Dream Daddy
Alright, so if you're looking at the title screen and already thinking, "what the hell?"
I'm going to take a step back with you to try and explain.
Living in a world with a mainstreamed internet, often one joke can go a long way.
This whole sexualized "daddy" complex (with roots reaching back to the 1920's,
by the way!) is thankfully only used as a basis for inspiration here.
This means that while seemingly one big joke, the real game is actually played straight
(the other straight): being heartfelt and serious with the expected touch of ridiculousness.
"A game by Game Grumps" reads the opening logo, but what does this mean exactly?
Game Grumps is a YouTube show hosted and created by Arin "Egorapter" Hanson with replacing
co-star Danny "Sexbang" Avidan.
This duo is one of the more popular "Let's Play" web series, providing improv-comedy
while playing video games.
Over the years, Arin has expanded Game Grumps to the business it is today: with several
sub-shows like Doodle-Doods (friends drawing popular characters with limited time) and
Table Flip (real life board games in costume).
With so much entertainment over the years with a main focus on videogame culture, it's
a pleasant surprise to see an actual game published by their crew.
And I only say "published", because they all (Arin and Danny for example), didn't
make it- the Grumps appear more as cameos with costumes and voice acting rather than
creation.
Credit for that goes to Vernon Shaw and Leighton Gray among many other names from the development
team: which may not be what fans were anticipating (and as such, has unfortunately lead to disappointment).
You see, Game Grumps is known primarily for the unplanned "moments of comedic brilliance"-
more often than not containing some pretty raunchy jokes or loud shouting if Arin's
playing a Sonic game: an in-your-face sort of humor.
None of that is present in this game.
There's immature jokes, yes- but not in the Grump's style.
And personally, I don't think that's a bad thing.
Game Grumps works as improv.
Emulating classic Arin & Danny back-and-forths with a script simply wouldn't be the same,
and wouldn't make sense for the story given.
The only way to have made this game feel more like "Game Grumps" is through references,
but I don't feel those are necessary either as that'd probably inhibit some of the immersion.
Having not been pressured to pay correct homage to the YouTube show was for the best in my
opinion.
With that said, let's uncover the story we did get- a pretty fantastic script with
some really touching moments.
The plot is as follows- you are a widowed, single dad just settling in to a new neighborhood
with your daughter Amanda.
After meeting the locals (who all happen to be bi-sexual dads), it's up to the player
to get closer with their choice and ultimately end up with a new partner.
An overarching story with Amanda requires the player to act as if she was really their
child, leading to some heated arguments and careful dialogue choices to ensure she's
given the best advice.
Parenting is hard, and this game takes liberties to honor its name as a "dad" simulator
by showcasing this.
Moving back to the "dating" part of that title, a total of three dates can be had with
each of the game's seven dads.
21 dates in all to experience, with the third locking in a single character's campaign
for their good or bad ending.
These "dates" are far from conventional though, so it's easier to think of them
as simply a day devoted to a specific dad with a heart denoting your progress.
The game plays less like the genre standard and more like a visual novel too- meaning
dialogue choices are the most important means for progress.
Saying the right thing for example, will build a stronger friendship.
But saying the "best" thing on the other hand, grants "daddy points"- signaled
audibly and visually via eggplants and uh… "water drops" flying out of the character.
And with that explanation, what Dream Daddy review would be complete without my personal
ranking of the dads?
Here's a brief list: Damien: My number one.
Love his transformation at the end, being comfortable with a less "exaggerated"
form of himself and being all together very sweet.
His promise of a handmade bouquet with my dadsona's favorite flowers won me over-
plus the gothic flair is all really fun and executed well.
Robert: Very close to my top choice and was really hard not to pick.
The fact that the player can choose to end all three dates in a matter of minutes by
having sex early on is hilarious (and greeted with an achievement!) while going the full
route is absolutely worth the hard work for a touching end.
