Overview – developed by CIRCLE Ent, Introy Studio and Arc System Works, with publishing by PQube games, Lair Land Story is a life simulation adventure, with romance and visual novel elements. As Herol, baron of the Lair Land kingdom, you have been tasked with raising Chilia, a mysterious girl with no memory of her past. This title is available for Nintendo Switch and the Steam service, links to each version of the game will be at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank PQube for providing the copy of Lair Land Story that was used for this piece, via the keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. Please note, there are many intricate elements of the gameplay experience for Lair Land Story, so I will be covering the core mechanics to prevent spoilers.
Story – while his city is being ravaged by war, Herol discovered Chilia, a mysterious girl with magical power who puts an end to the devastation. She has no memory of her past, so Herol takes her in, making a vow to raise her and guide her development. Herol must now help Chilia to realise her future, becoming the best person she can be. But that isn’t all, as Herol has the chance to find his true love, embarking on his own journey of romance.
Gameplay – Lair Land Story is a mix between child raising sim and visual novel, with the player taking the role of Herol. As the baron of the kingdom of Lair Land, the player must guide and raise Chilia, the young girl with amnesia found during a crisis. Over the course of 4 years, the player will need to carefully plan her schedule, shaping the person that she becomes. The options include lessons, work or helping to reconstruct the damaged city.
The four years that Herol and Chilia are together is split into seasons, with three months in each. There are 2 turns per month, where the player can set up three activities for Chilia, playing out over 15 days. The activities that can be selected are Study, Work, Rebuild and Other. When participating in the different activities, they will affect the way that Chilia grows, altering facets of her personality. But they can also take a toll on her wellbeing.
If Chilia goes out to work, she will earn EVE by performing a variety of jobs. These jobs include working in a church, a beauty salon and helping to clean up the city. As Chilia performs these tasks, she will gain money and experience, while also growing as a person. She may be able to gain bonuses if she manages to do a good job, with the rewards growing as she continues with each job. When she reaches a milestone, she will be promoted.
When studying, Chilia can learn many things, including Art, Philosophy and Manners. As she increases her knowledge of the different subjects, she will get the chance to participate in special events. But her education isn’t free, as it will cost EVE to be able to study the different subjects. If the funds are not available, Chilia will spend the remaining days of her study at home. Like with work, when she is experienced enough, she will advance in skill.
Chilia will also be able to participate in the rebuilding efforts of the city, starting with the castle walls and plaza. But as the different parts of the city are restored to their former glory, new areas will be added, like the church and bath house. The repairs to the different locations will be reflected in story events, as they take place across the different parts of the kingdom. While an area is being rebuilt, Chilia will gain popularity with the people.
During her days, if Chilia is performing an activity she will accumulate exhaustion, alongside losing motivation. Both of these will have an effect on her general growth, as it will negatively affect her performance at the different tasks. To reduce the stress on her body, there are several recuperative options that can be chosen. These include simple rest, visiting the bath house and special travel events, where Chilia and Herol will visit distant lands.
During all activities, Chilia will develop in various ways, improving a variety of stats and possibly reducing some of them. The stats that can be improved cover a wide range of virtues, like humanity, wisdom, morality and sense. The different stats may have an impact on the character that Chilia turns out to be, potentially altering the interactions that she has with characters. To guide her in a desired way, focus on specific stats to raise.
Between scheduled activities for Chilia, the player can choose to go on an outing with the girl. During this time, the player will be able to see the different parts of the city, like the Church, plaza and city streets. When visiting these different locations, they will be able to interact with the residents, building relationships with them. Special events can also trigger, giving a chance for unique interactions and story events to occur.
There will also be shops and services that can be used in the city. The player can visit shops, buying special clothing for Chilia, as well as accessories for her and decorations for their home. Then there is the beauty salon, where new hairstyles can be selected for Chilia, with some having the chance to affect different aspects of her character. Three activities can be done per outing, but shops can be accessed as non-events, not counting towards activity uses.
