DATE A LIVE: Rio Reincarnation

95%
Game Brain Score Based on 574 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • music
DATE A LIVE: Rio Reincarnation Game Cover
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"Date A Live: Rio Reincarnation" is a single-player Fantasy Role Playing game with an intriguing story, based on the light novel series and anime adaptations. As Shido Itsuka, interact with 11 characters and over 150 dating events, with the addition of the new character Rio Sonogami. Experience splendid graphics, a sensational soundtrack, and a wholesome story in this beloved game.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 574 reviews
story64 positive mentions
character development3 negative mentions
  • Great for Date A Live fans, offering a rich story and character development across three games.
  • High-quality graphics and voice acting enhance the overall experience, making it visually appealing.
  • Multiple routes and endings provide replayability, allowing players to explore different character arcs.
  • Repetitive gameplay with similar storylines across routes can lead to boredom.
  • Technical issues such as crashes and poor UI detract from the overall experience.
  • Lack of meaningful choices and character growth for the protagonist can make the narrative feel shallow.
  • story161 mentions

    The game's story is often described as a repetitive and diluted experience, primarily serving as a backdrop for dating mechanics rather than a compelling narrative. While some players appreciate the lighthearted and fun aspects of the story, many criticize its lack of depth, with routes feeling nearly identical and the main plot becoming irrelevant after multiple playthroughs. Fans of the original anime may find enjoyment in the familiar characters and settings, but newcomers might struggle to grasp the context without prior knowledge of the franchise.

    • “The storyline was enjoyable and kept me hooked until the end.”
    • “A fantastic visual novel for all Date A Live fans packed with hours of gameplay and a phenomenal story for each game installation.”
    • “The story is well-written.”
    • “If you have to go through the same story 5 or 6 times but the only thing you change is the waifu you hang out with, then the main plot becomes kind of irrelevant, since you're not going to be reading what you've already read in previous playthroughs.”
    • “The game, however, is a confused mess, with too many characters and too little time for the ones you actually like, and the story is even more shallow than the character routes.”
    • “The story tends to lose itself all over the place with its jargon, but possibly the biggest issue is that the game doesn’t take place from the beginning of the source material it’s based on.”
  • graphics32 mentions

    The graphics in the game are widely praised for their stunning quality, often compared to high-budget anime productions, with many reviewers highlighting the beautiful art style and character designs. However, some users have reported technical issues, such as memory leaks and crashes, particularly when playing for extended periods or without a dedicated graphics card. Overall, the visuals significantly enhance the experience, making it a standout feature for fans of the genre.

    • “The anime was amazing and the game provides tons of story time with great visuals.”
    • “Date a Live: Rio Reincarnation manages to fall a bit short in regards to story and characters, but the graphics more or less make up for it; they are absolutely stunning.”
    • “Idea Factory may have skimped a bit on narrative, but the visuals far exceed anything I’ve seen in any visual novel, and even most games that fall outside the genre.”
    • “This game has a memory leak related to graphics and will run out of memory if you play too long.”
    • “Good game, but I recommend you have a dedicated graphics card, because if you don't, you won't get far.”
    • “Setting the graphics card option to the CPU-integrated one helped me solve the crashing in-game problem.”
  • music22 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to blend seamlessly with the environment, enhancing the overall atmosphere without being intrusive. Reviewers highlight the quality of the soundtrack, noting that it complements the narrative and character design effectively, while some recommend installing music mods for an improved experience. Overall, the music is considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing significantly to the emotional impact of the scenes.

    • “The music kind of blends in with the environment, making it a part of the game while being unobtrusive.”
    • “The music is fantastic and enhances the scenes by a lot.”
    • “The soundtrack's simple, but it helps keep the atmosphere.”
    • “Before playing, I highly recommend installing the music mod; those opening and ending songs were definitely worth the minute it takes to change the file names inside the movie folder to fit your current entry and to avoid spoilers, as the main opening was for the last entry and it spoiled a lot.”
    • “As opposed to the sound effects, the music fits each scene and sets the entire mood.”
  • emotional21 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a mix of wholesome moments and touching scenes that resonate with players, often leading to tears during key endings, particularly the Rinne Utopia ending. While some reviewers note that the story may lack deeper emotional depth beyond its surface charm, many appreciate the heartwarming and cathartic experiences it offers, alongside humor and engaging character interactions. Overall, the game successfully evokes nostalgia and emotional responses, especially through its well-crafted true endings.

    • “I cried a lot.”
    • “Great and emotional story, especially Rinne Utopia.”
    • “I straight up got so emotional at the true ending because the game is written so beautifully and the events leading up to the climax all blend together into the finale, which is rare and hard to pull off.”
  • gameplay16 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by solid dating sim mechanics and high production values, including excellent voice acting and animations, which enhance the overall experience. However, some players find the mechanics repetitive and grindy, while others note that as a visual novel, it lacks traditional gameplay elements. Overall, it offers a lengthy and engaging experience, though opinions on its gameplay quality vary.

