Okay, I caved and bought the early access 3 days before actual release because I'm weak and wanted a distraction from upcoming exams but wow, this game was worth the extra $30. In fact, I'm sure you could've gotten away with charging a higher price for a game with so much content. I'm also not fond of stat-raising VN but this was still a lot of fun if a bit stressful for me, even on easy mode OTL Proud to say that I only died once and it was at the very end but again...easy mode.
(Minor spoilers ahead!)
Pulled an all-nighter to finish Aurelius' route and it was sooo worth it. While I'm currently torn on pursuing Nazir or Serin next, I think Aurelius will remain #1 in my heart. I was pleasantly surprised by the different facets of his personality, he's a lot more kind, empathetic, and playful than what I first took him for which made me swoon. His chemistry with the MC is so good and aligns with the plot quite well. The brothel scene and the breakfast with Beringer scene are particular favorites of mine. Also I keep imagining Aurelius as shorter than the MC when he's clearly taller than them in CGs... The only complaint I really have is that I wish there were more romantic scenes? Sometimes I felt like the plot overshadowed those parts or they were too short and MC didn't get to spend enough time with Aurelius after they become romantically entangled but maybe that's just me being desperate for Aurelius' attention, haha. Really wanted to see their wedding too. I wouldn't be opposed to future DLC if you're considering it.
TBH, my favorite aspect of the game honestly has to be the side characters, my favorites being Raphael, Harris, Ishbell, Neri, Viola, Beringer, and Ceridwen, though all of them are amazing. They were incredibly fleshed out and 3-dimensional and integrated well into the plot, especially the KS characters which impressed me since I normally only expect short cameos from them.
Great job to everyone who worked on this game. I missed out on the Kickstarter for Royal Alchemist but I'll be sure to support any future projects you planned. A few final questions: Will a walkthrough be available? How does the stat bonus from daily death work? Do the three princes prefer different stats for the MC and does this make it harder/easier to survive in their routes (since I noticed that the stats checks in Aurelius' romance aligned with the stats I needed to survive the game)?