Introduction
Five Dates from Good Gate Media and Wales interactive, is an interesting time capsule of a game. The FMV style game based around a video dating app, situated in a COVID 19 lockdown. This concept screams to you that you should run away and avoid at all costs.
I would have to say my first initial thought was that very sentiment, but after playing many other FMV games from this team, I decided to give it a shot.
First Impressions
We step into the shoes of Vinny, a hopeless romantic who has been driven stir crazy during lock down and decided to give video dating a shot. His wingman throughout the process is Callum (wrong spelling of the name I know). Callum is also cooped up during the lockdown process. The two have banter over video calls while supporting and making fun of each other in a laddish fashion.
Five Dates main “gameplay mechanic” is choosing dialogue options from a list on screen. The interesting part is how the players read the reactions and react to the dialogue presented from the dates themselves. Much like in real life, people will take bad reactions to something that they do not agree with or if the do not like what has been said.
We have all heard the term “walking simulator” in regards to titles like “Vanishing of Ethan Carter” or “Dear Esther”, well Five Dates is now joining the list for Wales Interactive’s “Conversation Simulators”.
Stage 1 – The First Impressions
When we break the game down, we need to look at the game in its 3 stages. Players start by booting up the dating application and creating the profile. A choice from a range of photographs of Vinny is presented to us, then to pick his job and interests. Once all that is chosen the last thing to pick is your star sign and then you are ready to delve into the scary world of online dating.
An interesting thing to mention is that Vinny is not a set in stone character. He choice of dialogue changes depending on what you choose, it can be easy to forget that he adapts to what we answer.
Vinny has a compatibility meter with the 5 women on the app, that can be viewed at any time. This tool will gauge how well you are winning over your date. The player must pick 3 ladies to begin with to date, this is due to a basic membership only allowing 3 dates at one time. A cheap but funny trick to get around wooing everyone at one time.
Player will have the initial 3 first dates, where you chat to the women and make your initial impression. The 5 women all have extremely different personalities and that conversations have to change and adapt as you play. If Vinny sticks to the same kind of attitude when chatting to all the women then you will find your results very low with all the women.
Love interests in the game vary from Yoga loving hipster, social media influencer to 27 year old partner at a law firm. You have to be an extremely smooth talker to try and win over all three of them at once.
Stage 2 – Game Time
After the initial dates, you will debrief with Callum. These conversations break down the dates and let the player know the engagement with the dates so far. A simple yet effective breakdown of stage one, which can be treated as a transition to stage 2.
Vinny’s dating app will then prompt you to pick 2 ladies from the 3 you dated originally.
The second round of dating is a “game date”, where the lady will pick the game. Vinny will have an activity to complete on the second date taking some of the awkward tension off him.
The ladies you pick all have a specific game they will choose; this will not change in the next playthrough of the game. It is rather easy to learn from past mistakes to help you on your next playthrough. The games range from “Never have I ever” to “Tarot Cards”, an interesting variety of games for you to experience.
Stage 3 – Final Date
The third and final date is a dinner date, where if the player has selected good options and kept the relationship good you will exchange numbers at the end. Players can still blow their chances with at the final date which results in Vinny starting the whole process over again.
That is essentially the game in a few of paragraphs. A playthrough of the game will not take any more than 2 hours at the absolute maximum. The game has achievements for successfully completing dates for all 5 women, as well as some secret ones as well.
There is definitely a decent amount of replay value out the game. The replay value is helped with the scene skip option unlocked once you have watched a scene at least 1 time. This will allow you to skip to the next dialogue option and choose an alternative option from your previous time, if you are trying to view all the scenes in the game.
The Breakdown
Five Dates is a very well made FMV game, with a strong concept behind it. The setting of a COVID lockdown London is very relatable, I do wonder how a year or 2 down the line it will stand up if we manage to push past the current load of lockdowns.
The actors and actresses used in this game all have very good on-screen chemistry, the conversations come across as believable. There is a strong degree of cringe on the games initial playthrough, when talking to women and making the wrong dialogue option could have you pulling a real life facepalm.
Reading a conversation is certainly a great skill to have in this game, if you do not posses this, then you can certainly keep running at the wall and hope something different happens next time.
Final Thoughts
Five Dates is certainly an unexpectedly enjoyable game, containing more substance than one would expect. The games basic nature plays very well considering its subject matter.
The games developers have managed to introduce humanity and genuine charm, into a game that could easily just have been a cringe filmed game with sleazy undertones. The script and video direction have been combined to create real people with real needs. Expect some over the top acting at some points, but it is a game about real people after all.
I would like to thanks Wales Interactive for the review code and the opportunity to review this title.
The game was reviewed on Xbox One.
If you wish to find out more about us as a gaming community then check out our “About Us” page, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch.
You can also follow me on Twitter – @Cetrie
