More Dangerous Than A Tinder Date: A Date A Live: Ren Dystopia Review

By Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: PC

The Date A Live series is one of those franchises that has far more content available in Japan than the US. Having begun as a light novel series in 2011, it eventually grew to include an anime series, and several video games. I am a bit unsure about the complete Date A Live video game timeline, but I do know that 2015's Date A Live: Rio Reincarnation was the first game to get an English-language release back in 2019. It's been quite a while since then, and we now have a new game to check out. Originally releasing all the way back in 2020 for the PlayStation 4, Date A Live: Ren Dystopia (Which I'm simply going to refer to as "Ren Dystopia" from now on.) recently found its way onto Steam by way of Idea Factory International. Not only is this one of the few English-language releases available, it's going to be my entry into the series as a whole. Completely green or not, I'm going to give this one an honest go, and maybe see what all the hype is about. This is going to be a long one, so let's dive in!

Story

I opened this review by mentioning that I have no prior knowledge of the Date A Live series, so it makes sense that I eventually had to do a bit of research. Mainly, I looked up the backstory that is only partially told to you in-game, and was surprised to find how wild and sci-fi themed it all is. Date A Live takes place thirty years after a series of calamities marked the emergence of entities known as Spirits. The nature and power of each Spirit changes depending on who they are, but they are beings from a different dimension that create deadly "Spacequakes" upon their arrival. Enter Shido Itsuka, an ordinary student who encounters a Spirit who is disillusioned with humanity. Shido's sister, Kotori, reveals to him that he possesses the ability to seal a Spirit's power by simply kissing them, thus avoiding whatever horrible stuff they might do if said powers were left unchecked. How exactly Kotori learned about this skill that only Shido has is something I'm not too sure of, but that's beside the point. It's now up to Shido to date each Spirit, get them to fall in love with him, and eventually kiss them so as to seal their powers. This is all done in the name of protecting the world as we know it of course, and apparently he has sealed the powers of several Spirits up to the point where Ren Dystopia begins.

I wish I had more to tell you all regarding the backstory, but I actually want to save myself from potential spoilers so I can check out the series in full later. What's important to this review is the fact that much of the info I just mentioned isn't directly given to you in-game. There is a "Library" within the options menu where you can learn about the various characters and their origins, but it's not quite as exhaustive as you would probably expect given the length of the series up to this point. You're going to want to check it out though, as the game doesn't hold your hand in its storytelling. It introduces characters to you that you're supposed to already know, and it barely references character relationships, or even important world events, that took place just prior to the start of the game. This might not be too big of an issue if Ren Dystopia made an effort to remain a standalone entry, but it goes in pretty much the opposite direction and assumes you already have a decent grasp on what's going on. With that in mind, I actually played the game for several hours without ever looking anything up, and I still had a great time. Characters constantly referred to events I was totally unfamiliar with, and even implied some heavy issues behind the scenes that they're clearly still dealing with. It was those types of character bits that made me intrigued enough that I eventually had to learn more about the world. Obviously my current knowledge is still anything but perfect, but it's a start. I guess this isn't exactly the easiest place for Date A Live newcomers to jump into the series, but the Library does a lot of heavy lifting, and I'm sure you can still have a great time otherwise if you're as new as I was.

Now onto the actual plot of Ren Dystopia itself. Ren Dystopia opens up with everyone living in an uneasy peace brought about from recent events involving yet more newly arrived Spirits. Once again I don't know the full details, but several of the character's backstories reference it, most especially Natsumi and Origami. Shido's life is rather mundane now, and his the most important decisions these days seem to be whether or not he's going to humor Origami's constant advances, or who he's going to go out on a date with that weekend. This idyllic existence is put into jeopardy when Shido has a mysterious dream where he hears a voice calling out to him. Upon waking up he then finds a box with a snake design on it under his pillow. This is no gift from the Tooth Fairy though, and he decides to find its own. Unable to find anyone who may have lost it, it eventually is opened, but found to be empty. The Ren appears. Who Ren is exactly is something I'll leave up to players to learn for themselves, but she gives the Spirits an offer they can't refuse: three wishes for anything their heart desires. From there the plot twists and turns, and we learn more about everyone's motivations, their true feelings, and even uncover the mysteries that surround the appearance of Ren. It's a surprisingly deep story given its quick setup, even if it's told in quick, short segments. I'm not going to go into much more detail for fear of spoiling things for potential players, but rest assured that this is a well-written tale that's worth experiencing. I did wish it went for a more standard method of plot delivery, but we'll get to that in just a bit.

Before we move on, there's one more thing I want to discuss, and that's characters. Where I think Ren Dystopia really shines bright is in its cast. Each character has a personality completely unique to them, and they often go far beyond the tropes they seem to be personifying when you first meet them. Kotori is the sisterly character who is always there for Shido, Natsumi is quiet but has a lot hidden beneath the surface, Yuzuru is rather brash and to the point, Tohka has a lot of hair and a giant red bow, Kurumi is nearly as mysterious as Ren herself, and Yoshino is my favorite out of the bunch, even if her puppet Yoshinon can be a bit grating at times. I can go on like this, but I don't want to make this review too long, and it's best to experience such things as falling in love with the charming cast on one's own. Considering that this is a game focused on going on dates with each of these girls in order to advance the plot, it makes sense that a big emphasis would be placed onto them. It's not for naught either, as they all truly deserve their time in the spotlight, and you're sure to find a favorite as the game goes on. It can be very easy to let a character get lost in the shuffle when the cast is as large as Ren Dystopia's, but it never feels like that happens here. Everyone feels important and unique to the point where the game would suffer if they weren't included. Suffice it to say, the characters are the best part of the game, and all my gripes about the plot disappear whenever I think about them.

Gameplay

Visual novels typically don't have much going for them as far as gameplay goes, but this game's title sort of implies that it would be a dating sim. For those unfamiliar with the genre, dating sims usually have stats or love meters, sometimes both, and use those to determine which character you ultimately end up romancing. Getting into a specific character's route in a dating sim usually means a bit work on the part of the player, and you can sometimes find yourself in routes you didn't want to be in if you're not thorough or careful. Though that may have been what I was expecting to find here, it's not what the game offers at all. This is pretty much as pure a visual novel as you can get, but with some choices that branch out into other paths. The game opens with a short communal route where the plot and characters are set up, you're given a single choice that dictates a slight character shift later on, and you then you're given complete freedom when it comes to choosing who you will take on your first date. This "date" consists of meeting a character at a specific location, and you're then locked into their route. There is no way to leave the route you're on, and you can restart at any time to jump into another.

The dating system found in Ren Dystopia is rather simplistic, but there are some quirks to the system. Each route is divided into something resembling chapters, with each one corresponding with the current wish. These chapters all have one choice within them, and these choices technically have a "right" and a "wrong" answer in certain cases. Not all routes are this specific, but some feature multiple endings. There are even ways to get into the final route, with all of them dependent on the choices you made previously. This gives every choice in the game a lot of weight, but it also means that there aren't any small ones to speak of. Many visual novels have casual dialogue choices that usually lead to a bit of flavor text, but that's pretty much completely absent here.

Besides the main routes, there are several sub-routes that unlock the more you play the game. This gives the game well over ten routes to go through, with each of them lasting about an hour or two depending on reading speed. You'd think this means there would be a lot of content, but their brevity leaves a bit to be desired in just about every run. Every time I was beginning to enjoy the character interactions and drama within a route, it would abruptly end. Given the nature of the story, I can understand why the developers went this way, but I can't help but feel fewer, but longer, chapters would've been better overall. As it stands, Ren Dystopia actually reminds me of the Fan Discs that accompany some series. These Fan Discs usually have short stories for each character, and are a nice respite from a full game. The problem here is that this is a mainline into the series, and one that isn't all that inviting at times to newcomers.

Overall I enjoyed the way Ren Dystopia told its story, and I did grow to fall in love with the cast, but it could've been better. That said, I think my main problem here boils down to simply wanting more from each of the characters. Wanting more of a good thing isn't necessarily a negative, though in this case it means having to go elsewhere to find any additional content. Nonetheless, I'm willing to forgive the game on this front, while still admitting that it may put off some players. Now that we're done with that, let's move on to some areas of the game where things truly shine.

