HomeVideo GamesPAX EAST 2023 | "Sucker for Love: Date to Die For"

PAX EAST 2023 | "Sucker for Love: Date to Die For"

PAX EAST 2023 | "Sucker for Love: Date to Die For"

Last year’s Sucker for Love: First Date answered a question nobody dared asked: what if you went out with Lovecraftian horror characters? The end result was a perfect blend of dating sim, horror, and comedy. Now Akabaka is coming back to the sea of which sexy horror singles swim elegantly, with the upcoming Sucker for Love: Date to Die For. After playing through the PAX East demo, I found myself easily shouting, “Yas, queen!” to what I witnessed.

The demo begins after waking in a mysterious bookstore. Your character Stardust is in the small country town Sacramen-Cho, where a hint regarding her missing parents might be found. But then said hint winds up being a trap, with her letter turning into a receipt, and the townsfolk having strange bright white stares. It’s a situation that makes Stardust run for her parents’ home, in hopes that she won’t be kidnapped.

Entering her room, Stardust finds it prepared for a ritual. With spellbook in hand, Stardust calls upon the All-Mother, The Black Goat of the Woods. Her presence makes Stardust tremble, but not in a terrified way. Quite the contrary: she might actually be smitten by the Goddess! And All-Mother…well, let’s just say that she’s surprised by her reaction.

Yes, Sucker for Love: Date to Die For is a first-person yuri dating-sim horror game! And when that was revealed, I couldn’t help but laugh my ass off! The way All-Mother (named Roxanne, but not spelled that way) seems to blush over Stardust’s reaction is not just funny, but also pretty darn cute. The two have a chat about partners, with All-Mother focused on breeding partners and Stardust more focused on the relationship kind. (There’s a third kind, too, but I won’t spoil the joke here.)

Thus begins the quest for Stardust to get away from Sacramen-Cho, and possibly taking the All-Mother with you. The demo ends after casting a couple of spells, one involving a search quest that brings the creepy vibes back front & center to the game. And these tone changes are what may help keep this prequel/sequel a very interesting play. One moment, you’ll be swooned by All-Mother’s charm, and the next you’ll be screaming at something that’s lurking behind the door.

As someone who digs visual novels with a twist, Sucker for Love: Date to Die For checks off all of my boxes! The visuals are both terrifying and charming, and its essence knows when to go back-and-forth between scary and funny. With it taking some influence from the Higurashi series, one can expect the creepy and the humorous to be cranked at the maximum levels each time. And I’m all in for when the time comes to go to Sacramen-Cho!

Sucker for Love: Date to Die For has no set release date, but there may be plans to unleash it in chapters. Definitely swipe right for this one.

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The J-POP king of America, Evan has been bringing the hottest sounds of the Land of the Rising Sun to the English-speaking public since his college radio days. He's also an expert in the gaming, anime, & manga realms, never afraid to get critical when the times call for it. Born & bred in Boston, he achieved his biggest dream yet by making the big move to Tokyo, Japan in Summer 2023! For personal inquiries, contact Evan at evan@b3crew.com. For press/band inquiries, write to us at thebastards@bostonbastardbrigade.com. (Drawing by AFLM of Wicked Anime)