I have never been able to get into any of the Sims games. I want to; they look fun, but I am instantly bored when I start to try to play one. But, recently, I’ve read a few articles about Love Plus, a dating sim. This game first caught my eye because, admittedly, I found the thought of a dating sim a little strange. But, if you like such games, then go for it. I just don’t get it. But, what I did find interesting about Love Plus is the interesting (disturbing) ways the game emulates the weird expectations/norms(?) that tend to happen when dating in real life. I haven’t actually played this game, but I do love that one of the authors mentions the game as a good way to learn to read Japanese.
This article describes the type of girls you can date in the New Love Plus game. The girls are typical of JRPG characters: young, high school girls wearing improbable clothing. But, I was more annoyed by the descriptions of the characters. The girls are described as having distinct personalities, along with a few problems. That sounds good. I like to play characters that are realistic. But, similar to what I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, at least one of the girls hobbies include house cleaning. (She also loved horror movies, which I can get behind.) But, again we see house cleaning as a hobby. House cleaning is not a hobby.
But, this was a bit more disturbing for me. The author describes the initial dating process and writes
However, the oddest part of the game is that they can also dramatically change their personalities. From time to time, Manaka, Rinko, and Nene will ask what type of girl you like. Based on your answer they will change to match your preference.
For me, this is a weird, weird game dynamic. I think it mostly bothers me because so often we see this in teenagers (females and males). Instead of trying to be ourselves and finding a partner who fits with our own personalities, sometimes people try to figure out who they are “supposed” to be or how exactly they are supposed to act. The author continues describing his experience playing the game by writing
When I came across this question during my playthrough, I told the cold and cool tsundere Rinko—out of sheer morbid curiosity—that I preferred bubbly happy girls. The result was terrifying. Basically, by acting nearly the opposite of how she would normally, everything she said felt forced, fake, and like she was covering up a hidden malicious intent. I honestly felt like I was suddenly playing a yandere horror game—that any moment she was going to shove a knife into my chest because she “just loved me that much.”
Terrifying in games or in real life. I am often concerned when I see elements in games that not only speak to our culture, but also in some ways reinforce the problems in our culture (rape themes, racial themes, gender themes). But, in this case, I found myself wondering if including such a weird game dynamic might not actually be a beneficial thing in some sense. By that I mean, maybe it would be interesting to see how weird and terrifying it is to watch someone turn into something he or she is not to impress a potential date. Maybe that would help people just be more comfortable with who they are instead of trying to turn into something else to impress someone else.
Either way, these articles have strangely made me want to play Love Plus. I don’t know Japanese, and don’t have time to learn it right now (and there is a very good chance I would get bored like I do with any other Sims game), but part of me does wish I could get my hands on this game and play the scenario out to see how far they take it.
