Slay The Princess Review: As Pristine As The Blade Cuts Deep

One year later, the path in the woods has been well-traveled, the Princess has been slain or saved many times over, and at the end of that path is the Pristine Cut major free update, the expansion on the base game that aims to fill in what's missing and bring the game to a completed state.

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Now that it's out, did the Pristine Cut elevate the already masterful base game to new heights? Let's find out what's in the cabin in chapter two:

The Story --- No path in the woods left untraveled

The characters and themes of Slay The Princess were some of the strongest points of the original release. With the Pristine Cut additions, I can safely say my minor complaints of feeling some routes had more depth than others have been fixed. Everything that was expanded upon in the Cut adds to the overarching theme by exploring the nooks and crannies left out. With the new full game, you see every part of the theme at hand play out, leaving you with no stone unturned to understand the story. You will also get to see a few 'what if' scenarios play out that I didn't even think the game was willing to explore. All of the characters, who were already deep to begin with, gain even more depth in the extended cut. Most of the Voices have new avenues of their character explored, with situations that make you see them for what they truly are. None of them are fully just the adjective that describes them, and I love to see that nuance from them. The Narrator in particular shocked me by showing me there is even more to him than I thought possible. And of course, we get to see even more of how the Princess feels and thinks, but the Hero is shown in new lights as well. We took for granted what he is and how he works.

At the end of this, I am satisfied with what I saw. I feel Slay The Princess has told its story to completion, and anything that was left murky with the original release is explored with the depth that allows you to understand everything the game is. The new chapter three from the Damsel route in particular hit as hard emotionally as the golden ending of the original game. The cacophony of emotions I felt watching that play out will stick with me.

The Gameplay

Conclusion

With the Pristine Cut additions, I can officially say Slay The Princess elevated itself to a 10/10 experience. The routes no longer feel uneven, the story is even deeper and more beautiful, anything that was missing has been added, you have the TAB key to skip dialogue you've seen before, and just about all of the minor route logic errors have been fixed over time. Slay The Princess is a masterpiece, plain and simple, one that will leave you satisfied with this horrifically beautiful love story. The team set out to make it even better, and they most definitely made it even better. This free DLC gives the game the complete package it deserved. The Pristine Cut sends this absolute labor of love off with a beautiful waltz out of the cabin.

So open up your game and get ready to walk down the path in the woods again- there's more Princesses to slay and save, and a lot more to learn about yourself and the Voices in your head. We're sending off one of the best indie horrors with a final bow and a closing of the pages.

Slay The Princess has Native Linux support and is Steam Deck Verified!

Pristine Cut Review Score: 10/10