My Lovely Empress

About

"My Lovely Empress" is a narrative-driven strategy game where you play as Emperor Hong, ruler of the Crimson Empire. After the loss of your mother and empress, you must navigate political challenges and manage your empire with the help of forbidden, powerful creatures. Balancing the needs of your people and other rulers is crucial as you work to grow and prosper the empire, while also dealing with the grief in your heart.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 216 reviews

gameplay40 positive mentions

grinding24 negative mentions

The game features a unique art style and captivating storyline that keeps players engaged.
Gameplay mechanics are improved from previous titles, offering a satisfying mix of strategy and resource management.
The addition of multiple endings and character depth enhances replayability and player investment.

The game can become grindy and repetitive, leading to frustration during longer play sessions.
Some players find the decision-making process to be arbitrary and lacking in meaningful choices.
The inability to romance certain characters, like the Yaoguai, has disappointed some fans of the series.

gameplay
144 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
65%
7%
The gameplay is generally praised for its engaging mechanics, which blend resource management, decision-making, and character interactions, creating a satisfying loop that can be both addictive and rewarding. While some players find the gameplay can become grindy and repetitive, the depth of choices and the impact on the game's narrative are highlighted as strong points. Overall, the game is seen as a significant improvement over its predecessors, offering a unique experience that balances strategy with storytelling.
- “The gameplay loop is addicting (even though it could get grindy) and I really love the art style of the characters and the world.”
- “The robust gameplay mechanics offer a satisfying mix of diplomacy, resource management, and narrative-driven choices.”
- “The gameplay builds upon the foundation of 'my lovely wife' with much greater depth when managing your actions, resources, and characters.”
- “Even the story itself is quite enjoyable for the most part, only held back a bit by the tediousness of the actual gameplay grind.”
- “I think the only gripe is that the gameplay can become too grindy at times or RNG can screw you, so you have to start over and hope it doesn't happen again.”
- “The game's story, while interesting, is overshadowed by repetitive gameplay loops.”
story
112 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
57%
4%
The game's story, centered around Emperor Hong's desperate quest to resurrect his deceased wife, is engaging and features multifaceted characters, political intrigue, and dark moral themes. However, many players feel that the storytelling is hampered by repetitive gameplay, predictable plot points, and unsatisfying endings, leading to a disconnect between the narrative and player experience. While the artwork and character designs are praised, the overall execution of the story leaves some players wanting more depth and involvement from key characters.
- “The artwork is unique and the storyline leaves you captivated by the journey the multifaceted characters take you on.”
- “From the start, the game hits you with a heavy story—Hong's wife dies, and he's desperate enough to summon ancient spirits, the yaoguai, to bring her back.”
- “From the story itself, I really like the engaging storyline with political intrigue, alliances, and betrayals, along with the addition of each unique yaoguai background story.”
- “However, the game fails at storytelling and providing any really satisfying endings, which for a game like this is a fatal flaw.”
- “The game just doesn't have the kind of deep storytelling that would give our crimes weight or make them feel realistic enough so that we agree that we deserve these bad endings.”
- “The inability to skip through all the dialogue to decision-making leads to a dull monotony of watching the same story transpire over and over.”
graphics
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
33%
5%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and captivating art style, which blends traditional Asian aesthetics with modern 3D elements, creating a visually stunning experience. Players appreciate the detailed hand-drawn graphics and vibrant character designs, although some feel that the gameplay mechanics may not fully utilize the artistic potential. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's immersive storytelling and engaging atmosphere, making it a recommended experience for fans of artistic design.
- “The art style is really cool and the designs are nice, but they take away the fun of combining ingredients to discover new combinations.”
- “I would highly suggest this game as it has a beautiful and unique art style that you can appreciate.”
- “I was particularly impressed by the stunning new 3D visuals, which seamlessly blend stylization with the series' iconic art style.”
- “The art style is okay; surprisingly, they used 3D character models with 2D style colorings.”
- “Colour has some watercolor marks, and everything seems like artwork became interactive.”
- “Not quite as expansive as earlier games, but the style agrees with the Chinese aesthetic, and the games are much more vibrant than before in a way that benefits it.”
grinding
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
11%
86%
Players generally find the grinding in the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the addictive gameplay loop and decent mechanics, many feel that it can become excessively tedious, especially in the mid to late game. The grind is often necessary to achieve better endings or to manage in-game resources, leading to frustration with certain quests and RNG elements that can force players to restart. Overall, the grind is seen as a significant aspect of the game, with some players preferring earlier titles over this one due to its grindy nature.
