For me, waiting impatiently for news from Wales Interactive has become an annual tradition. I look forward to the next full motion video game (FMV) from these developers every year as it is a unique territory that is not yet explored by many game studios around the world today. So over the years I’ve explored Bloodshore, Night Book, Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus, and even the romantic comedy Five Dates. Now, just in time for Valentine’s Day, the last one on this list is getting a sequel.
Known as Ten Dates, this title replaces the online dating adventure of the original with that of an in-person speed dating event. We’ll put ourselves in Misha’s or Ryan’s shoes and we’ll have to meet a lot of different characters and then have a little conversation to see if they might suit us. For anyone familiar with the world of dating, it’s a game of jitters and awkwardness, flirty banter and plenty of pretty awkward moments when it becomes clear that two people are completely incompatible.
In typical Wales Interactive fashion, this game is largely about watching the two characters connect and sparkle from a third-person position. The only time you really engage more with the game is when questions and dialogue options are thrown at you, which you must answer in a way that reflects the character’s personality. For example, you can choose to be genuine and honest to try to really connect with the other person, or you can choose to be a complete narcissist and choose the most cruel reactions to see how affect the overall result. And everyone knows that there will be no second date after this disaster.
Advertising:
Speaking of second dates, Ten Dates goes beyond speed dating. At the beginning you are with five people, from which you only have to choose two, with whom you have had a little more contact to go on a second date. Later, assuming you didn’t screw it up too much, you have to give one of them the third date. That’s the only way to really win, because if you mess up the dates, you get some kind of endgame screen with all the stats. The ultimate goal will be to take the relationship with someone to the next step and make it “official”, although I know from personal experience that this is a rather rare outcome. Although maybe not for her, but for me.
At this point, Ten Dates begins to falter. Some dialog options lead to undesired results. For example, when I was playing Ryan, I found myself in a “two truths and one lie” game where the options available to me were whether I had octophobia (fear of the number eight), coasters collected or slept ten hours a day. I didn’t like any of them, but I had to decide which one suited Ryan best, even though none of them really suited him. At the end I said I don’t collect coasters because I find them terribly boring. So I made Charlie Maher (the actor who plays Ryan) look completely octophobic, which was clearly a challenge and something that could have easily been avoided with better dialogue.
I’ve also had some results that say, for example, “challenge,” which I interpreted as a friendly banter competition, when in fact the goal was to directly challenge the morality of the situation. It was a bit hostile, although that wasn’t my intention. Both are good examples of how some of the scenes and narrative threads seem to go in a certain direction before you even make a decision, which detracts from the branching dialogue system. Not to mention the times they ask you such predictable and stupid questions that you shouldn’t even answer in order to keep playing.
Advertising:
I also have to say that some of the cuts between scenes are too quick and unexpected. For example, if you’re in the middle of a conversation, there’s a quick and clean cut (but obviously meant to be hidden or camouflaged) and the other person gets up to make a call or go to the bathroom. It’s too forced and severely interrupts the immersion in the narrative.
Despite its bad points, we can’t deny that Ten Dates is genuinely fun. It’s incredibly easy to dive into and enjoy, and you can play it while sitting in your chair sipping your favorite beverage. It’s ideal for relaxing and experiencing the emotion and immersion that video games excel at, surpassing even film and television when it comes to conveying a narrative.
Because of all of this, I have a love-hate relationship with Ten Dates. On the one hand, I keep pointing out the grievances I’ve already voiced, but on the other hand, the part of me that loves silly rom-coms can’t help but elicit a sheepish smile as I listen to Ryan and Misha give a master class on flirting . If you’re also a fan of romantic comedy and the genre’s often predictable and heavy-handed humor and storytelling, Ten Dates is most likely for you. On the other hand, if you don’t like this type of story, don’t give this Wales Interactive title a second time.
