Okay I loved playing this game. It's a total mystery and well written. I'm honestly surprised that the game is soo good, but also hidden, like I found this in a collection. Maybe if you add the historical/medival tag you'll find some more popularity.
Despite the obvious general lagginess, needs new sprites (like when Maverick was in his ball attire, and Mc was going off on how polished he looked... but he was still in his stuffy uniform).
I think adding a skip button would be helpful, as ngl repeating the same dialogue again and again it's a bit boring. And unlike the game 'Ambition; a minute in power', the game doesn't do a gamble on what the result of your choice will be. And it's gonna be hard to see where the difference of choices will have when playing the game.
not to be rude but....I genuinely don't know what the heck's up with the stat system. The book mini game is broken no matter how many books I pickup the stats don't work. The fan mini game is fucked, I hate it, like sometimes these bald white head mfs don't move or take ages to move. The talking mini game is a bit confusing (but actually not that bad reminds me of Tears of Themis)... The fish mini game although I also love Stardew valley but this is a cheap knock off, like make smt original. Although I appreciate the newness of the mini games to the world of VNs. This is like ... trash, like so bad.
What I mean by appreciating the newness is that, I can't think of a otome VN ,from the top of my head that has these mini games. While writing this I remember of 'your turn to die' and how that game implemented mini games. Where the mini games were suited for the situation.
This game... I feel like it would be better to get rid of the mini games altogether.
This game is a game of strategy and I assume the stats are going to be used to unlock certain dialogue, and make right choices. This means that players are going to load the game section till they reach the require amount of stats. And with the horrible horrible save and load section is going to be excruciatingly painful, to do that.
Plus the mini games that the player does in the beginning is useless these stats don't transfer to the game at all.
And those weird ass breaks in the game where the players can play the mini game. FUCK THAT SHIT. I click on a random baldie and it's the fucking book mini game, where I know despite fuck all the book I collect I will remain a stupid, uncharismatic, sick girl
(btw I appreciate the mini games, like I won't lie they were fun. and well made. Like chibi MC is SOOOOO CUTE. But I hate them in the main game... sorry... not sorry). Maybe you guys could do a challenge route with the mini games
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But then again... idk while typing this out I keep comparing the game to 'seven kingdoms:a princess' problem'. A complex stats based , political otome game. I think the overall blueprints of the game are somewhat similar where the Mc's are thrown into a strange high-stakes world and have to build relationships and skills to survive. Although that game has some huge customisation, with it having a build a Mc section, the game overall is good to take inspiration from.
Look while playing the game I felt uncertainty with every choice, with some being both a personality choice and a plot choice. I felt like walking on a tight rope, and the reactions from the charaters' were a bit... hmm not helping. I just felt lost, with no way to track my progress with each character and heck a sense of direction. That made the game unsatisfying to play.
Although Cassius' horrifying expressions were quite funny.
Also I suppose I don't get 'playing as the og villainess' as like didn't the og villainess get her head chopped off from acting like herself, why on earth would our player choose to act like her.
Truthfully I think the game is too broad for the demo, the satisfying result of seeing that your choices truly do matter is nowhere in the demo, which is weird being that collectively all your choices should have some sort of a result.
Again while writing this I'm reminded of the masterpiece of what is 'death is the only end for the villainess'. Who's in a similar position to our Mc. But then again her mission is only to survive. AUDHIOHFEHh.
....
truthfully I have no idea where this game is going to go. Thinking about it is kinda infuriating. I haven't played a game where the stakes matter but you don't know what happens and you don't see the result of your choices lead to.
....
maybe that the point though... as you're the mc walking through the world, knowing that you execution is in X amount of days and if you don't change or worse make the wrong move you'll reach that ending sooner.
... idk I can't directly compare this game to any others I played before... maybe 'absolution:the way the lost', Anoldor, in that if you make one choice you'll lose out on another, eg with friendship etc. But these games had a sense of direction. I understand why the sense of being lost is there is in game, I literally typed out my thought process. But ngl 'absolution' is literally a horror game and I felt more scared and worried playing this game than that game and fuckty fucked up shit happened in that game. ( EDIT: looking back I might have been exaggerating, but idk the no sense of direction in the game really got to me).
I think including affection bars would be good for the game just for guidance and a lil notebook to write everything you've collected. E.g. events that you've signed up for and info you know about characters.
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Charaters wise hmm in the demo no character stood out. We didn't get to see the whole range of personality nor feel out who they are. Maverick is honestly the best as he's not a total asshole to Mc, especially when she changes. And does speak some sense.
However I think I can just blame it on the overall shortness of the game, however I do see potential in each character.
Cassian and his carrot boy Esra need a good slap in the face. However I kinda get why they're acting like such brats as Mc's former self was probs a bitch to them for many many many years and Mc can't absolve herself from her past sins that easily. I mean Maverick's her step bro sooo it would make sense that he'd be more accepting.
... though seeing how the boys 'might be' LI's in the game is 'interesting', I wonder how they'll fall for our Mc.
Hermes and Isidora are actually a fresh breeze compare to all the other characters in the game. Being that they don't have the same history Mc has with the golden trio.
Hermes and Mc could have an 'interesting dynamic'. As funnily enough he's also a villain, with similar ideas as our Mc one had.
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overall this game has great great potential however the setup of the game is ... shit. Like it's a VN but no skip button and RPG save files. Girl bffr. But the art is amazing. I'm gonna keep an eye on this game, hopefully an extended demo will come out and blow my mind away.
RIP I just rambled, sos if it all really didn't make sense