Game Review: Hatoful Boyfriend (2014)

The game I'm reviewing today is probably one of the most odd, ridiculous, and hilarious games that I've ever touched, Hatoful Boyfriend. This game was originally released in Japan in 2011, though the version I am reviewing is an HD re-release that came out on Steam in 2014. It was developed as well as published by Mediatonic and The Irregular Corporation. The style of this game is a typical Japanese Visual Novel, just with a very bizarre and at times hysterical twist. 

The game starts out with the setting taking place in 2188. The protagonist of the game which you play is a nameless female student who has been invited back for her second year of school to be the first and only human attending St. Pigeo Nation. This academy is strictly made for avian species, by the avian species. The character has already gotten used to the confusion from being the only human of the school from her first year there, though there are still some awkwardly hilarious situations which arise from it. 

So, you start out the game on the first day of your second year of highschool, and you're introduced to your best friend Ryouta, who happens to be a Rock Dove Pigeon.Your attempting to face on this school year with determination and zeal, and possibly more with interest at finding a bird to love. Throughout your first day of school, you begin to start being introduced to various other characters of the school. You have an option to display an illustrated portrait for each bird depicting what they would look like as a human being as you are introduced to them. Each has their own unique design, and I can say for the most part I think the depictions match their personalities. 

There is quite a large difference in each birds character and personality. They range from things like a bird who seems to live in a delusional world where in he behaves like he is in a fantasy, a depressed and melancholic bird who hides in the library,  a teacher who has severe issues staying awake for more than a few minutes, and much more. So, there's plenty of birds to chase after, each one giving their own scenarios and endings to run through. I'll say some of the endings are absolutely hilarious, sad, and one which even leans towards creepy. 

Though there is one way to get a game over screen/ending without doing much. All you have to do is not pursue any single bird in particular. This can be easily done if you' d want by just selecting the vague choices during the dialogue options, as this game has very much the same set up as traditional dating sim games where almost all of the game is dialogue and picking choices.  Obviously, to go forward in the story you'll have to pick the right choices which satisfy make the bird you're trying to date happy. 

One thing which is nice with this game is that your character isn't a boring piece of cardboard that talk throughout the game. Almost all dating sim games just have uninteresting, boring, and not too special main characters that aren't entertaining at all. You actually can sympathize and care for the protagonist in this game because she's actually intelligent, funny, and lives in a damp, dark cave that somehow has a doorbell installed even though there's no electricity or door. What more could you ask for in a home?

Most of the paths you can follow down to an ending all give a hint of something bigger and more strange going on within the school. You won't be able to get any specific characters to give you answers throughout the game, but it is hinted that something is wrong. There's quite clearly a much larger story going on besides a teenage girl falling in love with some pigeons. Just using your common sense along with the small hints will make you feel that throughout the game. 

Once you've burned through the traditional romance paths of the game, there's something new to try. Once you restart the game, you'll be able to take your avian dating sim game in a direction you probably weren't expecting. The game will start out like it usually does in the past playthroughs. However, this time around your character will change immensely later on in the game, and you ditch the romantic dating sim angle for more of a mystery style game.

This mystery angle you take on will give you information about how everything has came to be in the world, and why you seem to be the only human that lives nearby. The story which you unravel definitely doesn't seem to be random or out of left field, as the hints you have found with earlier playthroughs have pointed in this direction in a way. I find it quite surprisingly that such an absurd and silly game with a ridiculous design can have such depth to it which I don't think many people were expecting. 

The only downsides to this game were that you can speed through your playthroughs pretty quickly. I've heard of people doing it as quick as an hour, and some of mine have been only a little more than that. It does tend to get a bit boring after your first playthrough because some things will become quite repetitive, and you have to be careful using the skip button so you don't miss any new dialogue which you haven't read yet. Another thing, although not a big deal, was spelling errors that I noticed every now and again. This isn't too shocking, considering where the game comes from, and I don't think it would be a deal breaker for anyone. 

For me, I think this games greatest point is the ridiculous and hilarious plot and dialogue. If you want a game that will make you crack up constantly, show you some insane, bizarre, and funny characters, and don't mind text heavy games, then this would definitely be a game for you. I've not had much experience with dating sim games as they're not my thing, but I'd be more than happy to play through some like this, as I don't think a game has made me laugh so hard before. 

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my review! If you enjoyed it, I would appreciate it if you could upvote or resteem the post! I'll link a few of my other game reviews for anyone interested below, as I've recently started getting into writing these. Thanks again! 

Game Review: Firewatch

Game Review: Bioshock