blackheart2925 Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 IGN Rating:8.8 and winner of Editor's Choice Award Developer: Sting Entertainment Publisher(s): (JP) Sting; (NA) Atlus Platform: Nintendo DS Released: Japan - September 25, 2008; NA - June 2, 2009 Genre: Role-playing Developer Sting has worked itself into a pretty nice little rhythm these days. The company does a lot of niche gaming, focusing on smaller projects like Rondo of Swords and Dokapon Kingdom for Atlus, and then churns out a full-on AAA effort every couple of years. We got Riviera on GBA, later ported over to PSP. Yggdra Union hit after that, and now Knights in the Nightmare, a strategy RPG that blends some of the best art I've seen on DS with a moody, haunting presentation, some great music, and a game design that truly invents its own genre. It has a high barrier of entry, it's hands-down the most complex handheld game I've ever played, but once you understand it all it'll suck you in. Fans of The World Ends With You, Disgaea, and of course any of Sting's previous handhelds efforts should pay close attention; this may be one of the most innovative, beautiful, and imaginative handheld games you've ever played. Knights in the Nightmare essentially blends elements from top/down shooters with tactics game such as Final Fantasy Tactics or Tactics Ogre and then scales it all back a bit into what ends up feeling like an arcade vertical slice of the experience. Rather than playing as a cast of specific players, you control the wisp; a spirit that's traveling through the woods (and then abandoned church) as it relives a mysterious battle one event at a time. Death surrounds the wisp, so with every chapter progression you get new slices of the story, as well as monsters attacking the wisp. For each battle the spirit calls on the dead, using them as temporary soldiers to lay vengeance on the enemy. After the battle the spirit will leave again, but if players take special note as to items found in that level (or previous battles) items from the spirit's former life can be given to them, thus reviving them and making them a permanent member of your squad. General gameplay is performed by moving the stylus on the bottom screen to control the wisp. Move over a character in your party and you can attack specific spots on the map, adding even more attack power and strategy by equipping items for one-time use during battle via a small belt of icons on the right side. Most characters can't move, so instead it's about selecting specific attacks that cover squares around the battlefield. There's also a huge chaos/order system (similar to Ikaruga) where certain items can only be used at certain times, also affecting enemy power and unit strength. Each level is basically one screen set of enemies and treasure, with enemies following paths in a very "quarter at a time" inspired design. If you fail a round, you send new enemies in for the next battle and move on with the fight. Once done, the story continues, and you're on to the next arena-like event. The list seems to go on forever, be it the tic-tac-toe enemy spawning system, item merging and upgrading, character skill tweaking and soul fusion (you can actually merge two characters into one… don't ask) and the hundreds of strategies that come with items, characters, and the chaos/order system. I can say with confidence that this is a game that could last players hundreds of hours if they are out to learn everything, collect all characters, power fighters and weapons to their fullest, and truly complete the game. In fact, you can even replay levels with your current squad from the main game menu, so even if you only have time for a quick experience-gaining battle you can boot the game, go into a quickplay fight, whomp on some baddies, and then turn the system off again without dealing with story or progression. It's essentially "play now" or "grind" mode that works very well within the confines of a pocket title. With that being said, here comes the token this game is for the hardcore warning. This is a complex offering. I personally feel it's tougher to grasp than any turn-based strategy game out there (Disgaea included), and it's also a more complex offering than Riviera. Knights in the Nightmare is a deep game with seemingly never-ending systems to grasp, and just when you think you've got it all there's even more to discover That's also why it's so damn fun though too. For some players (I'm one of them) this is an extremely engaging concept. Every time I sit down with the title I feel like I'm learning even more of what makes it tick, I've shown the game to family and friends and had long, lengthy discussions with them about strategy and concepts in the package, and more than anything else that feeling of discovery and progression is everywhere, which I love. After playing something like Knights in the Nightmare, everything else seems simple and one-dimensional (Disgaea players know what I mean, as does anyone that played Sting's previous masterpiece titles). With it being so deep and somewhat closed off in nature – any game with a list of dozens of mini-tutorials well worth your time isn't messing around – I don't see a lot of people playing it front to end. Those that do, however, will insist that this is something truly special. So how do you differentiate between a game that's too deep for its own good, and a classic must-play offering