Synopsis:
You are Tatsuaki. You've just gotten a job as a maid trainer. You are to stay in a mansion where you will train three young women to become perfect maids -- the ever-cheerful Hitomi, the feisty Sanae, and the mild-mannered Azusa. You will teach them everything they need to know... from keeping the house tidy to cooking up the most scrumptious meals. There are also special night lessons you can give them so they can please their future masters in every way... will you succeed in raising three perfect maids? It's all up to you!
Review:
Maid's Story is a fun and interactive RPG-esque simulation game where your performance determines the kind of ending you'll get. You are given 89 game days for training, with the 90th day reserved for the final examination. If you train the girls well, they should be able to pass with flying colors. If not, well... I don't know what will happen because none of them have ever failed in all the times I've played Maid's Story.
Given free reign on the girls' daily activities, you decide who cleans, cooks, washes, etc. on a daily basis. As the girls do more work, their level of expertise on each task also increases. Every once in a while, merchants peddling various wares will also visit you. The available merchandise include everything from household appliances (vacuum cleaners, etc.) to kinky tools (vibrators, speculums, etc.). The stuff you buy can have different effects on the game. If you buy lots of appliances, the maids' efficiency goes up. If you buy nice furniture and decor, the mansion's appeal goes up. If you buy kinky tools, you can use them to experiment on your maids during the night lessons. Of course, you should also know when to let your trainees rest. If the girls get over-fatigued or sick, they won't be able to do anything for a whole day.
The girls also have fluctuating love levels, and whoever has the highest degree of love for you by the 90th day will end up as your lover. During the course of the game, various guests will drop by the mansion. Some guests will react specifically to certain girls. Like if you let Hitomi serve your best friend Hirai, he'll ask you if he can have his way with Hitomi for 300 yen. But he won't propose that if Azusa serves him. The final decision is yours though, and the maids don't really have any choice but to follow whatever you say.
The sexual content is very graphic, but the lower genitalia are rendered in mosaic. Of course, this doesn't really stop you from seeing what is being done... but as any hentai or bishoujo game fan will attest, no mosaic is always better. The artwork is very good for most part. The original Japanese voices have also been retained. What bothers me about Maid's Story is the game's context. I reside in Asia, and having maids in the house is very common here. I'm appalled by the idea of requiring maids to render sexual service, and I can't imagine doing the stuff you do in this game to actual maids. Yes, I know this is a bishoujo game and it's catered to players' fantasies. I just hope that people will remember that.
Miscellanies:
You have a good-looking secretary named Alice who instructs you in the game, I have yet to find out if it's possible to bed her too.
