Five Dates

“Five Dates is a clever dating sim that does a lot of things right to stand out from the crowd, but unfortunately ends early enough that it can't leave much of a lasting impression.”

“Five Dates is a frustrating and long-winded FMV.”

“Five Dates is a solid entry in the FMV game genre, offering an interesting take on dating during the pandemic. While there is nothing revolutionary here, the way the game plays with expectations and subverts players impressions is interesting enough to give it a shot. Fans of the genre will likely enjoy this one.”

“A unique FMV game that’s both poignant and entertaining, Five Dates is essential for fans of this genre regardless of a few flaws. Excellent acting, a smart replayable structure and culturally important subject matter make this an easy recommendation, even for those that don’t traditionally like games.”

“FMV games are a little like Marmite; you either love them or hate them. But while others spin tales of murder mysteries, espionage or the end of the world, Five Dates is a grounded, human story about something we can all relate to: love. It’s simple, touching and heartening – and thanks to its excellent acting and low-key but on-point production, it’s a pleasure to experience. If you’re a softie at heart and love a good romance story, Five Dates will put a smile on your face.”

“As a whole, Five Dates is an interesting experience that can be addictive when it comes to experimenting with all of the available answers, even though this can be very time consuming. However, issues such as plot devices, not very understanding dates and its undeniable heteronormative ways give Five Dates much to improve on, especially when considering a sequel, which is not totally discouraged.”

“With the global pandemic just now reaching a full year since it was first discovered Five Dates is a bit of a quick turnaround marvel, looking to capitalize on an opportunity to make a rom-com-styled game in the days of Covid...”

“At no more than 90 minutes long, Five Dates isn’t the deepest love story you’ll ever see, but it has the heart, likeable characters, and great writing that make rom-coms enjoyable. It’ll put a smile on your face, and that’s all you can ask for.”

“Playing a game set during lockdown is definitely unique. Rather than focusing on some of the negative aspects of the pandemic, Wales Interactive has managed to spin this into a light-hearted rom-com. It's a fun experience that manages to turn social distancing limitations into something positive and fun.”

“We played it three times over a couple of bottles of wine, cringing together, laughing at the awkward conversations, and rolling our eyes in unison when one girl announced she was "an influencer". So if you've got a big bottle of claret and someone to play this with we'd recommend it. If you're on your own and after a romantic comedy, we'd probably go for The Wedding Singer.”

“Considering how quickly Five Dates was conceptualised and developed, the overall execution of the story is commendable. Having said that, it’s a shame there’s no option here to flip things around and have a woman protagonist join the app to date five men in addition to Vinny. We appreciate this would effectively double the amount of work required, but we have to wonder who exactly Five Dates is aimed at. As it is, the entire premise feels like a throwaway side-story shoved into a Richard Curtis rom-com to simply appease the men in the audience. It’s a fun little distraction, but ultimately not an experience that’s going to stick with you for long.”