Royal Order
- March 29, 2024
- Nifty Visuals
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Royal Order" is a historical role-playing game with an intriguing story of political tensions and pirate attacks. As the new member of the High Council, Aarya, manage the Royal Order and make decisions that will determine the fate of the three kingdoms. Customize your protagonist, choose from 3 romantic love interests, and navigate through 4 hours of gameplay to bring an end to the Sval's plundering while maintaining peace. Check out the indirect prequel "Royal Alchemist" for more context.
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Reviews
- The game features a beautifully written story with engaging plot twists and well-developed characters, making it a compelling visual novel experience.
- The art and music are stunning, enhancing the overall atmosphere and immersion of the game.
- The mechanics allow for meaningful player choices that influence character development and story progression, making each playthrough feel unique.
- The pacing of the story can be slow, leading to moments of boredom, and some players feel it doesn't match the quality of its predecessor, Royal Alchemist.
- The lack of character sprites for many side characters is distracting and detracts from the immersive experience.
- Some gameplay mechanics, such as the stat-raising system and skill checks, can feel unbalanced or underutilized, leading to frustration during play.
- story105 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players praising its depth, engaging plot twists, and well-developed characters, while others criticize its slow pacing and occasional plot holes. Many reviewers appreciate the emotional weight and complexity of the narrative, particularly in how player choices impact the story, though some express frustration with the consequences of certain decisions. Overall, the story is seen as a strong point of the game, offering a captivating experience despite some flaws in execution.
“This is a really lovely game with a huge cast of wonderfully realized characters, a deep well of compelling lore, and a story which does a surprising superb job of pacing out revelation after revelation to invest it all with a great sense of tension.”
“The story is so beautiful and complex that it easily catches your attention and makes you curious.”
“Love the game so far! Amazing story and the characters' backgrounds are interesting as hell, plus I'm loving all the plot twists in this game.”
“This game's story is extremely slow-paced and boring.”
“My biggest complaint is just a few dumb decisions like killing you for something completely unrelated and leaving you to have to go to Discord to figure out why, or your ending getting decided by something that literally has no effect on the story and is never brought up again.”
“There are many plot holes in the story and I don't know whether this happened because the plot holes were answered in 'Royal Alchemist', or I didn't pay attention to the plot properly.”
- gameplay11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The gameplay is enriched with well-defined mechanics and a core loop that enhances the experience, blending visual novel elements with interactive gameplay. While some players found the mechanics challenging at first, the introduction of personality-driven stat gains and a rewarding system for character failures were generally well-received. However, there are concerns about the difficulty balance and certain mechanics, like the "oracle," which some players felt needed improvement.
“Also, it is very pleasant to have a well-defined core loop and additional mechanics to the game. I love visual novels as illustrated books, but it is always refreshing to have the real stuff to play with while you're enjoying the plot.”
“Really love the new mechanic of having your personality (dialogue choices) influence your stat gains instead of relying on RNG.”
“The mechanics are interesting and different from the usual dating sims!”
“The mechanics of this game were a little hard to grasp at first, personally, but even if your character meets an untimely end, the game rewards the player with a small boost to assist in passing the next time.”
“There's an 'oracle' mechanic that didn't work for me despite several attempts, that I hope gets fixed.”
“As for gameplay: this is probably the weakest point.”
- music10 mentions
- 90 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the storytelling, with many reviewers noting how well it complements the art and narrative. Players appreciate the captivating soundtrack, which evokes strong emotions and adds depth to the overall experience. Overall, the combination of music and art has left a lasting impression, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
“I had to take a moment to listen to the music because it was just so lovely and matched perfectly with the written story.”
“The music perfectly complemented the storytelling and helped pull at my heartstrings.”
“The music, the art style, and the story are captivating in a way I did not expect; from the moment I backed the game on Kickstarter to release, it has been a delight.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received high praise for their captivating art style, described as "eye candy" and visually stunning. Reviewers appreciate the beautiful visuals that complement the engaging story and music, highlighting the developers' commitment to quality and fan engagement. Overall, the art direction is celebrated as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience.
“The art style is pleasing to the eye!”
“The art style is pure eye candy and fun to look at!”
“I love it, amazing story, beautiful visuals and most importantly, iris <3.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its deeply emotional narrative, featuring a heart-wrenching love story set against the backdrop of war, which resonates strongly with players. Reviewers commend the exceptional writing, well-handled conflict and morality, and the combination of beautiful art and engaging moments that evoke a wide range of emotions. Overall, it delivers a satisfying and immersive emotional experience.
“Great job on writing a heart-wrenching love story between devoted friends to lovers during wartime.”
“The game's writing yet again exceeded all my expectations; the conflict and morality are handled very well, and the story is well-rounded with beautiful and heartwarming scenes that evoke a lot of emotion.”
“Really great story, intuitive user interface, beautiful art, fun jokes, and heart-wrenching moments; this game has it all.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted to be enhanced compared to its predecessor, "Royal Alchemist," with a mix of complex lore, romance, and betrayal contributing to its comedic elements. While the story features a standout plot twist, some gameplay mechanics, like stats raising and optional missions, are criticized for lacking coherence. Overall, the humor is woven into a rich narrative that balances action and adventure.
“There's complex lore between the factions, plots of revenge, romance, betrayal, humor, action, and adventure.”
“The funny thing is that, compared to its predecessor, 'Royal Alchemist', both its qualities and flaws are exacerbated: the story is slightly better (with one of the best plot twists I've ever seen in a video game), but the stats raising/optional missions aspect really doesn't make much sense anymore.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game experiences consistent stability issues, particularly glitching during friendship endings, regardless of the chosen route.
“It glitches every time I get a friendship ending - it doesn't matter which route.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress.”
“I've experienced constant freezing during key moments, which ruins the immersion.”
