a mythical tantalizing tale of ideals and aristocracy, presented in the form of a courtroom mystery game!
despite the initial hook as a homage to the Ace Attorney series, a distinct narrative flourishes with each case you delve into, along with a slew of additional unique gameplay mechanics and puzzle elements birthed by the magical setting presented-
it truly is a rare gem, though!- make no mistake in comparing it to other titles- i sincerely believe each game, especially when it comes to VNs, should be treated independently, as a self-contained work of art, with its own creative expressions and prose-
the true triumph here is the story it tells, as opposed to a simple mere "whodunit". for those who are here for the mystery and logic… i'd say the cases and puzzles presented are well-made but… there may be times where the villain or perpetrator may come off very apparent given Tyrion Cuthbert's divine abilities, which is especially so with the overarching antagonist- [b]BUT!- that's not the point!-[/b] the strength lies in the burden of proof put on you to reason about and unveil the details and means by which the crime had been committed, through deductive reasoning- accompanied by an opponent that really is a friend, whom shares the same goals of arriving at the truth! as opposed to being steered by win records
something i really do enjoy- but could be the opposite for others- is how specific you have to be at times in cross-examinations, with connecting the statement and evidence. it provides a true challenge whereby you'd have to present something meaningful, and explicit- as opposed to allowing something that may be on the boundary of correct, but does not directly oppose or address a given sentence… and what makes it work here is the lack of penalties- it invites the player to fearlessly attempt and try without the friction of save-scumming… be bold~ essentially!
the cases start off easier and simpler, but they grow in complexity as you progress deeper into the heart of the kingdom and the underlying ploy taking hold throughout the story- with excellent world-building to be seen at each step of the way, as you grow to understand the recurring characters more, learning about each of them and their motivations… forming a bigger picture of the society the characters live in… and that's where the peak enjoyment lies- to me at least! but of course~ everyone is entitled to have their own opinion and judgement :>
i first played this closer to its original release date, but has recently replayed the remastered overhauled version, what was good before, has become amazing now- i have utmost respect and admiration for the indie studio's dedication to revisit their work, and continually improve, and reiterate on it- as no piece of work is truly perfect!- there's always room for improvements and that's something i genuinely adore- lots of animations, deeper writings, and polish had been added at no cost in the current version
and… there is a case to be made on how much the protagonist and his idealistic view of the world resonated with me- the idea and practice of refusing to falter… refusing to give in… to less-than-ideal compromises- and of course~ not letting anyone stop him… not [i]man, king, or god!-[/i] including magical beings, and himself-
on top of that! there really are parallels that can be drawn to how the real world functions too- whether that was intended or not- it matters not! it's inevitable that people can draw wonderful meanings and interpretations of any medium, and differing views is what makes us human after all~ and not monsters…
all in all, a well-crafted work of art that is worthy of high praise!
