Slay the Princess has lived rent-free in my head since I played it back in March. I fell in love with everything about it and theorized endlessly about the game’s story, characters, and message. While having high expectations usually ruins a game for me, I’m happy to report that wasn’t the case here. Slay the Princess manages to deliver an excellent story that’s more than just horror.
Related: Slay the Princess First Impressions: A Gripping Horror Story
Slay the Princess is a Tale of Pain, Love, and Life Itself
I was a bit skeptical when the game’s splash screen told me this was a love story. When I played the PAX East demo earlier this year, my impression of the game was far from romance. However, as I dug my claws deeper into the game’s gripping narrative, I began to see what the developers meant by this statement. Despite its grim premise, at its core, Slay the Princess is indeed a love story. However, it’s not your typical, fantastical romance.
To briefly summarize the plot of Slay the Princess, you are thrown into a forest and are tasked with slaying the game’s titular character by a voice in your head: the Narrator. He warns you that if she lives, she’ll end the world. Another voice, the Hero, says you should rethink things. It’s here where your choices decide your and the Princess’ fates.
No matter what you do though, the game loops, bringing you back to that dreadful, isolating forest. However, the reality you find yourself in is…different. You gain a new voice in your head, guiding you on what to do, and a new version of the Princess emerges, one that is reflective of your previous decisions.
Why are you looping? Who are these voices? Why are there different versions of the Princess? I won’t dare spoil the surprise, but the overall narrative is a profound, enthralling take on life itself. We’re constantly dealing with dilemmas in life, sometimes as dire as the one presented to us in the game. Then we have people telling us what to do. No matter what we do, we end up hurting someone. We end up disappointing someone.
But at the same time, we grow as people due to these experiences, however painful they may be. It’s also thanks to these experiences that we grow closer to those we share them with. We find companionship in our pain, and it makes life feel a little less lonely.
That’s how it is with you and the Princess; despite the endless loops, you both remember what’s occurred previously, and that’s an experience only you two share. But is that a good thing? While a love story, the game questions if this relationship is truly a healthy one. This question and the story’s various components make for a compelling narrative that had me emotionally invested from beginning to end.
You’ll Always be Making Progress in Slay the Princess
I adore games where its main gameplay loop is replaying the game over and over again to get a different outcome. However, that comes at a cost. Sometimes, you’ll find yourself replaying through sections you’ve seen before over and over again until you get to something new. Thankfully, Slay the Princess manages to avoid that. Mostly.
For plot reasons, you aren’t able to make the same choices you’ve made previously that would put you on the same path. For example, let’s say I charge headfirst at the Princess and kill her in the first round. In subsequent playthroughs, killing her will be grayed out, so I won’t be able to make that choice again.
Now, you will still need to go through dialogue you’ve seen before in new chapters, like when the Narrator gives you his spiel about how this is your first go-around and that you’re not in a loop in the second chapter. This can be a bit repetitive at times.
A Haunting yet Beautiful Aesthetic
The game’s art cohesion is dynamic, and everything meshed well together. The game’s art, done by the wonderfully talented Abby Howard, is beautiful yet haunting. Sometimes, I’m taken aback by the pencil-drawn environments and sprites, but the next second, I’m immediately pulled back into the grim reality of my situation when the Princess savagely attempts to bite her arm off.
Additionally, the soundtrack hits the same notes as the art. The music is eerie at times, especially when you loop for a second time and it becomes just a smidge slower. This small change signals to the player that something is wrong and it’s these tiny details that I adore about story-heavy games because they can do so much to drive your narrative forward and make it more immersive and impactful.
Interesting Characters Amplified by a Phenomenal Cast
The game’s voice talent: Jonathan Sims of ‘The Magnus Archives,’ and Nichole Goodnight, who has been the voice of numerous characters in podcasts like ‘The NoSleep Podcast’ and ‘The Wicked Library,’ bring their A-game here.
Sims does an excellent job playing the no-nonsense Narrator, trying to steer you on what he deems is the “correct” path while juggling the various personalities. From being a love-struck fool with the Smitten to a blood-hungry fighter with the Stubborn, Sims manages to bring every single character to life and be incredibly entertaining.
I talked about Goodnight in my write-up for the demo, but she deserves yet another lengthy shout-out. Her performance as the Princess and her variations made me feel things. I went from hating the Princess after she berated me to feeling compassion for her. My heart ached for the Princess, primarily due to Goodnight conveying such strong emotions in her line delivery: betrayal, disgust, fear, sympathy, and love. Goodnight fires on all cylinders and delivers one of the most memorable performances I’ve heard in recent memory.
While the voice acting was fantastic, there were times when the volume for the voices were overpowered by the SFXs or the music. The time that this became particularly noticeable was when I had the Cold—a callous and witty voice—in my midst. He was hard to hear at times, especially when the action picked up.
The Verdict
Slay the Princess is a prime example of why visual novels are one of the most powerful and hard-hitting offerings in gaming today. It’s an astounding tale where nearly every aspect elevates its narrative to new heights. If you’re looking for a horror game that’ll stay with you or need a title to nudge you into visual novels, look no further than Slay the Princess.
Amazing
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Beautiful and haunting presentation | Voice levels could use adjusting |
| Streamlined progression | Unskippable, repetitive dialogue you’ve seen in previous paths |
| Fantastic voice acting | |
| An engrossing story that packs an emotional punch |
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