XOXO Droplets
Sep. 21st, 2019 04:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alias_sqbrSo I have like 3 otome games waiting for me to finish them, and I thought maybe I was just going off the genre. But then I thought maybe I just need a game with no tragedy or consent issues, and looks like I was right! Because this has been a lot of fun.
(I absolutely intend to finish the other games eventually, I just needed a break)
So! XOXO Droplets is a humourous game about dating The Douchiest Guys In School. The premise put me off for a long time, since I wasn't sure if it would take the romances seriously, and it isn't as feels heavy as my favourite otome games. But under the humour are some genuine characters and sincere feelings, I spend a lot of time thinking "Haha, aww, you assholes really do deserve each other <3". Also, unlike most "humourous" VNs, it's actually funny.
Here's the itchio page, the trailer gives a run down of all the dudes, I'll also describe them under the cut. I started with the free/demo version then switched to the paid one, and kind of wish I'd done it earlier, since I missed some early content for my chosen boy ;_;
I just finished the path for Shiloh, a boyishly charming manipulator, and it was great. The MC pegs him as a liar right off the bat, which creates a fascinating dynamic: he swoons and blushes about how amazing she is and she wallows in the attention then laughs at what a skeeze he is, and they both know it's mostly an act but they're also both having fun. He's one of the free love interests, but definitely not everyone's cup of tea.
Under the cut is just a bunch more rambling about the game. It's hard to spoil: so far there's little plot, and the characters are basically who they appear to be on the surface. They're just not only that. EDIT: I've now finished the full game, and mostly still agree with this review, but have added a few extra remarks.
The tone reminds me a lot of Daria: very cynical with a lot of sarcasm and mean jokes, but ultimately compassionate, if pretty derisive to anyone it considers "stupid". From what I've seen, it's not about a nice girl being dominated by Sexy Jerks or Redeeming A Jerk With Love (both perfectly valid genres), it's about an asshole girl finding a jerk who's jerkishness is compatible with hers.
It's a fine line to walk between "Too assholeish to like" and "So nice under the surface it feels fake", I find the characters likeable but based on the negative reviews on Steam many players did not.
The other main criticism on Steam, which I entirely agree with, is that the life sim elements are tedious and drag the game out way too long. Thankfully there's cheat codes, I didn't want to cheat through my first playthrough but I am totally going to for later ones.
The main difference between this game and others with asshole love interests is that the protagonist is also an asshole, and this never changes. She's good natured, cheerful, and friendly, but also generally quite selfish and enjoys watching the pain of others. She also has an ego the size of the moon, and the few times she does get angry it's about petty ridiculous things. Which makes her perfectly suited to enjoy being stuck in the after school group for Friendless Assholes: their insults roll off her back, and she enjoys watching them be mean to each other. She's also very openly into hot boys, something she cheerfully tells her hot male group-mates whenever she thinks it will piss them off the most. None of the guys she sleazes onto seem super upset by it, so it didn't bother me too much, but it definitely crosses the asshole line, especially with the Genuinely Nice teacher in charge (who is very much not interested, and while he seems to mostly enjoy his job I want to rescue him from all these terrible teenagers and give the poor guy a hug)
The main boys:
Free:
Everett: Pouting privileged momma's boy. Likes being told what to do.
Nate: Grumpy perfectionist control freak who thinks everyone else is lazy.
Shiloh: Always """nice""" and obedient/helpful/complimentary, enjoys manipulating people to get his own way or hurt those he doesn't like, and will stab you in the back in a heartbeat. Delightful <3
Paid version only:
Bae: Constant sugary sarcasm making it clear he thinks everyone else is is a stupid child. Prissy and hates exercise.
Jeremy: Constantly negative and depressed, complains that everything and everyone is pointless.
Pran: Brooding, judgemental, refuses to engage in even basic social interactions and when prodded will say "No. You don't deserve my attention."
They also divide into enjoyably slashy friendship pairs: Nate has been Everett's mother replacement since they started boarding school together in kindergarten, Bae and Shiloh enjoy being cheerfully fake at each other without judgement, and Pran and Jeremy quietly enjoy having someone else agree that the world is really that awful.
There's a bunch of other side characters, mostly more thinly characterised but still funny and varied. MC is so condescending towards the two "dumb but sweet" side boyfriend options that I find the idea of pursuing them squicky, but maybe the dynamic improves (EDIT: ehh). It's still worth making sure to visit their stores enough times to see their first two conversations, since this unlocks extra date locations with the main boys.
EDIT: There's also the obnoxiously pushy party boy Lukas, who only shows up if you seek him out. He's great once you get to know him.
There's also a lot of named characters who exist purely for grinding social reputation, something I found intensely boring and didn't pay much attention to once I realised that if I just picked the middle option every time a random interaction came up it all averaged out ok.
The Shiloh path isn't super romantic, but any sincere interest from such a reflexive liar requires a lot of reading between the lines. I'm wondering if some of the other guys will be more straightforwardly romantic, since most of them are a lot more sincere, whatever their other (many) faults. EDIT: Yep, his is the least conventionally romantic route.
