Review - Love and Deepspace: When romance meets real action

Is it hard to find good mobile games? That's not exactly true. Gone are the days when mobile games were just a playground for microtransactions, offering mini-games full of ads and poor graphics, or simply viruses disguised as games.

Well, these things still exist on the Play Store, but today, there are also Mobile RPGs, open world games and light games for those who just want some quick fun.

However, some companies are taking the mobile space seriously and, most importantly, tapping into previously neglected audiences, such as female gamers. Some games are too easy, too simple, and/or offer only quick entertainment with sex appeal and simple, rosy stories. But that's not the case with Infold Ltd. and PaperGames, which has delivered quite competent work with games like Infinity Nikki and Love and Deepspace.

The romance and action game, where you and five handsome guys team up to fight deep-space monsters, has been winning awards and beating out established gacha games like Genshin Impact at the Game Awards. But is the game worthy of these awards? What's up with this game that has won so many things despite being made "just for girls"? Let's talk about Love and Deepspace, and if you have any questions, leave a comment.

Love and Deepspace is set in the near future, in a modern, high-tech city called Lincoln City. This place is constantly attacked by creatures known as Wanderers, who emerge from mysterious portals called Deepspace Tunnels. To defend the population, there exists an organization called Hunters, made up of people with special powers known as Evolvers.

Not every Evolver is a Hunter—some use their skills in other fields, such as medicine or art—but the game's protagonist, known simply as "MC," is a different story. She possesses a rare power that allows her to resonate with other Evolvers and increase her strength. Throughout the story, she begins investigating the illegal trafficking of "Protocores", powerful crystals taken from Wanderers and used as a power source but also sold on the black market.

During this investigation, MC loses her family in a mysterious explosion and reconnects with five important figures from her past: Zayne, a doctor and childhood friend who always cared for her fragile health; Xavier, an experienced hunter and mission partner; Rafayel, a renowned artist who uses illegal Protocores in his paintings; Sylus, a mysterious smuggler you believe is connected to your family's death; and Caleb, your foster brother, whom you believed was dead after the explosion.

These reunions form the core of the game's main story and main quest. Alongside these five characters, the protagonist attempts to understand the origins of the Wanderers, the nature of her own powers, and the reason for the deep connection she has with each of them. All this while uncovering the true motive behind the Ever organization, which appears to have a direct connection to the portals and their pasts.

Love and Deepspace is a gacha game, which means that much of the content is unlocked through cards obtained by luck. Each of the five boys has several different versions of themselves, with unique outfits, abilities, and weapons unlocked for in-game use when the player obtains the two cards that form the "solar pair" and tell the full story of that character.

For example, Xavier has a version called Lumiere, one of the strongest five-star cards, featuring a "swashbuckling" version of the boy, and King of Darknight, an Arthurian version of him complete with a crown, Excalibur, and a horse. Both are still Xavier, but with different outfits, abilities, and contexts that create a distinct character, much like in Honkai Impact 3rd.

The five-star cards feature full stories and 3D cutscenes, with voice acting and detailed animations, while the four-star cards feature only narration, and the three-star cards are limited to text. These additional stories function as alternate timelines. In one card, MC may already be in a romantic relationship with a character, while in the main story, they’re still just acquaintances. This separation allows the game to explore various situations without disrupting the main narrative.

What's truly impressive is the visual attention to detail. The characters are well-modeled, with natural facial expressions and detailed clothing—a rarity in mobile games. The dubbing also draws attention, even without the names of the voice actors officially released. And the stories vary widely—some are simple and ordinary, others feature action scenes, intense drama, or even more sensual content aimed at an adult audience.

One of Love and Deepspace's unique features is its combat system. Most studios and developers might think that girls who downloaded a game to see handsome shirtless guys wouldn't be interested in combat, but Love and Deepspace created a comprehensive and engaging fighting, build, and evolution system that breaks the routine of just chatting and watching scenes between MC and the guys.

Battles against the Wanderers take place in real time, in a 3D arena, with dodging, striking, and special abilities. It's a system reminiscent of Honkai Impact 3rd, but simplified enough to work well on mobile without losing its dynamism.

MC fights alongside the boys, and each has a specific role. Zayne acts as support and heals the group, Xavier focuses on physical attacks, Rafayel combines art with elemental energy, Sylus uses stealth and agility, and Caleb has devastating attacks and high defense. Team composition matters: choosing who to take on each mission and the weapon MC will use (pistols, staffs, swords, and claymores are available) is an essential part of the strategy.

The card system comes into play again here, as different versions of the characters bring new weapons and abilities. This encourages players to collect and strengthen their cards to create the perfect build. Progression is constant—battles yield resources that can be used to evolve weapons, unlock abilities, and improve synergies.

While combat isn't the main focus, it plays a significant role in the campaign. Missions progress as you defeat enemies, and many important scenes take place immediately after confrontations, deepening the connection between the MC and the other characters. This helps the game maintain its pace and ensures that the action doesn't feel like an extra but rather an essential part of the story.

The character development system in Love and Deepspace is very similar to that of other modern gachas, but it has its own unique twist. As mentioned above, the MC can equip different weapons—from swords to pistols, staffs, or heavy swords—and these weapons change not only their appearance but also their fighting style.

Builds are formed by combining cards, weapons, and attributes that can be improved with resources obtained through missions, called Protocores. Additionally, there are affinity bonuses between characters who already have strong ties in the story, encouraging players to explore relationships on and off the battlefield.

It's a simple system to understand but with enough depth for those who enjoy optimizing and experimenting with different combinations. Those interested in both RPG mechanics and romantic plots will find a balance here that's difficult to find in games of this genre.

Graphically, Love and Deepspace is among the most beautiful mobile games ever made. The art direction blends a realistic style with touches of modern anime, creating a vibrant and detailed world. The lighting, urban settings, and particle effects of the abilities are eye-catching, as are the cutscenes, which could easily be found in a console game.

The characters' clothing boasts incredible levels of detail, and some are even designed by famous designers in special partnerships, such as Italian tie designer Sartoria Pirozzi, who made custom ties for each of the boys.

The soundtrack perfectly complements this. Soft, melancholic music plays during the more intimate scenes, while stronger themes drive the action and tension. The voice acting completes the package, with voices that perfectly fit the characters and help bring the more emotional scenes to life.

Pros

+ Engaging and exciting story;

+ Beautiful, detailed graphics;

+ Good voice acting and soundtrack;

+ Fun combat system;

Cons

- Gacha can be frustrating;

- Microtransactions;

- It takes a while to unlock main quest content;

Love and Deepspace is the kind of game that proves it's possible to create a complete, beautiful, and engaging romance simulator without falling into clichés or laziness. It combines drama, science fiction, action, and romance in a way few games in the genre can.

Even with the gacha system and the presence of microtransactions, the experience is rich enough to not require spending money to be worthwhile. It's a carefully crafted title that delivers memorable characters, a well-written story, and a world full of secrets.

For those who enjoy romance games and want something deeper and more polished, Love and Deepspace is a sure choice. And for those who've never been interested in the genre, it could be the surprise that shows how a love game can have soul, heart, and even some good battles along the way.