Ever wondered what would happen if you were a senior, happily married for over 30 years, but suddenly all alone, widow(er) and ready for a new adventure of love? Well, try Later Daters! A Visual Novel meets Dating Simulator about senior love with a touch of LGBTQ-influences (and even some polyamory). Welcome to our review of Later Daters, the most inclusive dating simulator ever. Disclaimer – we reviewed the first half of the game (episode 1 till 3) since the second part of the game is scheduled to release in the fall of 2020.
Later Daters
You’re the newest resident at Ye OLDE retirement community, where you’ll meet a cast of supposedly sexy seniors who are all dying (not literally) to meet you. It’s a lot like summer camp, but with orthopedic shoes, bridge clubs, and more Jell-O. It’s an adjustment as you settle in, but who knows: maybe these will turn out to be the best years of your life! Later Daters makes the bold claim that adventure, passion, and transformation are not experiences reserved for the young. The game challenges ageism and suggests growing old is the purest human experience – one that can teach us poignant lessons about our capacity for love. And that’s not a small claim, since the game offers romance on every corner of the Later Daters Crossway, in every way possible.
Visual Novel
Later Daters was probably one of the weirdest Visual Novels I played. I was thrown in a character creator in which I could create a senior citizen with a tragic background. I went with a female version, artsy type with a short and modern haircut. In the description of the game, you could either pick a male or female protagonist, but I could not tell the difference (on picture). This could have been a bit more… detailed? With my fake teeth in place, hip replacement pushed back in its socket, and I was ready to rock Ye OLDE’s world.. or something like that.
Like I stated in the introduction, Later Daters is probably one of the most inclusive stories you’ll play. Each and everyone can be romanced, in which it does not matter if you play as a male or female protagonist. You can also opt for the more courageous option of polyamory, in which all of the NPC’s are into for some reason. And yes, there is also the addition of a transgender senior if you were wondering. I don’t have too much knowledge about the whole LGBTQ-community (except from some friends and acquaintances), but I’m learning every day. Mainly through outlets like artists (Doubleclicks – Laser, for instance, is non-binary), we gain more and more insights in this way of personification. I find it hard to choose the right words, so don’t hate me for trying – I’m applauding the route Later Daters takes. It’s non-conventional and experimental – maybe a bit too innovative for my taste.
Part One
One of the main problems I had with Later Daters was the vast array of options I had in dating – gay/lesbian relationship – traditional – polyamory (in more ways than three). I lost track of my choices since all of them were thrown at me at each new step I took. This made it hard to carve a stable path down lovers lane for my recently widowed protagonist. Since I’m only halfway, I don’t know how the story will end and if you get a more… detailed route in the next days (Later Daters is played over the course of a week).
To conclude; Later Daters is a strange, but welcome addition to the ever-growing Visual Novel collection the Nintendo Switch – but I don’t know if the whole ‘release-in-two-parts’ works for a title like this. I want to see how the game concludes (so yes, I’ll continue my way down lovers lane). The art style is well done; it has a soundtrack, which is fun and a catchphrase, so where can you go wrong? Well, not, except for ending up alone without love and cats – since cats are also a considerable part of the game.
