While far from Nippon Ichi's best game, The Witch and the Hundred Knight's interesting interlocking game systems and unconventional, dark narrative make it an enjoyable affair well worth spending some time with, assuming you have the patience to deal with its quirks along the way.
The vile, scheming, cursing Metallia might be too intense a main character for some, and the combat is more serviceable than outstanding, but Nippon Ichi fans who’ve felt a lack of innovation in some of the twisted Japanese developer’s more recent fare should find a refreshing change of pace here.
Do not believe the critic reviews THIS GAME IS AWESOME!. Probably one of the funniest games i've played with very enjoyable dark humour. One of the best NIS game i've ever played and i'm a very big fan of Disgaea etc. but this game is very fresh and fun. The combat is awesome and i think of it as the combat of Diablo mixed with NIS flair with it's many various options and mechanics but it isn't bogged down at all by them like some critic reviews say. The Voice acting is some of the best NIS offers IMO and if you're a fan of based like disgaea you will almost certainly love this game. Never have critics been so wrong about a game
This is a fun game that can be challenging. The time limit concept is interesting. Metallia really is pure evil but it's what makes the game interesting. You could think of this game in terms of other dungeon crawlers that drop random loot so if that's the sort of game you like it might be interesting for you.
With multiple endings and a list of items and weapons that would even make Disgaea veterans raise their eyebrows, there is a lot of content to experience here. However, while the story and characters succeed in drawing the player into the world, the game play does very little to keep them there.
The Witch and the Hundred Knight has a concept that I dig: an action RPG layered high with the extra nuances the folks at NIS are known for. Sadly, very few of this puzzle’s many pieces are terribly well crafted, and they never truly fit together.
The dark, twisted story is something that has a lot of potential, and the music is great. However, odd design choices like obscuring the action and cluttered menus that don’t mesh together well, along with pretty uninteresting characters makes it hard to do so.
With highly addictive gameplay, challenging levels and bosses and a dark, twisted storyline, this is, in my opinion, one of the most unique titles in the PS3 library. Its gameplay elements and music remind me a lot of of some classic RPG games for the SNES and Playstation.
This is a unique, unconventional, fun and amazing game. However, there are some cons worth mentioning. I summarize some of its pros and cons below:
Pros: Challenging levels. Interlocking gameplay mechanics that complement each other well. Addictive gameplay. Extremely good music. Unconventional storyline.
Cons: The lengthy tutorial in the beginning doesn't explain well the game mechanics. Maybe this is why the critics are giving it such low ratings. Mainly, you have to either figure out things on your own, or do some research online before you give this game a try, and indeed, this can be frustrating. Also, graphics are a bit outdated and the action is obscured by the scenario sometimes.
However, once you understand how each element works, and how they fit together, you'll realize this is one of the best games in the PS3 library. Worth giving it a try, specially if you like dungeon crawlers.
I think this game is under rated however it does present a few problems that can ruin the game depending on your personality. For a quick background, I enjoy western action RPGs a lot and don't really care for t/ j-RPGs. However, I am a big fan of rogue elements in those games whether they are loot drops, random enemies or hidden rooms. Unfortunately most of the best games utilizing these features are the old turn based games like disgaea and makai kingdom. Unfortunately again all these games have super annoying pre-pubescent characters and ultra annoying personalities. Somehow there is a market for these Spongebob Squarepants wanna be's and I'm not one of them. That said I do wonder why western games haven't explored some of the features in these older games that despite being annoying as can be have a huge fan base. Seriously that must mean the gameplay can be ultra **** in walks this game, a hybrid between everything I just mentioned. I must say I both like and dislike this game. All those "disgaea" like elements are there and I liked the various elements being blended into an action rpg. Unfortunately, the game has retained lots of reading and humour which isn't humorous but it does succeed in presenting a decent immersion of its story none the less. What sank me was the game has technical difficulties the most annoying to me was a subtle but noticeable stun lock or delay during combat. One other feature of this game I would like to touch on is the 100 second time limit for most battles. While in general I don't enjoy timed battles I did feel it was integral to how the game dished out rewards/drops and you do earn better stuff if you are decent. I guess this is why I was so annoyed by the stun lock/delay those two things do not mix. Overall I could go either way on this game. It does have a unique hybrid approach to two different game styles however looking back its probably better just to stick with what you love best than settle for a blend of "Mey" which is ultimately how I decided to score this one. For people less fussy I think this could be an overlooked under rated game so if you seem as intrigued as I was about this hybrid game I'd still recommend trying it out and seeing what you think. It does have a lot of interesting features and they may not annoy you as easily. At least I can say I tried, you never know til you do.
if you push yourself through the annoying, repetitive initial/tutorial part of the beginning of the game, and twenty minutes of dialogues, maybe this game be for you. i cannot play it for more than two hours...
SummaryTwo powerful witches have been battling one another for over a hundred years. Now, the Swamp Witch has unleashed the legendary Dark Knights, and seeks to destroy the Forest Witch once and for all!