Korean dramas are all the rage these days, with them regularly taking over the top spots on streaming platforms across the globe. So, it’s really no surprise to see such concepts attempting to infiltrate the gaming market nowadays because there’s obviously an appetite for them.
Monster Guide inc. are the developers hoping to capitalise on the constantly rising popularity of Korean media with Love Too Easily. Can this interactive FMV, that’s a rom-com and a mystery all rolled into one, create a spark to make you fall in love with everything it has to offer?
Let me set the scene for Love Too Easily: Lee Yeonwoo is having a blast on a night out with a handful of friends and drinks a little too much. Cut to the morning after and, upon waking, all she can remember is having kissed someone during the get-together, with everything else being quite hazy. It seems as though the culprit has accidentally switched phones with Yeonwoo, which is just the first of the many clues she must gather to solve this romantic mystery.
It’ll be up to you to guide Yeonwoo in the decision making process, affecting how the full motion video plays out from start to end. There are three potential candidates for the identity of the mystery kisser in Han Sangmin, Kang Yejun, and Lee Jaeha. Expect plenty of junctures where choices matter as they pertain to the locations she visits, the type of clues uncovered, and which of the lucky guys gets a one-on-one grilling. You’ll genuinely feel as though everything you do is important and that helps keep your attention.
Given the number of different routes available here, the variety in each playthrough is actually very good and the big reveal will change too. There’s an interactive timeline that keeps tabs on the narrative paths taken, making it relatively simple to traverse new branches of the story and attempt to witness all the endings. That first run is the longest, at around two hours, but then you’ll breeze through the rest. Even after wrapping up the lot, there are several really interesting behind-the-scenes videos to enjoy and prolong the experience.
Naturally, some are better than others, with a personal favourite involving the childhood friend having a secret crush – it’s Korean drama 101. Other endings are enjoyable for sure, while a couple just fizzle out and you’re left thinking ‘What? That’s it?!’. The build up to the climaxes are generally done well throughout, although the chemistry between certain characters is much better than others. Nevertheless, you’ll find cute, humorous, and shocking moments aplenty; occasionally both outrageous and funny, but I won’t spoil it.
The main reason you’ll likely be hooked in however, is the main protagonist, Yeonwoo, who is a great all-round character. Actor Jeong Dayou (ì •ë‹¤ìœ ) effortlessly displays a whole range of emotions to suit every situation. Whether that’s being an annoying friend, trying to cosy up to someone, or making you laugh by attempting ‘aegyo’ – basically acting excessively cute – she absolutely nails it. Most of the supporting cast does a good job too, with best friend Yoo Seorin and her forming an enjoyable double act throughout.
I should add that there’s more to Love Too Easily than merely being an interactive movie. Keeping you on your toes are a selection of mini-games, nine to be exact, as well as a host of quicktime events. Get ready to make ramen in a rhythm-based activity, fulfil complex drinks orders under pressure at a coffee shop, and roam around a pixel world for a short RPG adventure. Another mini-game is crucial to the end-game because it’s a bit Sherlock Holmes inspired, where you must declare statements and present evidence to prove who performed the kiss. The opportunity to style Yeonwoo is also on the agenda, but despite the option to give her a different vibe for a day, she reverts to the default attire making the task a bit pointless.
Unfortunately, Love Too Easily suffers a fair bit due to post-production. I don’t know what the heck happened at this stage, but to say it’s sloppy is perhaps being polite. The scene transitions are horribly choppy after choices are made and it affects the flow as well as the immersion. Meanwhile the amount of hang-time between a decision and the scene moving forward is just downright awkward. And talking of awkward, the BGM regularly seems out of place and doesn’t match the quality or tone of the action. To cap it off, the English subtitles often present sentences that either don’t make sense or are a little off due to an incorrect word here and there. Sure, you can grasp what’s going on still, however it’s not ideal.
That’s not quite the end of Love Too Easily’s troubles though sadly, because the Xbox version suffers from a few technical issues. At times, the video will stutter and pause, while there appears to be some input lag in regards to certain QTEs too. There’s also a strange problem involving the progress timeline in which you’re unable to navigate it and must exit in order to try again.
Overall then, Love Too Easily is a good interactive movie that successfully incorporates fun and silly mini-games into its romantic plot. The acting, especially from the lead, is better than you’d find in most other FMVs, while the many storytelling branches ensure multiple playthroughs are fresh. But it’s a shame to see a plethora of production flaws and technical issues, ruining the natural flow far too often.
Like Korean dramas? Then Love Too Easily is definitely worth considering!
Love Too Easily: Unravel a Romantic Mystery in This Interactive Movie – https://www.thexboxhub.com/love-too-easily-unravel-a-romantic-mystery-in-this-interactive-movie/
Buy Love Too Easily on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/love-too-easily/9nlz262px75b