As the seasons change, there will be events that occur to mark the passage of time. These have the capability to alter the course of the story, with events possibly affecting both Chilia and Herol. But this is not all that occurs as each season passes. Chilia and Herol will receive visitors, ranging from members of the church, to citizens and even a fan club for the magical girl. These visitors can also give gifts, including money and items for Chilia.
At the start of a new season, the player will get a report on the last one. The report will show the growth of Chilia over the last three months, with blue markers for positive and red for negative. A goal can be chosen at the start of a season, aiming to raise one of her qualities within three months. If the player can successfully improve the stats to the required level, a reward will be provided to the player. A stipend will also be awarded at the start of each season.
In order to ensure that Chilia has the best chance at success, prayers can be made to provide a variety of boosts. These include reduced fatigue, improved motivation and passive boosts to her learning. To make these prayers, the player needs to use MP, which is earned by fulfilling special conditions. There is a limited amount of MP that can be earned during play, so it is important to use it sparingly or it can run out fast.
While Chilia grows as a person, she will become more interested in the world around her. This is where the research lab comes into play. When Chilia uses the lab, she is able to perform research and create items. These items can be auctioned off, or used to provide a variety of bonuses. In order to be able to conduct the research, EVE must be spent and the research takes different numbers of turns to complete. Just hope her lab doesn’t explode.
When all four years have passed, an ending will occur, showing the player the life that Chilia has become destined to live out. There are many hidden variables to the story, which will affect what happens and how things play out. There is also the chance for Chilia and even Herol to be married, which is influenced by these hidden stats. After the story plays out, an evaluation screen will appear giving the player a final score for their playthrough.
The last thing to discuss is the bonuses that occur after achieving an ending. On the main menu screen, there is a bonus shop that can be accessed after getting an ending for the first time. This menu offers a selection of items, all of which can be used during additional runs of the game. Some of these are unlocked as completion awards, whereas others must be purchased from the bonus shop with points. This makes repeat play very rewarding.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – There is a mixed control system with the Nintendo Switch version of Lair Land Story, as players can choose to play with button or touch screen controls. Both of these systems makes the game accessible, allowing it to fit various styles of play. For those who like a nice and cosy gameplay experience, the touch screen is a great choice as it can make it feel more personal. But it is just as satisfying to enjoy with a controller.
Difficulty – for this release the only real difficulty comes from the trial and error of the game, as there are many hidden elements to the game. This can make it hard to figure out what to do at times, especially with the limited references and information. If players are trying to get a desired outcome, they may have to try several different options to see what happens. This adds an element of strategy, but could be frustrating for some.
Presentation – the visual style for this release is a treat to see, with beautiful anime style artwork that is present throughout. The designs for Chilia and the characters, alongside event scenes are wonderful to look at. I very much liked the chibi Chilia that appears during activities. All these elements combined with environments and music, which enhance the atmosphere for the story being told. There is some very good voice work that ties the presentation together.
Final Thoughts – when I looked into this game, I was reminded of the Princess Maker series, which I have played and enjoyed, so I jumped at the chance to play this. The combination of Visual Novel and life sim is a good mix, with the VN sections being a great way to tell the story. I played through this game a couple of times, getting different endings based on my choices, which made each story run satisfying. I just wish I understood the hidden variables.
There are some minor issues with the game, as some of the text doesn’t work correctly, which can be a little frustrating. This shows up as duplicated text, the occasional line of missing text and a few typos. However, these flaws don’t detract significantly from the experience, as it is a very enjoyable narrative experience. I am happy to recommend this game to everyone who enjoys visual novels, life sims or those who are looking to try the genres out.
In the end, I give Lair Land Story a final score of 4.5/5. This is a satisfying hybrid of life simulation and visual novel, with characters that are gorgeous to look at, combined with stories and a world that are wonderful to experience. If you want to check this adventure out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
Link to Steam version (HERE)
W.Kohaku Media 