that sets standards for in-depth strategy gaming on DS? It's a thin line, and it's one that's up for debate. Some critics are going to pan Knights for being too complex and oversaturated, but in my opinion it's all based on how the game nurtures a player through the complexity. Yeah, if you play Knights in the Nightmare for 10 minutes you may never want to play it again. Take the time to go through the suggested tutorials however, and you'll get what the game is all about at the end of the half hour long session, even going as far as to hit up additional tips menus and learn even more about how the game functions and its deeper levels. Knights in the Nightmare is a deep experience, and a daunting one at that. It also presents that complexity very well though, and that's a testament to the design. On the audio/visual front, Knights in the Nightmare is rivaled by only a few select titles on DS. The visuals are simply stunning, blending some beautiful hand-drawn art with lots of effects work, lighting, hundreds of on-screen sprites during hectic battles, and an impressive overall style. There's a reason this game comes with an art book for pre-orders; the art direction is simply beautiful. On the audio front, orchestrated music fuses with strong synth pieces to create a soundtrack that holds its own against the best on the system, and there's even room for some select sound bites for each character. Some people may never get very far in the actual game or grasp every concept, but this one is worth a look as a complete package in the same way as PSX's Lunar: Silverstar Story was. It's a game, but it's also a beautiful blending of visuals and sound that will pull gamers into the world. The only real downside here? Each level tends to look similar to the last, and like Riviera text, icons, and art are often intentionally cluttered and overly complex. The gameplay is deep, but it makes sense. At times the game's menus, tables, icons, and layout feel as if they're trying to add to the complexity just to be edgy… sometimes it's beautiful, and other times it just looks overly busy. Closing Comments Knights in the Nightmare may be – in fact, I’m pretty sure it is – the most complex game I’ve ever played. There’s a near-endless list of options, strategy, stats, and gameplay mechanics to learn, and I could see serious players spending an hour or two learning the ins and outs of the game via tutorials and tips, trying a few missions to get the feel for it all, and then restarting their file once they really get the game. It’s deep, and for some it’s going to be too much. For others though, this is the depth and strategy that is missing from current-day games. If you’re up for a truly original, genre-less experience that innovates and pushes players in a way few titles will, Knights in the Nightmare is meant for you. And with every new piece of the puzzle comes a whole new wave of possibilities. By the time you figure it all out, you’ll have discovered a game so robust and truly complete that you – like me – will want to see everything it has to offer. Knights in the Nightmare is an awesome addition to the DS library. Source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeezNah Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 "Bestest SRPG of 2009" is certainly a bold claim yggdra union made my head spin, but i'm willing to give this shot maybe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackheart2925 Posted June 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 ^^ well thats kinda my addition... but this game review at IGN floored me...i love the concept of the wisp spirit which can migrate from one body to the other... there are some great gameplay videos at IGN but i dont know how to post them here like we do for Gametrailers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarketTantrik Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 there are some great gameplay videos at IGN but i dont know how to post them here like we do for Gametrailers Just post the link to the page that contains the videos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackheart2925 Posted June 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 Opening Movie Gameplay video Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeezNah Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 daaaagg, yo yeah, i think i'm gonna hold off on this one for now. need to finish second departure and get started on endless frontier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The JACKAL Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 i got this game on my DS yesterday, i usually dislike JRPGs ,This will be my 2nd JRPG after lost oddesey.But im going ot try and finish this. Im still tryin to learn this game in "FISRT STEPS" of "TEACHINGS". . