Yangyang Mobile’s “Love Esquire” is a very amusing (and pretty mature) visual novel adventuring RPG game with a bit of dating in it for good measure. The game is a cross between “Broken Sword,” “Simon the Sorcerer” and a handful of RPGs, visual novels and dating simulators. That’s also why I think that it’s rather impressing that Yangyang Mobile has managed to mix all of that together into a very funny story.
You see, you play as a rather lazy and dim squire to a bit of a pervy knight, whom you saved from “wolves” a few years previously, your life is mixed between dealing with squirely duties (which includes getting the names of girls and fighting Porings) and duties to your father and sister (who like to talk to vegetables).
When not dealing with all that, you can visit the town and occasionally interact with other natives. Currently talking to characters always increases your relationship status with them, even when they obviously don’t like you. Hopefully, that will be fixed in further updates.
Most of the time, the story progresses in a standard visual novel format, but when that has finished, arrows will indicate where you can go. Occasionally chibi-fied characters will be available to talk to as well, although currently, conversational topics are limited.
When you leave your home, you are presented with a world map. Each location takes a certain amount of time to get to, and once night has been reached (like the good squire that you are). You have to return home to get some sleep (and possibly save the game). When you wake up, a new day full of adventuring dawns.
The Archives, Tavern and Barracks are used to improve your character, although in this alpha, that side of things is of little use. The outskirts is where you do your fighting (but not at weekends – even knights need days off), with another map showing your current fighting area.
The fighting section is good fun, and rather unconventional. However, being a lowly, untrained squire. You can’t actually fight all that well. So you have to motivate your knight, which means motivating him through the use of girls magazines…Everything is turned based here, with you and Hugh taking it in turns to fight. At the moment, this section is a bit too simplistic, and hopefully more will be added it to it later on.
After the first fight lands you both in hospital, you are paid for your services – which ends up being a lot less than you hoped due to all the “taxes” that Hugh has to pay. However, you do get to meet the nurse, which is one of many other girls you are liable to meet (and possibly date) through the game.
At the moment, there is a lot missing of course. I mean, my review of “Love Esquire” is just based on a demo after all. Even so, gifts aren’t available for one, and what you can actually do is limited. However, the game presents a massive opportunity to become something very interesting, entertaining and possibly quite unique.
Thus the reason why I feel like “Love Esquire” is a very promising, fun and lewd dating sim/RPG/visual novel. So “if” the full version of the game is just as good as its demo, then I’m quite sure that “Love Esquire” will do really well once it launches for PC and mobile in April next year (2019). In other words, you might want to give the demo a try for yourself if you like what you’ve read and seen from “Love Esquire” so far.
Pros:
+ Lovely graphics. VN side needs to be a bit more animated though.
+ Game is voiced, although only generic words/sentences are used
+ Music is appropriate
+ Story is funny and very mature (a lot of swearing abound)
+ Game will apparently be moddable
Cons:
– The demo is rather short
– No nude/sex scenes by default
– Very occasional dodgy English
Gameplay: 4/5
Graphics: 4/5
Sound and music: 3/5
Controls: 4/5
Replay value: 3/5
Story: 4/5
Verdict: 4/5
If Love Esquire’s funding goes well (as of now, the game is over 110% funded!), and if it’s developed with care. Then this could well be a must-have game. Why? Because its full of humour, and with lovely graphics. So “Love Esquire” would be the antithesis to more straight-laced VN/RPG/Dating simulators.
Title: Love Esquire
Developer: Yangyang Mobile
Format: PC Download
Genre: Visual novel/Adventure/RPG/Dating simulator
Resolution: User-defined
Release date: N/A
Difficulty: User-defined
Spent time: + 2 hours (Alpha completed)
Average grade internationally: N/A Gamerankings.com
PEGI age rating: +18
Price: 19.99 USD on release
Credit:
Robin Ek – Editor
Nicholas Kingsley
The Gaming Ground
Twitter: @sku_te
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Tags: Indie games, Lewd games, Love Esquire, PC games, PC preview, Visual novel, Yangyang Mobile