My Thoughts on The Side Stories from DDLC+
Warning: the following post contains mild spoilers for Doki Doki Literature Club. Readers beware.
Honestly, it's kind of hard for me to share this post without quoting Ego from Ratatouille a little bit:
"In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and themselves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new needs friends. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core."
For me, that was Doki Doki Literature Club+. By all rights, the main game is fascinating in its own right, promising to be a dating of sorts sim at first glance and then revealing itself to be a self-aware, psychological horror game. But the + version surprised me in a way I never thought possible.
Without giving too much away, I recently saw a play-through of the DDLC+ side stories (beautifully dubbed by a talented YouTuber, I might add). Suffice it to say; it was one I certainly never expected to move me the way it did, especially since it was meant to be a psychological horror game of all things!
With that said, the side stories take place in what I can only assume is an AU, departing from horror and instead focusing on a slice of life scenario surrounding the girls. All sensitive topics discussed in the main game are addressed here, and it's all beautifully done in a mature and rather profound manner. I deeply respect that.
While I'm all for stories with grand and epic settings, I do on occasion appreciate smaller, more down-to-earth stories where characters deal with real-life situations and chat amongst themselves about them. Sometimes, those tend to be more meaningful than most give them credit for, hence the earlier quote. *sighs*plus, I don't mind admitting the first side story almost got me teary-eyed... what? Men can cry too, you know!
So yeah, that's pretty much what I got out of DDLC+. It's almost funny; I didn't know what to expect from the side stories based on the main game, but it wasn't what I got. That said, what I got was spectacular, and I'm glad I sat through them.
If you're a fan of Doki Doki Literature Club, I highly recommend you view these side stories; plenty of YouTube videos feature them if you're not looking to purchase DDLC+. If you're not a fan, I don't know if these will sway you, especially since they deal with such sensitive subjects as depression and suicide (which, frankly, the main game tends to go a little strong on). That said, if you're a fan of slice of life stories, you may want to give these a look; just be aware of said subjects while doing so.
gummygunk
romaincrisis
turnnoffyourmind
origamiaround
pixelskylines
stormborns