Graphics & Visuals

Given the way I ending the last section, it's rather obvious that I'm going to rave about the visuals. Despite the lack of surprise, I still think that the specifics I'm going to call out are worth noting, as they're things I don't often bring up when critiquing a game like this. First up are the character designs, which are once again done by famed illustrator Tsunako. Tsunako has worked on several Idea Factory games, including the Neptunia series, the Fairy Fencer titles, and the Date A Live franchise as a whole. Her work actually includes stuff outside of the IF field of view, but you get the point. To say that her designs are impressive is an understatement, as she manages to do a commendable job in making a very trope-filled cast all look unique. I can go on and on about favorites (Looking at you Yoshino!), but I'll refrain so as not to make this review longer than it already is. Each character has multiple outfits, and sometimes different hairstyles, and it's those small touches that bring the world to life through its characters. One specific character has to be mentioned though, as Ren is unique to this game. Not only is Ren one of the better-designs seen within the game, but her look conveys so much about her without her even having to say a word. That's a level of art that most people can only hope to aspire to, and it's not even the only example I could give.

The attention to detail doesn't just extend the main Spirit cast either, as the side characters all look just as amazing. I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the fact that the characters themselves have a bit of animation to them. They're not fully modelled in Live 2D or anything like that, but they move and breathe while standing, and move their mouths and emote when speaking. It's kind of hard to describe it to someone who hasn't seen it directly, but the point is that these aren't just flat images. On a funny note, their constantly changing faces made it hard to capture screens for this review, as they'd often have their eyes closed, or be making a funny face, right when I was trying to capture a moment. Lastly, as far as characters go at least, we have to talk about the CGs. I didn't want to include too many of these in the review, but suffice it to say that they're all cute, silly, imposing, or whatever else it is that the mood dictates. I do wish that there were more of them, but that can be applied to many things about this game.

I could honestly rave about the characters for far longer than I already have, but I want to talk about something I don't I have before: the backgrounds. It may sound a bit strange, but I was just as impressed by Ren Dystopia's backgrounds as I was by its characters. I am still on my way to fully beating the game, so it's probably no surprise that I still have things to see. That said, the amount of locations you visit in-game is staggering. I'm not sure if some of these locations played a part a bigger role in other games, but it seems like the characters were constantly finding reasons to go some new place that I haven't been to yet. That isn't too crazy in and of itself, but these areas are far from simplistic in their depictions. They're are finely detailed, they look real and full of life, and they're even sometimes filled with funny little inside jokes for the eagle eyed players out there. It's not often people praise a visual novels background images, but that just goes to show the level of awesomeness this game has achieved visually.

Sound (Music)

Speaking in a general sense, sound is another area where Ren Dystopia shines bright. If you've ever read another of my visual novel reviews (Thanks for that if you have by the way!) then you know I talk a lot about the "visual novel music". That term may be a bit non-creative on my part, but it helps me label a specific type of soundtrack that I've noticed over the years. We've all heard this type of music before, as in music that exists to check a series of boxes rather than to stand out. Those checked boxes include things like opening and ending vocal tracks, the upbeat "happy" tracks, melancholic tracks for sad or down moments, extremely hyper ones for when the characters inevitably resort to silly antics, and just about everything in-between. Simply put, its music that exists to exist, and you'll never be able to recall a single melody once you've put the game away. I'm pleased to report that Ren Dystopia thankfully to pretty much completely avoid those trappings. There will always be some element of them of course, as they are a genre staple, but the hallmark of a great soundtrack is one where you're delighted to hear a favorite track kick in, and maybe even consider looking into picking up the soundtrack on its own. Thrown into the mix here is the fact that things are a bit darker and foreboding then you'd usually find in a visual novel. Suddenly there's a whole new layer of music to enjoy, and I'm here for it. It may not be a soundtrack that's able to go toe-to-toe with something found in a JRPG, but it's head and shoulders above what other games in the genre usually offer. The rest of the sound design is practically flawless as well. The sound effects are great, and the default audio mix doesn't need to be adjusted in the least. I even like the random vocal quips that accompany most menu choices, something you can actually adjust within the options menu. That's moving to voice acting territory though, so I guess we'll just jump to that now.

