‘Modern Cinderella’ is the newest ‘Shall We Date?’ game by NTT Solmare. It was released mid last week. The game introduces you as a young heiress, who is forced into a matchmaking party by your mother. You aren’t any ordinary glamorous heiress, your hair is a mess, your clothes are awful, and lets not even get started on the makeup. You’re nervous at the party, and everything seems to go swimmingly until you overhear your ‘friends’ talk about how embarrassing you are. In a frazzle you return to your bachelors who you also overhear mocking you! Things can’t get worse! That is, until your overbearing mother tries to force you to play nice! You finally grow a back bone and run out of there.

Then it starts to rain. With nowhere to go you rest on someone’s door step, and a young gentleman offers you some shelter. You hesitantly agree and step inside. Once you’ve calmed down, you explain your situation to him. He eventually convinces you to whip off your horrendous makeup and lo and behold – you’re drop dead gorgeous! However your saviour won’t let you stay in his apartment for free – even with your pretty face – you have to choose one of 3 guys to work under.

Impressions

I have to say, I was not nearly as impressed by this game as I was by ‘Lost Alice’. From going to something as imaginative as Lost Alice to this, which is just so cliche is such a let down. I’m sick of stories were the ‘ugly’ girl isn’t actually ugly, just remove her glasses, or give her long hair or whip of her shit makeup and she’s a model! That story has been done a thousand times. I was really hoping that ‘Shall We Date’ would follow in ‘Voltage Inc’s’ footsteps, with their recent game following a woman on a one night stand. If you’re going to do a story set in the ‘real’ world, do ‘real’ situations. If you have an MC who is ugly, keep her ugly! I’d love to see an MC who struggles through body image issues, and gains confidence, not through the men who love her, but slowly learning to love herself.

In saying that, this first impressions post is only based off the prologue. I will start playing through Zack’s route, and if my opinion changes I’ll make a note. In the meantime, I’d say give this a skip. ‘Shall We Date’ has heaps more interesting games, that don’t start out so bland and cliche.