Imaginative Spooks: DXC2: Sucker for Love

Intro:

I am not typically a fan of Dating Sims. Even though DDLC has a spot in my Hall of Fame, I find most Dating Sims to be rather…not to my taste. Maybe it is my view of genre, as almost all the games feature girls of questionable age with massive breasts and no personalities. I’m probably prejudiced in this regard. But Sucker for Love is a pretty fun game! I would love a full title revolving around some sad loser dooming the world to kiss a cute eldritch nightmare.

All this and dating elder gods:

There are many ways in that world can end. But no one would have suspected that a single lonely guy with too much money and too little sense would be responsible. But that is what happens in Sucker for Love. You are the generic lonely protagonist who (after gaining the access to a bizarrely pink not Necronomicon) summons a (cute) cosmic nightmare; that being Ln’eta. She agrees to smooch you after going on a date, destroying reality in the process. It is a surprisingly amusing game, in no small part due to voice actress Michaela Laws- whose yandere infused elder god is just bizarre enough to where it doesn’t get annoying but rather hilarious. The gameplay is mostly focused around preparing for the various rituals which encompass the date.

But can I kiss that god though?

They are pretty basic, turn on the tap here, turn off the lights there, etc, etc. However, the real challenge comes in reading the incantations required to finish the ritual. You often have to do it under pressure, be in reading the words before some eldritch horror breaks down the door, or while your murderous cosmic deity girlfriend is sleeping on the bed. If you read too fast the spell won’t work, delaying the process and putting you in danger.

This is where the game gets surprisingly spooky, as you are vulnerable to the whims of your girlfriend or whatever the hell is breaking down the window. You are working to overcome the vulnerabilities placed in front of you through the game mechanics, classic horror design. I love the disarmingly cute visual design. It creates a wonderful contrast of tone. The absurdity of the Dating Sim, and the terror of cosmic horror, creating a rather unique aesthetic.

Conclusion:

Could be worse.

Sucker for Love is a funny, creepy, and compelling story, with just enough gameplay to justify it’s the medium. I hope that Akabaka finds funding to make a full game. I think the dev has the talent to create something special.

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