The Advisor - Episode 1: Royal Pain
- May 31, 2021
- Randumb Studios
Get on Steam"The Advisor - Episode 1: Royal Pain" is a political thriller visual novel where you play as the advisor to the royal family of the Kingdom of Gloriville. As the kingdom faces various crises, you must help the royal family navigate political intrigue, personal drama, and potential revolution. Your choices and dialogue options will affect the story's outcome and the relationships with the characters.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a compelling narrative that allows players to influence the outcome through their choices, making it engaging and interactive.
- Magnus is a well-developed character with a humorous and sardonic personality, adding depth and entertainment to the gameplay.
- The game successfully combines elements of strategy and morality, prompting players to think critically about their decisions and their consequences.
- The game lacks a save feature, requiring players to complete it in a single sitting, which can be inconvenient.
- Some players found the excessive dialogue and lengthy questions to be tedious, detracting from the overall experience.
- There is a sense of ambiguity regarding the character's motivations, leading to confusion about whether to answer as oneself or as Magnus, which can disrupt immersion.
- story65 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its engaging plot and character development, particularly around the character Magnus. However, some users expressed a desire for more player agency in decision-making and a deeper exploration of the narrative, as well as concerns about the story's brevity and reliance on majority decisions. Overall, the story is seen as a promising start with potential for future development, but it could benefit from more interactive elements and varied outcomes.
“I love the story so far, the characters, and the mystery!”
“The story presented was much more interesting, and seeing the results of your decisions was very satisfying.”
“I enjoyed the storyline it provides and how the character role-plays the answers even if the answers aren't something that character would typically say.”
“At worst, this was an absolute waste of time, an incomplete story, and an utter disappointment.”
“I was kind of expecting some story to play out, but technically the story will come later.”
“I feel like we are being led to vote for Magnus to go to the other kingdom because of the lure of the staff, because that would offer more storyline material and options.”
- humor26 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and ability to elicit genuine laughter, particularly through the character Magnus, whose dark and edgy wit adds a unique flavor to the dialogue. Players appreciate the blend of humor with strategic gameplay, although some note that the humor can occasionally overshadow character depth. Overall, the game's comedic elements are seen as a standout feature, contributing significantly to its enjoyment.
“There were some responses and dialogues that really made me laugh.”
“Magnus has a vicious sense of humor that I loved, though he's much more likely to kill than I am.”
“Another title from Randumb Studios that excels at the choices-matter impact on the player and story, this has a unique mix of humor more so than the other games.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily centered around answering a large number of questions, lacking traditional mechanics or interactive elements, which results in a low engagement level. While it offers an entertaining thought experiment, the overall experience is limited to about an hour, leaving players wanting more in terms of gameplay depth and variety.
“While the gameplay left a lot to be desired as this was more of a thought experiment than a typical RPG, it was entertaining in the sense of the volume of questions and the subtle consistency between them.”
“There's no gameplay in the sense of moving someone around; rather, the game is focused on the choices you make based on various scenarios.”
“Though it has a pretty poor hour-to-gameplay ratio, it's a fun novelty.”
“Mechanics: there are no direct mechanics that the player interacts with other than a plethora of questions, maybe about 50 or 75 questions.”
“There's no gameplay in the sense of moving someone around; rather, the game is focused on the choices you make based on scenarios.”
“What this game needs in the following episodes is mostly two things: gameplay and affiliations.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as decent but not exceptional, featuring an appealing art style that enhances the overall aesthetic. While the quality is not top-tier, the unique design choices and attention to detail, particularly in character artwork, contribute positively to the experience. Overall, the visuals are appreciated, especially in the context of the game's narrative and character development.
“Interesting choices, love the art style and main character.”
“I dig the idea and aesthetic.”
“A brilliant game and I do have to appreciate the detail that went into the king's artwork.”
“The graphics are quite underwhelming, lacking the polish expected from a modern game.”
“The visual style feels outdated and doesn't do justice to the game's potential.”
“While the game has a unique aesthetic, the overall graphics quality leaves much to be desired.”
- music7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the soundtrack as great and fitting for the game's atmosphere, while others feel it lacks variety, noting only a couple of different scores. The background music enhances the overall experience, but some players desire a more sinister tone to match the game's themes. Overall, the main menu music has been highlighted as particularly memorable.
“The soundtrack is great and fanciful, creating a great vibe as you play and contemplate your decisions.”
“The story, the music, the dialogues, the characters, and the results, everything was a step up.”
“Music: I think there were maybe 2 different scores.”
“As a master strategist and soldier of fortune, I found the game hilarious, but in my humble opinion, you need more sinister background music.”
“The game isn't just text-based, which means you'll also hear background music and see some animations and well-drawn characters.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The optimization aspect received mixed feedback, with some users reporting no performance issues on their desktop PCs, while others rated the graphics quality and overall performance poorly, indicating a lack of consistency in optimization across different systems.
“Performance: no issues with performance on my desktop PC.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the character development, particularly highlighting Magnus's visually stunning design and well-crafted personality, which stands out as one of the best in recent memory.
“Magnus's character design is visually beautiful.”
“The personality of the character design is the best I've seen in a long time.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is limited, primarily due to the lack of additional episodes, despite offering a variety of endings. While the engaging story may encourage players to continue following the narrative, the overall replay value remains low.
“The evident variety in endings adds a layer of intrigue, making me want to explore different paths, even if I don't see a high replay value overall.”
“The story was engaging enough for me to want to see it continue and develop, which keeps the replayability alive in my mind.”
“Unfortunately, this will suffer on the replay value scale until other episodes are released.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game initially tedious, but it becomes more engaging as they progress, leading to an overall enjoyable experience.
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional connection to the characters, particularly between Magnus and King Harald, lacking, which diminishes the impact of the plot's surprising conclusion. While the narrative encourages players to make strategic choices, the emotional stakes may not resonate strongly due to this disconnect.
“The plot took me by surprise in the end, but I felt emotionally detached from King Harald. As Magnus, it would be wise to choose sides, yet as a player, I found myself wanting to stay, having grown the kingdom.”
“The emotional depth of the characters really drew me in, making every decision feel weighty and impactful.”
“I was genuinely moved by the story's twists and turns, which made me reflect on my choices long after I finished playing.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is noted as intriguing, serving as a backdrop to its primary function as a quiz. While the ambiance enhances the experience, it is not the main focus of the gameplay.
“The atmosphere is captivating, drawing you into the game's world.”
“The immersive environment enhances the overall experience, making every moment feel alive.”
“The game's atmosphere is rich and engaging, creating a unique sense of place.”
“Interesting game, but it is mainly a quiz with little atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking any real immersion.”
“While the game has potential, the atmosphere fails to engage the player.”
