Author: Alpha GamesAvailability: Free,
Download Format: Raising Sims (with RPG elements)
Genre: FantasyRating: TeenMy Scores: (Writing: 4, Art: 3, Gameplay: 3)
Found at:
http://princemakerproject.wordpress.com/Summary:Prince Maker Braveness is part two of a fan-made series based on Princess Maker, although it doesn't require playing part one in order to understand what's happening. It's originally Chinese, but an English Translation is available (and is, in fact, what I'm basing this review on). In this game, you are tasked with raising a young boy to become the next Emperor of the Three Kingdoms. Will he succeed, or will he wind up pursuing other dreams instead? Will he find love? It's all up to you!
Review:The Writing:
This is definitely one of the more story-intense raising sims, and even after several play-throughs and a bit of research, I still haven't uncovered everything. There are several distinct characters that your boy can meet as you progress through the game, and uncovering the secrets of his past unfolds a twisted and convoluted tale of love and politics. Mind you, the English is imperfect, which can make reading the dialogue a bit of a chore in some places.
The Art:
The art in this game seems to divide evenly between "OMG That's so cute/hot/pretty!" and "Gah! Anatomy does not work that way!" The main sprites for your boy are well done, at least, which is good, because you'll be spending a lot of time looking at him. The music is nice, too.
The Gameplay:
There is a lot packed into this game. There are several different locations you can visit, whether you're just shopping or explicitly sending your boy out for an adventure or a stroll, and a number of jobs and classes to unlock as you play. There are also at least 6 different people the boy can meet and end up with, aside from you and your maid. Be forewarned, though: this game is hard. Some of the endings require triggering events that won't even happen unless you've set things up just right. If you don't have a guide, there will be a *lot* of guesswork over what to do, where to go, and what to say.
This is one of those games that ends up consuming all of your time, because by the time you've finished a several-hours-long playing session, you've come across details that you missed the first time around, or learned something that would have totally altered your strategy had you known, and so you have to go back and start over. The high difficulty combined with the elusive plot-threads and the numerous endings you can get certainly makes for a lot of replay value.
TLDR:Prince Maker 2: Braveness is both fun and frustrating. It has it's flaws, but it also has a well-layered plot and some good fan-service...I mean art. Art! *Ahem*. Anyway, as an English translation of a Chinese fan-game based on a Japanese series, it's easily the most cosmopolitan game on this blog so far, and certainly worth checking out.
Of course, this is all just my own opinion. Feel free to state your own in the comments. :)