Sound (Voice Acting)

It should come as no surprise that Ren Dystopia is a fully voice game, with only the protagonist being silent. The voice cast is all superb, and there are some well-known names in the bunch. Past credits aside, everyone does an excellent job bringing their respective characters to life, and the nuances in the acting truly have to be heard directly in order to be appreciated. There are so many little things, like the voices being mixed perfectly with the rest of the sound, which gives the sound design the stamp of perfection that I can go on forever. I guess there is the usual minor gripe that there is only a Japanese language option, but I had no problem with that personally. Having said that, I do have to admit that fans of the anime series, which did get a full English dub, might be disappointed if they were expecting one. Seeing as that dub was recorded quite a while ago though, I doubt the original cast would've reunited for this game anyway. It's all sort of a moot point in the end, and I doubt I would've heard much of the English dub even if it had one.

Value

Like I said earlier, each route in Ren Dystopia takes about an hour or two to clear, and there are over ten routes to go through. This includes both main and side routes, with the latter obviously being completely optional. Completing all routes isn't a simple matter of just reaching the end though, as many of the main routes have different endings depending on the choices made within them. This ultimately means that there's somewhere between 20-40 hours of gameplay to be found here, depending on how much of the game you actually want to see. While that's more than enough content for most, I still somehow felt that the game was on the shorter side. This is of course due to the brief nature of all the routes, as that measure of time can actually be quite low if you complete a single route and decide that you're done. Even though part of me questions the quality of content, I still must say that its current $39.99 feels more than fair in spite of that. It may be a bit steep for the casual gamer, but there's more than enough content here to justify that price point if you're a fan of the genre, the series, or deeper visual novels as a whole. There are some games that feel like you're eating a giant feast, while Ren Dystopia is more like a buffet that offers you a lot of small plate courses. It's a different way to experience a visual novel, and it's by no means bad.

Conclusion

Even though I had a few problems here and there, I still have to give Date A Live: Ren Dystopia a full recommendation. It may be a bit hard getting into if you're new to the Date A Live franchise, but this honestly isn't a bad place to start. Its episodic nature means you can get deep into whatever character strikes your fancy, and the game goes for so many plot twists and tropes that there's sure to be something for everyone. Also, it goes without saying that already existing fans will want to pick this one up too, and probably already have without having heard my suggestion. My final caveat would have to be that I wish Ren Dystopia got a console release too, but hopefully that'll come down the line. Until then, grab this on Steam, and get to playing. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an entire series to dive into... See you in the next one!

Check Out Date A Live: Ren Dystopia on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2627780/DATE_A_LIVE_Ren_Dystopia/

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Story: B+
Gameplay: B
Graphics: A+
Music/Sound: A+
Value: A

Overall: A-

Pros:
+ An excellent visual novel that makes great use of its large cast.
+ Though each route is rather short, there are over 10 of them, and some have multiple endings.
+ The cast of characters is large, and each of them are very unique. Their personalities and backstories are sure to get you through the game's rougher patches.
+ Featuring character designs by Tsunako (Neptunia, Fairy Fencer) it goes without saying that this game features some impressive visuals.
+ Not only is the voice acting great, but so is the music itself.
+ Some routes end rather quicker than I wished, but the overall conclusion to the game is very rewarding and made me want to learn more about the series as a whole.
+ Yoshino is just great!

+/- I'd have to suggest getting into the Date A Live series via the anime first, but Ren Dystopia does a decent job of introducing new players into it world.

Cons:
- Feels more like a collection of short Fan Disc-style short stories rather than a full-fledged game.
- The gameplay is kind of odd, with only a few choices in each route, with each being of big importance. It's not at all like a dating sim as the name may imply.
- The short nature of each of the routes means that there is little in the way of a deep overarching plot.
- Might be priced a bit too high for those who aren't already fans of the franchise.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

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