- Date Warp
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Date Warp 
Developer(s) Spiky Caterpillar and Hanako Games Publisher(s) Hanako Games Engine Ren'Py Platform(s) Windows, Mac OS X, Linux Release date(s) May 22, 2010 Genre(s) Visual Novel Mode(s) Single player Media/distribution Download, CD Date Warp is a visual novel video game about a young Indian-American woman, a college student who goes on a date and disappears. It was released on May 22, 2010 for Windows, Mac OS and Linux. It is a science fiction game with elements of romance. The game uses anime-style graphics and is written in English. It was developed and published by Hanako Games.
Contents
Gameplay
As it is a visual novel, the player reads through the story and makes choices at crucial points to change the outcome, leading to eleven different endings. The game also contains small puzzles which must be solved in order to make those choices.
Plot
The story begins with Janet and Bradley, the young couple on their first date, arriving by chance at a mysterious mansion in the woods after their car breaks down in the rain. They seek shelter inside and find a mismatched group of handsome young men staying at the mansion. After staying the night, they try to leave, and the story takes the first of many surprise turns. Each path through the game reveals only a fraction of the story until finally all the elements are in place and the true ending is unlocked.
Characters
- Janet
A freshman at Brook College, previously a socially-isolated student at the top of her high school class.
- Bradley
A cheerful jock who's been asking every freshman girl on exactly one date each...
- Nathaniel
A polite and wealthy gentleman offering assistance to those in need. But is that too convenient?
- Alben
A mysteriously hostile young man. Why is he so angry?
- Linds
A lecherous scientist, who's clearly up to something...
- Rafael
A soft-spoken young man who takes care of others but dodges questions about his past...
Development
The game was created with the visual novel engine Ren'Py. On May 15, 2010 the opening trailer was released on YouTube.[1] Hanako Games released a free demo of the game on their website. The opening theme is What Lies Beyond composed by Matthew Myers from LeetStreet Boys.[2]
Reception
Date Warp received moderate to positive reception.
Gamertell gave 92/100 to the game writing: "The character art is appealing, the puzzles to unlock answers are a nice diversion and, most importantly, it is well written. Hanako Games and Spiky Caterpillar did a wonderful job of creating a visual novel that both men and women will enjoy."[3]
GameZebo gave 3 of 5 stars and wrote: "If you're part of that niche audience that Date Warp caters to then you'll enjoy the branching storylines and cute art style, and will no doubt have fun trying to unlock all of the endings."[4]
Gameasutra wrote: "Date/Warp is trying to do some cool things through its interactivity, but it could have stood to be a good deal more procedural."[5]
References
- ^ "Date Warp - Game OP trailer". 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvLPA1qO134. Retrieved 2011-10-23.
- ^ "Theme Song from "Date Warp"". 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU44rtmXSPg. Retrieved 2011-10-23.
- ^ "Gamertell Review: Date Warp for Windows, Mac and Linux". 2010. http://www.gamertell.com/technologytell/article/date-warp-gamertell-review-hanako-games-windows-mac-and-linux/. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
- ^ "Date Warp Review (Gamezebo)". 2010. http://www.gamezebo.com/games/date-warp/review. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
- ^ "Analysis: Warped Structures - Story In Date/Warp". 2011. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/32592/Analysis_Warped_Structures__Story_In_DateWarp.php. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
External links
Visual Novels Date Warp · Fatal HeartsLife simulation games Role-playing video games Science Girls!Categories:- 2010 video games
- Windows games
- Linux games
- Visual novels
- Non-H visual novels available in English
- Otome games
- Visual novel stubs
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
