I think we have all dreamed of being a ruler of our very own kingdom at some point. Long Live The Queen lets you do just that as the 14 year old, Elodie. In this RPG your mother has just died and you have been called back from school to your castle, as you are now the ruler.
The goal is to survive as ruler for 40 weeks until you are formally crowned the queen on your 15th birthday. However, you really have to watch your back because you’re not the queen just yet and everyone wants to take the crown. You have to worry about pleasing your people while not pissing off the Dukes and Duchess of all the regions you rule over, and of course being prepared for a possible invasion from foreign neighbors.
The game plays out like an interactive story book. Each week you choose two classes to take for that week. Taking classes will increase your skill level for which ever skill the class teaches. There are 14 categories (a few of which are: Royal Demeanor, Weapons, History, Faith) each of which have three sub categories. That’s 42 different skills and classes you have to work on leveling in just 40 weeks. Don’t worry, though, you don’t need to max them all out in order to win. In fact you can get away with not taking a single class in some of the categories and still win. You just need to pick very carefully, because your skill level is what determines if you pass or fail the weekly interactions which could lead to your death. For example, excepting someone’s challenge while not knowing enough about swords to fight back.
The way skills are set up is actually my only problem with this game. You are 14 years old and you have zero knowledge or skills — you might as well have been locked in a tower your whole life. If you’re 14 and you’ve been going to school (which you have been) there is no reason why you don’t have some knowledge about the land you grew up in or how to act at royal meetings, or even how to run.
The next key part to the game is controlling Elodie mood. As you can see from the picture there are four meters with various moods. Depressed is the current mood in control because it is the farthest way from the center line. If more than two hearts are the same distance away from center it is the first one, going left to right that will be in control.
Mood is a key part because you will get a stat bonus or penalty depending on which emotion is currently in control. For example, if you are angry then you will be able to learn weapons faster. However, if you try to learn royal demeanor when you’re angry you can actually lose skill points. Also, if you get your skill level on all three subcategories up to 30 or more you will get an outfit that will get a stat buff for that whole category when you wear it.
After your classes are finished for the week you will get to interact with other royal members and handle situations using the knowledge you have gained from your classes. Some times it’s just a question of whether you want to leave the safety of the castle so you can go to your cousin’s birthday, but other times its more serious like should you send an assassin to kill someone before they kill you.
After you are done with interactions for the week you get to do various activities around the castle which will affect your mood. There are some actions that you don’t know how they will affect your mood, like talking to your father. However, other activities like taking a walk in the garden will increase your loneliness by one, but also increase you cheer by one.
I would say controlling Elodie’s mood is more important than picking what skills you want to level. Getting in the wrong mood can completely change your strategy. For example if you’re too Willful and try to learn royal demeanor, you might lose levels. The last thing you want to do at the royal ball is insult a Duchess or give your suitors the wrong idea.
Now, don’t let all the pink and frills fool you with this game, it’s not just for girls! This game is a real challenge and is all about strategy. You might even find yourself pulling out a pen and paper and taking notes; like I did.
Overall, I liked the game. It can be very difficult, but I found each time I died I came back with a stronger urge to win. I do think that it would have been nice to give the player the option to pick what kind of girl she has been up to this point and then have some base stats based on what you pick. Maybe a book worm with intellect stats, or rebellious, where athletic/physical stats are higher. It really bothered me that she is 14 years old and didn’t know how to run or behave at royal events, but I understand they are trying to make the game more challenging.
If you’re looking for a new game and like RPGs, Long Live The Queen is definitely a game to check out. Don’t let the pink make you overlook this game; it is for everyone. I will warn you, you may find yourself dying a lot, but that will only fuel your fire to win.
