It has been over a year since I last reviewed one of these chapters from the Choices videogame. Originally I was just playing the game but as I could do that faster than I could review, I ended up deciding to not play another chapter until I finished reviewing what I already had played. Of course things came up and I got distracted by other things on my list to write/review/etc-
Quick backstory since it has been so long. This game is storybook based where you have a story that progresses a certain way, but at times you get to make a choice as to what to do, say, who to fall in love with, etc. Some choices require you to spend diamonds to play, which you can earn every time you play a chapter or purchase from their store. Some “books” have different side quests for you to complete, like in this one you want to become an accomplished woman and certain choices allow you to gain items.
It’s really fun as you have the power to decide what path the story takes.
This game is set in the Regency time period, and of course is catered toward Jane Austen fans. In this game you are the illegitimate daughter of the Earl of Edgewater, something you discovered on your mother’s deathbed. You decide to meet your father and he accepts you and has decided to make you his legal heir, as his other child, your half-brother, passed away.
You also have an evil stepmother and conniving stepbrother, Mr. Marcastle, who has a dim fiancé, Miss Sutton. They are all plotting against you.
A lot has happened since the beginning of the book: you have held a garden party (which you rocked), you are currently having a London season, you went to Mr. Sinclaire’s house (a suitor I am all about)-who has a sad Rebecca–esque backstory and he gifted you a book, you visited the Opera St. James where your mother used to preform, went to see an Opera and were stuck with the Duke who is a horrible jerk, took a walk in the rain with Mr. Sinclaire, learned to paint, helped your friend refuse a gross geezer, found out the truth about Mr. Sinclaire’s wife and the Duke, and was able to meet up with your father one last time before he died. On his deathbed you receive one last giant twist: it turns out that your parents were married before you were born! You’re not but yet still are illegitimate.
I know it doesn’t make any sense and is clear someone did not do their research. You also attended your father’s funeral which did not go as well as I hoped (I made two scenes), and the countess locked you in your room as she is planning to try and fight the will, although again this makes no sense as her methods wouldn’t work.
Basically the last chapter was us trying to get to London so we can outsmart my wicked Stepmother.
We cannot get into our townhouse and instead go to Mr. Sinclaire, my chosen love interest.
At Mr. Sinclaire’s home I appeal to him for help and he encourages me to attend the Duke’s ball in order to meet with the Bishop and outsmart my stepmother.
We are given the option to purchase a new gown and while I feel it is more ugly than cute, a lot of times buying the gowns give you an advantage in the game. So here we go, I hope it’s worth it.
When I arrive at the ball I run into Prince Hamid, one of your possible love interests. He tells me that my evil stepmom has been spreading lies about me and claiming my father wasn’t of sound mind when he wrote the will.
As I make my rounds in the room I run into Yusuf Konevi, a character I met in an earlier chapter. He is gay and in a secret relationship with Mr. Chambers. He needs work and you have the option to hire him or decline employing him; which will send him out of London. I decided to hire him but found him not to be helpful at all in this chapter. It was a waste of my hard earned diamonds.
The diamonds I spent on in an earlier chapter in bettering my embroidery panned out as I impressed everyone with my decorated reticule. Take that Eloise Bridgerton!
I also impress them all with the skills I earned earlier in the game (these diamonds spent were all worth it).
And I have been declared a very accomplished lady, just the type of woman Mr. Darcy wanted.
Yay!
You then have the option to overhear your evil stepmother’s plans but it wasn’t anything new. And then when you approach the Bishop, nothing you say or do or the allies you have recruited have any effect as your stepmother has bought him off. I felt like trying to complete the challenges in this book was a waste of time and money and all felt very contrived to have you “lose”. This is how I felt in the first book, The Royal Roamance, which makes me think they have a certain ending they are going with to set up the plot of the second book.
I definitely think it’s not worth it to spend any money on this chapter except on the dress.
In the next chapter we will need to figure out what to do about the Bishop. Will we gain Edgewater, or will it be snatched from my grasp?
For more Desire and Decorum, go to Desire & Decorum: Chapter 14, Fight or Flight
For more on Choices, go to Desire & Decorum: Chapter 13, A Better Place
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