This choice was always difficult to make, because some of the individual birds' endings were weird and wonderful, while others were more tame and boring as far as game content goes and felt less rewarding. But when the time came to commit to one bird or fail the game, I had to abandon one of my feathered friends. In this way, I was able to view a handful of new scenes focused on both birds. This can happen whether or not you focus on appealing only to one bird in several playthroughs I made it a point to pursue two birds at once. Another brought me into the path of the aforementioned eccentric - and rather unhinged - track star, who inspired me to join his quest to find the one true pudding.ĭifferent dialogue choices and scenes will become available as your relationship deepens with the birds. One of my favorite storylines involved courting a bird that lived as though he were a character in a role-playing game, complete with dragging me into a turn-based boss fight. The story unfolds in dramatically different ways depending on which bird you attempt to romance. Even if this is your favorite game of all time, you'd still need to admit this isn't all that much fun.Of the birds you encounter, there are a number of romance options, including your childhood best friend, an eccentric track star, your teacher and the school doctor. Doing this is tied to the underlying mysteries present, so if you want the whole story you'll be reading the same text ad nauseum. This is tedious and annoying imagine having to read a single chapter of a book 10 times to get the story to go where you want and you'll know where I'm coming from here. I appreciate the different endings, but if you are going for the "true" ending to each scenario, you'll have to play them over and over and figure out which choices will get you the ending you want. That is where my only real problem with the game rears its ugly head. It's a decent carrot to dangle in a game that is essentially "one and done." Completing the stories and earning the best endings yields small clues to the mystery of why you are the only female, why the pigeons are suddenly super-intelligent, and what is going on in this world. Much like a choose your own adventure novel, the Q&A's determine the ultimate goal of each encounter, each featuring a few different endings. Be warned, though, when I say "visual novel," I mean just that there is no gameplay here aside from scrolling through text and choosing your questions and answers. Running through each mini story takes about a half hour, so it is easy to play, walk away, and play again when you are in the mood. There are some laugh-out-loud moments, and plenty of pigeons to romance (who would have thought I'd ever write a sentence like that?). The script is a standout, and it has to be for a visual novel, and is both totally absurd, somehow endearing and, at times, touching. If you are still with me, Hatoful Boyfriend has a lot to offer. If not, your time and gaming dollars are better spent elsewhere. If that sounds awesome, please, keep reading. Your ultimate goal? Find a boyfriend among the birds. The game is a visual novel in which you play as a teenage girl who attends a high school entirely populated with intelligent, talking pigeons. Just hearing the premise of the game will be enough to separate those who will enjoy it from those who don't. Still, whatever was going on here, I ate it up like candy from a fat kid's Halloween pillowcase. ![]() ![]() But beware this game has a very limited audience, and some would argue that it isn't really a "game" at all. it seems the App Store has games based on just about everything, no matter how strange), but Hatoful Boyfriend on the PS4 easily earns its way into that "whut?" gaming subgenre. It's been awhile since I've played something that fit into this category (with iOS games being an exception. Games like XX/XY: Feel the Magic (DS), Ouendan/Elite Beat Agents (DS), Katamari Damacy (PS2) and others have historically kept me as engaged with their setups alone, the same way great gameplay and good storytelling captivate me. I've always been a big fan of the games that come out of left field with premises as bizarre as they are refreshing.
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