Natural Doctrine

1. NewKy

   Oct 18, 2017

   10

   This game is the ultimate geek trial. You either love it, or you are not a real geek, just some normie poser.
   
   There are all the rightThis game is the ultimate geek trial. You either love it, or you are not a real geek, just some normie poser.
   
   There are all the right ingredients in there - complicated and unintuitive (yet perfectly functional) combat system, cheesy C-movies story, japanese graphics stylization, multiplayer thats actually not bad at all AND it looks like a PS2 game on your PS4.
   
   If you watch weird forgotten movies every once in a while, if you love reading books by evil people just to glimpse into their mind, if you have to censor your own joke ideas when your are outside your tiny social bubble, well maybe its time to take the trial.
   
   Still unsure if you should buy this game? Then go buy it! In the worst case you waste a few bucks, but it is possible that you will fall in love. Just like I did.
   
   To add some criticism - the game is not long enough and not challenging enough. It only looks chalenging at first glance because you don't get the combat system, but once you get into it, you can sweep the floor with it wtih some effort. Luckily I just learned that there is a DLC thats supposedly BRUTAL. Going for it right now.
   
   So it's it 10/10 by me. Not because this game has no flaws, but because it is perfect as it is in a sense. When someone outside the target audience (the geek inner circle) gets his hands on it, he is repulsed away. But when it is where it belongs, it shines!… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
2. DefaultGamer

   Feb 22, 2020

   10

   All I can say from all the commentaries is that: "You are not Gamers, you are just a bunch of annoying people who doesn't deserves the rightsAll I can say from all the commentaries is that: "You are not Gamers, you are just a bunch of annoying people who doesn't deserves the rights of playing games". Natural Doctrine is a game that made me cry whit it's story and I have played it for more than 11 times. I didn't found any issues in the game but the contrary, it was very challenging just like Hollow Knight in the present. Many players where annoyed by the level of difficulty of Natural Doctrine while I didn't find it that hard to win, it may be not completed and many things where missing to be a complete good game but it was worth it. Everyone that thinks this game was bad or is bad, must be a bad player who doesn't recognise a good game.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
4. Mithaldu

   Oct 8, 2014

   10

   A game that gives you tools to annihilate enemies with impunity, but also gives them that chance. If you make the mistake and let them.A game that gives you tools to annihilate enemies with impunity, but also gives them that chance. If you make the mistake and let them.
   
   Natural Doctrine is a very hard, but also a very fair game in that everytime you fail, it's been your own fault. Very little in the game is left up to chance and number differences, and whether you fail or succeed depends on how you wield the tools the game gives you. If you're sloppy in pulling up the rear of your group; if you advance too aggressively; if you try to win by turtling; if you fail to multiply your forces by activating links; if you waste all your force by activating all your links early; if you fail to check the sight lines of your gunners: You get punished. But everytime it's because you made a mistake that you can learn to avoid the next time.
   
   Now, this admittedly may not be entertaining for everyone. Some people prefer a good cinematic CoD session, some people prefer a cartoony evening with Rayman, some people prefer the well-told story of adventures like Monkey Island. This game is squarely aimed at people who wish to stress their brain.
   
   It suffers from only two things, which are minor: It loves to play all its animations, however this can be improved by holding circle all the time to speed them up. It does not do a good job explaining the game mechanics, because the translation team itself did not understand them; this is not much of an issue though. It has a fairly gentle curve in how it lets you learn and come to grips with the mechanics, and offers free dungeons the player can repeat as often as they like, and offers checkpoints in the dungeons.
   
   I might see this differently, because i'm german, but the story is refreshingly earnest and pragmatic. At one point the main character suffers a traumatic loss, which in most other games would make him the depressed and disturbed hero for the rest of the game, who rests all the blame on one bad person. In this game the main character manages to realize that the group as a whole failed, and that despite what happened, they need to keep moving or die.
   
   Also, to adress one popular negative argument trotted out against the game: The door with tens of goblins behind it all ready to slaughter you. This is a perfect example of how every failure is the player's fault. There is a number of such doors in the game, and for everyone a simple rule is in effect that is explained the first time you encounter a door: As long as the character opening it is not the last character you can move in the current turn, your next character will have initiative after opening it, enabling them to use links to activate the rest of the team and slaughter whatever's beyond the door.
   
