Love Plus Official Guide. Konami’s dating sim ships in Japan this week, with this strategy guide coming later in the month to salvage your strained relationship.

The tiny text on the cover reads, “Always in love… 365 days. Feel this love every day and night. You can see the endless love story. Love Plus.” The 256-page guide holds your hand through a year’s worth of courtship, so you don’t embarass yourself on these virtual dates (Protip: Don’t spend the entire night talking about your last dating sim sweetheart).

It reminds me a lot of the Health and Physical Education for Over Thirty books, except for a fake girlfriend!

Famitsu’s reviewers handed out positive scores for Love Plus (8/9/7/8 - 32/40); I’ve pulled a few quotes from Canned Dogs’s translation of their comments:

“If you don’t mind the trouble and can keep playing the game, the number of things you can do with the girl is immense and you can go on forever.”

“The slightly reluctant kiss had me completely absorbed in the game next thing I knew.”

“It kinda makes me happy how a casual comment can make the girl try to change herself to fit your own tastes. “

“It’s really good how the girl will slowly change her character and her appearance to fit your tastes.”

The last two remarks worry me — while it’s not unusual for a female to transform herself into someone she feels will better attract a particular guy or girl, I wonder if the game demands that same neccessary compromise from players.

If Love Plus doesn’t have that give-and-take, I’d consider the game a dangerously inaccurate simulation of a healthy relationship (though carrying on a year-long romance with a digital school girl is already unlike anything anyone would describe as healthy).

Preorder import: Love Plus

See also: Love Plus teaser site, Unrequited Love Plus, Gamers try out Love Plus

tags / love plus / famitsu / konami / import / love plus official guide / ec