I love the idea behind the game. The mechanics are interesting, though they can sometimes be frustrating. The graphics are excellent. The pixel-art scenes look great, but they are mostly static. I personally struggled with the pixel-art humans, especially the servants—it was hard to remember or identify them, which matters since [SPOILER] at the end, you need to recall whom you’ve helped. There are very few scenes or locations, and it feels odd that certain people are always found in the same strange spots. It took me about one morning to complete the game. The story is short. I played through the game twice. Playing the game a second time is more frustrating because you notice how everything is inevitable, and you have zero control over the storyline. Deciding whom to help, in what order to call servants, and how to help them often feels random. One person might need gold or your general, so you give them the general—then the next person needs the general specifically. Too bad! Worse, helping or ignoring some characters often has no impact at all—not even on contentment. There is nothing that you can base most of your decisions on. The biggest issue is that your choices barely matter. They don’t affect the story in any meaningful way. They mostly affect your resources, and while those resources do play a role, they don’t change the narrative. At best, your decisions have only a cosmetic impact. Although I probably should, it would genuinely break my heart to give this game less than 3 stars. I bought the game with massive discount; had I paid the full price, I would be VERY disappointed for sure.
