Five Dates

What is it?
Five Dates is a FMV (full-motion video) game you can enjoy with minimal effort.
It simulates dating online via video dates in a fun, straightforward way.
You take on the role of Vinny, a 27 year old bachelor from London who is on the dating app for the first time.
Stellar cast
The actors and actresses did a phenomenal job: Their acting is honestly better than some a lot of shows on streaming services.
The scenes flowed smoothly, and the chemistry in each scene was palpable, whether the two characters involved clicked or struck out!
Kudos to the Wales Interactive casting director(s) on their choices!
The gameplay
It's been a while since I played a FMV so this was a very pleasant experience for me.
More so refreshing was the premise: Dating! More precisely dating exclusively online because of the quarantine way back when! Don't remind you, right? I know! *shudders*
There are little nods here and there to that time in our lives. It really made me appreciate that all that is well over and done with now.
The choices you make from the very start - like your interests (you may choose three from a long list), field of work, and even profile photo - do affect the course of the conversations later on.
You may notice the differences in outcome these bring only on another play through. You do need to pick the same dates but choose different responses to the same questions to experience these.
I like how just like in real life, the way you handle yourself actually does affect the responses from your dates. For fun, try choosing responses you'd never go for in real life and enjoy the amusing responses!
The game is structured in such a way that you need to be careful with your choices. Five Dates actually offers an ethical way, if that's an apt description, to go about dating since it starts you off with three dates then after a date with each potential partner, it gradually narrows your options down to one.

This is something I appreciate as I've dealt with parallel daters myself before and I don't recommend that!
Graphics & Audio
This is broadcast-level quality in terms of production.
Crisp video with dreamy music - which you can enjoy listening to in the main menu only - a smart choice.
Replayability & How long does one play through take?
The game narrows your date choices from five to three from the get go, so if you'd like to experience all five dates, you'll need to play the game several times.
The good news is the game really delivers. I'll clarify: Even after I experienced all the dates more than once, played the game several times sometimes just for the fun of it, and unlocked all 15 achievements, the game still had a vast amount of video footage of interactions that I haven't seen yet.
The TAB key allows you to quickly skip a video scene you've already watched in a previous play through. This makes replaying the game much faster.
If you skip almost all scenes you've already watched, you can do one full run in 30 minutes, give or take a couple of minutes. I played an extra run and timed it just to find this out.
Is there more?
Ten Dates is the sequel in which you play as a woman.
I'm looking forward to playing it to see how Wales Interactive made things look like from the opposite point of view!
Conclusion
Highly recommended, especially for couples or two strangers playing around with the idea! Five Dates is in itself a great idea for a date!
Follow Volcanic Reviews for more honest, detailed feedback about games.

I failed all three first dates and got no second date, I give it 10/10 for realism

Five Dates
Emotional buffering
Five Dates presents a unique concept that merges interactive storytelling with the world of modern dating apps, allowing players to navigate the complexities of romantic relationships from the comfort of their screens. While the game's innovative approach is commendable, it falls short of delivering a truly captivating experience, resulting in a middling affair.
Pros:
Fresh Concept: The game's premise of virtually dating five different characters through video calls is a refreshing take on interactive storytelling. It introduces an element of choice and consequence that adds depth to the narrative.
Timely Themes: Five Dates explores timely themes of modern dating, long-distance relationships, and the challenges of forging connections in a digital age. This relevance adds a layer of relatability to the characters and their struggles.
Character Depth: Each character has their own distinct personality and backstory, providing a sense of authenticity to their interactions. This variety ensures that no two playthroughs are exactly the same.
Cons:
Limited Gameplay: While the concept is intriguing, the gameplay mechanics remain relatively limited, mostly consisting of dialogue choices and occasional decision points. This simplicity can lead to a lack of engagement, especially for those seeking more interactive gameplay.
Shallow Relationships: Despite the efforts to establish meaningful connections, the virtual dating format inherently limits the depth of the relationships that players can build with the characters. The emotional impact can feel somewhat hollow as a result.
Uneven Storytelling: The quality of writing and character development varies between the different storylines. Some characters receive more attention and development than others, leading to an uneven storytelling experience.
Technical Limitations: The video call format, while innovative, occasionally suffers from technical glitches that can disrupt the immersion. Audio and video inconsistencies can break the flow of the conversations.
Conclusion:
Five Dates presents an innovative concept that attempts to merge interactive storytelling with the world of virtual dating. While the game's fresh approach and timely themes are commendable, it struggles to maintain a consistently engaging experience. Limited gameplay mechanics, shallow relationships, uneven storytelling, and occasional technical hiccups hinder its potential. While the game's exploration of modern dating dynamics might resonate with some players, its execution results in a lukewarm rating of 6/10. Those intrigued by the premise might find some enjoyment, but those seeking a more immersive and emotionally resonant experience may come away feeling somewhat unsatisfied.
One word or phrase to sum up the experience
Intriguing concept, unevenly presented.
Performance/Bug related incidents
None experienced during this playthrough.
Similar to games
Late Shift, The Complex, Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus?
Rating ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

The only downside to this game is that I can't go on a date with Callum

Played this game in front of the homies and this was a life changing experience for all of us.

The game advertises itself as an "interactive rom-com", however it really doesn't feel that way for me. The game is more about to have educated guesses about the female matches, based on their profile and the dialogues you have with them to have a series of successful dates and fun interactions. The acting is all right and the characters are likeable too, there are some fun moments in it, but it doesn't come up that often. I think one of the biggest flaws with this one is the interaction part, because sometimes you need to wait a lot to to actually have a choice and they don't come that often, also sometimes I didn't even knew what is the choice about. Another weird part of the game is the stats, where the game counts the successful and unsuccessful dates. Basically, if you make one choice which is not perfectly matches with the date, but still okay, that's already counting as an unsuccessful date for the game, which is just strange. I'm not kidding, one time the question was about my favorite drink and I chose whiskey, but it made the date unsuccessful, but still reached the ending with the date just fine. For that question, if I chose gin, the game will mark it as successful and I don't know why...
We could say that, this is not quite a game, but if you want to have a dating sim with varied characters and conversations and not minding the slower pace, you can have an all right time with this one. I think it could have been better, but I was okay with it. Get it on sale, if you really interested.

The third Wales Interactive game I've played so far. Acting is really great as always, and compared to some others, this one is easy to play as you get visual clues and kind of know what's expected of you (or maybe I'm just a bad zoom detective). It's short and to get different endings/achievements you have to play multiple times, but it's ok.