Cupid Parasite Visual Novel Review

I started out as a PC gamer, largely because my parents felt it was “educational” for us to have a computer in a way that having a console wouldn't be. That means that my default tends to be to want to play video games on my computer, possibly because I am a creature of habit. So I was very excited that Idea Factory's Cupid Parasite was getting a Steam port, not just because I very much enjoyed the game on Switch, but because it was a perfect excuse to replay it on my preferred platform. I am very happy to tell you that it not only makes the transition easily, it also holds up as a game.

The basic plot is deceptively silly: Cupid, a goddess in this telling, has been firing off her bow from Celestia for millennia, but things don't seem to be going as smoothly lately. After speaking with her human culture fangirl aunt Minerva, she decides that this is because humans have figured out how to matchmake all on their own using “romance psychology” and social media. Cupid's dad, Mars, isn't thrilled with her discovery, and in a fit of fury, she descends to Earth to live as a human and learn about their methods for matchmaking. After majoring in romantic psych, she becomes the top marriage counselor for Cupid Corporation, the most successful matchmaking business in Los York. Determined to prove her father wrong, she swears she'll succeed, even when her boss dumps her with the so-called Parasite 5, a group of five male clients who have defied every attempt to pair them up. The nominal goal of the game is for Cupid, now calling herself Lynette Mirror (you can change this), to get them successfully married; the actual goal is for you as Lynette to romance one of the five, plus a hidden option.

Each of the love interests is unique, and even those I didn't care for during the common route, like Ryuki and Allen, turned out to be interesting, likable characters once you got onto their routes. But what's most impressive is that none of them slot into the basic reverse harem types – yes, Raul is basically “the dumb guy” and Ryuki is kind of “the snooty guy,” but each of them has a twist on their tropes to make them feel much less like the usual fare. Raul, for example, is massively obsessed with world mythology (and hilariously wrong about it most of the time), while Gill, who fills the “childhood friend” spot, isn't just a puppy dog sidekick. He's actually written so that I felt badly every single time I chose a different route, which is impressive. Probably the most pat is Shelby, but his story is written in such a way that it comes across as the most adult, grounded relationship, which absolutely has an appeal all its own. While you can go in almost any order – the secret route doesn't unlock until you've completed the other five – I would strongly recommend leaving Allen until last. His route is the most different of the bunch and it has a lot of what could be termed spoilers for the story's overarching world.

Gameplay is the usual visual novel fare – choices at certain points in the narrative. Most choices will affect who you gain affection with in the common route, and then how much affection once you land on a character route. There are plenty of save slots if you're a compulsive choice saver (guilty), and a flowchart makes it easy to see where you could have made a different selection to go on a different branch. Affection can be charted from the “Love” option on the menu, so you can be sure you're romancing who you want to be. Keyboard controls are easy to access (and there's an explanation under “options”); basically you hit ctrl to call up the menu and then use the mouse from there. You can advance either with the enter key or the mouse button, depending on your preference. Choices are plentiful but not overwhelming, which is a balance that I think is key to achieving a good visual novel.

The writing is, in fact, pretty good overall. While some deliberately goofy choices – Los York, Sillywood – might be a bit cringey, the lighthearted tone of the game is delightful. The common route is actually very funny as poor Lynette tries to wrangle her wayward charges, something that only gets worse when the whole gang ends up in a share house as a reality show in an effort to make the Parasite 5 less difficult for the company. The art is a major highlight, with bright, vibrant colors and an appealing cacophony of patterns on every screen. The men all have their own appeal and don't look like recolors of each other and, as an added bonus, if they're shirtless (and they sometimes are), they all have nipples. I do wish the busyness was toned down just a bit on menus, but overall, I think it really adds to the charm of the game's visuals.

With the exception of Lynette, the game is fully voiced, and everyone is quite good. I admit that I'm most fond of KENN as Shelby, but there's not really a weak voice in the crowd, and that includes the incidental characters. All voices can be turned off, as can the music, but even when I muted everything, sound effects still continued to play, which could be an issue if you're without headphones. While clicking heels on hard floors aren't a problem, some scenes feature cars honking and crowds reacting, and those are rather more intrusive noises.

If you missed Cupid Parasite in its prior release or just prefer your otome games on the computer, this is a great chance to pick it up. Lighthearted for the most part but serious when it needs to be, this is a sheer delight.