💦 FULL SET: Profiles/ - High Quality

A great anti-fairy tale in the making.
That's right, if I had to describe this game in one term, that'd be anti-fairy tale. Beyond the lovely art and presentation it holds true to its premise. It treats the player to a world of decadence, corruption, deception and violence. As simple as the prologue makes the premise, things get a LOT more complicated later on. Twists and turns already throughout chapter 1 as the player learns more about the world along with the sheltered princess Erinys (name can be altered by the player if desired). While the player character is predefined there is a certain degree of freedom in how you'll be playing the game. Will you hold onto chivalrous and just values? Will you embrace the corruption the path leaves inevitably into? Or try to thread the fine line between them?

Since this is an otome game, there are (currently?) two romance options which the player meets early on. The sweet, loyal and shy squire Chrono and the scheming and seductive sorcerer Seneca. There's word of a third romance option but until there's first-hand confirmation, it's better to treat it as two options existing.

This game manages to stand out from the usual strain of (J)RPG by making things a bit more... tricky for the player. The princess is definitely no damsel in distress and CAN fight but she's no one-girl army and has only two allies. Savvy with the sword alone is not enough to get the player through all the twists, turns and curve-balls. Carefully chosen words, are equally important, as fighting the world is not an option. But while on topic, the fighting the player DOES is not exactly a walk in the park. The battles CAN be indeed lost. And the random encounters with Terrors (the main enemy types in the wilderness) don't grant much loot and XP, so grinding is ill-advised at best, especially since damage taken and mana spent are cumulative between resting phases.

This type of game is however more played for the story and it definitely delivers. But as it says on the tin: this tale is grim and feels like a dark tunnel with a light on its end. But is the light the exit? Or an oncoming train? Well, only way to find out, playing it to the end. But for now, chapter 1 will have to do. And while the story is dark, it gets a glowing recommendation from me!