Products You May Like
People seem utterly fascinated by reality TV dating shows, with Love Island especially drawing the attention of the masses. The contestants are isolated from the rest of humanity and basically told to form relationships under the watchful eye of the viewing public. Best case scenario, they win over the viewers and receive the prize money, while in worst cases they get voted out or have their heartbroken on TV.
But what if the consequences were more severe?
Well that certainly appears to be the case in the new visual novel from Sunseeker Games, Find Love Or Die Trying, where you’re a part of a deadly dating show. In a nutshell, you either succeed in finding love and entertain the audience, or wind up dead. It’s an interesting premise for sure, so let’s see whether the concept works well, or whether it should be canned at the pilot stage.
In Find Love Or Die Trying, you’ll take on the role of the protagonist who wakes up on a tropical island with no memories. Turns out that you’re a participant on a dating show and Kat, the host/producer, fills you in on all the details. There are five lovely ladies available to take on dates over the next seven days, with the purpose of finding the ideal one to marry. Unfortunately for you though, the CEO of the network funding the TV show, Damian Black, is known for televising real Battle Royale situations where people die. As such, this latest idea involves the death of all involved if the marriage proposal is turned down, or the viewership fails to meet expectations.
Focusing on the cast of characters initially, the five potential suitors are great in that they all possess different personalities and this is conveyed well without voiceovers. What’s cool is that the dates you have with any of them are themed to suit their persona, so the gamer girl encounters are essentially hangout sessions playing games, while a day with the thrill-seeker ends up involving athletic activities. Even the staff members, The Brothers Five, are interesting as they bring a unique brand of comedy to proceedings.
The way the narrative unfolds is both good and bad in a multitude of ways. The daily routine of choosing who to date is a tad monotonous and exposes how there’s a real lack of substance to these segments beyond the thin veil of romance. Slowly, but surely though, the protagonist’s memories return and things become more exciting, as well as darker, with some plot twists. Eventually, the story will grip you to the finish, but it’s unlikely to be instantaneous.
There are a number of decision-making junctures in place, however I don’t feel as though any matter too much – if at all – until the final stages. You see, the eight different endings of Find Love Or Die Trying come into effect based on a combination of just two choices. Reaching a single ending takes roughly two hours, with the rest potentially mopped up in minutes. Having witnessed each of them, I can safely say that it’s only necessary to experience two because the rest simply become slight variations.
Visually, the backgrounds are rather impressive in terms of both variety and quality. The mansion where everyone resides has excellent interiors, with backdrops that breathe life into each room, whether it’s the library, the games lounge, or the entrance hall. Every conversational scene pops with great colour usage, while the CGs take the quality up a notch with wallpaper-worthy stills. Character-wise, the designs really fit their personalities, with multiple aspects of their looks ensuring each person is easily distinguishable from the next.
Ultimately, Find Love Or Die Trying is an intriguing visual novel with a deadly dating concept that’s almost a hit. The premise itself and the cast of characters are hard to criticise, with plot twists that really ramp up excitement halfway through. It’s unfortunate that the choices are largely futile throughout and the early narrative is lacking substance during the speedy dates. From start to finish though, the visual quality is never in doubt.
Find Love Or Die Trying is a little bit pricey for the amount of time it’ll take to finish, but if you enjoy visual novels with a sadistic twist and a spot of romance, then it’s worth considering.
Find Love or Die Trying: A Deadly Dating Show Where Romance is Key to Survival – https://www.thexboxhub.com/find-love-or-die-trying-a-deadly-dating-show-where-romance-is-key-to-survival/
Buy Find Love or Die Trying on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/find-love-or-die-trying/9ph962x6k11t