Heavenly Playgirl Dating Sim is the only game released by TopazShrine. I’m really impressed at the quality of the art and unique premise given that this seems to be the creator’s first game. There are some weird phrases and word choices, but taking into consideration that the author is not a native English speaker the writing is fantastic (Even after several years of Spanish I can’t imagine how awful I would be at making a game in a different language). I was initially skeptical about the premise of this game since I’m not religious and thought the game might be a bit preachy, but since the only real moral issue is “don’t cheat on people” (and obviously I can support that idea) it didn’t bother me nearly as much as I feared. There’s not much of a plot or character development, and the dialog can be a little inane/repetitive, but that’s pretty standard for a dating sim game so I can’t complain too much. Overall, it’s a fun game and definitely worth playing through a few routes that appeal to you.
The premise of the game is that the (nameable) protagonist is a cynic about love, resolved to play with guy’s hearts because she believes that all guys “date for fun” and is sure if she got emotionally invested in them they’d just hurt her instead. As the game begins, the protagonist gets into a fatal car accident, but is given a second chance at life to prove she can find true love. She is granted five weeks to find love, and if she succeeds will be able to go to heaven. So, obviously, the rest of the game revolves around the protagonist seeking out true love in her town.
(I’m going to start doing readmore’s to make my posts less obnoxiously long. Read about the characters under the cut!)
Sergio: Best Friend Type
Sergio is, indeed, the protagonist’s best friend. Although they have only been friends since they were sixteen, Sergio is still the protagonist’s oldest friend since he was the first person she met at her new school. They are very close to each other, and although the protagonist tends to tease Sergio she still cares a lot about him.
Vittorio: Jerk Type
It’s hard to label Vittorio a jerk, since he really wasn’t much of a dick and to the extent that he was the protagonist totally deserved it. However, he does fit the archetype, since he is very resistant to getting close to the protagonist. He asks her why she keeps talking to him and accuses the protagonist of joking when she tells him she’s interested in him in the intro, knowing her history of not taking dating seriously. During the game, he initially tells her to leave him alone and calls her annoying. Later on, he explains the tragic (well, more just kind of unpleasant) backstory that caused his cold behavior. Over time, however, Vittorio warms up to the protagonist and accepts her feelings for him on his route.
Nikolai: Friendly Type
Sigh. Nikolai isn’t a real shoe-in for the friendly archetype, because as a doctor he’s definitely not a slacker. But he’s not obviously a hard worker either -- he’s pretty much always just hanging out in his office without any patients, and doesn’t really talk about his job with the protagonist. He’s generally pleasant to talk to, and seems happy (if a little puzzled) about the protagnonist’s miracle recovery.
Cleon: Quiet Type
Cleon is the other victim of the protagonist’s car crash. He’s really not much of a talker, although he admits he’s very bored cooped up in the hospital room. He’s also somewhat artistic, as he was only in town to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. Cleon warms up to the protagonist gradually and begins to talk a little more about himself, but he’s never very emotive.
Keagan: Eccentric Type
Just by looking at Keagan, you can tell he’s an odd one. I’d say calling an exorcist on someone right after meeting them is also kind of a red flag. Keagan’s fear of ghosts (although, to be fair, apparently they exist in this world), his rather unique ideas about how the protagonist could have escaped death in the accident, and his obvious obsession with the color green all prove his adherence to the eccentric archetype. I admit, his speech patterns are not very unusual, but his actions (again, an exorcist? Really?) make up for it. What else can you expect from artists, though.
Ignacio: Prince Type
Ignacio is a prince type character, but he’s... Kind of bad at it. He’s clearly very concerned with behaving in a polite and proper way, always referring to the protagonist as “Miss” until she explicitly tells him to just say her name and paying for her on their date. However, he’s regularly making errors that make the protagonist uncomfortable. Of course, there’s their meeting incident where he attempts to exorcise and accidentally knocks her unconscious, but even after that there are a couple of small missteps. These errors absolutely mortify Ignacio, who apologizes sincerely and profusely when he realizes that he’s made a mistake. It’s actually kind of funny; prince type characters are usually so polished and accustomed to their manners that that they’re nigh unflappable (unless the protagonist herself challenges his conventions) -- but there’s no rule that says they have to be. Bring on the awkward princes! I’m 100% a fan of this variant.
Ray: Responsible Type
Just in case I wasn’t able to figure out these character’s archetypes on my own, the creator gave them handy little descriptions at the end of their routes, too! Ray’s description is “the extraordinary hardworker,” and to be honest that’s really the extent of his personality. He works multiple jobs and is constantly doing his best to earn promotions. In conversations with the protagonist, he is constantly worrying over his job prospects. Unfortunately, we never learn where all this money is going: just keeping him afloat in our tough economy? Charity? An ailing relative? Honestly, I can’t help but feel like his character would have been more powerful if there was a cutscene in which he describes some noble cause that he was working towards. Regardless, his work ethic alone earns him his archetype, especially since there’s nothing much else to go on.
***SPOILERS***
Angelo: Unique
Angelo is actually a very unique character, because he fiercely resists becoming attached to the protagonist while still being completely friendly with her. Angelo claims to have no emotions for the majority of the game, but if he is pursued he eventually falls in love with the protagonist and finally admits it on the final day.
I was browsing through deviantART when I saw TopazShrine's super cute and funny dating sim. The characters are great, and it's just a fun game to play. Check it out:
