Between all of the planets and goal-solving are a great number of personality quizzes, each presented by a different Monk of unknown repute, Across these quizzes are a number of straight forward questions, often asking you to pick which robot or monster you most associate with or just to go with your first instinct. After a small number of questions, you’re given the results that teach you a little bit about why you might’ve selected a given response. All too frequently, I received results that highlighted my sarcastic and analytical nature, sides that I tend to lean towards in daily thinking. There’s an option to delve a little deeper with the survey questions that sheds a bit more light on how these choices represent your sense of humanity. I was genuinely impressed with how much I could agree with the quiz results.
There’s a paid version for Doki-Doki Universe sitting at $14.99, of which this review is based upon. Included with that purchase are the game upon all three platforms (PS3, PS4, and PS Vita), the story mode, messaging service and 31 personality quizzes. For those that opt for the free version only get access to a handful of the quizzes, a tutorial planet, and the in-game messaging system. To access the other planets, a nominal purchase of the game will be required.
One of the biggest downsides is that immediately after paying the $14.99 entry fee to Doki-Doki Universe, you’re greeted with other planets that aren’t available in the purchase. Available directly from the onset are a small selection of planets and a bevvy of personality tests all locked away until a purchase is made. This sort of in-game DLC that’s teased in game behind a paywall is always something that grinds my gears, and is sadly just about the only thing that mars an otherwise beautiful experience. Liken it to only getting half of Journey and having the rest of the game teased behind a screen asking for an extra $0.99 to progress further. The extra planets are by no means required to finish QT3’s story, but they would’ve been a nice touch to have included free of charge.
Doki-Doki Universe is one of those experiences that makes me happy to be a gamer. Rather than droning through long-winded psychology texts and expressing my inner thoughts on a therapy couch, instead I have a game that can teach me about my own humanity through colorful characters and text. There’s a sort of life experience that can be learned through playing Doki-Doki Universe and only firsthand can you learn what it really means to be human.
[Editor’s note: Doki-Doki Universe was reviewed on the PS4 platform. Review code was provided to us by the publisher.]