The Good: New schedule system that vastly improves gameplay, more Princess Maker.

The Bad: Bugs, poor translation, no errantry/adventure mode, plot feels less fleshed out than PM2.

Buy it?: Only get this game if you are a serious fan of raising sims and want to support the release of more in the Princess Maker series.

Thumbs up given due to personal enjoyment, but thumbs down reviews are worth reading if you are on the fence!

**The Good: New schedule system that vastly improves gameplay, more Princess Maker.**
*New schedule system: The new schedule system is dynamic and allows you to change your schedule on the fly whenever you want, talk to your daughter mid-month during activities, change her outfit, and check overall stats. This new system allows you to que up actions for weeks, months, or years into the future, meaning you can chain together ALL actions for the game at the beginning if you wanted to. You could also use this system to put in regular breaks at home that feels more like traditional games in this genre that only allow you to schedule individual time blocks. The ability to either change up activities, automate activities, to put in stops when you want is a beautiful thing.

Consecutive scheduling of the same activity now "blocks" time together. For example, if my daughter studies at school two times in a month, the game clumps that together as a single 30-day time block rather than 2 separated 15 day time blocks (common to this genre). You are still able to interrupt blocked activities if you want, but not giving the artificial break in between blocks of time like this gives a nice seamless feel.
The schedule is set so that you have 2 actions per month, down from the 3 in PM2, but I don't feel like I am "losing time" with my daughter.

Overall, I think this is by far the best element of PM3 and I am sad that later entries in the series (PM5) didn’t have this system. It is a smooth experience and speeds up the pace of some of the slower elements in this style of raising sim. Probably the best example of how to handle gameplay in this genre.

THE SCHEDULE SYSTEM IS WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER PLAYING PM3.

**The Bad: Bugs, poor translation, no errantry/adventure mode, plot feels lacking.**
*Bugs – There are issues with the game interacting with Steam and issues with how the implementation of text was handled.

First is the glitch with Steam's achievement system. Achievements can, and will, be unlocked without meeting the criteria. First time I launched the game, I got the "Princess" achievement when I talked to my daughter on day 0. Many do not care about getting achievements, but it is confusing when you suddenly see an unlock for some random marriage option when you’re 10.

The bigger issue is the poor text handling. That’s right. A largely TEXT BASED GAME did not have the text handled properly. Though there are translation issues (see below), I am meaning this to be how text appears on screen to the player.
First, word wrapping; words will get cut off at the ends of text windows making "before" become "b efore". Alternatively, words will go quickly through the textbox, faster than I think near anyone could possibly read. This happens during cut scenes and all of the ending scenes I have unlocked so far. Example: There are some scenes where a character says more text than can fit in a single text box. Instead of breaking this into TWO text boxes, it is slammed into one, forcing the beginning of the text to fly by faster than you can read. This means some plot points are translated, but you'll never get to read them.

There are also times when the text is simply not readable due to white text on a largely white or lightly colored background. The font itself is also a bit straining to the eyes.
All of these issues could be fixed with a bit more time and polish by the localization team and would easily improve the game’s reception. Hopefully the devs will listen on this.

*Poor translation - Oh man. This is liquid gold levels of bad. The script reads like it was a literal translation from Japanese with little to no localization done. My daughter has come in "3th place" many times at festivals, told the mole prince that she doesn't want to go to the underworld because "she likes the bright spot" (sun?!?), festivals strictly dedicated to “healthy and beautiful” women. I’ve seen fan translations handled in a more masterful and professional way.
*No Errantry/Adventure mode - The Princess Maker series, and all raising sims coming to mind at the moment, rely on RNG plot events occurring, often times tied to flagged events. RNG/Flagged events are the driving game mechanics behind the delivery of the plot and discovering new characters or options in the game world. In at least three entries of the Princess Maker series (1, 2, 5), you had to go out adventuring to get some of the best endings or items in the game, often stumbling across interesting monsters or people to talk to. Entire marriage options or careers open up due to randomly discovered items or interactions. Adventure mode really opened up the world around you and made you feel like you could play the role of your daughter and discover the world of the game.

Princess Maker 3 does not have errantry/adventure mode. Completely gone. You can train in martial arts, you can get a sword, but no adventuring outside of the tiny world of the schedule for you. That means every neat RPG like elements that was previously integrated into the game is also gone. Though I have done play throughs in PM2 & PM5 where I didn't go out adventuring, this is not the same as not having a choice to go adventuring. The game feels gutted.

*Less plot - Due to the above mentioned lack of errantry mode, there is a huge segment of the game where you would typically expand on the game world that is lacking. This leaves a vacuum for where to stuff RNG/Flagged elements into the game. While PM3 attempts to fill that void, its not entirely successful.

I don't want to say that the plot is bad or that there is no attempt to give a feeling of choices matter. There is and it is done okay. That's where my real problem lies is that it is only done "okay", when the Princess Maker series has typically done "excellent" in this category. I think that the plot would be good enough to be enjoyable for multiple play throughs, but many fans of the genre will likely walk away wishing that more was done by the original devs.

**FINAL IMPRESSION:**
I think that PM3 is worth picking up ON SALE if you are already a fan of raising sims.
*The scheduling system is great and lets you go through many play throughs quickly and painlessly.
* There are many issues the devs for the Steam localization need to iron out, so it is unfair to pay full price.
*Princess Maker 3 itself is an alright game, but it is not a shining star of the series.

