Hm... so this is an episode review I didn't imagine I'd be writing.
First of all, overall, it was a nice update and much longer than I'd anticipated. Plenty of crucial advancement, some nice content, and as always the girls are gorgeous.
But for the last two episodes, something has just felt off. Stale, or bland if you will. And I think I'm starting to realize that the formal, somewhat robotic, and oh-so proper way that the characters speak to each other is one of the problems.
For the first few episodes, it actually kind of made sense. They were all getting to know each other, first impressions and whatnot. It's a common way to act. But it's starting to grow old. It makes the characters hard to relate to. It just doesn't feel very real or casual. Another problem I see is the lack of development. By this stage, we've learned a bit about all of the characters, but it seems that rather than building upon that and further developing their stories, it seems we've hit a stopping point, as if there wasn't anymore thought put into them beyond a general summary.
The thing about Dating My Daughter is we learn more and more about D as the story progresses, about her childhood, about her family, about her relationship with her mother, about her school life, her problems. Similarly, we learn more details about the MC. Why he acts the way he does. The messed up relationship he had. The way he sort of buried himself in his work to get past it all. Not to mention, he's a multidimensional and insanely interesting character. It really makes you feel attached to them. The characters in this story, however, are starting to feel a bit shallow and robotic. The MC in Melody is bordering on the most boring dude in the world.
The second and most important problem that I see is that there is almost too much repetitive focus on showcasing the characters of the story, but not so much in the way of variables that make the story interesting. I find myself waiting and waiting for something to happen. Yet we just keep getting more coffee dates, more date nights, and more sex scenes. I'm not complaining about the sex-scenes, mind you, but where's the buildup that make the scenes feel exhilarating like we had in DMD? Where's the risks? Where's the quest? Where's the surprise? Where's the critical choices? All of the things that make a story interesting seem to be missing here, and it's starting to feel like a daily life simulator. The key to a powerful story is for the main character to have a purpose, something he's striving for, and his risks and struggles along the way. Tough choices. Curve-balls.
Overall, this is still one of the best games on the platform and I'm reserving my judgment until the end. Perhaps these last couple updates were simply meant to be setup episodes and we wont be in stasis for much longer. If that is the case, than the next couple of updates are crucial and something intense is about to happen. But if this is the pacing we can expect for more or less the remainder of the game? That is worrying.
Either way, I look forward to the next updates and have faith in the devs.