   Natural Doctrine is brave enough to offer refreshingly unique and challenging gameplay, and is unfairly panned by people who simply did not understand one of its simplest rules.… Expand

   • 13 of 19 users found this helpful
5. dieth

   Oct 6, 2014

   8

   Absolutely love this game so far. This is a an tactical overkill simulator, know this going in, that the mobs can perform the same linkedAbsolutely love this game so far. This is a an tactical overkill simulator, know this going in, that the mobs can perform the same linked overkill attacks on you. Make sure you block off enemy paths with a good defender!
   
   Both tutorial dungeons (if not skipped) thoroughly explain how to setup linked combat, and combat initiative. Each time a dungeon loads game concepts are explained in multiple paragraphs. First tutorial takes about 10 minutes, second tutorial can be easily skipped. Also if you pay attention to the character banter in certain areas they will tell you exactly what to do the take control of the board quickly, this pertains more to above ground story encounters, and not the Goblin Mines.
   
   This game is set up in a test your mettle, know when to retreat fashion. Almost all dungeons have multiple levels and hidden monsters accessible after meeting the initial clear requirements, whether you decide to see what's further or to book it with your treasure and exp is up to you.… Expand

   • 3 of 7 users found this helpful
6. KenshinX

   Aug 26, 2020

   5

   The Fight mechanics for me the only interesting thing about this game, a lot of exploration.
   The Graphics are average,
   The Sound, nope,The Fight mechanics for me the only interesting thing about this game, a lot of exploration.
   The Graphics are average,
   The Sound, nope, nothing that i ll keep in mind.
   The Story ... bof, we know almost NOTHING about he characters, the story is not compelling at all.
   
   I was disappointed.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
7. Chowda

   May 16, 2016

   4

   Even with the bad reviews I wanted to give this game a try. I played around 20 hours, died many times, and found the game challenging andEven with the bad reviews I wanted to give this game a try. I played around 20 hours, died many times, and found the game challenging and enjoyable until I hit a certain point. The combat system is broken. This game feels like someone tried to create and innovative battle system but did not play test it.
   
   Taking into consideration that if the enemy gets a turn they will easily kill a team member and you will have to restart......and each battle area takes around 15-20 minutes to clear.
   
   The death of certain enemies trigger other enemy movements. Which is fine but with the cover and counter attack system I have no way of controlling who dies or commanding my team not to attack certain enemies.
   
   Certain dungeons aren't meant to be cleared the first time you enter it. You have to clear a certain area and then come back later when you are stronger. However there is no way of knowing how many gorians will attack you from out of nowhere if you open a certain chest. It is assumed that you will get attacked and you might be able to run away but you have to die the first time to find out. So essentially in every dungeon you have to waste at least 45 minutes to figure out if you can survive.
   
   But the biggest reason why I quit playing the game was because at certain points during battles I wasn't allowed to kill certain key enemies. However, again with the cover and counter-attack system, the enemy that I was not allowed to kill would attack and I would counter and kill them causing a game over.
   
   So essentially there is not enough control of each aspect of battle in respect to the difficulty and management you need for this game to be challenging and fun.… Expand

   • 1 of 2 users found this helpful
8. GrumpyReviewer

   Jul 18, 2015

   1

   Wow... it's been a while since I came across a game like this. It's hard for me to even start. Ugly, boring, uninspired, artificial highWow... it's been a while since I came across a game like this. It's hard for me to even start. Ugly, boring, uninspired, artificial high difficulty to "look like a hardcore game" when it really is a piece of crap that looks like a bad PS1 game that has been remastered for the new generation.
   
   It's not that I don't get the game; I do, really. I love strategy, rts, turn based games. Been playing those for years - Ogre Battle, FF Tactics, Disgaea, X-COM. This game tries to emulate the same experience but the result is a dull game that got me scratching my head trying to understand HOW a game like this was released.
   
   I give you one thing; I like the cover art and the anime drawings and that is all. Natural Doctrine is one of the worst games I played recently.… Expand

   • 0 of 1 users found this helpful

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