This is a great interactive dating sim with production quality off the charts, fantastic actresses, and a highly enjoyable story. The narrative begins with you being teleported back into the body of a young Prince (circa Qing Dynasty) who must investigate a secret group by pretending to be a lowly accountant in a high-class brothel. You help various women while remaining incognito. Hiding the fact that you are the Prince is brilliant for the narrative, as it makes almost every conversation interesting.
The whole adventure is like a fun costume drama, with you as the hero who gains status and helps turn the brothel into something more. It is also an altruist’s dream, as you regularly use powers (you have a small army + money + influence) to solve problems without people knowing. Getting through the narrative takes an impressive 6.5 hours, so it is probably the best single-run offering in the genre.
All six admirers are awesome. Your personal bodyguard, Ye Yu, emerges from the shadows and is loyal to a fault. The top courtesan, Li Wanwan, is about to be auctioned off. Su Zimuo sought refuge in the brothel and needs help. A local shop owner, Yin Ran, is quiet and reserved. The governor’s wife, Lady Gao, is a femme fatale who is captivating. And Ayishamu is a princess avoiding her responsibilities. There is even Aunt Lan, who is the affectionate madam of the brothel. Three have been in other games—Ayishamu (Love is All Around), Lady Gao (Charming Hearts), and Yin Ran (Director Simulator)—and their talent is obvious, but the others match it. Much like in Rebirth! New Lover, players are taken through the stories of all characters. Sadly their screen time is not even, as the first three get the lion’s share.
All endings are bitterly disappointing, with each one providing a mere 1-2 minutes of footage that might not even be romantic. Also the game is incredibly linear. Half of the dialogue choices result in virtually identical scenes. Polar opposite decisions lead to the same outcome (or a quick ending). There are a few times when you can choose a date, some ‘bonus quests’, and standard affection boosts from responses, but this is pretty much A to B, so it will only take another 2.5 hours to see everything.
It makes up for this with the unbelievable production values. The sets are amazing with so many incredible props. Their curtain budget must have been astronomical. All of the costumes worn by the admirers are perfect and packed with insane detail. It makes virtually every other game in the genre look like a cheap indie, although the video quality could be better. Unfortunately it uses ADR (automatic dialogue replacement) although at least it is mostly good. The store page says English is not supported but there are English subtitles and they are decent. Ultimately this is nearly a must play for genre fans.
Rating: Great
Length: 6.5 hrs
100%: 9 hrs
Positives +
Story, Production, Admirers, First-run
Negatives –
Endings, Linear, ADR
Steam Store Link
