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Knights in the Nightmare

EMAIL PRINT ds

8.9 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 25 critic reviews
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Based on 19 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Atlus USA

Developer: Sting

Genre(s): Real-Time Strategy, Role-Playing Game, Shooter

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: June 2, 2009

Summary

Somewhere between heaven and the underworld -- in the center of a quiet lake -- stood an ancient castle known as Aventheim. One night, without warning, denizens of the netherworld emerged and slaughtered the kingdom; nary a soul was left alive. Within an abandoned, long-forgotten church deep in the woods, a wisp is set free. Bereft of memory, it is drawn toward the monster-infested castle and re-awakens the souls of the vanquished knights, leading them back towards the fallen stronghold to confront the very forces of evil that took their lives. An experience unlike any before it -- Incorporating strategy RPG, real-time strategy, and shooter elements, you've never experienced a game like this. Control a Wisp with your stylus and activate the souls of deceased knights to aid you in destroying foes on the map. Enemies fire bullets in multiple directions, making it vital for players to master the unique touch controls. Over 100 playable characters -- Find and recruit the ghosts of seven different classes of knights from your kingdom, and learn of their pasts, hopes, dreams, and untimely deaths. Sacrifice their souls to one another to balance their skills and create your ultimate party. A tale from two perspectives -- This twice-told legend entangles you in a dark and brooding tale that is simultaneously examined through events both past and present. Complete the adventure to unlock the ability to play through the game with a new narrative twist, placing the antagonist in the starring role. [Atlus USA]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Cheat Code Central

There's just so much content here and so much complexity that once you get a handle on how the game works, it's going to be difficult to stop playing.

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ZTGameDomain

Knights in the Nightmare is a miraculous achievement in game design, and one hell of an RPG experience.

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Worth Playing

Aside from the fact that the game has a fairly steep learning curve early on, there isn't a lot to complain about when it comes to Knights in the Nightmare.

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RPGamer

Knights is something completely unique and as such has a learning curve. But, once the game is understood, it only gets better and better.

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GameZone

You’ll know the first time you play it whether this game is for you – you’ll either be immediately dissuaded by its complexity and depth, or you’ll fall in love with them. It might be the very definition of “niche title”, but for those who get it, Knights in the Nightmare provides a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

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IGN

An awesome addition to the DS library.

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Gamer 2.0

Knights in the Nightmare isn’t a game that everybody will love simply because it’s one of the most complex games ever to be released. There is no game to really compare it to, except for maybe Ikaruga, and that’s not even an RPG.

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Everyeye.it

Knights in the Nightmare can’t be judged by numbers. It breaks the barriers between two different genres, melting elements and creating something really different. Sometimes it loses himself in the hugeness of the magnificent gameplay, but it’s a little sin, and the supporting elements, from the plot to the fantastic artistic direction, confirm the quality of the production. Hail to Sting, for the courage needed to innovate, and to Atlus, for taking the responsibility to believe in their vision.

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Destructoid

In the end, no other DS title plays like Knights in the Nightmare. It's one of those games that gives you as much as you put into it.

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Extreme Gamer

If you have a DS and are sick of the same old RPG clones that have been coming out this past year then Knights may be just what you are looking for, especially if you don’t mind trying new things.

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RPG Fan

If you're a series fan, there's no question that you need to play this game. For newcomers, I only offer this one warning: be ready for a challenge.

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Nintendo Life

Those of you willing to take the challenge will find a beautiful, genre-bending game with near-endless amounts of strategy, customisation and content. Truly, Knights In The Nightmare is a game worthy of the title "hardcore".

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GameSpot

Knights in the Nightmare combines deep tactical role playing with frantic old-school bullet dodging to tremendous effect.

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Thunderbolt

Knights in the Nightmare is not an easy game to get into, and its complicated mechanics might be too overwhelming for those looking for simpler fun. Regardless, few games can reward your efforts as well as this one can. Pick it up if you want something different. Long live the king.

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NintendoWorldReport

Knights in the Nightmare, while complicated, is an excellent game worthy of players' time and effort.

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Nintendo Power

As unlikely as it seems, it's a great combination of cerebral strategy and pure twitch challenge. [July 2009, p.86]

GameCritics

Knights in the Nightmare struggles under the weight of its own complexity but the bizarre melding of divergent gaming subgenres make it a title I'd recommend to anyone bored with gaming's status quo.

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NGamer UK

The most complex RPG we've ever played. Takes a lot of time to get to grips with, let alone master, but it's worth the effort. [Sept 2009, p.71]

Teletext GameCentral

Part tactical role-player, part bullet hell shooter - this is hard to get into but worth it if you do.

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GamePro

Casual players and even tactical RPG fans may have a hard time getting used to Knights in the Nightmare, and I can guarantee that the effort to learn the battle system will be worth it in the long run. [July 2009, p.86]

Game Informer

An intriguing excursion into uncharted territory. [June 2009, p.93]

Games Radar (in-house)

Knights in the Nightmare isn't a bad game; the combat system is addictive as hell, and though the various elements of the game that might seem like an odd mix, together they make a lot of sense. It just tries to do too much, so instead of a historic must-play that changes the genre forever, we get a quirky, worthwhile oddity.

