Obey Me! Shall We Date? Anime Story Review

A Foreign Exchange Program Like No Other

I awake in confusion. I am in a strange courtroom lit by candlelight.  Before me are several young men. The man who appears to be in charge introduces himself as Diavolo and welcomes me to The Royal Academy of Diavolo, a school for demons. I have been chosen to participate in a student exchange program as part of an initiative to strengthen relations between heaven, earth, and the Devildom. Diavolo introduces me to Lucifer, vice president of the student council and the avatar of pride.  It’s going to be an interesting year.

NTT Solmare’s Obey Me! Shall We Date? Anime Story is a fun dating sim RPG hybrid. The storyline feels fresh while relying on a well-known mythos. Throughout the game, the player attempts to get the demons to make pacts with them. By entering a pact, the demon can be controlled. Typically, demons want souls in return but luckily our protagonist is clever enough to find other ways to entice demons into pacts. Each of the demon brothers in Obey Me! Shall We Date?, represents one of the seven deadly sins. Beelzebub, for example, the avatar of gluttony, is always hungry, while Mammon, the avatar of greed, can’t bear to be parted from his credit card, whom he lovingly calls Goldie. Each has his own well-defined personality and it is up to the player which brother they will pursue. Of note is NTT Somare’s choice to leave the player character’s gender undefined so that anyone who plays can have an immersive experience.

A Devilishly Smart Phone

In the beginning of the game Lucifer gifts the player a device called a D.D.D., which is essentially a demonic cell phone. The game’s main interface is the D.D.D.’s home screen with different features being accessed through app icons. The chat app allows the player to access and respond to messages from the demons. Summon new cards in the nightmare app. Through the ‘Your Tasks’ app, you can access the main storyline. Karasu, your devildom phones’ version of Siri, supplies you with tips to help you progress in the game. The smartphone interface adds a deeper level of immersion to the game.  In-app purchases are made through the akuzon app which is the devildoms version of amazon.com.

Battle to The Beat

Obey Me! Shall We Date? is not only a dating sim, it also an RPG with a fun card-based battle system. Instead of traditional battles, these demons duke it out on the dance floor. You can choose three of your cards to compete at a time against a trio of demon dancers. Players can level up their cards and unlock new bonuses through the skill tree. The battles themselves are simplistic. As your demon’s dance, a meter below them begins to fill up. When it is full, tap on your demons to complete a special move. Collect the stars and hearts that appear on screen for bonus points.  While the dance moves are repetitive, the chibi demon dancers are adorable and dance battles are only twenty-seconds-long. There isn’t a chance for the player to grow bored.

Sometimes, after winning a dance battle one of the demon brothers will greet you as a surprise guest. When this happens, you can interact with the demon three times by showing them affection through high-fives and pats on the head or by giving him a gift. It’s important to pay attention to each demon’s personality. Asmodeus, the avatar of lust, loves flowers but Leviathan much prefers manga. Each positive interaction increases your intimacy level. The intimacy level measures how found of you a demon is and is important in growing your relationships. Obey Me! Shall We Date? offers an intriguing and original storyline set in the rich world of Devildom. While the dance-offs are repetitive, the chibi versions of Lucifer and his brothers are adorable. Though it implements RPG elements, it is a dating sim at its core. With seven incorrigible love interests to choose from, Obey Me! Shall We Date? allows each player to experience their perfect macabre romance.