Chess of Blades Reviews

It is bad enough when you are forced to go to a lavish, formal affair against your wishes but when a crime happens at the event and you're in the middle of it…things just get more interesting. [h2][u]The Story[/u][/h2] “I’d pull up a chair for you before I left, but sitting down would surely drive the stick buried deep in your rectum to an uncomfortable depth”. - the humour between elites is golden. You play as Rivian Varrison, the son of the famous nobleman who served as the King’s chief general and strategist. Despite being an introvert you're forced to attend the King’s huge birthday celebration despite not wanting to go. However your parents send you to keep up appearances and probably to parade you around as well since you're now at a marriageable age. There are three potential romances; Franz Chaumont, Linnaeus Glaucia, and Arden Raynsford (plus one secret one you can unlock). Arden cares deeply for his childhood friend. He’s protective, bold and just wanting Riv to know how he sees him matters. This was the first route I pursued. It is a slow burn that eventually turns to romance. Linnaeus is the Grand Inquisitor of the King and comes off as stoic, intelligent and impatient. Franz is a mysterious being from a foreign region, he is very forward and very flirtatious. 🌶️ Spice Level - medium, as there is some kissing and sexual banter. [i]The Steam version is the toned down version. There is a +18 patch available from their itch.io page if you prefer your spice level turned up to scorching. [/i] [h2][u]Settings, Features & Gameplay[/u][/h2] Settings & features include; display options, text options (speed and skip), audio controls, and individual controls to mute or lower each character's voice. The text is easy to read, the hud can be hidden for taking screen captures and there is an in-game history log. Extras include; an unlockable cg gallery, music room, movies and credits. [h2][u]The Visuals & Audio[/u][/h2] This novel is chock full of great hand-crafted artwork. Lots of gorgeous cg’s too. The backgrounds as well as the character art are all hand-drawn, with rich, saturated colours drenched in beautiful lighting. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3446861224 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3446860920 The soundtrack is good, classical sounding pieces that fit the atmosphere of a noble setting. There are ambient sounds such as crowds murmuring and doors closing/opening. There is also some nice voice acting and not just the main characters but some side characters too. You can tweak the audio controls of each main character or the extras in the settings. [h2][u]Overall Experience[/u][/h2] What I really loved about this novel is how well written it is. All of the routes have a different story with a different crime in each scenario! I did not expect that. Usually in visual novels the basic story stays the same but the romantic part of the route changes. In this the story changes (outside of the prologue being the same each time). This made each route refreshing and interesting. On the romantic front I played the clean version, which is the default version on Steam. An adult patch is available as mentioned above if you prefer to see it all laid bare. There are romantic elements in the clean version, kisses and some sexual dialogue. I picked this one up during the Spring sale (it was on my backlog of wishlist items for quite a while). The current price is nice so I scooped it up. That twist with the various stories in each route is honestly so enjoyable. Highly recommend this one! 💗 [hr][/hr] [i]This game was purchased by me for my personal library. On occasion I share my experiences with the groups I write for to help bring attention to games I’ve personally purchased and wish to give more exposure too. [/i] [quote]Please follow our curator page, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/4680120/]Otome Lovers[/url], if you'd like to see more reviews like this one! [/quote]