Hatoful Boyfriend -Hatoful complete edition-

First off, a warning: the G rating given by DLSite is a filthy lie. It's true that nothing is ever actually visually depicted (it just relies on text and well-timed fading to red,) but that's kind of like saying Thomas Harris novels should be rated G because nothing is ever actually visually depicted. If you possess the ability to read and any imagination whatsoever, any scene with Doctor Iwamine in it alone pushes the game into a fairly solid R.

However, that aside, this game is a lot, and I mean *a lot* better than it has any right to be. It starts off as an otome-style dating sim/visual novel with cutout photographs of birds, primarily pigeons. It sounds like the most bizarre thing ever, and for the first couple of playthroughs, it is. You'll laugh at the madness, the implausible scenarios (just how do pigeons use those desks from the classroom background, anyway?) and the goofy dialogue, as if the whole thing were some sort of twisted parody.

But then ... something happens, and you acclimate yourself to the weird world of pigeon dating, and all the sudden the cast reveals itself as the well-developed, sympathetic, and strong characters they all actually secretly are. Certain endings start to break your heart instead of your brain, and if you get all the standard endings, it unlocks a final route with a sudden turn into a dark, deeply emotional horror/mystery that completely defies description.

In short, you laugh at the very premise of this game, and you are right to do so. However, it is secretly one of the greatest visual novels, if not one of the greatest games ever made. I'm serious. So is the game, eventually.

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Yes, there are pigeons. Yes, you are dating pigeons. Yes, you actually want to date pigeons.

But under that girly, heartful exterior lies a plot so deep that it will absolutely blow your mind and change how you view birds forever. Especially fat ones. With a story that can only be fully revealed after multiple plays, this game offers hours of entertainment and emotional rollercoasters. You will laugh, cry, soil your pants, and once it is over, all you'll be capable of saying is, "THIS. GAME."

The only criticism I have is the presence of the occasional spelling mistake. However, most will not find this distracting, especially when faced with such colourful characters and fantastic storywriting. Kudos to Nazerine for bringing this game to the English-speaking masses, and of course, Moa for creating this magic in the first place.

Buy this game. Show your support for BL (Birds Love). It is worth every cent!

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Firstly, like everyone else, I'm going to admit that the premise of this game is absolutely hilarious and ridiculous.

And that is how I approached this game, and that is probably also the best mindset to have when you first tackle this game - not seriously.
I knew I would love this game as soon as I finished the introduction. I had never laughed so much and had so much genuine fun playing a Visual Novel. The witty, satirical statements about typical otome games were spot on, and made such clever commentary about the genre that I just had to play on.

But as I powered through the game, the humorous situations somehow began to string themselves together into a coherent, detailed and emotional story. It was amazing, but somehow, these well written birds were more human than most other human characters people have written. By the end of the Bad Boys Love route, I promise you that everything in Hatoful will come together in a dramatic and emotional whole.

But don't take my word for it, there is a free demo you can play to see this all for yourself. If you wish to know the finer points of the story after you're done, then the full version will definitely not disappoint you.

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The premise of this game may sound ridiculous, but it really is better than it sounds. All of the routes you can follow through the game are incredibly interesting, and some of them are real tearjerkers.
The BBL route is ***spoilers***, full of twists and it's possible to get an ending that is ***spoilers***.
All in all, it's a fantastic game and you'll soon forget that the characters you interact with are all birds.

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Ya gotta love a game that features Yaoi, Adventure and Pigeons. No really - you gotta. I enjoyed the opening credits as much as the closing, and felt that it was really indicative of the genre in every way. Very appreciative of providing the English version, for those of us in the US.

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