game world. The indie game also includes many unlockable extras, such as an art gallery and a music playlist. Both include new content that wasn’t part of the original game. While the original rewarded players for completing every possible route in the game, there is now more incentive to do so. Since Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is not a graphically demanding game, it ran very slowly on Nintendo Switch. DDLC Plus’ visuals have been upgraded to 1080p, and it shows, with images appearing crisp and colorful on screen. Unfortunately, the text the game relies on is quite small, especially when played in handheld mode, and no options exist to change the size or color. While this is somewhat understandable given the importance of visuals in the game, it can create some difficulty for players who struggle to see small text clearly.
Doki Doki Literature Club is one of the most popular psychological horror games of recent history, and the Plus release adds enough new content to refresh the experience for veterans who have experienced the original. Meanwhile, players who haven’t tried the original Team Salvato game will find the most complete experience from Doki Doki Literature Club Plus. Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. Today Technology was provided with a Nintendo Switch code for the purposes of this review. MORE: 10 Horror Games That Are Amazing (After a Difficult Opening Hours)