Love Esquire

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"Love Esquire" is a humorous dating sim/RPG where you play as a squire on a quest to win the hearts of five dateable waifus, each with unique stories and secrets. Combat is turn-based, allowing you to use unconventional techniques to keep your knight alive. Raising your stats and forging relationships will aid you in becoming the ideal man and winning the affection of your chosen lady.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 504 reviews

story108 positive mentions

grinding34 negative mentions

The game features excellent voice acting and a well-written story that balances humor and emotional depth.
The characters are well-developed and engaging, making players genuinely care about their stories and outcomes.
The blend of RPG mechanics with dating sim elements provides a unique and enjoyable gameplay experience.

The audio mixing can be inconsistent, with some voice lines being too quiet or too loud, detracting from the overall experience.
The gameplay can become repetitive, especially with the grinding required to progress relationships and stats.
Some players may find the lack of explicit content disappointing, as the game is more focused on story and character development than on adult themes.

story
215 mentions
50 % positive mentions
48 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its depth, humor, and character development, with many players appreciating the well-written narratives and engaging arcs for each love interest. While some found the pacing and grindy gameplay detracted from the experience, the overall consensus is that the story is compelling and enjoyable, often exceeding expectations for a dating sim. Players noted that the blend of romance, comedy, and RPG elements creates a rich and entertaining narrative that encourages multiple playthroughs to explore different character routes.
- “The story is excellent and the characters are so memorable.”
- “I didn't really know what to expect, but this game not only has the trashy but hilarious humor you'd expect from its appearance but also a surprisingly rich world, deep story, and complex characters that stay away from typical tropes.”
- “The story is fun with a surprising amount of world-building.”
- “The characters and story fit into basic tropes and don't have much depth.”
- “A couple of the storylines, while short, were kind of interesting (Amy and Vel in particular were a bit different) but on the whole, most storylines felt somewhat truncated to me - with each relationship actually culminating right at the end of the game in what felt like a jump from 'we kind of, maybe like each other' to 'we are in love!!!' that was so fast it gave you whiplash.”
- “The major downside, however, is in order to participate in all the 'endings' you need to go through the entire thing multiple times, and this ultimately slows everything down for those of you achievement hunters or story hunters hard pressed at getting 100% completion with how the game's time limit is handled.”
humor
116 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its sharp dialogue, clever writing, and a blend of wholesome and absurd moments that evoke genuine laughter. Players appreciate the depth of the characters and story, which balance comedic elements with serious themes, creating a memorable experience. While some critiques mention a mismatch between the humor and the game's more PG relationships, the overall consensus is that the humor is a standout feature, making the game both entertaining and engaging.
- “It's hilarious, it's wholesome, and its dialogue is sharp as a knife.”
- “Loved the humor in this game; it made me laugh out loud more times than I can count.”
- “The game serves up a great balance of humor, story, RPG elements, romance, and deep feels.”
gameplay
72 mentions
31 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this dating sim is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying the unique blend of RPG mechanics and visual novel elements, while others find it repetitive and grindy. While the combat and time management aspects add depth, many reviewers feel that the gameplay can become monotonous, detracting from the overall experience despite the engaging story and characters. Overall, the game offers a decent amount of content and fun mechanics, but it may not appeal to everyone due to its pacing and simplicity.
- “The RPG mechanics break up the dating sim bits, so I didn't get tired of it, and the writing is filled with random jokes.”
- “The fun characters, world, and great voice acting, along with the actual RPG mechanics make this a very addicting game to play.”
- “The gameplay is old-style but not boring.”
- “The characters are good, but my god, the gameplay is a boring grind.”
- “Despite all of the beautiful graphics and good voice acting, the gameplay loop is a boring waste of time.”
- “The standard gameplay loop doesn't serve to engage the player, but rather to bore them, and that wouldn't be worth playing even if it were free.”
graphics
35 mentions
69 % positive mentions
23 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their beautiful artwork, vibrant colors, and polished visuals, contributing to an engaging aesthetic experience. Many reviewers highlighted the impressive art style and smooth animations, noting that the visuals enhance the overall enjoyment of the game, despite some repetitive gameplay elements. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, elevating the game's appeal significantly.
- “The artwork is very well done.”
- “Pros: the artwork is genuinely beautiful, and the interface is silky smooth and polished to perfection.”
- “The art style and visuals are also really well made.”
- “Graphics are high quality and even if a bit repetitive, that's basically the problem with all visual novels.”
- “Visuals are charming for a dating sim, also the turn-based fighting system places us in a position where we can't attack.”
- “Even though you're going to the same spots many times, the art style and colorful nature gives you something to appreciate so nothing gets tiring.”
grinding
34 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and repetitive, often detracting from the overall experience, especially during the initial playthrough and in New Game+ modes. While some players find the grinding necessary for character development and story progression, others feel it becomes monotonous and lacks meaningful rewards. Despite these criticisms, many agree that the engaging story and character interactions can make the grind feel worthwhile for those who enjoy visual novels and RPG elements.
- “It felt like a small scale visual novel that was padded out with a lot of grinding to 'build affection' on your first playthrough and then training your squire for the short battle campaign.”
- “Of course, it doesn't help that the abrupt storylines are nestled in between lots and lots of grinding to build affection or fight monsters, overall extending the length of the experience but not enhancing the relationship content that is currently there.”
- “The gameplay can be excessively grindy at times and begs for the existence of a 'new game +' but, in short, 'Love Esquire' is a game that I fully recommend.”
emotional
20 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its blend of humor and heartfelt moments, with players noting that it features complex characters and an intricate story that can evoke genuine feelings, including tears. The voice acting enhances the emotional depth, making the touching scenes feel sincere and impactful. Overall, the game exceeds expectations by delivering a compelling narrative filled with wholesome and surprising emotional growth.
