#13 - Doki Doki Universe
Platform I played on: PlayStation 3
Available platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita (buying it on one gives you access to it on all three devices).
Developer/Publisher: HumaNature Studios
Length: 5-7 hours
Story:
In this game you play as a customizable robot named QT3 who, along with his red balloon friend, was accidentally left out in space. Wanting to reunite with his friend, QT3 is found by Alien Jeff (an alien named Jeff) who tells him his robot model is being discontinued for lacking humanity. Now QT3 must travel from planet to planet proving that he does indeed have and understand emotions.
Gameplay:
This is a rather lighthearted and simplistic game. QT3 travels to different planets, each of which deals with a different aspect of humanity. There, you must help the inhabitants solve their problems by summoning items, maybe giving them gifts or making them float in the air. You receive more items for completing these tasks, which can be used to solve more problems. You'll also unlock customization items for QT3, his trusty space steed, and the Home world. You can find presents hidden around and the NPC's will each have their own likes and dislikes which will affect their view of you. There are also simple psych tests you can take on asteroids that float around in space which will help the game build a profile for you.
Environment:
The aesthetic of the game is rather simplistic, almost mimicking a child's drawing. Each world has its own theme, such as medieval or haunted or city or winter, etc. This adds some variety in the environments and characters as well as what type of items you can unlock and uncover. The Home world can be customized as any theme you want once you've unlocked the items, or you can just make a mishmash of everything to suit your eclectic tastes.
Ambiance:
Another game that overall does this well. The childlike nature of the graphics helps convey the innocence of QT3 as he learns about humanity. Sure that sounds pretentious but that doesn't make it any less true! The whimsy of the characters and icons fits the lighthearted theme well, which really helps set the mood they're trying to establish. The music, on the other hand, is mostly forgettable with a few tracks that take away from the ambiance rather than add to it.
Choices:
The major choices here are how you respond to certain questions asked by NPCs. Also the many psych test asteroids around. These don't do much for the story but each answer helps built a for-fun psych profile of yourself if you're curious about how the game interprets your decisions.
Puzzles:
Not much here. There are some puzzles to solve in the way of figuring out how to help the NPCs, but they're very basic and easy to figure out. Great for kids beginning to learn puzzle solving techniques!
Cons:
-A bit too simplistic for a subject that could go very indepth and be very impactful
-Have to pay extra to unlock all of the worlds and question asteroids
-Choices and actions the player can take are limited
-Can feel repetitive
Pros:
-Adorable and sweet
-Fun to pick up and play for a bit here and there
-Good for kids
-Funny and entertaining
Overall:
The game is relatively affordable, even with the extras you have to buy for the complete game and it's great for a pick up and play style adventure title when you just want something to be happy about. It's not amazing or life changing, but it's memorable in it's own way for it's charm and quirkyness and if you like taking psych tests like I do then you're in for a treat. It almost brings you back to the wonder of being a child. While it can be a bit TOO simple it's still a very enjoyable experience.
Rating:
QT4 out of 5