This is a review originally written for  Opium Pulses [www.opiumpulses.com]. The full article can be found HERE [www.opiumpulses.com]. Feel free to take a look at the Opium Pulse Steam Curation page HERE as well.

Yes, Your Grace is the brainchild of developer Brave at Night. Releasing in March of 2020, it's been out for a fair amount of time. However, with the up and coming release of the sequel, Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall, it's a game well worth experiencing before the Quarter 1 release. A mixture of Point and Click with Kingdom Management, it's an absolutely unique title. Each of your choices matter as you weigh the needs of your kingdom as a whole, your people, and your own family. Not everything is as black and white as it appears, and some of the consequences of your actions are much more far-reaching than they may initially appear. With easy to understand controls, gorgeous pixel graphics, a fantastically deep story and an outstanding musical score, while somewhat short, there is so much here to love.

Step into the shoes of King  Eryk of  Davern, and bear the responsibility of the crown. Surrounded by your loved ones; Queen Aurelea, as well as Princesses Lorsulia, Asalia, and Cedani, there is often a lot going on not only within your kingdom, but withing the structure of your family. Beyond your immediate familial ties, you also have members of your court to direct, as well as managing military power, your gold income, and your supplies. To add to your list of Kingly duties, invite neighboring Lords to your castle, make alliances, and gain additional troops and resources. However, aide is never free. Weigh your options carefully. Assisting one Lord may alienate you from another, perhaps in more ways than one.

While management plays a large part in Yes, Your Grace, one of the two strongest elements of the game is it's storyline. While at first the story may seem deceptively simple, straight forward, and just about as par the course as one would come to expect from a medieval-dated RPG, players will quickly come to the realization it is the absolute farthest thing from. While the marriage of your eldest daughter, Princess Lorsulia, may just seem like another day in the Kingdom of Davern, this singular event is absolutely pivotal. Prepare for a most lavish event, making sure each and every detail is in place. You've planned accordingly. Clearly nothing could go wrong... could it?

Part of what helps draw players into the beautifully crafted narrative, is the skillfully crafted soundtrack. While most of the vibrant and rich melodies are composed by Carlos Filipe Alves, the eerie and beautiful vocals are provided by the Polish metal-folk band Merkfolk. I sincerely cannot overstate enough that this game is worth playing for the music alone. Both forces are masters at their craft, bringing life and raw emotion to the world of Yes, Your Grace. Players will all too easily find themselves humming haunting tunes when they least expect it. It is an absolutely perfect marriage of talent that Brave at Night has arranged, and I cannot praise them nearly enough for it.

Yes, Your Grace is a wonderful tale, with multiple endings. Depending on your choices throughout the game, you can have a whole plethora of outcomes. Some are more positive, while others may leave you contemplating your life choices. Post game, you get an overview of how you shaped the lives of those around you- and you could be in for some post credits guilt (though achievement hunters may just have to grin and bear it). With Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall rapidly approaching, it has yet to be seen what may or may not fall into "cannon" lore, but there is sure to be some based on the trailer. So while you may have chosen poorly in your own run, know that, perhaps, not all is lost. It is still up in the air as to whether prior decisions will impact the plot of the sequel, though for simplicity sake, it perhaps appears they may choose to go with a more established timeline.

In short, Yes, Your Grace is an absolutely unique masterpiece. It weaves together fantastic storytelling, music, and kingdom management in a way that is not too overwhelming or overbearing, keeping itself open to a broad player base. Easy navigation and user interface are a boon, and it's easy to find yourself caught in a loop of "Just One More Day". Characters are a sheer delight, each being very unique, making them fun to learn about and how they fit into the world. Brave at Night has done a beautiful job in bringing together some of the best elements of a whole array of genres, that is well worth looking into. In doing so, they've truly created something wonderful and unique that is well worth the price tag, and time.

This is a review originally written for  Opium Pulses [www.opiumpulses.com] and has been SIGNIFICANTLY SHORTENED here to fit. The FULL article can be found HERE [www.opiumpulses.com]. Feel free to take a look at the Opium Pulse Steam Curation page HERE as well.

Crime Scene Cleaner is one of many titles developed by President Studio (And owned by PlayWay S.A.) that fall under what would be considered a "simulation" title. While most of us who frequent, or have at least played some form of simulator, we tend to know it's a bit of a mixed bag. Some are absolutely better than others, but most will boast quite a bit of campiness and a glaring self awareness of what the game itself IS. Usually assets are pretty blatant, and controls can be quite hit or miss, but in some cases the humor used can propel games like this into the category of "It's so bad, it's good". In other cases, most things are sound, and while it may not be perfect, it achieves a bit of a cult following. And while not quite perfect (for a handful of reasons), it's probably one of, if not THE most solid "simulator" title I've stumbled across in years.

