

Existing fans will appreciate some of the new content, such as the side stories and concept art, but locking the content behind multiple playthroughs of a game that loses its appeal after the first time around is a tough pill to swallow. Since nothing in the story really changes, you will inevitably skip all the dialogue to make one or two key decisions to get your unlockables, which ends up feeling more like a chore than being worthwhile.ĭoki Doki Literature Club is still a fantastic visual novel, but the Plus version on PS5 struggles to find a purpose besides being a new way to play the original.

This means playing through the game you’ve played before multiple times already to unlock one extra bonus. For existing fans, the new additions are small bonuses that you’ll enjoy, but the biggest problem is that all of this new content, from gallery images to the side stories, needs to be unlocked one-by-one. Instead of getting some new lore about the world, they simply feel like short glimpses into these characters’ friendships, which ends up being disappointing. While it is great to have some completely new scenes with the characters, they ultimately struggle both in terms of how short they are, and that they add very little due to their non-canon nature. These six non-canon episodes take place before the original game, and focus on one-on-one interactions between each of the four main girls. The real selling point, however, comes in the form of the side stories. Other new additions include an image gallery, with plenty of new concept art, and a full music player, including some new songs and remixes. Character profiles and close-up shots look far better than the original, and it’s great to see so much love and attention put into the presentation. First, it has been fully remastered, upgrading the visuals and art to HD. This will bring up a notification box before any scene that might be disturbing to some, making for a great accessibility option.ĭoki Doki Literature Club Plus is more than a simple port of the original, though, as the game adds a few new additions that fans will appreciate.

In addition to the multiple content and age warnings when booting up the release, there is also a content warning checkbox that can be turned on from the menu at any time. The game is certainly not for the faint of heart, but the horror aspects are what will grip you from start to finish. Make no mistake, the game may look like a standard, cute visual novel, but it does an excellent job with disturbing twists and turns that help keep the experience fresh.

Instead, it shines with its not-so-well hidden horror aspects. Ultimately, where Doki Doki Literature Club shines is not in the well-written characters or the poetry minigame.