But I'm not expecting anything very sexy on any of the paths. Shiloh and the MC definitely make out a bunch, and are vaguely implied to be having sex they are both very much into (With the implication that MC calls the shots and Shiloh cheerfully obliges, which is fine by me) But the narrative isn't interested in sex at all except for humour or characterisation reasons. Shiloh did take his shirt off in a beach scene but I wanted him to immediately put it back on again, those were some uncanny valley nipples.
Anyway.
There's character growth over the game, but it's subtle, especially since there isn't a set order to anything outside the main canon scenes: the player chooses the order of most dates, and there's a bunch of randomised interactions with her and the main guys. And the main canon arc is just all of them regularly meeting up in their afterschool group and then graduating highschool.
It mostly still feels like a coherent story, but sometimes MC's flirting with other guys when she has a boyfriend is a bit uncomfortable and feels more like the writers being too lazy to add a "unless she has a boyfriend" check than consistent characterisation.
Also for the most part it's just set in A Fancy Boarding School in California, but there's this one bizarrely long and boring exposition conversation that makes it clear that yes, the green/purple etc haired characters ARE that colour naturally.
I haven't noticed any queer characters but apparently there are some? It's certainly much less heternormative than most m/f, any time someone jokes about shipping the dudes they're either like "eh" or "ew not HIM" but seem fine with the idea in principle. EDIT: Having finished the game now, there are multiple queer LIs! Everett and Lukas are unambiguously bi, and Bae is unambiguously asexual. According to the writers Nate and Bae are also bi though this doesn't come up on their routes.
There's a lot more ethnic diversity than in most otome: Shiloh and Jeremy are the only LIs who read to me as white (And I am choosing to read Shiloh as Jewish, since it's a Jewish name and he has similar colouring/hair to me) The company's other games are all overtly queer (asides from the horror AU version of this one which, hmm) I should get around to playing them.
One place the game falls down is that it's a bit show-not-tell about the more subtle aspects of the guy's personalities. Those aspects are definitely there in the dialogue/actions, but easy to miss, so the writers randomly have characters point it out really blatantly. I think it could have been done more smoothly. Also in general the game repeats certain emotional beats when I feel like it could have fleshed things out around the edges more.
The writing's great and the art is mostly good, but the backgrounds are middling and the CGs are lackluster chibis. The voice acting only shows up occasionally but it's well done and adds a lot to the humour and characterisation.
Masterlist
(I absolutely intend to finish the other games eventually, I just needed a break)
So! XOXO Droplets is a humourous game about dating The Douchiest Guys In School. The premise put me off for a long time, since I wasn't sure if it would take the romances seriously, and it isn't as feels heavy as my favourite otome games. But under the humour are some genuine characters and sincere feelings, I spend a lot of time thinking "Haha, aww, you assholes really do deserve each other <3". Also, unlike most "humourous" VNs, it's actually funny.
Here's the itchio page, the trailer gives a run down of all the dudes, I'll also describe them under the cut. I started with the free/demo version then switched to the paid one, and kind of wish I'd done it earlier, since I missed some early content for my chosen boy ;_;
I just finished the path for Shiloh, a boyishly charming manipulator, and it was great. The MC pegs him as a liar right off the bat, which creates a fascinating dynamic: he swoons and blushes about how amazing she is and she wallows in the attention then laughs at what a skeeze he is, and they both know it's mostly an act but they're also both having fun. He's one of the free love interests, but definitely not everyone's cup of tea.
Under the cut is just a bunch more rambling about the game. It's hard to spoil: so far there's little plot, and the characters are basically who they appear to be on the surface. They're just not only that. EDIT: I've now finished the full game, and mostly still agree with this review, but have added a few extra remarks.
The tone reminds me a lot of Daria: very cynical with a lot of sarcasm and mean jokes, but ultimately compassionate, if pretty derisive to anyone it considers "stupid". From what I've seen, it's not about a nice girl being dominated by Sexy Jerks or Redeeming A Jerk With Love (both perfectly valid genres), it's about an asshole girl finding a jerk who's jerkishness is compatible with hers.
It's a fine line to walk between "Too assholeish to like" and "So nice under the surface it feels fake", I find the characters likeable but based on the negative reviews on Steam many players did not.
The other main criticism on Steam, which I entirely agree with, is that the life sim elements are tedious and drag the game out way too long. Thankfully there's cheat codes, I didn't want to cheat through my first playthrough but I am totally going to for later ones.
