What is a man? A miserable pile of smooches!
It might be Valentine’s Day, but we’re going to have to wait a bit longer for that love blood to hit the water. The Deep End Games and 2124 Publishing has announced that Romancelvania, their unholy cross-breed of Metroidvania and dating sim, will be hitting the bedsheets March 7, 2023.
Romancelvania introduces us to a Dracula whose confidence is still laid up after a savage beating at the hands of the Van Helsing clan. Their lover left them, their minions don’t respect them, and evil just doesn’t have the same appeal anymore. Death gets fed up with this pity party and sets Dracula up with their own dating show. It’s time to choose from 12 “lucky” singles and help the dark lord (or lady) get their mojo back. Peer pressure is the proven way to turn a spark into a flame.
Gameplay is a clever combination of gated exploration and choice-driven dialogue. You’re given the option to choose a body type, and the dating options cover whatever it is you’re into, whether you’re more a Medusa or werewolf kind of person. The whole affair is fully voiced, which is an appreciated bit of extra effort.
It feels like simultaneously forever and not that long ago that I played the demo and came away impressed but skeptical. The whole concept seems like it will be extremely difficult to get right, given the amount of player agency available and the two disparate genres that are trying to be married. However, nothing about the demo implied that The Deep End Games is in over the depth, so provided the rest of the game matches the bar set by the earlier peek we got, then we’re in for a real treat.
Romancelvania is out on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on March 7.
