Creator/Company ~ Voltage Inc.
Original Release ~ June 4, 2013
Genre ~ Mobile Otome Game, Shoujo, Princes, "Commoner" Protagonist
Personal Completion Date ~ N/A
Before I get into my personal assessment of this mobile otome game, it's probably best if I explain how it works.
Tutorial ~ This game is outfitted with a tutorial that not only walks the user through the basic items of the game, but it also leads into the prologue of the story. Which is that the MC [Main Character whose name you provide, as there is no default] opens by lamenting with a friend from college over another rejection from another fashion designer's office. They both then caught the eye of a large jumbo-tron which is displaying the six main princes and their recent visit to another country. Their conversation proceeds as normal for the friend at least as the MC doesn't demonstrate much interest at all in the princes. But they bid their farewells to one another and the MC returns home to her mother holding a thick envelope for her which just arrived in the mail.
The MC then, thinking it's another rejection urges her mother to open the mail only to find out that she's been accepted to Monsieur Pierre's designer label. So, of course, she wastes no time and packs her bags for France. Upon arrival at the airport, she makes her first official run in with a prince. Prince Wilfred [the blond] who helps her pick up her things after they spill from her bag before leaving easily without offering his name [the MC only figures he's a prince after his butler comes to collect him].
This proves to be only the first of numerous run-ins for the MC as Pierre later sends her on an errand to Nobel Michel, a famous castle in the country, which is hosting a party tonight. The MC essentially is supposed to bring a dress to a client for the party but the client refuses to attend and instead dresses up the MC in her clothes and make-up as a stand in.
Which basically brings about the main part of the prologue/tutorial as she becomes acquainted with all six princes at the party and then later at a fashion show in which Pierre offered her a place to display her own fashions. It is at the fashion show that a prince of the user's choice becomes intrigued enough that he sends her a notice to become his royal fashion designer and essentially begin the main plot of each route...
Basic Game Movement ~ This part is rather elaborate so I'll section it off within this branch.
- Love Passes ~ In order to advance each chapter of a specific story, you need a love pass. This allows you read anywhere from 5 to 10 lines of the specific chapter [and at times, some are repeated from the previous chapter/story]. There are mainly two ways to obtain them. Through generation: everyday at 9am EST [I can't recall the PST or whatever main timezone they went by or the hour. I just know mine reset at 9 every morning.] This will restore the full 5 you can use at one time and allow you to continue. Another way is through purchase: you can buy anywhere from 1 to 20 passes with their special online currency that you can buy with your money and convert for use on any of their GREE apps [not sure if they work on all Voltage otome games]. However you can still only load 5 at a time.
- Love Factors ~ At points in the game, you will be asked questions with two answers to pick from, not only do these answers affect the users game ending but they also affect the love factors or "closeness" of the prince and the MC. At certain points in the game, you can only advance if you have a certain number of these factors. They can be raised in various ways which I'll explain as I continue.
- Royal Party ~ This is one of the ways to obtain love factors, as well as Cruz [in game currency as opposed to using real money for items] and Gacha points during their bonus events. It's basically a mini version of the party sped WAY up. You win by being more "attractive" then your opponent. You can also enlist help from a Princess Mate to increase your charm and aid you.
- Charm ~ The "attractiveness" factor that stipulates the winner of the royal parties. This can be raised through items that your "avatar" wears, each giving a specific amount of charm or through the furniture you use in your room.
- Princess Gacha ~ One of the means of obtaining furniture for your room. As you collect items of a set from a particular Gacha, you are awarded items to put in your room to raise your charm. More Gacha are unlocked as you proceed through each route. Each Prince has at least one specific to him.
- Missions ~ At various points in each route, you'll have to meet certain requirements in order to continue. Some missions will allow for two different versions of the next special chapter. One being the "normal" where it's from the MC's POV or the "sweet" where it follows the prince's POV. There is always a price different between the two sets. However some route require a certain amount of charm or love factors and don't have any changes to how the next part is viewed.
Well, really...I was initially confused by all the various parts that made up one simple mobile game as well as oober obsessed with the game itself. Both faded quickly. In their places, came one critical question of the game. Which prince would I start with?
From left to right and then top to bottom: Wilfred, Keith, Roberto, Glenn, Joshua and Edward.
