"Date a Live: Rio Reincarnation" Review

Rich in culture and fan service, "Date a Live: Rio Reincarnation" is a well-written and visually stunning visual novel set with minimal gameplay and maximum storytelling.

The loopy story is wild yet somehow relatable. You see the world through the eyes of Shido, an earnest young man blessed and cursed with the ability to seal powers of spirits. To accomplish that task, he completes a series of social experiences, which tend to be PG-13 versions of "dates."

You gently guide the story by making romantic choices. Despite the romantic aspect, there's little that's steamy about the encounters. The emphasis is placed on the dramatic and whimsical aspects of the interactions, with the writing geared toward the middle and high school levels.

Despite the youth focus, there's a disarming nature to the storytelling rhythm. One of the best ways to enjoy the game is to save yourself the constant button-tapping and place the game on auto mode by tapping the touchpad to engage autoplay mode, which pauses when you need to prompt personal choices.

Bolstered with loads of extras that expand the play time, as well as alternate paths that make the storylines replayable, "Date a Live: Rio Reincarnation" is also a bounty for trophy hounds, who can rack up loads of trinkets with minimal effort. The light, relaxing experience is a welcome break from the usual gaming grind.

The adaptation of the Japanese light novel series

Publisher provided review code.