I'm really glad
To Be A King stayed as choice-based linear visual novel, not adding the unnecessary free-roaming/sandbox features in the middle of the visual novel.
I like that MC is portrayed as a competent & level-headed person. Also a MC that's introduced & shown with a backstory of having fame and popularity, being a decorated war general (
WVM another visual novel with a popular & competent MC, having a star athlete backstory). It's hard to find a decent MC who isn't a complete clean-slate protagonist with no personality and/or backstory.
Lots of interesting other characters of various personalities (some less favorable) and lots of pretty ladies. With it listed as a harem, i like how so far most ladies are willing & understanding about sharing MC with other women, some with their own conditions of course, hopefully building up into happy harem & inner circle between MC & the ladies. An actual harem-romance relationship of the ladies sharing MC as their man. Not the fake harem "MC bangs every girl without them finding out til the end, then MC must choose one or get a bad ending/game-over" type.
Hopefully this visual novel's world allows for MC to have multiple main wives (
like 4+ wives) and other lovers (
of whatever preferred relationship titles). Especially seeing the developer is generously adding plentiful of new female characters set to appear in future chapter releases (
for Chapter 6 & onward).
The main story's drama & MC's purpose of protecting the king reminds me a little bit of TV series
Game of Thrones - Season 1 in terms of kingdom politics, conspiracy, mystery solving, but minus the bloody murders & twin brother & sister parts
.
Personally, I like to imagine maybe
To Be A King can be a "what if story" to the movie Gladiator (2000) if Maximus had accepted the emperor's wishes to succeed him & rule over Rome, and had swiftly kill the emperor's bastard treacherous son before he commits anymore evil acts. Where in
To Be A King MC is given a noble title, rules the kingdom & unite other nations & in addition is allowed to have multiple wives & multiple official mistresses/concubines as he wants, loving them of course. And MC get rid off The King's bastard treacherous son
.
I can imagine multiple women assisting MC with the kingdom and help MC build his own interconnections. Aelinia helping MC with the high-class aristocratic & kingdom political game, Cassia too but likely with the rich & wealthy socialites, Estrid helping MC with the Warfare politics politics & maybe unite their nations, Kaylan helping MC with the general public/people's politics understanding the people. Those are examples running inside my head.