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeezNah Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 Saha, I can guarantee that this won't be much better if you had trouble getting into LO. KitN is way more complicated and slower since it's a Strategy RPG, not your traditional JRPGs like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. If you're looking to try and ease into something easier and user-friendly, we can recommend some stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackheart2925 Posted June 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 ^^hehe saha dude...the learning curve is quite steep! i went through the tutorial and everything and booted the game in normal difficulty level (the second one) and i got frustrated in ten minutes...then i started in easy mode and finally i have got the hang of the game now...moving along comfortably now... but the damn tutorials and all don't give an actual understanding of how this game actually plays...took me some time to figure out how i can reach out and kill an enemy who is away from my weapons reach. and i wanna kill those damn NPC's who appear in some games and totally block the way. Also, it took some time to get a hang of the story since it's displayed as first the past (through cutscenes) before the start of a level/scene and then as the present (through interactive tap on touch screen) before the start of the next battle Classes: Duellist - great for when you cant reach the enemy as this guy can jump squares and move towards the enemy (but please be aware that there needs to be room move around ...or else you will be stuck...e.g. if you completely move from bottom to top edge, then to move again the left or right will need to be obstacle free, if any chest or obstacle is there the Warrior can help destroy it into atoms) Warrior - great for breaking non-movable inanimate objects like treasure chest etc. (after you have received the stored treasure's) and freeing up squares so that the Duellist or Lance Knight can move around Lance Knight - good for moving around and charging the enemies, the blast's have a long reach Wizzard/Preistess - good for laying traps, long - distance offensive...but some enemies who are generally moving around in a path will stop just before a trapped square until it dissipates by the next turn. Though i have found the Priestess to be more useful than the Wizzard when combined with the right weapon. Archer - good for ranged attacks but again you need to anticipate enemy movement Turns to Win: you generally get 26 turns, at least in easy mode, to completely win the game battle for each scene... the slot machine for selecting next set of enemies can be manipulated i.e. in the 2nd turn itself you can make the boss appear in the game and thereby end the battle/scene quickly after defeating him. though i still have not got a hang of the slot machine...trick is to quickly try and populate any of the 4 blocks, either vertically, horizontally or diagonally... You can also change the non-moving, high damage causing monsters (there's a red tentacle/plant thing which causes some real damage when combined with a couple of other monsters) thereby bringing them in range of your traps you can stretch the scene by increasing the number of turns, to get more objects/key items and thus try to lure more knights into your team...finish a scene too quickly and you may not get a chance to add enough people to your team sometimes on the second or third turn, you will find that you have no MP to use a weapon, so you cant launch a skill attack...the trick is to use a regular attack on the nearest monster and quickly collect a few jewels (less in number) which are released though this wont cause any serious damage to the enemy...this should help you use the weapons and launch a skill attack to cause serious damage... elevation helps for some classes, keep a lookout on the second/bottom screen which give a terrain view Initially i nearly broke the stylus on the screen to make the wisp move...found out the trick is to touch exactly where the wisp is onscreen and then drag or rotate it in circular movements to make it go where you want Am yet to get a hang of the elements and how they work beyond the obvious fire-against-ice kind of thing...the stupid slot machine's logic and more as i play along the biggest thing is i still have to get the hang of how to repair/strengthen the powerful weapons i win on destroying boss monsters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The JACKAL Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 this game is more complicated than i thought , i need more time. looks like im going to try and finish contra4, ahh heck even that isnt easy. I thought Super contra C was the toughest, but this is ridiculously tough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulovski Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 is this available in India yet somehow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeezNah Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 is this available in India yet somehow? officially, no. grey market wise, thats a negative captain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulovski Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 damn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeezNah Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 Even if I did see a copy of it, the biggest hurdle here is getting grey market dealers to understand the difference between what a legitimate copy looks like and whats clearly just a cheap knock-off cart with a dreary-looking cover case and a lol-engrish manual. Me and Reggie were convinced that we could get some dudes to sell us a "broken" DSi for cheap, since those shouldn't be able to play pirated carts anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulovski Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 GS - 8/10 i waaaaaaaaaant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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