Mountain and Sea Studios are as predictable as the lottery numbers, but at least this time the prize is worth more than the ticket price. Superscout was good, but crumbled at the end and remains unfinished. Sovereign Brain Empire was stupid, despite good and popular actresses. And Heart of the Influencer was repetitive and lacked substance. The Love’s Ordeal is a half-step up on Heart of the Influencer, with a basic story, some moderate branching paths, and one actress who is a genuine star.
The story setup is that you’re a Cultivator who must get a sincere kiss from a Yao to become immortal. Yaos are non-humans that have gained magic powers, and in this case they are animals. The problem is Yaos often eat Humans. So you infiltrate a small Yao sect and test out your charms. There is a bit more to it, including finding the true forms of each Yao, your boss immortal coming to visit, and some history with a few. It is basic, but there is slightly more story than God Bless or Goddess. Also, the game lightly references both GBOG and LIAA 2, and may even hint at M&S’s next game.
The basic structure means scenes flow together normally, without repetition or silliness. You sometimes get to pick to join one of the five love interests, and they do appear in groups. Choices build affection, and there is a good and bad ending for each one. Affection seems cumulative (or broken) and sadly the game bugged out for me, making it impossible to view two endings. Surprisingly, there are a moderate amount of branching paths in the last two chapters, which is why it takes about 2 hours to finish but 5.5 to see everything.
Ye Xiaoying is the game’s standout character, and that’s not to say the others are bad. The actress (Lin Jinyi, formerly in C-pop band SING) is insanely good during the many close ups due to her facial expressions, nose twitches, and actions. Her line delivery is spot on and she is definitely one to watch in the future. She currently sits well on top of the character leaderboards, so it appears most others agree.
Like other games from M&S, the budget seems relatively modest. It is set in the modern day, so no fancy sets or props, although there are a few different outfits at least (Yufen’s true form is cool). There are basically no extras. Translation is not great, with a couple of scenes missing subs and some name issues with choices, but credit where it is due, many languages are supported. Just about everything is mostly on par with how M&S have approached their other games. At least with this sensible framework, they have something worth playing and hopefully they can take another half-step forward.
Rating: Adequate 
Length: 2 hrs
100%: 5.5 hrs
Positives +
Ye Xiaoying, Audio, Close-ups
Negatives –
Buggy, Translation, Simple, Low budget
Steam Store Link