Royal Affairs

“Royal Affairs” had its moments, but they were too few and far between, and I didn’t have fun a good portion of the time. Partly because I was often unsure what stats the choices would test, resulting in failures, and even if that hadn’t been the case, these same stats had varying degrees of usefulness. (4/10) For example, “Entertaining” seemed to be used far less often than “Eloquent.” Not only that, but sometimes, you only get three options to pick from, and with five major “Powers of Persuasion” based stats, not to mention a host of “Action skills,” you will occasionally have to select between exclusively adverse outcomes. Or at least choices that don’t reflect your character’s personality or trained talents. Also, many times, I simply wasn’t given any choice that sounded appealing to me at all, regardless if I had the requisite stat high enough or not, and in those cases, I had to settle for taking the least bad option. Additionally, during certain scenes, such as the play rehearsals, the only checks I could succeed at would often be those that made fun of or undermined Javi, my first of two love interests. Doing so would result in a positive outcome while complimenting her would fail, and as such, do the opposite and make Javi dislike me. As if saying good work or congratulating her on a job well-done was somehow an unforgivable insult. Barring a few exceptions, many of the people you meet during the game never grow much as characters nor have anything in the way of hidden layers to discover. Your first impression is pretty much what you’re getting, and by the end of the story, I only felt marginally closer to my second love interest, while Javi was, at best, more tolerable. Not exactly a match made in heaven. Indeed, even if your relationship ranking with Javi grew high, she would still react unpredictably, and it was easy to lose large chunks of her affection. Without the checkpoint system, I’d likely have accidentally ended up as mortal enemies with my love interest. You know, because of all the compliments and support I gave her. Apart from the issues I had with the gameplay or story, I saw a few cases of repeated text by the end of the game, but it was nothing major and not enough to distract from the plot. I also found it unfortunate that the “Restart” button had been moved to a new location. In the end, I think this game was mediocre, and I’d have liked to give it a neutral review, but since that’s not possible, I’d say it’s closer to bad than good. The one thing I liked a lot was the checkpoint system that made replaying parts of it easy until I got a somewhat tolerable outcome. I’m not sure I’d have finished the game if not for that convenience. (4/10)