From what the base page of the game told me, most picked Wilfred, which didn't suprise me too much. A blond prince is what most think of [for one reason or another] but I personally always found their personalities to be like their hair. Bright and shiny. So I was like "pass."
Next was Keith, the arrogant playboy of the princes. Instant rejection. Not interested in another stereotype to the whole "prince" idea. [Although I knew they all were stereotypes of some sort, but still. xD]
Roberto made the initial cut because I liked his mischievous and playful nature and he would have been my formal pick to start but someone else stood out more after the prologue.
Glenn was the youngest and he just didn't make it due to his age. Not much reason beyond that as I did find his reactions to the things the MC did in the prologue to be adorable. If only he was older. *Sigh~*
Joshua had been my pick at first glance and who I almost went with, until he displayed that horrid tsundere attitude at the party. Not that I mind tsunderes...but I need to see the cute in him too. He only showed the douchebag side. </3
So who does that leave? Edward from Charles Kingdom.
Or as I thought of him, "The Teddy Bear Prince".
Undoubtedly the most mature of the princes, he was completely mindful of and tender with the MC at the party. At one point he took a glass of rose wine away from her after he noticed her cheeks started to blush. Following it, he utters an adorable line about the roses that were used to make the wine paled in comparison to the ones blooming on her cheeks.
[/MASSIVENOSEBLEEDALLOVERMYANDRIOD]
Yes! I'd finally found him! My cheesy, beyond words adorable, mature prince! From that line on, I was utterly smitten. I wanted him to be fucking real damn it. I'd corrupt the shit out of him while he remained hopeful about my true tenderheartedness existing somewhere underneath it all. That's just the sort of prince he is. [Sucker~]
His route only got better when I actually started it. Apparently, the MCs first assignment from him was to design a new pair of glasses for him. That's right. The silvery-haired, violet-eyed wonder...wore glasses in private. Because he's EXTREMELY shortsighted. Seriously, he couldn't see shit. xD Which only made him more adorable to see him totally not know what was going on right in front of him.
However, his route came with a rival whose name I can't and don't care to remember. But she was somewhat important still. For several reasons. In Edward's route, his country was dual-run in a sense. There was the monarchy [the king and queen] and then there was the Royal Commission. EVERYONE fucking hates the Royal Commission. Apparently, everyone spent most of their time trying to pacify this one elder from it, who was the grandfather on the rival. [When the elder first appears, he makes not only Edward's but also his parent's expressions, tighten.]
Where was I? Oh right. The bimbo. Well, she's also important in that she forces Edward and the MC to confront their feelings for one another. Specifically after one incident when she demands a kiss from Edward like she claims he always give her. At getting over his shock at the request, he obliges with one on the cheek. Thereby forcing the MC to reason with why she only has had Edward kiss her hand and inevitably resist him the very next time he tries to do so.
The pain of her rejection stirs Edward to his heart and in the very next story, he rejects the rival claiming his feelings for the MC outright. [/innersquee~]
His proclamation also leaves consequences in its wake, as the paparazzi of Charles Kingdom nearly publish the story and the King demands that Edward and the MC be apart for some time to allow things to cool down and for him to gain the approval of the Royal Commission in regards to his relationship with the MC.
Honestly though, as far as what happens after that...I only know from reading someone else's explanation. That's right. I ultimately choose to abandon his route. And for one reason only.
In order to finish the mission I was stuck on, it would have taken me another month or so. With hardcore playing and obsession motivating me. Why, you ask? The mission required that I have 80k love factors. I had total about 36k. After about a month or so of playing. And each royal party would only gain me about 100 to 150 and with full energy [300 to 350 during events]. Not to mention that I could only do about 10 parties in a full day with regular checking. As 1 energy took 3 minutes to regain and you needed 25 to 30 per party. See the complex math at work here?
So all in all, I was beyond pissed. Especially considering that I had at least another 30 chapters [3 stories] to go. So I just resigned myself to youtubing it in completely off-put bitterness.
Now I'm just starting over on Joshua's route until it locks me out too and I'll just finish the princes to the best I can in that manner until either I finish with them all (as far as it lets me) or get so fucking annoyed I uninstall it. So given all of this...
Final Rating ~ 4/10 [For the 40k+ factors I was missing. D<]
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