Chasing Kaleidorider preview - "Heart-pounding rush, romance, and rides"

I'm no stranger to the world of otome - having been obsessed with Tears of Themis for a long time before finally deciding to take a break for my own productivity's sake (goodbye for now, Artem) - but I have to admit that it's my first time playing something where the tables are turned. 

Chasing Kaleidorider offers the same adrenaline-pumping action out on the neon-soaked streets and in the comfort of your virtual home, especially since you're tasked with wooing a colourful cast of female riders on motorbikes while battling creepy-but-cool anomalies at the same time.

All's fair in love and motorbikes

Honestly, without even knowing the context for the RPG, I was already looking forward to getting hands-on with it (mainly because I'm easily lured by shiny new things). Thankfully, a recent media event at the Tencent office in Shenzhen, China presented the perfect opportunity for me to get to know the female leads a tiny bit better - and given that the team describes it as a "doki doki romance", I knew I was in for a treat.

And it's exactly what it says on the tin, as "doki doki" is a Japanese onomatopoeia that imitates the sound of a beating heart. I was lucky enough to really get into the heart, so to speak, of the game, with the dev team sitting beside me to answer any questions I might have. And, of course, the very first thing I did was try to bond with my femme fatale of choice.

Slow-burn romance that demands dedication

And - surprise, surprise - it was NOT easy, but in a good way. The team takes pride in crafting the individual personalities and in-depth stories of each character with such masterful detail, and you can really tell. It's not just the passion and their commitment to making sure the gameplay is really worth your time and attention - it's also the fact that each female lead has her own tastes and preferences, so you can't simply agree to everything she says or do anything she wants and call it a day (believe me; I tried).

You really have to pay attention to what she's saying, keeping in mind her personality traits if you want to make sure she ends up developing feelings for you along the way. And as a woman myself, I appreciate how incredibly realistic that actually is - even if it means my character failing to woo anyone over and over again.

It's also meant to be a wholesome, slice-of-life experience during dates, and it's incredibly refreshing, to be honest, as they're not just your average waifus who are immediately head-over-heels in love with you from the get-go. And if you need any help figuring out what makes them tick, there's the incredibly creative coloured heart feature where you can try to aim for a specific bar to keep her interested - almost like a combo, if you will.

Biker babes against the world

Outside of the dates with the riders, there is, of course, the slick combat system too, and the mode I got to try was the roguelike content with randomised buffs that pop up every now and then. It's really cool to see the stunning ladies and their equally stunning motorbikes in action - in full 3D and fully voiced and everything! Even the enemies have very distinct designs that you know aren't just generic villain templates.

As you might expect, you pull the girls and their motorbikes from the gacha (designed like an old-school telephone!), and to be honest, the bikes are so creatively designed that I felt like I absolutely needed to collect them all in my lineup. It's nice to see that it's not just the women they've put a lot of thought and effort into, as even the ASMR features and the totally chill lofi soundtrack (which you can choose and customise) seem to have been meticulously put together and wrapped nicely with a lovely biker-themed bow.

Suffice it to say that I came for the visuals and stayed for the romance in Chasing Kaleidorider. The fluid animations gave me a lot of Zenless Zone Zero vibes, but at the end of the day, it's the individual stories of the characters that really make it shine and stand out. 

I wish there were some way to maybe customise the background or layout of the menu or "room" where you're hanging out with the women - perhaps a memorable trinket, plushie, or ticket stub you can decorate the interface with to commemorate a specific date. There are varying levels of interactions you can unlock, however, so these extra tidbits will likely come in future patches (fingers crossed).

Now, I do wonder how it's going to be received, as it seems to be trying to appeal to a very niche audience at the moment, in my opinion. But it's boldly trying to do something new and putting its own distinct twist on an otherwise tired genre - and because of that, I can't wait until its official launch so that the rest of the world can experience its biker-iffic magic.