only played the demo so far but the writing was such a higher quality than what I was expecting from the casual play I was planning to do when I downloaded it!
the warnings weren't kidding! this game goes Darkk and everything felt so raw and gritty, and it was such a lovely reading experience.
Loved the worldbuilding also. It was such a treat experiencing the way MC navigates their fragile position in court and how dying and being exploited and betrayed changed them and how even in playthroughs w more self-serving traits, there's still a little bit of love and humanity left within them that still shines through.
I explored all the ROs and they were all so compelling! Especially those with looser morals and comparing how you interact with them and how they interact with you depending on the MC's altruism vs self-serving-ness.
It's also so nice to compare the subtle text that gets included whenever you choose a specific route (for example, that one line of Mirren's clenched jaw [which doesn't appear in other routes!] when you chose to suck up to Mastravisch and you were pulled to his lap in one of the earlier scenes ).
Needless to say, I loved all the routes. I just wish there was a poly option for Saltaire and Mal because even when I picked one's route over the other, the 3 of them still mesh so well together!! The both of them saving and caring for MC while in recovery, MC breaking up their fights (and them being cowed by MC acting like scolded children when caught), the banter between all 3 of them and the way they all tease ach other, and how they all sleep side by side and comfort each other. (Also I was particularly surprised when in Saltaire's route it was Mal who asked MC whether they want to push through w the revenge or just leave everything behind. And I was surprised how in Mal's route, Saltaire was still completely devoted to MC to the point that the blood oath was still offered.) Ya'know?? things like that.
But who knows! I haven't seen the rest of the game yet so I'm not sure where the plot will take them. So just sharing my thoughts! Just genuinely thought it's such a shame because there was already such genuine chemistry between the 3 of them together that it feels disingenuous to only choose 1.