Reviewing (mostly) every game (or DLC) in my library, part 550: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ (7/10) I can't help but feel a tad disappointed after finishing [i]Royal Affairs[/i], Harris Powell-Smith's fourth work published and third in the [i]Crème de la Crème[/i] ("CdlC") universe. I honestly couldn't say why. It's technically sound as CdlC with a lot of branching, and the cast of ROs are plentiful and more fleshed-out. There's also an addition of your royal family, consisting of your mother, the Queen, your older princess, the Heir, and your younger brother. The new political addition to the school slice-of-life is light enough to be enjoyable instead of preachy. But I didn't love [i]Royal Affairs[/i] as much as I thought I would. I think it was because (a) Powell-Smith had to develop two plots in conjunction, which weakened the school setting, and (b) there wasn't enough time to get attached to the cast. I also has some problems with my chosen RO (Javi) and their romance. [b][h2]Pros:[/h2][/b] ✅[b] Cast[/b]. Powell-Smith has included another large ensemble cast, and from the limited amount of time I had with them, I really enjoyed them. Asher is your bodyguard and is the classic golden retriever, childhood best friend. Beaumont respects you but will not kiss your ass. Dominique is a bit harder to pin down, but they're a warm, mystical type. Trevelyan is the fiery revolutionary. Hyacinthe is a shy yet talented dancer (who reminds me of Olivia from [i]Fire Emblem: Awakening[/i], actually). Javi is your arranged political marriage and remind me of a yowling cat. I honestly wished to romance everyone; romance is clearly Powell-Smith's strongest point. They're all charismatic in their own ways. ✅[b] Family.[/b] I adored the addition of the Royal Family. I had a good relationship with my mother, and she struck a good balance between a shrewd politician and loving mother. Your older sister is sweet, if not a bit skittish, and your younger is just a delight. He worships the ground you walk on and is a brave boy. Having a family fleshes out the main character besides them being a blank slate. It’s nice to come back from school drama or political tension and have people who clearly care about you, not just your reputation or usefulness. ✅[b] Setting/worldbuilding.[/b] One of my critiques about CdlC is that we didn't get much worldbuilding. I knew we lived in an vaguely English aristocracy with little religion but that was about it. I didn't find it necessary to explore more lore, but it would have been nice to. Well, Powell-Smith has created a lovely Setting Guide and taken the reader to three different nations: Zaledo, Jezhan, and Teran. Each nation has its own culture with different ruling styles. And each nation also has their eyes on your fragile Westerlin. I especially enjoyed learning more about things like differing religious attitudes and normalized polyamorous relationships. It made the setting feel lived-in rather than just a backdrop for school drama. [b][h2]Mixed:[/h2][/b] 🟨 [b] Much easier difficulty than CdlC.[/b] It's funny, you're balancing many more stat bars in [i]Royal Affairs[/i], yet the game feels much easier. I didn't have to do [i]anything[/i] (or, at least it seemed like that), but I had high popularity with the students, my friends, and the public. I chose to study twice in my free time and breezed to an A. This effect is also prominent in the narrative, as well. Since you're royalty, everyone is kissing your ass. Don't get me wrong, it's fun—I like a power fantasy as much as the next guy—but I think it made [i]Royal Affairs[/i] have less stakes than CdlC. Where CdlC thrived on social friction, trade-offs, and the anxiety of choosing what to prioritize, [i]Royal Affairs[/i] often smooths those edges away. The result is a story that’s pleasant and empowering but lighter on stakes. Being royalty is thematically appropriate, sure—but it also means fewer moments of uncertainty, fewer hard choices, and less of that “oh no, did I mess up?” energy that made CdlC so engaging to me. Still, I know some wished CdlC was less difficult, and the easier difficulty can be fun. [b][h2]Cons:[/h2][/b] 🟥[b] Not enough time with cast.[/b] This might be a strange con—how can I love the cast if I haven't spend enough time with them? Well, their introductions are so strong that I could clearly see the arcs, chemistry, and potential relationships taking shape. There were many scenes where you could spend time with them. Except . . . when presented with a free time interlude, you only could pick one person to spend time with. In theory, that makes sense. Time is limited. Choices should have consequences. In practice, it bottlenecks character development and romance. To initiate a romance, you need repeated one-on-one time, which effectively means committing early and hard. I chose Javi, and that choice quietly locked me out of exploring anyone else. Dominique’s triad route does exist, but there’s no real signposting that it’s an option, so I missed it entirely because I didn't want to miss out on Javi's scenes. I wish there were two options per choice instead and more focus on the characters. At the end of the game, half of the cast just ... vanished for me. I didn't feel as connected to Dominique and Beaumont as I did with Freddie or Max in CdlC. 🟥[b] Is almost too similar to CdlC.[/b] The calendar at Archambault Academy is pretty much the same as Gallatin, with engagement season at the end. This was fun, I loved it! However, there's also a two rival professors subplot. This was also done in CdlC and better, as you could set up the teachers. Lastly, the ending plot twist is incredibly obvious, with even characters in-game commenting on how it already happened. The [spoiler]Fabien kidnapping Trevelyan [/spoiler] subplot was incredibly unnecessary. 🟥[b] Stat checks too opaque.[/b] I encountered this problem in [i]Fool![/i], as well. Your Powers of Persuasion (Eloquence/Authoritative/Appealing/Cunning/Entertaining) stat checks are usually pretty clear. But I wasn't a fan of the Action Skills (Planner/Improviser, Forceful/Subtle, Calm/Passionate, Ruthless/Soft-Hearted) tests, as well. To me, the Action Skills should be more flavor text. But I was playing as a Subtle and Calm princess, and choosing excited reactions, like clapping loudly, got me some strange looks. It made the results feel inconsistent. 🟥[b] Javi romance.[/b] Initially, I was hyped for a slow burn push-and-pull, enemies-to-lovers romance with Javi. However, I was disappointed when the romance scenes were surprisingly chaste. I could kiss them on the cheek or hug them, but that was shockingly it. Even when getting [i]married[/i], we exchanged "I love you's" once, and I still could not kiss them. After finishing the game, I learned via the forums that Powell-Smith intended Javi as "asexual and does not do kissing or sex with the MC." To my knowledge, Javi has one or two lines about something that's potentially quite the deal breaker for some people. Being aseuxal has such a broad meaning, as well; there should have been a big conversation about their preferences. When reading, I felt like the romance was incomplete and oddly evasive. I felt cheated out of a fairy tale, political romance, actually, ngl. To me, a real romance has to include some physical or emotional intimacy. Big gestures, little touches, desire, a connection. But for Javi, there was no kisses, no passion, no emotional heat—nothing that makes a romance feel like a romance. I would point readers looking for a traditional romance to look at the other cast, instead. [hr] If you enjoyed this review, please check out my curator page to find more: [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45814768-Verdict-Play-or-Pass/]Verdict: Play or Pass. [/url] Also, please leave a like and visit [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/Indie_Gems]IndieGems[/url] and our YouTube channel for more reviews like this one. [/hr]

Not as interesting as the last book, but OK

A good game, but it doesnt quite reach its Predecessor "Creme de la Creme". It is technically not necessary to play "Creme de la Creme" to enjoy or understand "Royal Affairs", but its helps in understanding setting and references. It has the same setting and atmosphere, but it fails to present the same engaging storytelling. This is the result of three Problems: 1. The main Character is less relatable and harder to develop than before, a result of them beeing Royality. 2. The Story is less focussed on the school and more on politics, wich results in spending not enough time on both, making it less engaging. 3. The ending is basically a repeat of the last games ending, just with less buildup and forshadowing. This is even lampshaded by the characters ingame, if the right save is importet. The game IS good, it just isnt as good a its predecessor. Still, its fun, story and worldbuilding dont fail in their aim and the price is fair.

