Singles: Flirt Up Your Life

"Better than expected, but with little replay value."

Those expecting Singles: Flirt Up Your Life to be just some sex / porn game...well, you're only half right in that regard. Yes, Singles is mainly about sex, and yes it's marketed mostly toward adults, mainly singles (hence the title). But what separates Singles: Flirt Up Your Life from the games-not-to-play pile is the fact that not only does it mostly succeed in everything it sets out to do, it does it without ever taking itself more serious than it should, resulting in an above average game.

Singles: Flirt Up Your Life centers around two reasonably attractive twenty somethings of your choice shacking up together and ultimately becoming an item. The main goal is basically to get them to have sex, but what makes Singles a bit of a gem is that it's actually more of a relationship simulator than anything. Instead of presenting you with a bunch of choices that will get the couple to knock boots, you are encouraged to get the couple to talk, get to know each other, kiss, etc. before ever reaching that level. The game can even be compared to real life: if most hardcore sex simulators are the guy who just wants to sleep with as many girls as possible, Singles: Flirt Up Your Life is the young virgin who wants her first time to be special...if that makes any sense. It does to me.

The graphics are good, very good for the most. The designers obviously studied the Sims' graphics interface in designing this game, and they aren't shy about it, but this works for the games advantage because its easy to learn especially if you've played any of the Sims games. The music is pleasant and the sound effects are genuine. Also "borrowed" from the Sims (slightly) is the way the Singles talk; incoherent mumbling rather than actual words. It's not exactly like Sims, but it's obvious where they got the idea.

The story to the game is basically that of a softcore porn. Dialogue is prompted to you in boxes and events actually do happen while you play story mode. The lackluster story only adds to the game's appeal, it's nearly nonexistent and what's there is very cheesy. It makes the game almost cute in a "look-at-me-I'm-silly" kinda way. Unfortunately, the story is the same every time you play, events repeat, which probably could've been avoided had the designers spent more time and effort on the game.

I truly believe that Singles could've been an excellent and innovative game had the designers just spent a little more time on it. Fortunately, it never feels rushed, because you get the sense that the designers actually cared about the game they were making and finished what they set out to do. It's the pre-production that I think needed a little more work. The game itself, while not bad, does have it's faults; mainly, it's incredibly repetitive, you can't leave the apartment or house that you're living in other than to go to work, and your options as far as purchase items and relationship choices are somewhat limited. These seem to be things that were blatantly ignored rather than messed up during production of the game, most likely to keep the game centered around the sexual themes.

Which brings up another one of the game's faults. The nudity. Obviously the game is centered around sex, yet the abundant nudity in the game is rarely sexual. This works against the game's marketing rather than the game itself, since it's obviously marketed toward those wanting to see sex in the game. The characters are nude quite often, but when it comes to actually having sex, the nudity is typically hidden by some kind of cover, such as a bed sheet. This doesn't make the game bad, but it'll be a major turn off to some of the game's potential customers.

Singles: Flirt Up Your Life was probably never meant to be a great game, but it never tries to be anything it's not. The end result here is a quirky, charming, and even slightly innovative game that brings little to the table, and yet dishes up a good serving. Of course, it lacks one key ingredient that allows it to leave a lasting impression: replay value. But of course, if you've purchased this game, did you really expect to play it for very long anyway?

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 08/05/05