The Silent Kingdom is an otome game where you play as Princess Erinys, who is on a quest to save her kingdom after a certain incident involving the Goddess herself. Are her actions the right ones? Are we the villains? Much of that is left for us to decide, but the fact remains that Erinys is put in a very tough situation, and you’ll feel it throughout the story’s runtime.

The Silent Kingdom was one of my favorite demos from Next Fest in October (or at least I think that’s when it was? I have amnesia, forgive me), and I was really excited to try the Early Access when it finally came out, and I was not disappointed.

A Perfect Example of How Otome Games Can Be Enjoyed by Everyone

For people who aren’t familiar with otome games, like me since I’ve only played one other, I wouldn’t worry about it! Even if you’re completely uninterested in the romance or not into guys, the story is still great, and the romance is completely optional (though I recommend doing them anyway). First, because Erinys is the character you’re playing as and it makes sense narratively, and second, because Chrono and Seneca, the two main romance options, are both very compelling in their own ways. I loved seeing their interactions with Erinys. There’s the loyal and familiar squire, Chrono, and the mysterious Seneca, whose past is shrouded in secrecy.

I really enjoy the story and the character interactions. Some of the situations in the game are genuinely hard to sit through because you know exactly what needs to be done, even if the game gives you choices. Unless you want a bad end, many of those choices are unavoidable. This isn’t a game for someone who only wants to be a pure hero. No matter what you pick, the story is morally gray. Erinys is in a difficult position, and even when you try to avoid making horrible decisions, you still have to weigh what she wants to accomplish against the many challenges she faces.

A Gorgeous Hand-Drawn Turn-Based RPG in Classic RPGMaker Style

The game is also gorgeous, especially for an RPGMaker title. Some of the locations are stunning, and the 2D hand-drawn sprites are all really well done. The character portraits are beautifully drawn, and you can almost guess each character’s personality just from their design. The gameplay follows a traditional turn-based JRPG style, though it leans more toward story than combat. There are some more “challenging” battles, but they’re not too difficult, as long as you don’t just unga bunga your way through everything.

I don’t know how to show this in written form, but the OST for the game is excellent! It rivals even the JRPG greats you’ve likely played. Sometimes it’s intense and grand, other times it’s beautiful and a great fantasy piece. I believe it was all composed by Mikel Dale-Etxebarria. If I’m wrong, someone please inform me.

Final Impression Before Full Release

The Silent Kingdom currently has its prologue and first chapter out, which took me personally about 7 to 8 hours to complete. If the upcoming chapters are similar in length and content, I think we’re in for a long journey, and I’m definitely looking forward to it. I can’t wait to return to the game and write a full review once it’s out of Early Access. But even now, I’m already loving it.

I also saw that Lucky Cat recently announced the game will have voiceover in the future, so there are even more additions, aside from more story, to look forward to.