Lover Pretend

Lover Pretend is another enjoyable otome VN on the Nintendo Switch.

To put it bluntly, I found Lover Pretend a meandering bore. Considering the many difficulties behind the scenes and the way it changed hands in terms of writers numerous times, it’s perhaps not a surprise that the story turned out as poor as it did, and equally no surprise that the title as a whole is not exactly a resounding success.

Between Pokemon Scarlet / Violet and this, I really hope I don't have any games in the future that could be great but that I have to start docking for egregious issues. A bad ending to a story isn't as bad as game-spanning tech issues, but the end result ends up being the same; a game worth recommending, but with some major caveats. Especially when the story is 95% of the reason to play the game.

Lover Pretend is a great Otome game full of romance, with a fantastic film industry setting that you won't be able to put down.

After being disappointed with Paradox Paradigm I am thrilled that Lover Pretend was a big bounce back to form, both in my perception of Otomate, and the localiser, Aksys. While the first impression is that this one is going to make incest a core theme and that’s going to be simply plain unpleasant for (almost) anyone, the good news is that it soon settles down into a rather comfortable reflection on celebrity, the filmmaking process, and, of course, romance.

Lover Pretend is not a bad otome game, but it certainly isn’t without its faults. While the plot is full of cheesy moments, none of them were memorable. If you’re tired of overly serious stories this is a breath of fresh air with a more light-hearted romance. Unfortunately, it failed to subvert my expectations, even if I can’t “pretend” that they were perhaps too high to begin with.

Lover Pretend is a surprisingly good Switch otome game that features fun characters and a lighthearted story.

I would absolutely recommend Lover Pretend. It does have some small flaws but those are nothing compared to how fun and beautifully made this game is. Every route was enjoyable to play, which does not happen often for me. This would be a good Otome game to add to your collection.

The main strength of this adventure is how dynamic the scenes are. The script isn't economical per se; it takes its time to explain and develop, but the point is that Lover Pretend doesn't take a moment longer than necessary. This makes the dialogue always enjoyable, the scenes have a suitable length, and it never leaves you bored, something I greatly value in Otoges.

To conclude, Lover Pretend really was a journey about a girl who ends up pretending to be someone’s girlfriend. Some scenarios of how certain characters become a pretend couple are understandable, while others were… questionable. Like bro, WHAT!? With the main character being quite flavourful and able to go with the flow (bless her understanding heart) towards everyone’s wacky request, this Rom-Com comes out quite enjoyable. I’m giving this game my rating of 8 out of 10, for continuing to bring cliché scenarios back to light.