My Lovely Empress Reviews

Probably my favourite from the My Lovely games!

I didn't expect to be so into this game, but Apothecary Diaries only releases one episode a week, so here we are. I killed Kunti. I regret nothing.

A good strategy game where you can summon demon girls to help you. Despite this harem-like approach, it is a SFW game, no nude scenes or such. The gameplay is interesting, assigning your demons to various jobs and affairs is fun. A bit monotonous in the end. Overall a good game. Pros: - Atmosphere is great and unique, the various characters have their opinions, the demon girls are varied, the other rulers are interesting to deal with. I am also not familiar with eastern aesthetics and mythology, so it was also interesting to me. - The game is hard, but doable, you never feel like there is nothing to do - The city upgrades, balancing the trust of the factions is a fun part - The tone is desperate and twisted (you are encouraged to kill thousands just to resurrect one), it has some explanation later, but still, not many games where you play a purely evil character - The gold system, item system, trusts, population, gifts, marketplaces, relations and such make an interesting mix. These all interact with each other, and can be used in one way or another. Negatives: - I personally had no problems with it, but some said the game is unfairly hard. I think it is more that it does not explain some basic concepts. If you use your demon to "investigate" an issue, that is not JUST investigating, that also means you will solve it without using up an action point! It is an extremely important concept and it is not really explained. - The game can be grindy and monotonous after a while. You know what you want, yet you have to click through like 3 layers of UI (go to a different state, speak with the ruler, talk with the ruler, click, click, back, leave the talk screen, leave the city -> there is your new quest, took 6 clicks). - I think the advancement of the demon girls could be balanced a lot more. Now they are either unawakened and thus relatively weak, or awakened and super strong, not a lot in between these. I think an easier to reach "half-awakened" state could be added, that requires less items and upgrades them less. - Almost all the endings are grimdark. It is artsy at all, but no "you live happily with the demon girls" endings? Anyways, I played all the "My Lovely" series, and this is the only one I actually finished, so it says something. Great game, and I am looking forward to the next "My Lovely"!

Of the My Lovely series this is the one with the most gameplay. The empire management is complex and it has a lot of variables (even if in the end is a gameloop just like the others). Many people lamented an overwhelmingly difficult at normal, which I didn’t find it at all, but there is an easier mode in case you need it (I personally recommend it for achievements\gallery hunting and not for the first playtrough). The artstyle improved a ton and it’s well in tone with the setting. Violence is more in-line with the second but this time we have clear killings of the demons (no more black silhouettes), I know I shouldn’t be this focused on this detail but three games, three different tones. It’s weird, not good or bad, just weird. There is nothing more to add, the game is good and it’s more or less what you expect from the third chapter of a series.

Got the bad ending in my first playthrough. 10/10 would recommend. I wish there was a war mechanic though. It is an empire management sim and it lowkey feels incomplete without the possibility of waging war.