- “Not too grindy although hard to unlock every route.”
- “If you enjoy four hours of grinding for four lines of text across two PowerPoint slides, then this game is for you.”
- “Overall very good game, but can get extremely grindy towards mid-late game.”
- “Even the story itself is quite enjoyable for the most part, only held back a bit by the tediousness of the actual gameplay grind.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
7%
7%
The music in the game is widely praised for its hauntingly beautiful, Asian-inspired soundtrack that complements the stylized graphics, creating an immersive experience. While many find the sound design and music enjoyable, some users note that the character's humming can become repetitive and tiresome over time. Overall, the soundtrack and sound effects contribute positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “The music and art are great.”
- “The UI is clean, the graphics are stylized and appealing, and the Asian-inspired soundtrack fits perfectly.”
- “Plus, it runs smoothly and looks great, drawing from traditional Asian art styles with a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack.”
- “The music and sound effects are decent, but the character's humming becomes repetitive and tiresome after a while.”
character development
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the character development in the game is praised for its appealing 3D designs and engaging motifs, showcasing a significant improvement from previous installments. While some players feel the story is simple, the combination of character design and plot developments keeps them invested. However, a few users express a sense of fatigue with the recurring Chinese fantasy aesthetic.
- “I've gotten 2 hours so far and the improvement from the previous game is astounding. The gameplay is much improved, the character designs are 3D renders now and are better looking to me. While I would say I've kind of been worn out on the Chinese fantasy aesthetic from other games, the character motifs and plot developments are all wonderfully engaging. I'd highly recommend it, especially if you've played the previous games.”
- “But the art, character design, and story really keep me going.”
- “I liked the character designs and the story is fun, if simple.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
38%
25%
The game boasts high replayability due to its unique playthroughs influenced by political and supernatural elements, challenging core mechanics, and distinct yaoguai designs. Players can explore various endings and make different decisions, enhancing the overall replay value and encouraging multiple runs.
- “Each playthrough feels unique as you navigate the treacherous waters of politics and supernatural elements, making it a highly replayable experience.”
- “Its core loop is quite challenging; each yaoguai's design is unique and distinct, and this game offers many kinds of endings which improve the replayability even further.”
- “Other forms of replay value include changing your decisions at each turn or figuring out which route you want to take.”
- “Its core loop is quite challenging, each yaoguai's design is unique and distinct, and this game offers many kinds of endings which improve the replayability even further.”
- “Other forms of replay value include changing your decisions at each turn or figuring out which route you want to partake.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game presents a wholesome narrative intertwined with dark themes such as death and betrayal, creating a complex emotional landscape. Players express disappointment that the emotional bonds formed with characters do not significantly influence the story's outcome, overshadowed by more trivial plot elements. While the focus remains on the emperor's journey, a deeper emotional connection with key characters, particularly the empress, is desired.
- “No h-scenes, wholesome story with dark moral implications, death, betrayal, mass human population sacrifice, and more...”
- “The interactions you get with them is the closest thing the emperor gets as emotional support during the game (unlike those snakes your advisors and the other rulers that seek to use you). It's more than a little disappointing that your bond with them doesn't really affect the ending or some other aspect of the story when a stupid vial of medicine does!”
- “While I might have preferred a slightly stronger emotional connection with the empress compared to the daughter and wife in previous games, I understand that the fantasy of becoming emperor is the primary focus of this title.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its smooth performance and impressive visuals, which are inspired by traditional Asian art styles, complemented by a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack.
- “Plus, it runs smoothly and looks great, drawing from traditional Asian art styles with a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The humor in the game is noted for its unexpected moments, providing a refreshing contrast to the otherwise intense storyline. Reviewers appreciate how these humorous elements are seamlessly integrated, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The story is pretty intense in some parts, and there was a funny bit that caught me completely off guard.”
- “The humor in the game is cleverly woven into the narrative, making for some unexpected laughs.”
- “I loved how the game balanced serious moments with hilarious dialogue that kept me entertained.”