Today we have some insight from the English language editor of our upcoming release of ClockUp’s DEAD DAYS for your reading pleasure! DEAD DAYS releases on October 31st and you can save 15% if you pre-order!
A young man is brutally killed… and then he wakes up, alive and well, in a shipping container with three other people who should also be dead.
Their revival comes with a price. To keep themselves alive, they must fight and kill “specters”, spirits that only they can see. There’s one more little rub: after every fight and subsequent “topping up” of their life force, the members of the group find themselves unbearably horny and madly in need of sex.
Welcome to Dead Days, a dark action-filled visual novel coming to you from developer ClockUp!
This was my first experience with a ClockUp title, which was exciting to me — I love a good dark story and a smattering of ryona. One thing I didn’t expect: how invested I realized I’d become in the characters once I’d hit one of the really grim endings. The character writing in this game is great, with so many moments where I really felt for the characters.
For the main ladies, you’ve got Aira, a brash, tomboyish fashionista, and Manami, a married mother with some massive mammaries. Each of them have something to fight for that keep them coming back and trying their best in the crazy situation they’ve found themselves thrust in. It’s interesting to watch how they adjust to their circumstances; parts where you get a little insight into their mental state and inner thoughts are some of my favorites.
There’s also Mao, the quintessential childhood friend — a kind girl with a strong sense of justice. She’s canny, smart, and extremely likeable in a way that feels organic.
Even Teru, the protagonist, ended up growing on me despite his first impression as a cynical jerk and an egotistical prick. I always love when I end up enjoying a less-than-likeable character, and Teru’s growth over the game is really fun to watch and extremely satisfying.
There are some neat characters who show up a little later, too — including my personal favorite. Please look forward to her~!
Aira’s my favorite of the main girls, though, and localizing her speech was really fun — she’s a Reiwa-era gyaru archetype. The writers put a lot of work to make everyone sound distinct, and we worked hard to make sure that comes through! Her speech pattern is just one of her many charms.
As one would expect based on previous ClockUp titles, this game has some pretty hardcore H-scenes. I’m pretty hard to shake, but even I had to take a couple of breathers while editing! ClockUp lets you toggle blood on and off, though, which is nice in case some parts get too intense.
This game also has some extremely cool visuals. The action scenes always got me pumped, and I liked the creepy designs of some of the specters!
Start to finish, Dead Days is a wild ride, but the kind you wanna throw your arms up and go Woooooo! for. It’s a fun time all around.
Dead Days launches October 31st — a perfect spooky game for Halloween!