- “It's so wholesome and funny and full of moments that will unexpectedly hit you in the feels.”
- “It has good art/animations, surprisingly great English voice acting, solid humor, likable and complex characters, as well as incredibly emotional scenes that actually made me cry.”
- “What I got was a genuinely heartwarming tale of a squire's quest to find love before going off to war.”
music
20 mentions
65 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising its quality and atmospheric fit, though some find it a bit repetitive. Voice acting is highlighted as a strong point, but issues with audio mixing sometimes make dialogue difficult to hear over the music. Overall, while the soundtrack may lack variety, it complements the game's visuals and narrative effectively.
- “The music is lovely, and the voice work is quite good.”
- “The art and animations are great, the music is atmospheric and perfectly suitable, and the voice acting is amazing!”
- “The music was surprisingly good too and I was just simply not expecting this level of quality from a visual novel/dating sim style game.”
- “The music and soundtracks are not that varied, but they're decent.”
- “My biggest peeves with this game are that the audio is sometimes mixed pretty badly - characters will suddenly sound much quieter than they did before, making it hard to hear them over the music.”
- “Soundtrack is neat even if not fantastic, still memorable enough, and the game is fully voiced which is a bit surprising since it has longer than expected dialogue for this kind of genre.”
replayability
8 mentions
38 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The game boasts strong replayability, highlighted by multiple character routes, numerous endings, and the inclusion of new game plus (NG+) features. Players appreciate the variety of choices and hidden content, which encourages multiple playthroughs to fully experience all aspects of the game. However, some users note that the replay value may vary, with a few suggesting it is moderate-to-low at present, but improvements are anticipated in future updates.
- “It has good replayability due to the different character routes.”
- “Good replayability, many endings.”
- “There's a lot of quality content, and plenty of replayability.”
- “I know it's upcoming, but it'll do wonders for the replay value of this game, which is moderate-to-low right now.”
- “I'm waiting for a guide; this game has so much replay value it would take ages for someone like me to unlock all CGs. There are even some secret events, and not all choices are obvious at first glance until the very end!”
- “So after finishing the game twice (once on normal, once on easy), I gotta say that the game is challenging in its own way and has a ton of replay value.”
optimization
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The optimization of voice acting in the game is generally praised for its excellence, particularly the main character's performance, which is described as stunning and elevating the game's overall quality. However, issues such as microphone peaking and sudden volume drops occasionally detract from the experience, indicating that some technical polish is still needed.
- “The game has some points to polish: the performances of the voices are very well achieved but on several occasions (especially the protagonist) lose fidelity.”
- “Alejandro Saab delivered a stunning performance that singlehandedly elevated this game from 8ish territory into 9 territory.”
- “The vocal performance they got for the main character is excellent, but it is occasionally undermined by mics peaking or the volume suddenly dropping out.”
- “The game has some points to polish: the performances of the voices are very well achieved, but on several occasions (especially the protagonist) loses fidelity.”
- “It's clear that they spent a lot of time working with the voice actors to get the performances down pat.”
character development
6 mentions
67 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The character development in "Love Esquire" is praised for its depth and individuality, with each romance option featuring unique traits that align well with their designs, enhancing their appeal. Players appreciate the memorable and cute character designs, which contribute to a richer narrative experience, although some feel that certain elements, like breaking the fourth wall, may feel out of place. Overall, the game is recommended for those who value strong character development.
- “Where most dating sims give each of your romance options a series of tropes that define them, Love Esquire gives each girl an incredible amount of character development and depth.”
- “If you're a fan of character development like I am, you will enjoy this game.”
- “The character design also matches their personality really well, the princess with hair drills, the sister with braids, the emo nurse with a bob cut, the sexy foreigner with... I don't know, actually, Kamala's design just works, and the brat with the twintails.”
atmosphere
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its impressive art and animations, fitting music, and excellent voice acting, all of which contribute to a captivating experience. While the locations are limited, each area enhances the overall ambiance, complemented by a humorous story and enjoyable combat.
- “The art and animations are great, the music is atmospheric and perfectly suitable, and the voice acting is amazing!”
- “Good story, very funny, great atmosphere, and fun combat.”
- “You may not get to visit too many places, but they all add something different to the atmosphere of the town.”
- “The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, making it hard to get immersed in the game.”
- “Despite the varied locations, the overall atmosphere lacks depth and fails to evoke any real emotion.”
- “The game tries to create a unique atmosphere, but it ultimately falls flat and feels generic.”
stability
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to have significant stability issues, including frequent bugs, inconsistent audio levels, and persistent lags and freezes, which detract from the overall experience. Additionally, some scenes behave differently upon rewatching, further complicating gameplay.
- “The only negative part I could name would be that the game is a bit buggy, and some scenes play differently if you want to rewatch them after unlocking.”
- “The audio, at the time of this review, is buggy at times, with voice acting lines varying from really quiet to screaming into the mic.”
- “Constant lags and freezes.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization of this game is praised for its value and integrity, standing out in a genre often plagued by low-quality cash grabs. Reviewers appreciate the evident passion and care put into the game, making it a recommended choice for players seeking a meaningful experience in the dating sim genre.
- “In a genre with so many cheap cash grabs designed to give you as little value for your dollar as possible, seeing a game with obvious passion and care makes me want to recommend it to anyone who will listen to me.”
- “Not only will you not be disappointed, but we need more games like this one in the dating sim genre instead of cheap cash grabs.”