Review for v0.59.3
I could write an essay about this game. The Last Sovereign isn't just my favorite "porn game", it's one of my favorite games period. For me, it's the very definition of come for the porn, stay for the plot. I have sunk about 200 hours across multiple playthroughs, and will probably put in 100 more once the game is completely finished (Yes this game is long, my last playthrough was about 80 hours covering 4 of the 5 chapters before I stopped).
You start the game as a young chosen hero set on taking down the incubus king along with some old dude named Simon and a hot elf mage. You attempt to take back a tower filled with evil forces.
You fail.
You get captured.
You die.
Surprise! This story isn't about you.
It's about Simon, the last sovereign.
You take the role of a war veteran suddenly given power with enough potential to end a threat that has been plaguing the continent all his life: the Incubus King. Have you heard this one before? Well trust me, it's more complex than it seems.
Before I really get into it, let me say I use an amazingly well written walkthrough located on the wiki. It's written in a way as to not spoil you as much as possible while still giving clear directions (just don't look too far ahead). There is special segments for many of the more complex parts of the game and things that outline the consequences of your decisions, for which there are MANY. I feel like the wiki enhanced my enjoyment a lot, and I can't really comment on playing the game without it.
Now, what I love most about the game is without a doubt the writing. The story, the dialogue, the characters, the written out sex scenes, the list goes on. It's compelling and has managed to keep me engaged across multiple playthroughs even. It feels like I'm reading the work of a professional. This is one of those games where I literally talk to every NPC to see whatever little snip of dialogue I might get. I love that the game has this effect on me.
You hear a lot of games use the phrase "your choices have consequences!" or that they "shape the world around you!" Never have I played a game that truly does that to this degree. For once, a large majority of the choices you make actually matter. Actions you can take in the first segments of the game have real affects lasting until the last chapter of the game and become apparent at many points in between that. A lot of the plot and mechanics effectively involves situations that are shaping the world in the first place. I could go more in depth on this, but it would be a crime to spoil this game if you know nothing about it.
If you're like me, you might grow bored of the bog standard RPGM you see so often and want to skip it all. Who wants to encounter 5 random battles trying to walk to the next area? Thankfully, this game doesn't do that. First, XP is finite. There are no random battles to farm. Every combat encounter is effectively meaningful because of that, and you are going to want all the XP you can get as even your level has an effect on events in the story. Second, combat is very well balanced. It provides a challenge without being super frustrating (besides a few purposely difficult encounters). Every combatant harem member in your party will also see their use, which is a nice touch.
This game is much more in depth and complex than what it might seem and I cannot stress that enough. It's a big part of the reason why I love it. If you're looking for something to simply get off to, this is not it. There are well over 100 scenes, but there is a mountain of a game along with those scenes. This entire review is me being brief about it.
TLDR - I would call this game a masterpiece. If you like RPGs and want something you can truly get invested in and sink A LOT of time into, do yourself a favor and play this game. To me, it can stand along with many big AAA RPGs in terms of plot and writing.