[b] I finished the game on Nintendo Switch and bought it on PC to support the developers. [/b]
[h1] Slay the Princess — The Pristine Cut [/h1]
[i] "I can fix her" [/i]
[h3] Story [/h3]
The less said about the actual story, the better, as I think not knowing what is going on in the least really makes the game shine; it surprises you at every turn, culminating in a wonderfully executed ending. Instead, I'll tell you how impressed I was with this visual novel that somehow finds a way to incorporate multiple routes, a deeply engaging mystery, and incredible writing and VO in order to deliver one of the best-told stories I've read in a while, unconventional as it is. I was hooked all the way through, and every route had surprises and had me at the edge of my seat waiting to see how my dialogue choices would affect the outcome. The story is so full of possibilities that you will have to play multiple playthroughs to see all it has to offer, but I'm not complaining, as it is all worth seeing.
[i] TLDR [/i]
Just go play it if you like story and narrative. If you like Visual Novels, why don't you already own this?
[h3] Gameplay [/h3]
Can this be considered gameplay? Well, if point-and-click games can have gameplay, I don't see why this can't, but it is definitely closer to an interactive, choose-your-own-adventure book where you flip back and forth to see how different choices ultimately culminate in a custom ending that is an amalgam of these decisions. Not much more to be said about it other than this isn't the reason anyone ever plays a VN, so I wouldn't worry about it. Will you Slay the Princess? the choice is up to you.
[h3] Sound [/h3]
The game features a plethora of tracks, as each character and section has its own themes incorporating piano and strings along with other instruments to weave an accompanying feel to what is happening on screen, whether it be heart-racing panic or serene bliss. Many of these tracks help elevate the scenes in a way that is more important to this genre than any other, except maybe rhythm games, due to the gameplay limitations. Simply put, without a good OST, a VN narrative could lack punch; luckily, this one has a great one to accompany it without getting in the way of the story itself.
[h3] Graphics [/h3]
To accompany this great storytelling, the game features what at first might seem like a simplistic, almost paper-like art style. However, it dynamically evolves alongside the narrative, growing either more detailed or abstract depending on exactly what the developers want to convey at that moment. This approach works wonderfully overall, and it kept me eagerly starting new routes just to see how the visuals would shift to match the changing story.
[h3] Performance [/h3]
I think my microwave can run this.
[h3] Score [/h3]
[b] Pros [/b]
-Wonderfully unique story told perfectly in a Visual Novel style
-Good accompanying OST
-Many choices making every person's first run mostly unique
-Great ending that takes all you've done and puts it together in a satisfying way
[b] Cons [/b]
-Being a Visual Novel lacking gameplay takes some points away for me, even if that might be unfair. For a game to reach the highest echelons in this genre, it would need to astonish me, and so far I haven't found that perfect one yet but this one is up there.
[b] Mixed [/b]
n/a
I give Slay the Princess — The Pristine Cut 8 "Crowns" out of 10.
A wonderfully unique take on Visual Novels that takes player choice to new highs in the genre. I loved my time with this story and grew attached to the characters, even the ones we don't get to see.
👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑
1- ET (1982)
2- Awful
3- Bad
4- Flawed
5- Average
6- Good
7- Great
8- Amazing 🌟
9- Outstanding
10- GOTY
