Two words - Story mode. Unless you like a long grind.
Mystwood Manor was my second AVN and Faerin game. It's different from Man Of The House and for that part - comes with it's own strengths and shortcomings. I went about 80% on the normale mode, then succumbed and went for story mode. Glad I did, the grind was too much for my tastes.
Being a light-fantasy story, Mystwood draws you in on a premise of mythical hotel running. You'll be the boss of a growing crew of capable women, all who try their best to help make the hotel a great place. There is A LOT of managing going on in this game - figure out which girl works best in what room and what rooms are needed for which guests - so don't expect going into this for a wank and being done. This is Hotel Simcity with sex attached.
The game has a distinct style and great care was taken into creating a mostly believeable environment. The women and guests are about as realistic as they can be, often interacting with each other and showing their unique personalities. Some encounters are standard, but the game shines when the personality of a girl makes for a totally unique interaction you couldn't have with anyone else. That happens a lot in this game. Kay has to by far be my favorite for just being such a braveheart.
In the end, the story wraps up into somewhat of a mystery which I won't further spoil - but the ending does connect to the beginning nicely. If you pay attention to the lore you'll see lots of dots to connect and even secret events that could happen, provided you're curious enough.
There is so much in this game in terms of variety (multiple types and races of women, various styles of kinks and ways to switch between subjects) that it's easy to get lost and the grind will take you a long time, even on story mode. This wall of grinding drops the game one star for me, because having this much grind actually doesn't do anything for the story in game - it just irritates the player. I'd recommend story mode and having a fun time, even if that means you're missing out on two parts of short bonus content. It's worth losing the grind for.
If you are looking for sexual arousal around every corner, steer clear. This game will not play itself and it asks you to ease into the sexual content. When you get there, it does get interesting. But it might be too little too late for most people.
4/5, fond memories of this one.
