GAME REVIEW | "KonoSuba" Gang Dresses Up in Silly "Clothes of Desire"
You can always count on anything regarding KonoSuba! to bring big laughs and unexpected twists. Be it the original light novel, the manga adaptation, or the hugely popular anime series, the story of Kazuma, Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness has plenty of moments that leave their fans giggling with joy. Finally, after years of waiting, a KonoSuba! visual novel has arrived in the West, in the form of Love For These Clothes of Desire! And as usual, the gang are put through the wringer by a mixture of karma and misguidedness.
Love For These Clothes of Desire! begins with the end of a recent quest. The gang find a strange Black Slab on the ground, which gives them the power to create any sort of clothing they want. But it comes with a price: those who wear it have their desires tweaked to the extreme. From Darkness taking on the persona of a sadomasochist to Megumin embracing her small fun bags, these clothes will fulfill their greatest needs before waking their true selves up.
But there’s more: it turns out the Black Slab the gang finds was stolen from a power-hungry Duke, who aims to execute Kazuma and the gang. On top of having to prove their innocence, the team needs to keep on making clothes that suit the needs of the Duke’s weird descriptions. Who is truly behind the theft, and will Kazuma ever get a break from the zaniness? While the answer to the former is a mystery, the latter is an obvious “nope”.
In order to make the clothes, the gang must take up various quests and jobs. Ranging from babysitting and cleaning up the town to making fake flowers and pulling carts, the tasks give everyone on the team some decent dough. Where the big money and supplies come from are in quests, which can deal with slaying giant toads, mineral mining, and seeking silver & gold. These jobs will help with making enough to buy certain supplies from Wiz and Vanir’s shop to make the clothes you need.
The big downside with this KonoSuba! game is that you don’t get to experience the action that the gang sees. Since Love For These Clothes of Desire! is a visual novel, most of what occurs is showcased in cut scenes and quick recaps. There’s some cute animation whenever the crew take on small jobs, but we don’t have the opportunity to see Darkness wield a pickaxe or Megumin sell food. It’s a bit of a disappointment, as the world of this game deserves to be experienced more outside of the Fantastic Days mobile game.
Thankfully, the strongest aspect of KonoSuba! — its sense of humor — is fully intact here. While the cut scenes run very long, they’re packed with great one-liners, gags, and jokes. From Darkness growing more embarrassed by her S&M attire to Aqua deadpanning her way through a schoolgirl outfit tryout, the banter between Kazuma and the girls is as sharp here as it is in the original anime. It also helps that the entire Japanese cast returned for the game, with Jun Fukushima (Kazuma), Rie Takahashi (Megumin), Sora Amamiya (Aqua), and Ai Kayano (Darkness) giving their all in the best ways possible.
There’s also a romance element to the game that allows you to woo who you think is the best girl in the series. Whether it’s one of the main three girls or even the likes of Yunyun, Wiz, or Chris, there are plenty of chances to win the heart of your favorite character. By putting them in different outfits and choosing the proper dialogue tree responses, the chance at getting a solid ending with your KonoSuba! waifu. It’s this aspect where having multiple save files will play into your favor, as any small mistake will result in losing hours of romantic progress.
PROS:
- Trademark KonoSuba! comedy in full gear
- Multiple endings, romancing
- Great voice acting
CONS:
- Not much actual gameplay
- Action takes place off-screen
- Aqua is as useless as ever!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Fans of KonoSuba! will find plenty to enjoy in Love For These Clothes of Desire!, thanks to its sense of humor and enticing visuals. However, newcomers will be somewhat confused by the style of camaraderie these four adventurers have, on top of there being not much to do save experience the story in long cut scenes. It’s not the best anime-based visual novel out there, but KonoSuba! Love For These Clothes of Desire! is still more fun than being swallowed by a giant toad.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Daniel McGrath of PQUBE Games. Reviewed on the PC via Steam.
