Get a Real Book Instead – Magic Sword+ Review

This is my first "Shall we date?" app and probably my last. The interface is clunky. Gameplay is shallow. The same character graphics are used over and over, just pasted onto different backgrounds. Sometimes, a character's features are replaced with a smile or frown. You get an avatar - for your account not the story. For some weird reason, your avatar is a hideous chibi that looks nothing like the story graphics. You can spend real money on trashy, outlandish outfits for the avatar in a vain attempt to make it less ugly. The company capitalizes on people feeling invested to pressure them into spending real money to keep reading. The farther a reader gets into the story, the more money or the more consecutive days of busywork are required to continue. You will either waste a lot of time to finish or will spend more than you would ever shell out for an e-book, even one with graphics. The story itself? It's like fanfiction - BAD fanfiction. The "heroine" is an empty-headed twit using grand pronouncements of "not giving up" as a substitute for action. She does nothing but ineffectually beg the men to quit arguing while she pants over a guy she barely knows. Two of the men are so obnoxious I want to slap them. Constantly. The third is so perky and cheerful he might as well be a beagle puppy. And the programming is so limited you must choose a romantic partner before reading any of the story. There's no way to reread what you've unlocked so far, but that's not much of a loss. I managed to make it to chapter 3, and so far the most exciting thing to happen was the guys arguing about a tree. Then they argued about supper. Really. Occasionally you get a dialogue choice. If you chastise your guy for acting like a jerk, it costs you "Love Meter" points. Character development? What's that? I can already tell that you can't reach the maximum "Love Meter" through dialogue choices alone. Of course you can also use real money to boost the "Love Meter" and get the super-special romantic ending. Or you could go to your local library and check out a book that's actually worth reading.
Review by player58z on Magic Sword+.