[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/sprung/cover.jpg[/floatleft]The idea of a dating simulation is about as foreign of a concept as you can get with me. As a young adult, I was never much into the concept of dating or going out and actually meeting girls. I pretty much had my head in the clouds. When [i]Sprung[/i] arrived at my house, I kind of just stared at it for a little while, trying to figure out if I was indeed about to sit down and play a game simulating the wonderful world of dating and romance. The answer to that question turned out to be yes.
[floatright]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/sprung/ss12_thumb.jpg[/floatright]To say that [i]Sprung[/i] is a dating simulation is a little off the mark. Creating a true dating simulation would be a very difficult thing to do. To account for the almost unlimited number of dumb things people say would take eons. Instead, [i]Sprung[/i] takes you on an adventure in the world of dating and romance. You have the option of embarking on this adventure as one of two playable characters, Brett or Becky. Your adventure begins as the two friends are on vacation at a beautiful ski resort and they are both out for love. Your romantic encounters cover a wide variety of locations at the resort including the ski lodge, a nightclub, and the ever-elusive hot tub.
Each of the characters has a different adventure upon which to embark. The adventure is broken up into a series of scenarios. Each scenario places you in a conversation with one of the game’s characters. It is your job to use the available responses to guide the conversation and achieve the desired outcome. The outcome will vary from scenario to scenario, and if you fail, you will restart the current scenario. The scenarios are highly entertaining, and the fact that the correct response is not always the one you would expect it to be kept me guessing and trying to figure out the character’s personalities. Some of the scenarios incorporate memory game elements into them, and screwing up on these parts became highly frustrating and almost ended my playing time with this one.
[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/sprung/ss06_thumb.jpg[/floatleft]The graphics in [i]Sprung[/i] are pretty low grade, and the sound didn’t really do it for me, but in a game that is focused almost entirely around text-based conversations it didn’t seem to matter.
As I think back on the concept of [i]Sprung[/i], I want to say that I didn’t like it. However, the fact remains that I was addicted to it and only stopped playing it when Dots stole the DS and beat it on her own. [i]Sprung[/i] and the dating sim genre will probably never catch on here in the U.S., but if you want a highly original game that will guide you through a series of enjoyable romantic adventures, then definitely give [i]Sprung[/i] a shot. With [i]Sprung[/i], it is all about the thrill of the hunt.
[author]Dots[/author] [b]Sprung – The Dots Edition[/b]
What do I have to add about [i]Sprung[/i]?
Cone got it all wrong. This isn’t a game about dating. It is a game made for women; a game that is all about analyzing situations and manipulating them to come out your way. The fact of the matter is that I beat the game in a few hours and Cone did not. Why? I am woman, watch me manipulate.
