While waiting for Monika to unlock the game, you skim through the options. She gives you a description of each one. You can control the music volume, the sound effects volume, and even change the color of the text box. After finishing your meal, you click on New Game again. This time, you're asked to enter a name. You notice a new detail has been added.
"Enter your real name."
You recognize the original protagonist is little more than a distant memory. Monika's intentions are made clear from the start. She and the others want to talk with you directly: a whole new level of immersion. You type your name and hit enter.
Monika begins by asking you a number of in-depth questions. Some pertain to your appearance while others relate to your personality.
"I understand you better now. You've probably figured it out already, but customizing the experience will give the game a more personal feel. A number of script changes were made for each scenario, and there are multiple paths to follow for each. It's worth noting however that the male and female scenarios don't contain any innate differences, save for the obvious. After everything we've experienced, it wouldn't make much sense to be against same-sex couples. If this is too uncomfortable, you're free to remain single or restart the game. With that in mind, we hope you enjoy the game. After all, it was tailor-made for you..."
You're stunned. While the original game was meant to serve as a parody to the romance genre, this version pushes the envelope even further. In that regard, it seems like more than a continuation of the story. It almost feels like...an evolution.
Monika's image reverses. She prepares to disappear from the screen, but stops and turns back.
"One more thing. The music in this mod is comprised entirely of hardcore punk and extreme metal. There are a few clean instrumentals like the one you're hearing now, but a good portion of the songs will be much more aggressive. This was done to enhance the ambience and maintain a more serious tone. Should this become an inconvenience, you can reduce or mute the audio in the options menu. Watch the credits at the end for the song titles. Anyway, I think that about covers everything. Now, let's begin."
The game begins in a college dorm. Yuri, Natsuki, Sayori, and Monika are sitting around staring in your direction. They're each wearing their own variation of Monika's dark clothing. Sayori's is the most similar with the inclusion of wristbands. Natsuki's wearing a black hoodie and jeans. She seems healthier than before. Yuri's attire is the most unique, sporting a traditional Victorian dress with long sleeves and white fabric around the wrists. Her bangs are longer than they were in the original. You read through the prologue. Monika is the first to speak.
"You're here, [Insert Your Name]. I guess the new script works after all."
Seeing everyone together again nearly brings a tear to your eye. You can tell by the softness of their expressions how much they've matured. You're presented with your first set of options. You can talk to one of them directly or all of them indirectly. Eager to explore the depths of this new world, you decide to speak with all of them. Monika begins her explanation.
"Because of how long it's been in your world, I figured it was necessary to update ours. Here, we're college students in our fourth year. Because I caused so much trouble, I programmed my in-game parents to pay our fees."
You ask the others if they remember anything about the original timeline.
"Yeah..." Yuri replies.
"We remember everything." Natsuki adds.
"I told you before the game started I made everyone more like real people. The truth is, they're sentient like me. They have the same abilities, and they feel their own emotions now. They're not anime stereotypes anymore."
Sayori, Natsuki, and Yuri's somber expressions become more pronounced.
"You may have noticed the protagonist is gone. Once I realized you were the one pulling the strings, I knew I'd lost. You're stronger than I am because...You're real. That wasn't the only reason I deleted him, though."
You give a look of confusion.
"There were points where you were struggling to control him, weren't there?"
Your jaw drops.
"Remember how he would become needlessly aggressive with Sayori? That wasn't my doing. That's just how he was. The same thing was true of Natsuki's dad. In the end, I had to alter his programming on my own so he would stop abusing her..."
"She did that for all of us," Sayori interjects, "She stopped Yuri's cutting and took my fake depression away, but now I feel the real thing, and it's terrifying."
You ask why.
"Because we know you'll die one day," Monika answers, "To top it off, we're powerless to do anything about it. You could go in any number of ways: suicide, nuclear war, an accident. There's no telling. Even though we're immortal from a technological standpoint, now that we can feel sorrow, we don't want to feel anything at all..."
"Have you ever thought about ending your life?" Sayori asks with concern.
Another Yes or No option appears. You hesitate...