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Edge Magazine

For its fights alone Knights In The Knightmare is a worthy effort, another semi-successful attempt to find the sweet spot for stylus-driven roleplay. [July 2009, p.101]

Gamervision

The story never draws you in, battles take forever, diminishing the game’s allure as a portable experience, and the fact that you play as a ball of light introduces a layer of separation from the game’s characters that ensures your disinterest in their fates.

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Game Revolution

It fails in the most fundamental aspect: the gameplay. It’s generally dull. Despite a high initial learning curve – usually the sign of a game with depth and complexity – Knights in the Nightmare is shallow and simple.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.9 (out of 10) based on 19 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Bryn J. gave it a10:
A complex, difficult, innovative strategy game that maximizes the potential of the DS hardware. The visuals, audio, and gameplay are more polished than most games. Give it some time, maybe read a FAQ towards the beginning of the game to figure out what you need to do, and don't project your ideas of what a strategy game should be onto this game.

Trevor G. gave it a10:
So I picked up this game when it first came out because it looked absolutely amazing. And then I let it sit for months because I just didn't want to take the time for the tutorials(I heard it took an hour or so). I kept playing games I could just pick up and play. Then one day decided I would just start doing the tutorials.... they really fly by... not very long at all. And it was totally worth it! The story is interesting and has a nice progression. It let's you know just a piece of the puzzle at a time. The settings are very immersive... especially for a hand-held game. And the battles are a lot of fun. If you like strategy games like Age of Empires on the DS and you like RPG's than this game should be up your alley. While it's true you don't get too attached to all your characters.... you do get pretty attached too the knights you've been fighting with for a while. Especially after upgrading them(and you get a little glimpse into what they were like when they were alive).... but the story isn't about your knights ... it's about the wisp and his connection to everything that is going on. It's really a intimate look into the kingdom of Aventheim... both it's past and present. The art style is really unique and very well done. There's just so many good things to say about this game. Probably my favorite game on the DS.

Jeremy S gave it a7:
Knights in the Nightmare is game that I wanted to like a lot more than I did. I commend Sting on creating something this unique and interesting, but it wasn't a game I wholeheartedly enjoyed. The whole game contradicts itself. The battle system is extremely confusing until you get the hang of it, then I came to the realization that it was deceivingly simple, just a bit convoluted. The story is well written and has an epic scale, but I didn't feel any connection to most of the characters. (There are an astounding amount of units to recruit) On the other hand, the artwork and sprites are absolutely beautiful. The compelling music has a castlevania vibe going for it. (The game comes with a music CD with tons of tracks, good stuff) It's not a great game, but it is a good game that does a lot of interesting things. Most of these things work, some of them tried my patience. I'd highly recommend it to those who have patience and are fans of SRPG's. If you are neither of these, get this game at your own risk.

Brandon gave it an8:
This game is really interesting but the story is a little hard to pick up, and the easy is too easy and the medium is just tedious. It has rough edges but it certainly provides a good amount of entertainment value.

Carme M gave it a10:
Knights in the Nightmare is an amazing game. I was iffy about buying it, and wondered if it was worth it in the first few hours of gameplay. It took a bit of time getting used to it, the games complexity is astonishing, but that hour spent in the tutorials is well worth it. The game is lacking in the plot category in the beginning of the game, but it intensifies as you go along. I'm a plot FANATIC, I need a good plot in a game to make it good. Knights in the Nightmare gives you two views of the plot. It has a current plot before a battle, and a flashback after a battle. The flashback has more to do with character backrounds. Little bits of information that give each character soul. Knights in the Nightmare gives you many options as well. You could complete any level a MILLION ways, each play through can be different. The variety and quality of the game is great. The mixture of genres is smooth, almost creating a genre all by itself. The graphics are fantastic as well in my opinion. Many if not all the characters are hand drawn. This was not cut and paste. There are SO MANY CHARACTERS. I mean A LOT. I was surprised how many, and each is unique in it's own way. Knights in the Nightmare is by far my favorite DS title. It is a must buy for hardcore gamers. Lighter players may find it too confusing, or just plain old boring due to all the preparations needed to go into the battle. But I love it, LOVE it. A 10/10 in my books.

Reed W. gave it a10:
Great music, great sprites, great art direction, amazing gameplay. The story isn't exactly top-notch, but it's enough to pull you along; not that this is really necessary with gameplay this great though. Game of the year for 2009 so far.

dave j. gave it a5:
A game I just couldn't get into. I tried the tutorials and I realised what to do but its probably just not a game for me. I recommend this one only to massive fans of SRPG games because this is about as hardcore as it gets for the genre. Definitely not for everyone.

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Knights in the Nightmare

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What The Critics Said

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