So, this was a pleasant surprise.
I never played the Ace Attorney series or similar law-themed VNs, and instead approached this game with more of a fantasy or romance background. And I certainly got what I'd been looking for in this lovely title! Set in a gorgeous fantasy kingdom with an intricate yet omnipresent magic system, Tyrion Cuthbert fully commits to the bit by asking us to envision the real-life consequences of such a social hierarchy. The power differential between a magic-wielding aristocracy ruling over largely powerless commoners can only be considered the primary contradiction of Wyverngarde, and as our protagonist advances in his plans to fight the system from the inside, he is increasingly confronted with the rot at the heart of aristocratic society. If you're more into the romance than the politics angle of it all, then do not fret, for Tyrion Cuthbert grants us some truly spectacular relationship development between our two leads; as natural affection blooms between two deeply flawed characters who grow through the trials they face together, we bear witness to a slow-burning yet deeply rewarding love story.
On the mechanical side, Tyrion Cuthbert is an extremely polished game; the soundtrack is excellent, the artwork is stellar, and the voice acting is incredibly convincing. It's also certainly not riddled with spelling errors or anything; no, this is a solid production. Outside of chapter 3, which has recently been reworked and is still a bit rough around the edges, the game flows naturally and has some really nice quality-of-life features. The progression is smooth, and all cases are a solid mix of simple deductions and more audacious leaps of logic, meaning that figuring out each case in real time requires some cognitive effort but certainly isn't unreasonably difficult.
Given the beautifully thought-out setting, lively and compelling cast of characters, engaging and occasionally humorous narration, and smooth gameplay, I was going to brand this a classic ... until episode 5, where a lack of narrative ambition failed to bring the game to a satisfying conclusion. I intend to elaborate on my problems with the finale in the discussions tab to avoid spoilers, but let's just say that a lack of willingness to explore the material basis for the corruption of the nobility really hurt the devs' ability to get me invested in the protagonist's final victory. Even so, this is still a very worthwhile game to sink your teeth into – especially if it's on sale! I'd give it like an 8/10 and a definite recommendation; if you like Ace-Attorney-style VNs, or romance, or fantasy, I promise you'll find plenty to like here.