Having just ENOUGH self awareness, and a decent amount of campy humor that really shines, Crime Scene Cleaner really goes above and beyond in a multitude of areas, not requiring a dependency on the former factors. It has an overwhelmingly solid story that I was absolutely not expecting, and while there are some areas that I found to be a "miss", I couldn't give it a more solid mark when it comes to your driving factor in the game. Graphics are really top notch, and environments are very detailed and well put together. Controls are well defined, and tight, making for a very enjoyable and responsive game. A surprisingly lively, and in some cases entertaining, soundtrack really helps moves things along- making all the time you're going to spend hauling bodies, mopping floors, and rearranging furniture very enjoyable. Collectables are also present, giving a reason to be overly through, as some are only found in secret areas, only found by the most observant. Overall, Crime Scene Cleaner has an outstanding formula that works ENTIRELY to it's benefit.

One of the main components to what makes Crime Scene Cleaner so good at what it does, is it's solid story. While this might not be as readily apparent, especially with the false sense of "campy security" the developers blanket you with, it boasts a wildly through story that I was not expecting. There is absolutely more than a few giggles to be had both in story and in things you will inevitably find, but when the shoe starts to drop- it doesn't stop. You are not afforded many details- only that you were formerly a janitor, and your daughter is very sick, requiring quite expensive treatment. As the story progresses, you start to get more information, allowing you to piece together the situation you and your daughter is in, and how the others around you are impacted. While the game play is normally enough to keep me hooked, I found the story was a huge drive to continue on. I became fervently determined to see how the story ends. Or... did it?

Graphically, Crime Scene Cleaner looks gorgeous, and I would say it is most likely one of the more visually pleasing simulator titles I've played. No corners feel cut, and I didn't notice a decline in quality when it came to areas I couldn't reach, but could see. The view from windows looks gorgeous and immersive, and watching your home evolve over the course of your "employment" feels very rewarding. Bodies didn't feel copy-and-pasted, and even if they were, the repetition was so infrequent that it really didn't matter. Assets were used well and environments felt lived in, partied in, and most importantly: murdered in. There will be MORE than enough for you to look at, clean, and tidy. While most PCs will have no issue, in the last few levels some players may notice a slight drop in performance. Due to the sheer amount of objects that function independently, though this was largely not an issue for the majority of the game, players with lower to mid range PCs may feel an impact. Overall, a very visually pleasing title all around. Pair this with a fun sound track and you are in for quite the treat! Each thoughtful level has themed musical tracks for you to listen to and unlock. Add them to your collection that you can access from your tablet so you can listen to what you want, when you want, so long as you own the cassette. While some songs may feel a tad generic, others are delightfully tongue-in-cheek with the story. (Prosciutto-Core, anyone?) Ultimately, it really is the icing on the cake, adding a fun flavor to the game.

Additionally, controls feel neat and tidy and I was quite pleased at movement pace. It all seemed well thought through, even taking to account the time it would take to move a body. While slower than your normal place, the developers were sure to make sure it wasn't too taxing- and were mindful of players time in levels with more bodies. Generally, if you look around you will find some form of short cut in locations with lots of bodies to bag, cutting down on the time you need to spend hauling corpses. You have a slew of tools at your disposal: sponges, mops, power washers, air purifiers, UV lamps and many other useful gadgets to make your life cleaning a breeze. Each and every tool has it's own unique use and strength that can be upgraded through your skill tree. Be sure to scour each and every location for "compensation", as your skill points earned are directly reflected from how much money you've made on a job in total. The perks, combined with the wide array of tools, really made for an enjoyable experience.

When you toss all these factors together, you'll find President Studio really has struck a fantastic balance within Crime Scene Cleaner that is not usually accomplished by most simulator titles. The perfect mixture of humor often known to be in these titles, and a surprisingly driving story spearhead the formula- even when taking into consideration a few thoughtless shortcomings- start things off strong. Well implemented graphics and well tuned controls simply add to what I would easily call a fantastic experience, leaving little-to-no room for complaints. Splash a generous helping of fun music to clean to while keeping an eye out from some Secret Rooms and Hidden Goodies and you've got yourself a winning formula that I've rarely seen executed so well. While not without flaws, they pale in comparison to the overall picture, and are generally minor when compared with the entire scope. Based off the current roadmap, Crime Scene Cleaner looks to CONTINUE to deliver- promising the addition of a community voted map (an Underground Lab, voted on previously) in addition to a continuation of Kovalsky's story. Once core issues have been addressed as well as other Quality of Life tweaks have been added, and additional game modes have been put into place, additional content will be at the forefront. At a humble asking price of $19.99 USD (on sale for $17.99 at the time of writing this review), you absolutely CANNOT go wrong with the promise of additional continued support going forward. If you've been on the fence when it's come to simulators, grab your gloves and body bag. This is a ride you ABSOLUTELY won't want to miss.