[Spoiler-Free] Doki Doki Literature Club Salvation Review
TRIGGER WARNING
Doki Doki Literature Club contains topics not suitable for children or people who are easily disturbed.
Before I start this review, I really wanna say, thank you 12Gizguy6, for such a wonderful spin on Doki Doki Literature Club. I really hope you're doing well, and it is very VERY visible the work and love you have put on this mod.
About Doki Doki Literature Club
Almost everyone who had access to the internet and were interested in gaming around 2017-2018 has at least heard the name Doki Doki Literature Club (DDLC for short) mentioned. As I don't want to go into much spoiler territory for those who haven't played, here's the sinopsis given by the game game website: :
Hi, Monika here!
Welcome to the Literature Club! It's always been a dream of mine to make something special out of the things I love. Now that you're a club member, you can help me make that dream come true in this cute game!
Every day is full of chit-chat and fun activities with all of my adorable and unique club members:
Sayori, the youthful bundle of sunshine who values happiness the most;
Natsuki, the deceivingly cute girl who packs an assertive punch;
Yuri, the timid and mysterious one who finds comfort in the world of books;
...And, of course, Monika, the leader of the club! That's me!I'm super excited for you to make friends with everyone and help the Literature Club become a more intimate place for all my members. But I can tell already that you're a sweetheart—will you promise to spend the most time with me? ♥
About DDLC Salvation
DDLC attracted a lot of people at the time of it's release, and it's very understandable as to why, it has shock value, it has a unique gameplay, and it is undeniably a very VERY interesting visual novel, and with the story that it has, it's no wonder that fans decide to take the matters on their own hands to then make a alternate universe/alternative ending, and this is where DDLC Salvation Remake enters the scene.
DDLC Salvation was a mod made by a group of people, released in November 17 2018, the story begins from the end of Act 1 from DDLC, but this time, it comes with a twist, from my research I could see it had some puzzles, and some gameplay aspects that may have changed your outcome based on what you chose, and it seems to be very loved by some people I could find the reviews from. Some time passed and around November/December 2023 the final version of DDLC Salvation Remake was released, and this is where this review is about.
Now to the Review
If I was to summarize, DDLC Salvation Remake (DDLCSR or SR) is a story about friendship and reconciliation. Most of the story is about regaining trust, both in oneself and on others, if you are expecting it to be the dating sim DDLC was "supposed to be", you'll not find it here, however it does have a very good romance story amidst everything, every character has the spotlight. It is very much story focused, as you don't really have that much input on what's happening, and to be honest that's very very okay, it works for the story at hand greatly.
You can really see the love and care 12Gizguy6 and the Team put on the game, as it has original soundtrack, original CGs and even original animations, you can also see the love for the mod through those characters, every single one of them perfectly complements the story, and really not even once I have thought that "this one character is carrying this story" or "This is the most important character", every single one was doing their part, suffering their own struggles, and growing together, I absolutely loved how it was never a matter of going through their problems magically with some sudden realization, everything felt very gradual and natural, and this is the thing I loved the most about it. But, although I loved every single part of the story, I must say that compared to everything, there was a little small thing that was underwhelming, but it is a spoiler, so play the game and then read my review with spoilers.
Final Thoughts
Again, I'm really thankful for 12Gizguy6 and his team for making this mod, and I really REALLY would hope to listen/read/watch/play some more stories coming from you guys. Once I started playing DDLCSR I really couldn't stop, (as of right before writing this review, I was playing LITERALLY for the whole day, until the end), luckily I didn't have any classes for the days I played, and I still will be revisiting the mod every now and then, just because of how much I loved it. If I could, I really would want to try and talk about the story with them, really try to understand how all of this came to be, and personally thank them for the wonderful experience that was Doki Doki Literature Club Salvation.
If you want to give DDLC Salvation Remake a try, I really really recommend you to play DDLC (until the end of act 1, or everything if you want) and then play DDLC Salvation Remake