Slay the Princess Reviews

I had the game mostly spoiled for me yet still had an amazing time playing it. I do not enjoy horror or visual novels typically yet I love this game. There is so much content from so little its amazing! If you enjoy games that both respect your choices and have excellent concequences this is a must play game.

[h3]I don't think i've ever been as disappointed with a videogame as i was with Slay the Princess.[/h3] I went in expecting a game with some sort of message or meaning, something in the vein of Pathologic 2, SOMA, or The Void. Instead, what I got was all style without substance. [b]Pros:[/b] - Beautiful artwork - Solid voice acting - An intriguing starting premise and game loop [b]Cons:[/b] - Pretty much everything else Throughout the game, there's a constant sense that its vagueness is building toward some sort of revelation, an eureka moment or a message at the end. But really, it just leads to more vagueness and emptiness. Philosophical ambiguity can be effective when it actually conveys something. Here, it feels hollow. I'm pretty sure the devs do not know what the game means either. The "it's up to interpretation!" excuse is great when it feels deliberate, layered and rewarding. It's like the writers leaned on ambiguity as an excuse instead of using it to enrich the narrative. The result is a story that feels empty rather than thought-provoking, as if the game is asking the player todo the heavy lifting of giving it meaning. Ultimately, the game reads as though it were written by an AI: full of philosophical flourishes without a clear understanding of what it's trying to say. Here's my interpretation of the premise of the game: [spoiler]- The Narrator, in an attempt to prevent the cycle of death, splits reality into two gods/pieces: the Princess and the Protagonist. - The Princess embodies change - The Protagonist embodies stasis - The Narrator wants to save the world by killing change (the Princess or Time), thereby creating a static reality where pain - but also joy - no longer exists. I feel like it could also be interpreted as a commentary on negative utilitarianism, or even as a loose reimagining of certain Gnostic texts like the Aprocryphon of John. But ultimately, the game is too short, too vague, and too unsatisfying to make any of these interpretations feel meaningful.[/spoiler] I'm writing this review with 3 hours on record, and having only 20 of the 120 achievments, but there's no incentive to return. Every mystery the game set up has already been unveiled, and discovering the other "facets" of the Princess feels more like indulging curiosity about WHAT they are rather than uncovering WHAT THEY MEAN for the story. [b]My advice: buy it on sale or skip it altogether.[/b]

The premise was interesting and hooked me at first, but ultimately the game feels pretentious in its writing and I was not compelled to continue.

Went in blind and without expectations. Came out with existential dread - 10/10.

Starts interesting, but goes nowhere. Also very short for the price.

great game, go in blind :D the first playthrough is special :D the art, music, voice acting are all so well done and the game gives u so many choices!! spent another 22 hours too 100% the game to see everything the game had to offer

I'll start with what I'm not that fond of because there's not much. Some parts of the game feel a bit fetish-y (and that's clearly intentional) and this kinda feels a bit uncomfortable at times, especially given that it's not supposed to be a sexual game. Some of the writing is a bit generic, at times also feeling a little dated (the writing is still, on average, absolutely incredible). The gameplay isn't super interactive, but that's more of a downfall of the visual novel genre rather than a fault of this specific game. Some minor themes are pretty generic (trauma/trust, mercy over violence, etc.) but they're presented in interesting ways. The game is marketed as a horror experience, but it's not necessarily a horror game in my opinion. There is horrific imagery, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a horror game. And those are my only complaints. I was a bit skeptical because I usually hate choose-your-own-adventure games. I did what I always do with these games and just watched a few playthroughs and video essays. I reluctantly decided to purchase it just because, and despite being spoiled a good chunk of the game, it still found ways to absolutely floor me. I've never played a game this subversive, and yet, it was still rooted in traditional literature. The art is absolutely incredible; thousands of beautiful hand-drawn pieces that strike every emotion they seek despite the scarcity of color. Each frame made me take a second to appreciate just how much love was poured into this game. The visuals make this game spring to life despite the stillness of each moment. The characters are full of personality, the backgrounds are brimming with detail, and the few animated moments are done to perfection. The sound design could not have been better. Every little effect is intentional and important. They perfectly evoke whatever feelings they were meant for, whether it be dread, joy, disgust, you name it. The music is the best video game music since Minecraft, and that's not something I say lightly. Especially in the later stages of the game. The voice acting is absolutely flawless despite how many roles the actors fill. They give the characters the perfect amount of urgency, wit, desperation, and more. I don't want to spoil the story too much, but it feels like Edgar Allen Poe meets transcendentalism. This game will shock you, surprise you, and leave you in tears. Even if you think you've seen all this game has to offer, you likely haven't. This game comes with tons of stories, big and small, each one presenting ideas new and old with respect, nuance, and fantastic imagery. Please try this game. It's cheaper than the Switch 2 Welcome Tour.

slay the princess is INCREDIBLY hard to describe without ending up in spoilers. the horror elements are... i wouldn't say lovecraftian? but something along those lines of cosmic horror, so if that kind of genre is your thing you would definitely like this game. its horror is also more along the lines of the setting and imagery, rather than trying to jump you and get you, so it's both "tamer" than the average horror game, and has an incredibly strong set up that the writing carries incredibly well. it also branches out a lot, so it isn't guided by binary yes or no this or that choices like other vns. the ways to branch out into different paths are not in your face obvious, but aren't so convoluted and hidden that you'll need a guide on a first blind playthrough, maybe only if you want to 100% it, and it's actually really nice to be thinking about the things you can do differently to get a different path. despite the horror though, it's a love story at its core, and yeah that might sound cheesy but it's really my favorite aspect of the game.

i do not think this game is explainable. the closest i got is that the character you are playing as is a schizophrenic warhammer orc which only vaguely makes sense if you squint really hard.

Raw, next question. Alright, having finished the game (but not 100% it, and I probably will never 100% it), I have to say that this is definitely worth the money, which is $12.59 because I got it on a discount. Hell, I'd probably say this is worth a whole $20. The game hits all the right notes for me: a mystery of why we have to "Slay the Princess", the great unknowns slowly folding out into something greater and grander than we first thought. And I stress you not... [b] Your choices matter! [/b] At the very end, everything comes together. From the first step at the very beginning of the game till the very last, the ending has a sort of catharsis as you piece everything together and get both sides of this story. Like how in Code Geass you find out Lelouch's plan at the very end there is that big "Aha" moment. There is no boring section, everything is always new, there is always some action or event that is happening that drives me to want to know what happens next, or ask why this is happening. So if anything, I would recommend trying this game out. [i] She can change, but I am eternal. [/i]