The bad dad is mysterious and fun to tag along with, making for more of an interesting narrative
than the remaining options.
Craig: A classic trope of "college roommate" implemented fairly well.
While the third-date tent romancing may be a bit abrupt for some, I found the pacing
to be fine with hints of an attraction as early as the first couple of encounters.
Hugo: Often stated to be "the underrated dad", and for good reason.
Many may be turned away with the "teacher dad" title, thinking his route will be boring
or not as satisfying.
Similar to Damien though, he has an alternate personality and it's cool to see his opening
up in the time spent with him.
Brian: Brian is a great character.
He's very loveable and has a daughter that gets along really well with your own.
He might be higher if it wasn't for the dadsona's attitude towards him- it's hostile
until the final act of the third date, all because he thinks Brian is overly competitive
and feels threatened by the constant challenges the protagonist instigates!
Mat: A pretty cool dad- the reason he's low for me is simply a matter of preference.
I didn't enjoy his dates as much as the others (save for the PUP concert).
I had a difficult time gauging just what he wanted, but I do love his passion for coffee
and similar personality to my own.
Joseph: Disregarding the controversial "cult" ending found within the game's code (which
I think is pretty neat), Joseph didn't really do it for me.
He's a married man with four children, so pursuing him feels wrong- this seems to be
solved during the final date when he reveals his marriage has been failing and is now unfixable:
though after a night together still decides to stay with his wife.
For the good ending!
This means he's essentially used you, as Robert warned of prior to stepping on the
yacht.
The bad ending is even worse, in which he offers to continue seeing your dadsona- a
promise for an affair.
As much as I liked dating each dad, there are some obvious problems with the game mechanically.
Errors include character models appearing on screen during times they shouldn't, in
my case when I loaded a previous save during a date with Brian.
The kids are supposed to be out exploring the woods, but are instead on the boat with
us in the middle of the lake.
Funny, but immersion-breaking.
Speaking of, the reason I had a save file here was because of this fishing game.
A minor part in the story, but features an achievement for the players willing to try
and try again to crack the high score.
This one is doable, but you'd best prepare yourself for the other minigame with an achievement-
consecutively perfect holes-in-one on an 18 round mini golf course.
And it isn't forgiving!
It's tough enough simply getting the 9 required to beat Brian, so as of now I can't see
myself getting there anytime soon.
Good luck to you mini golfers out there, your sacrifice is appreciated.
To end on a more positive note, I want to praise the assets utilized.
I've seen some discussion regarding the art being inconsistent, and I have to say
the only time I realized this was with the portrait end cards, though I thought that
was cool with exception for Joseph (it doesn't really look like the character).
The only other instance of conflicting aesthetic is the created Dadsona in comparison with
the cast- which I understand: the lack of alternating poses (or a blinking feature)
is odd sometimes when considering what's happening in the story: I'd also rather
have seen a change in outfit depending on the context.
It's hard to imagine a date with Craig when I'm jogging, swimming, and working out in
a tux.
Other than that, the backgrounds are all detailed & fun- the colors feel in unison and it never
looks as if I'm playing a different game.
I do respect the one time it does look as if I'm playing a different game, though
that's only because it's a pretty clever homage to Pokemon.
And with that, my concluding thoughts for Dream Daddy is that if you're willing to
look past some minor mechanical and visual flaws, this game is worth experiencing for
the script alone.
It's majorly a visual novel after all- the mini games that break-up the text are simply
a bonus (even if most aren't great design-wise, they remind me of Newgrounds flash games,
but considering Arin's beginnings makes it not so out of place.
If you think the concept of the game in general is in any way amusing, you'll like the humor
presented- and if not, you may be surprised at the charm anyway.
If existing Game Grumps fans don't expect a hilarious reenactment of their favorite
moments- and if more people actually give it a chance, I'm sure there'd be a lot
more positivity circulating discussion.
Thanks everyone for watching, and I'll hopefully see you for the next one :)
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