Review: Time Princess - Golden Age

Golden Age, the newest visual novel in Time Princess is a celebration of the game's massive collaboration with the Louvre Museum in Paris. It is the second story since Queen Marie to take place in France and covers three different time periods. Even though it involves time travel in Paris, it doesn't have much in common with other time travel stories like Find Me in Paris because the main character spends half the book as one person in one time period and the other half as a different person in another time period, so she doesn't jump around forming contradictions in the timeline. The story has a lot in common with Time Princess itself in that it involves a girl who lives in different people's bodies during a significant turning point in their life. Art is the main focus of this novel, which is why the modern incarnation of the protagonist is an art curator, similar to the main character in Whispers of the Rain.

Golden Age begins with an art curator named Anais trying to open up a gallery. After reading a magical pamphlet from a museum, she is transported into the body of Minette in the Baroque period. No sooner does she come to terms with her new body and time period than she realizes she has been accused of assassinating the king! With a little help from her friends, she manages to escape the charges and return to the present day. Not much later, she finds herself in the body of the famous Madame de Pompadour at the beginning of the Rococo period. In this chapter, she fights for the enlightenment of the people by spreading knowledge through the world's first encyclopedia. When she finally returns to the present day again as Anais, she develops a stronger appreciation for the arts and knowledge that people have easy access to today.

The three companions in this story are all from different time periods to balance the time travel aspect of the novel. Since there's so much jumping around, the relationships in this book are not particularly deep or meaningful. There is a much heavier focus on the history of the arts than there is on friendship or romance. Still, Felix provides a bit of a mystery to solve when Anais encounters a couple of men in her travels that remind her of him. It is possible to get 100% in this story without resolving the mystery behind Felix's identity, so make sure to check the flowchart and adjust your decisions if you finish the novel without getting this ending. The other two companions, Marie de' Medici and Madame Geoffrin, are historical figures from the two timelines that Anais visits. Their friendships turn out to be quite valuable because both are responsible for helping her out of some sticky situations she encounters during her travels.

My favorite thing about this book is the fashions. I feel like Golden Age is peak Time Princess dress-up! It takes all the best elements from historical gowns and combines them in an aesthetically pleasing way that makes the player wish they were born in another time. Madame de Pompadour's formal dress is quite possibly my favorite gown in this game so far. It is a soft pastel lavender and silver brocade with pink fabric roses, bell sleeves, and a corset-style bodice. The overall look reminds me of the main dress in Barbie as Rapunzel. Minette's formal gown is also a lovely mix of historical fashion and modern aesthetics with its blue and white brocade fleur-de-lis patterns, stiff collar, and pearl accents. I also really liked her brightly colored casual dress that mixes pink, blue, and gold ruffles in a tasteful display of elegance.

Overall, Golden Age is the quintessential Time Princess story that combines time travel, history, and aesthetics. I learned a lot about the arts and French history and thoroughly enjoyed playing with all the gorgeous gowns that the story had to offer. The collaboration with the Louvre was tastefully incorporated without feeling too commercial. It was nice to finally have a new story that doesn't focus on demons. The next book, The Perfect Storm, will be released on Friday and contains our first exciting adventure at sea. I hope there are mermaids! What's your favorite visual novel in this game so far?