Boobs and Bombs – The Whole Shebang!
Death Match Love Comedy! isn’t just a game, it’s an essay in teenage hormones. Developed by KEMCO and published by PQube, Death Match Love Comedy! (henceforth referred to as DMLC) is a visual novel that keeps you chuckling and intrigued with the bizarity of its plot. I expect nothing less from the caricaturization of Japanese high schoolers. Is it fun? Sure, but is it good? Meh. If visual novels and weeb-ish content is your jam, then you should definitely check DMLC out. Otherwise, if you don’t get a kick out of teen drama and boob jokes then this is not the game for you. You can, however, read the rest of this review to get the rundown.
Our novel opens with an anime-opening of its own, an absolutely banging opening song. This gives way to an equally explosive introduction. I mean, a literal explosion, as screenshotted above. We are experiencing main character, Kei Yagi’s, sudden brush with death. Kei has been cursed by a “mysterious pink bastard” and he will die by fiery explosion if any girl confesses their feelings to him. Previously a loner, Kei would have likely survived, but fate is rarely so kind as the very experience has forged a rag-tag group of friends. We get every character type imaginable in this cast from the shy, big tiddy girl (often puncuating her dialogue with *jiggle*) to the aloof yet loyal nerd who is always around despite his constant complaints. All witnesses to the absurd situation in some capacity, they become comrades influenced by curiosity and supernatural forces.
“There were two girls as well, but I was too worked up to even consider the ramifications of arguing in front of them”
Kei Yagi, encountering the female gender
The absurd plot is the key selling point for the game, it’s wacky and entertaining providing a light-hearted fun. DMLC! is a novel, so do not expect much involvement. I genuinely enjoyed the storyline but I don’t have the attention span to endure it for long periods of time. Bear that in mind for those of you considering the game, you make choices that determine the outcome of your story but there are heavy periods of pure dialogue/story where you won’t even do that.
There is no health point system per se, but we gain a traffic light system of hearts that imitates our lifeline. Four hearts vertically aligned on the wrist of our character. No danger in the vicinity? Four black hearts. Of course, by danger I mean love-stricken school girls, but to each their own. The more danger, the more hearts on our lifeline, but this is not a spiritual healing. It is accompanied by blinding vision, tremendous pain, and nosebleeds. Get confessed to, and you’re dead – four hearts, big kaboom. The aforementioned explosion. Leave it to a group of teenagers to push the boundaries of what Kei will survive. You can imagine the hijinks, even without the supernaturally-induced lovedrunk state our love interests enter.
DMLC! is a low-budget game, meaning there won’t be any voice-acting, animation, or memorable soundtrack (beyond the surprising opening). The game is clean, well-drawn, and sets the atmosphere well using a generic background music. The charm of the game lies purely in the plot and the characters. Which are, admittedly, endearing in their own quirky ways. The plot is exciting enough to keep you interested, with surprising twists and turns, be that hidden familial relationships or otherworldly forces. The English translation is also well done, giving more realistic and engaging conversations, instead of being forced to endure dialogue.
The game itself has a “streamer mode” which stops gameplay 1/3 through to prevent endings and spoilers being posted online. Although, the player could just select normal non-streamer mode but it’s an honesty system. DMLC! gives us the ability to scroll through a log of previous dialogue and options, making it great for second thoughts, distractions, and short-term memory. There is also a not-so handy tips button, which stores random tidbits of knowledge. The knowledge rarely gives clues to guide us, mostly containing random pieces of information, but it’s the thought that counts, I suppose. I also found the menu pretty overcrowded and hard to navigate.
Overall, I don’t feel particularly strongly about Death Match Love Comedy! It’s certainly not a rival for top titles but it also isn’t bad. DMLC! is quirky and fun, with a strangely endearing cast of characters and a unique storyline. Ultimately though, DMLC! is a fairly simple visual novel and not much of a game. I genuinely enjoyed my playthrough of the game and had no regrets, but unless this game fits your specific niche or interest it’s likely not worth the £24.99 on Steam. It is, however, currently on sale for £14.99 until May 7th – do with that information what you will.
The code for this review was provided by PQube. This review has been cross-posted to OpenCritic.