    • “1) Over 40 hours of gameplay with voiceover from the anime original cast.”
    • “But with the high production value (excellent voice acting, cute character animations) and a quest token form of gameplay, the experience feels fresh.”
    • “Art is straight up amazing, the animation is fluent, and the CG all make the entire gameplay leaps and bounds better alone.”
    • “All of them are pretty alike in their mechanics and controls.”
    • “This isn't particularly stellar for visual novel standards in terms of writing or gameplay.”
    • “So overall a pretty long, quality dating game, but with some annoying, grindy, and repetitive mechanics.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in this visual novel is characterized by a mix of funny moments, cliches, and engaging dialogue, complemented by excellent voice acting and appealing visuals. Players encounter a variety of humorous situations while navigating romantic routes, making for an enjoyable experience that balances lightheartedness with occasional touching moments. Overall, the game's comedic elements contribute significantly to its charm, despite not delving into deep emotional themes.

    • “Enjoyable visual novel with its own funny story, borderline cgs by Idea Factory and great voice acting, like in the anime.”
    • “These visual novels are full of funny moments, fanservice, excellent visual arts, and beautiful characters.”
    • “Although it is kinda cliche, the funny dialogue and the unique characters will make you wanna play more.”
  • character development5 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted by excellent fully animated sprites and impressive voice acting, though some users note a lack of detail in event CGs. The character designs are praised for their quality and fanservice appeal, contributing positively to the overall narrative and storytelling experience.

    • “Amazing voice acting, character design, and animations.”
    • “With amazing character designs and fanservice character routes.”
    • “Character design lacks some detail in the event CGs, but the sprites (which are fully animated) are excellent.”
    • “As a visual novel, the top things I look for are the narrative, pacing, and its other aspects (i.e. music choice, character design, UI, etc.).”
    • “Storytelling and character development.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players note that the grinding aspect of the game can be tedious, as achieving the true ending requires completing multiple routes, including all bad and normal endings. While the game offers a rich experience for dating sim fans, the repetitive mechanics can detract from the overall enjoyment, especially for those aiming for 100% completion.

    • “The first game feels tedious, and in order to get the true ending, you have to play it multiple times.”
    • “So overall a pretty long, quality dating game, but with some annoying, grindy, and repetitive mechanics.”
    • “Honestly, this is almost the perfect dating sim for me, although it felt grindy sometimes if you want to 100% the game.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability due to its multiple endings and the necessity to uncover various truths, allowing players to explore different outcomes without the fear of being penalized by bad endings. Overall, it is praised for encouraging repeated playthroughs to achieve the best true ending.

    • “Very good visual novel with multiple endings; a lot of replayability as you need to uncover the truth.”
    • “Great replayability; the game doesn't punish you with bad endings, and you can achieve the best true ending.”
    • “Lots of great replay value.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The atmosphere is characterized by a simple yet effective soundtrack that enhances the energetic and heartwarming tone of the game. The presence of cute, waifu-like heroines contributes to a charming ambiance, while the main plot evokes a mix of emotions, from joy to nostalgia, typical of the "Date A Live" series.

    • “The exclusive heroines were all cute and waifu-material, and the main plot related to them maintained a Dal-ish atmosphere—energetic yet heartwarming, sometimes bringing tears to your eyes.”
    • “A typical 'Date a Live' atmosphere.”
    • “The soundtrack is simple, but it helps maintain the atmosphere.”
    • “The exclusive heroines were all cute and waifu material, and the main plot related to them maintained a Dalí-esque atmosphere—energetic yet heartwarming, sometimes bringing tears to your eyes.”
    • “Typical 'Date A Live' atmosphere.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is stable, but players find the 30 fps performance lacking and frustrating. Additionally, the save data interface is not user-friendly, making it difficult to revisit specific scenes.

    • “The performance is stable, but 30 fps can be painful for some players.”
    • “The save data interface isn't really optimized like a typical visual novel would be; it follows a standard Compile Heart save system, making it difficult to backtrack to specific scenes you want to revisit.”
    • “The performance is stable, but 30 fps is painful, at least for me.”
    • “The save data interface isn't really optimized like a normal visual novel would be; it follows a typical Compile Heart save data system, making it difficult to backtrack to specific scenes you want to check.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Users report occasional freezes occurring at the conclusion of character arcs, specifically just before the ending video plays, indicating a stability issue in these critical moments.

    • “The game freezes sometimes when reaching the end of a character arc, right before the ending video plays.”
    • “I experienced frequent crashes during gameplay, which made it frustrating to progress.”
    • “The game often stutters and lags, especially in high-action scenes, affecting the overall experience.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy has drawn criticism for the removal of vocal tracks from cut scenes without prior notice to players, suggesting a lack of transparency and potentially impacting the overall experience.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
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Buy DATE A LIVE: Rio Reincarnation

Play time

50hMedian play time
53hAverage play time
40-70hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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