Игра выглядит как менее очаровательная копия Creme de la Creme. Здесь такой же сюжет (учись, завод друзей, флиртуй и под конец назревает что-то вроде заговора от лица взрослого персонажа, который ты можешь разоблачить или поддержать), здесь очень похожие типажи любовных интересов (принц Хави практически копия Блейза, такой же резкий и антагонистично настроений к гг, а Доминик и Гонсалес из тех, кого я называю золотистыми ретриверами - чрезмерно возбудимые и оптимистичные), здесь так же есть персонаж-асексуал (в Creme это был Гонсалес, здесь - Хави), и персонажи, с которыми можно сформировать полиаморный треугольник. В общем, я так понимаю, автор решил не изобретить велосипед и просто на основе прошлой игры сделать новую путем небольших изменений. Ставить дислайк было жалко, но если вы играли в Creme, то дикое дежавю вам обеспечено.

*Don't mind the short playtime, I ended up playing the game through the choice of games site to play on my phone but I bought the game on steam. Also my first time writing a review, but I've become really invested in this series so I wanted to give it a go! I absolutely love the universe built in Creme De La Creme (shortening it to CDLC for convenience), and with each game I have been excitedly awaiting how the author expands on the ideas brought up in previous games. I am an incredibly big fan of this author's work and once again this is no exception to my adoration. I really loved how this gave us another perspective from the other school brought up in CDLC. You are made aware that it is extravagant and the Gallatin students are quite taken with the kind of people who go to the school. It was really exciting to see what their experiences are like, and also, see more of the professors and teachers that were briefly in CDLC. However, whereas the focus of CDLC was navigating your school life with the muddied family name, Royal Affairs presents a story where you are beloved due to being part of a royal lineage. It's quite the contrast, and in some ways very successful and in some ways a little less stellar. Unfortunately, the school parts of the story don't feel quite as strong as they do in CDLC. In CDLC, you have this disaster squad of roommates and friends that are all incredibly charming despite their flaws and the relationship growth between the player character and the characters feels more natural as they open up about their worries. Because they're a disaster squad, there are also a lot of exciting things that happen throughout your school year. I felt very closely connected to these characters by the end! In RA, the students are still a little bit of a disaster squad, but in a different way. They're students who are expected to be in positions of power one day, and as such, school life is just a little bit smoother even if they're not always the kindest. Also, because you are of royalty, many of the staff and students are much more keen to appeal and make the player's life easier, and therefore your school life is less tense than it had been in CDLC. They're not a bad cast at all, and many of them grew on me, but I think they're a different flavour of enjoyment but maybe it didn't strike as closely with me as the other group. For RA, the tension instead mostly comes from the on-going tense political climate and your status as royalty. It speaks of the social barriers and pressures that come with being a royal. Mind you, however, that it is not at all done in a way that is overwhelming. I know not everyone is keen on stories that involve politics, but it is not a game that is heavy and tiring to read in the slightest. It's plenty enjoyable, and I also found the relationship with your family in the game to be very endearing to read. There are interesting relationships to be had, both romantically and platonically, told with a delightful bond. I particularly adored the romance with Asher and basically ran up to him like a puppy every time I had the chance, he is incredibly cute, and I'm quite weak to the sweet, loyal bodyguards. Also the game lets you have a dog (or horse or bird) and that's already a glowing review point. I've rambled a good bit but TL;DR, I feel that the while the school part of RA is not as engaging as I would have liked, there are many points in other aspects to the story that make it a very pleasurable read if you like this time setting. The author has put together a wonderful world with very interesting characters and a complex social structure to navigate while maintaining good graces. I highly recommend indulging with the lovely stories they have written up. It may be hard not to compare it to CDLC at times, because of the close proximity of the setting, but it is a title can hold up on its own and is absolutely full of charm. Also, this can certainly be played with or without having read Creme de La Creme (or Noblesse Oblige which is also in the universe, and a game I strongly recommend) They are each separate entries, and you can certainly have plenty of fun. For those that do play them, it is a delightful treat to see the continuity of those games and especially how your choices may have influenced what you see now, as well as the relationship and ties of characters you may have already met.

I had some issues with the previous game, but this one seems to have quelled them. Not fully, but enough that I can enjoy this game far more than I enjoyed the first. The characters seem more fleshed out and the stats feel a bit more comprehensible in terms of what stat is being checked by each choice. The next point is more of a wish rather than a complain, because I understand this is a single author and that doing what I'll say next would increase their workload by a lot. I do wish however that we had a but more flavour text, especielly when it comes to the friendship/romance-able characters. Often times their responses and reactions felt a bit underwheling and samey (i.e. X and Y character say the exact same thing). Anyways, still enjoyed this game quite a lot. Definetly worth checking out.

never before has it been this fun to be a reactionary monarchist

A lovely read that kept me intrigued the whole way through.