The main difference between this game and others with asshole love interests is that the protagonist is also an asshole, and this never changes. She's good natured, cheerful, and friendly, but also generally quite selfish and enjoys watching the pain of others. She also has an ego the size of the moon, and the few times she does get angry it's about petty ridiculous things. Which makes her perfectly suited to enjoy being stuck in the after school group for Friendless Assholes: their insults roll off her back, and she enjoys watching them be mean to each other. She's also very openly into hot boys, something she cheerfully tells her hot male group-mates whenever she thinks it will piss them off the most. None of the guys she sleazes onto seem super upset by it, so it didn't bother me too much, but it definitely crosses the asshole line, especially with the Genuinely Nice teacher in charge (who is very much not interested, and while he seems to mostly enjoy his job I want to rescue him from all these terrible teenagers and give the poor guy a hug)
The main boys:
Free:
Everett: Pouting privileged momma's boy. Likes being told what to do.
Nate: Grumpy perfectionist control freak who thinks everyone else is lazy.
Shiloh: Always """nice""" and obedient/helpful/complimentary, enjoys manipulating people to get his own way or hurt those he doesn't like, and will stab you in the back in a heartbeat. Delightful <3
Paid version only:
Bae: Constant sugary sarcasm making it clear he thinks everyone else is is a stupid child. Prissy and hates exercise.
Jeremy: Constantly negative and depressed, complains that everything and everyone is pointless.
Pran: Brooding, judgemental, refuses to engage in even basic social interactions and when prodded will say "No. You don't deserve my attention."
They also divide into enjoyably slashy friendship pairs: Nate has been Everett's mother replacement since they started boarding school together in kindergarten, Bae and Shiloh enjoy being cheerfully fake at each other without judgement, and Pran and Jeremy quietly enjoy having someone else agree that the world is really that awful.
There's a bunch of other side characters, mostly more thinly characterised but still funny and varied. MC is so condescending towards the two "dumb but sweet" side boyfriend options that I find the idea of pursuing them squicky, but maybe the dynamic improves (EDIT: ehh). It's still worth making sure to visit their stores enough times to see their first two conversations, since this unlocks extra date locations with the main boys.
EDIT: There's also the obnoxiously pushy party boy Lukas, who only shows up if you seek him out. He's great once you get to know him.
There's also a lot of named characters who exist purely for grinding social reputation, something I found intensely boring and didn't pay much attention to once I realised that if I just picked the middle option every time a random interaction came up it all averaged out ok.
The Shiloh path isn't super romantic, but any sincere interest from such a reflexive liar requires a lot of reading between the lines. I'm wondering if some of the other guys will be more straightforwardly romantic, since most of them are a lot more sincere, whatever their other (many) faults. EDIT: Yep, his is the least conventionally romantic route.
But I'm not expecting anything very sexy on any of the paths. Shiloh and the MC definitely make out a bunch, and are vaguely implied to be having sex they are both very much into (With the implication that MC calls the shots and Shiloh cheerfully obliges, which is fine by me) But the narrative isn't interested in sex at all except for humour or characterisation reasons. Shiloh did take his shirt off in a beach scene but I wanted him to immediately put it back on again, those were some uncanny valley nipples.
Anyway.
There's character growth over the game, but it's subtle, especially since there isn't a set order to anything outside the main canon scenes: the player chooses the order of most dates, and there's a bunch of randomised interactions with her and the main guys. And the main canon arc is just all of them regularly meeting up in their afterschool group and then graduating highschool.
It mostly still feels like a coherent story, but sometimes MC's flirting with other guys when she has a boyfriend is a bit uncomfortable and feels more like the writers being too lazy to add a "unless she has a boyfriend" check than consistent characterisation.
Also for the most part it's just set in A Fancy Boarding School in California, but there's this one bizarrely long and boring exposition conversation that makes it clear that yes, the green/purple etc haired characters ARE that colour naturally.
I haven't noticed any queer characters but apparently there are some? It's certainly much less heternormative than most m/f, any time someone jokes about shipping the dudes they're either like "eh" or "ew not HIM" but seem fine with the idea in principle. EDIT: Having finished the game now, there are multiple queer LIs! Everett and Lukas are unambiguously bi, and Bae is unambiguously asexual. According to the writers Nate and Bae are also bi though this doesn't come up on their routes.
There's a lot more ethnic diversity than in most otome: Shiloh and Jeremy are the only LIs who read to me as white (And I am choosing to read Shiloh as Jewish, since it's a Jewish name and he has similar colouring/hair to me) The company's other games are all overtly queer (asides from the horror AU version of this one which, hmm) I should get around to playing them.
One place the game falls down is that it's a bit show-not-tell about the more subtle aspects of the guy's personalities. Those aspects are definitely there in the dialogue/actions, but easy to miss, so the writers randomly have characters point it out really blatantly. I think it could have been done more smoothly. Also in general the game repeats certain emotional beats when I feel like it could have fleshed things out around the edges more.
The writing's great and the art is mostly good, but the backgrounds are middling and the CGs are lackluster chibis. The voice acting only shows up occasionally but it's well done and adds a lot to the humour and characterisation.
Masterlist
no subject
Date: 2019-09-22 10:24 am (UTC)bullying Mr Grouchy-pants into going out with medating Jeremy. I'm halfway through and it is good times!!no subject
Date: 2019-09-23 06:38 am (UTC):D :D