6.5/10 (could improve if the localization team irons out some glaring issues, but this will never be a perfect game or the best of the series/genre)

The Good: New schedule system that vastly improves gameplay, more Princess Maker. The Bad: Bugs, poor translation, no errantry/adventure mode, plot feels less fleshed out than PM2. Buy it?: Only get this game if you are a serious fan of raising sims and want to support the release of more in the Princess Maker series. Thumbs up given due to personal enjoyment, but thumbs down reviews are worth reading if you are on the fence! **The Good: New schedule system that vastly improves gameplay, more Princess Maker.** *New schedule system: The new schedule system is dynamic and allows you to change your schedule on the fly whenever you want, talk to your daughter mid-month during activities, change her outfit, and check overall stats. This new system allows you to que up actions for weeks, months, or years into the future, meaning you can chain together ALL actions for the game at the beginning if you wanted to. You could also use this system to put in regular breaks at home that feels more like traditional games in this genre that only allow you to schedule individual time blocks. The ability to either change up activities, automate activities, to put in stops when you want is a beautiful thing. Consecutive scheduling of the same activity now "blocks" time together. For example, if my daughter studies at school two times in a month, the game clumps that together as a single 30-day time block rather than 2 separated 15 day time blocks (common to this genre). You are still able to interrupt blocked activities if you want, but not giving the artificial break in between blocks of time like this gives a nice seamless feel. The schedule is set so that you have 2 actions per month, down from the 3 in PM2, but I don't feel like I am "losing time" with my daughter. Overall, I think this is by far the best element of PM3 and I am sad that later entries in the series (PM5) didn’t have this system. It is a smooth experience and speeds up the pace of some of the slower elements in this style of raising sim. Probably the best example of how to handle gameplay in this genre. THE SCHEDULE SYSTEM IS WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER PLAYING PM3. **The Bad: Bugs, poor translation, no errantry/adventure mode, plot feels lacking.** *Bugs – There are issues with the game interacting with Steam and issues with how the implementation of text was handled. First is the glitch with Steam's achievement system. Achievements can, and will, be unlocked without meeting the criteria. First time I launched the game, I got the "Princess" achievement when I talked to my daughter on day 0. Many do not care about getting achievements, but it is confusing when you suddenly see an unlock for some random marriage option when you’re 10. The bigger issue is the poor text handling. That’s right. A largely TEXT BASED GAME did not have the text handled properly. Though there are translation issues (see below), I am meaning this to be how text appears on screen to the player. First, word wrapping; words will get cut off at the ends of text windows making "before" become "b efore". Alternatively, words will go quickly through the textbox, faster than I think near anyone could possibly read. This happens during cut scenes and all of the ending scenes I have unlocked so far. Example: There are some scenes where a character says more text than can fit in a single text box. Instead of breaking this into TWO text boxes, it is slammed into one, forcing the beginning of the text to fly by faster than you can read. This means some plot points are translated, but you'll never get to read them. There are also times when the text is simply not readable due to white text on a largely white or lightly colored background. The font itself is also a bit straining to the eyes. All of these issues could be fixed with a bit more time and polish by the localization team and would easily improve the game’s reception. Hopefully the devs will listen on this. *Poor translation - Oh man. This is liquid gold levels of bad. The script reads like it was a literal translation from Japanese with little to no localization done. My daughter has come in "3th place" many times at festivals, told the mole prince that she doesn't want to go to the underworld because "she likes the bright spot" (sun?!?), festivals strictly dedicated to “healthy and beautiful” women. I’ve seen fan translations handled in a more masterful and professional way. *No Errantry/Adventure mode - The Princess Maker series, and all raising sims coming to mind at the moment, rely on RNG plot events occurring, often times tied to flagged events. RNG/Flagged events are the driving game mechanics behind the delivery of the plot and discovering new characters or options in the game world. In at least three entries of the Princess Maker series (1, 2, 5), you had to go out adventuring to get some of the best endings or items in the game, often stumbling across interesting monsters or people to talk to. Entire marriage options or careers open up due to randomly discovered items or interactions. Adventure mode really opened up the world around you and made you feel like you could play the role of your daughter and discover the world of the game. Princess Maker 3 does not have errantry/adventure mode. Completely gone. You can train in martial arts, you can get a sword, but no adventuring outside of the tiny world of the schedule for you. That means every neat RPG like elements that was previously integrated into the game is also gone. Though I have done play throughs in PM2 & PM5 where I didn't go out adventuring, this is not the same as not having a choice to go adventuring. The game feels gutted. *Less plot - Due to the above mentioned lack of errantry mode, there is a huge segment of the game where you would typically expand on the game world that is lacking. This leaves a vacuum for where to stuff RNG/Flagged elements into the game. While PM3 attempts to fill that void, its not entirely successful. I don't want to say that the plot is bad or that there is no attempt to give a feeling of choices matter. There is and it is done okay. That's where my real problem lies is that it is only done "okay", when the Princess Maker series has typically done "excellent" in this category. I think that the plot would be good enough to be enjoyable for multiple play throughs, but many fans of the genre will likely walk away wishing that more was done by the original devs. **FINAL IMPRESSION:** I think that PM3 is worth picking up ON SALE if you are already a fan of raising sims. *The scheduling system is great and lets you go through many play throughs quickly and painlessly. * There are many issues the devs for the Steam localization need to iron out, so it is unfair to pay full price. *Princess Maker 3 itself is an alright game, but it is not a shining star of the series. 6.5/10 (could improve if the localization team irons out some glaring issues, but this will never be a perfect game or the best of the series/genre)