I just want Sayori to be happy.

While the original DDLC was a horror game disguised as a visual novel, DDLC Plus feels more like a visual novel that also happens to be a horror game, if that makes sense.

The main new content in Plus are the side stories, detailing how each of the characters joined the literature club, and how they learned to know and get along with all the other members, and also themselves, before the events of the main story. They are just simple visual novel segments, with no horror elements to them. Other new elements that bring DDLC Plus closer to a "normal" VN are a music player along with unlockables, such as CGIs and sketches, incentivising new playthroughs and trying out new things after finishing the main story the first time.

As Plus is also released on consoles, some of the mechanics are slightly different from the original DDLC to account for different platforms. The changing game files on your computer are no longer there, instead being replaced by the game taking place in a "virtual desktop", in which you can access the "game files" and see them changing. To be fair, it's a clever workaround, allowing for some neat meta stuff and hidden content. However, it also removes the bone-chilling surprise element of "holy-****-did-this-game-just-actually-alter-the-actual-files-on-my-computer" that you got when experiencing the original DDLC for the first time. Having fake files change in a fake environment makes the game feel less immediate, less real... well, let's face it, less scary.

As for the actual content... well, the main story is still the masterpiece it always was - no surprises there. The side stories are unexpectedly sweet and touching, and I predict they will be adored by the fans of the characters and original DDLC. The story they tell paints a much more vivid picture of the characters, their history and shortcomings, and how they learn to cope and make friends. Still, you can kinda see what's coming, and the plot itself offers no real surprise. Then again, I find it interesting to see how balanced and harmonious the ending of the side stories is. Knowing how good life was before the main character shows up in the main story makes the shocking events that follow even more crazy and disturbing. It opens your eyes to the fact that you, playing as the main character, don't always make things better in games, making for an interesting moral dilemma.

To summarize, if you're into visual novels in general, or if you've already experienced the original DDLC and are hungry for more stories going deeper into the characters and their backstory, then DDLC Plus is certainly a game for you. If you just want to experience the masterpiece of psychological horror that DDLC is - which I recommend for everyone - then the original version may be enough for you. In fact, as a horror experience, it may even be better than DDLC Plus.

And remember...

Just Monika.

OK?

i don't think everything is oki doki, guys...

I have not felt the touch of a woman in 4 years.

Five years later and i still am afraid of that door

First time a women said that she loved me

First time a woman said they loved me

this game ruined my life

If you played the OG this is basically the same but with a few added side stories you can unlock as you complete different routes in the game. The extra dlc maybe would take you a bit over an hour to complete all of them if you speed through it, but does not have any optional dialogue so it's more of just some lore and extra character interactions. Still pretty solid dlc if you are a fan and want a little bit of extra stuff :)

i have no friends