LoveUnholyc Review—A Texting Experience Not for the Faint-Hearted

As the chill of the impending winter cleaves the warmth from one’s bones, the northerly winds begin to bring some crisp autumnal days. Needless to say, my emotions have also mirrored the descending gloom in this spooky season. 

In all honesty, I’d simply love to light some scented candles, put on some warm plush socks, grab a knitted throw and curl up on the sofa with a great title. However, nothing brightens up the gloomiest of days, quite like an explosion of love. 

Whenever I give something of the romance genre a try, I more often than not find myself closing the tab on my browser or closing the book for good. Well, that is usually the case, apart from some otome games or manga.

Although I remain unsure of the reason, that does not stop me from immersing myself in the supernatural world of LoveUnholyc (Did you catch that play on the Pope’s title, “The Holy See”?).

As such, there’s always a little something amidst the influx of notifications, informing me that a new chat has opened (Good Lord, what did I get myself into?). Oh, it’s Leo, an amiable model who loves adorable things. At the moment, I’ve been expressing my worries for him and how I long to see him.

Yes, well... Such is life in the world of LoveUnholyc.

Developed by a South Korean developer Prettybusy, LoveUnholyc is an M-rated otome game with gameplay that pays homage to Mystic Messenger. I’ve relished the unique messenger-like concept in both titles, but their stunning art style and endearing cast are indeed something that I’d consider as an upgrade to the others in the same genre.

In LoveUnholyc’s setting, you’ll be forming a contract with three good-looking humans, albeit accidentally. To become a full-fledged Unholyc (part devil, part human), you’ll have to develop your relationships and also absorb a great deal of acme (the tangible form of both desire and lust) from them.

Sure, the game is no doubt free-to-play (as you know, I’m a cheapskate), but what I find most frustrating is that it plays out in real-time. So, what this means is that you’ll be receiving messages, phone calls and even video calls from the characters at varying points over 7 days (even at wee hours in the morning!). So, I guess sleep is for the weak? 

Unlike Mystic Messenger, you’ll be forced to spend the in-game currency (tickets) in LoveUnholyc whenever you miss the window for a conversation. Otherwise, you will not be able to move on from whichever point you have missed. On top of that, whatever choices you make will earn you affection with the characters and determine which direction the story and your romance life will follow. 

Be that as it may, I reckon these heart-racing interactions are the key factors that propelled the game to garner such popularity. Along with the bonus spicy content, I’m sure it’ll leave you wanting more! 

On a different note, there may be some issues with the translations, but having a few odd typos does somehow make the characters seem more human (Don’t you agree?).

If you loved Mystic Messenger as much as I did, then LoveUnholyc will also be an obvious pick for your games backlog. So, be sure to cherish every moment and savour the sensations of the romantic ride here.