Nine Parchments

1. Voodooseeker

   Dec 5, 2017

   10

   A wonderful dungeon-crawler game...full of magic, colours, cool characters, awesome scenary ect. - Sometimes it feels like a meeting of DiabloA wonderful dungeon-crawler game...full of magic, colours, cool characters, awesome scenary ect. - Sometimes it feels like a meeting of Diablo 3 and a very colourful magic box - and I like it very much. The soundscape....ohhhh adventure music of it's own, just the way it should be.
   The game offers a okay single player story (you just want to unlock hats, staffs, spells, toons....) and then the game offers a huge various options for local play or online, with/without friends.
   Very good job from Frozenbyte indeed - thank you for bringing this gem of a game to the Nintendo Switch. I'm looking forward for more content in 2018 :)… Expand

   • 3 of 4 users found this helpful
2. inkling_girl

   Mar 17, 2018

   10

   Nine Parchments is a gorgeous looking game. It's charming and addictive. I've been playing it solo and it's an absolute blast, you don'tNine Parchments is a gorgeous looking game. It's charming and addictive. I've been playing it solo and it's an absolute blast, you don't really need to play it with other to enjoy the game. I recommend it.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
4. ConsumerBatman

   Dec 6, 2017

   9

   Okay, I don't think this review is premature.
   
   I put an hour into the demo. I downloaded it last night, and played another hour thisOkay, I don't think this review is premature.
   
   I put an hour into the demo. I downloaded it last night, and played another hour this morning. This gorgeous, mythical, mysterious world that Frozenbyte has created, and how the characters interact with it... it's engrossing. It's SERIOUSLY engrossing.
   
   Now, I'm not gonna misrepresent the game and say it's as engrossing as a AAA game. I am, however, getting some solid Diablo 3 vibes off of it. So, think Diablo 3... but at Hogwarts. If you're a Harry Potter fan ALONE, this game is a recommended instant buy. Buy it now.
   
   The game does have some fair flaws. I haven't played multiplayer yet, but in reviewing the dual joy con setup, it will be a bit difficult to control using one joy con each. I appreciate the "last chance", and that you can keep track of deaths, and friendly fire, etc. That said... it's kind of stupid that just falling into water IMMEDIATELY kills you.
   
   Seriously? Students who are immersed in study can't just learn how to swim? I know that instant water death worked well in the NES, Genesis, and SNES days, but it seems unnecessary here. Maybe a breath meter or something? But I can also acknowledge the additional sprite and model work that would be required to change this. I also can't say I care for how easy it is to fall into some pits that also insta-kill.
   
   This game is good. Seriously good. I think I found ONE parchment, with ONE wizard, and it's already worth the $20. I hope they make DLC. I hope this becomes a series. :)… Expand

   • 4 of 6 users found this helpful
5. Rtheom

   May 7, 2018

   7

   A fine enough game, but pick it up on sale. It's too limited in scope to be worth the full $20, but if you have some friends to play localA fine enough game, but pick it up on sale. It's too limited in scope to be worth the full $20, but if you have some friends to play local co-op with, you'll get $10 of fun out of it. It's also very difficult to play in handheld mode, so if you're the kind of person, like me, that mostly uses the Switch as a portable, this game won't be very good for you.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
6. TheFlannelFox

   Dec 6, 2017

   7

   OH SPELL YEA!
   
   Beginning as a young wizard learning your trade, there is an explosion that blows a hole in the side of your school. SendingOH SPELL YEA!
   
   Beginning as a young wizard learning your trade, there is an explosion that blows a hole in the side of your school. Sending Nine Parchments across the enemy ridden world, which you must explore to track them down.
   
   With gameplay reminiscent of the Diablo series with a twist, you aim your spells with the right joystick, then use them with the right Z button. Similar to many twin stick shooters. However, when in the thick of it, it doesn’t feel like a basic twin stick shooter. You rotate between your varying array of spells with the L and R buttons and they have many different uses. Some you throw by tapping RZ, then tap again to have it land in a specific spot, while others such as fireballs you tap RZ for each projectile, then for elemental beams you hold RZ while aiming.
   Aside from attack style, each spell also has an elemental class. Lightning, fire, ice, or dark magic, with correspond to enemies. Fighting an ice demon, be sure to use your fireballs, because it will be immune to your ice magic. Which when enemies spawn a mixture of elemental classes you fire yourself strategically plate spinning through your tool kit of spells. When everything flows perfectly you feel like you're conducting an orchestra of magic to clear the battlefield.
   As you progress you level up which provides skill points that you can spend to upgrade your skills. You find staffs which can either be used for melee damage using LZ or choose the staff with helpful perks according to your gameplay style. Along with hats which are purely visual candy, but with each parchment you find you have the choice to add one of three spells. They are added to your artillery for that current play through. Also they will be able available with newly unlocked characters in future play through as a beginning spell.
   
   The Switching Hour
   When Switching from handheld mode to docked mode playing with a pro controller, there is an issue. While the Switch console recognizes the controller change, Nine Parchments does not. To explain a little further, you can’t move your character, press pause or anything in game. But you can use the HOME button to exit, close the game, then restart with your new controller of choice. Which is the only work around for docking, as I normally play during my commute then play docked when I return home. This caused some issues as I’m still learning the progression and layout of the game and accidentally restarted my playthrough, which is a huge bummer because I was halfway through with my first cornelius run and was having a blast.
   
   They shall not pass!
   Nine Parchments was designed as a co-op and multiplayer focused game with the option for a single player game, but that is not the peak experience. However, given that a lot play in handheld mode, where you may not have access to the internet or friends willing to invest the proper amount of time into a grindy RPG. Most of my time was spent in single player mode and while the co-op and multiplayer mode is fun, it doesn’t pick me up on the level I left off when in single player mode. In fact you abandon your progress in single player playthroughs in order to play multiplayer, so if you want twenty minutes of fun multiplayer action, you have to give up on the 5 hours you've already put into your single player game. Which is quite disheartening, when you have to play through the beginning of the campaign again and again and again. I wish I could warp to worlds already cleared by a certain character in order to complete the campaign as each of them.
   
   Nine Parchments is an addictive action RPG, that when in the zone, feels amazing. However some very serious control connection issues, that hopefully will be patched out in near future and a confusing game progression; that constantly bumps you back to square just one for trying a different game mode. Leaves me feeling torn between what I hope the game could be and what it is now. While I will keep an ear to the ground awaiting future updates, the bread and butter of Nine Parchments is so solid. Bouncing from elemental spell to elemental spell, slaying ice, fire, and lightning creatures then leveling up, collecting new spells, and unlocking new characters. This Diablo like will keep my hooked for quite a while longer.
   
   Watch my video review on YouTube channel TheFlannelFox… Expand

   • 3 of 5 users found this helpful
7. DigitalCaffeine

   Dec 11, 2017

   7

   So close to being so damn good!
   
   Overall, I'm pretty happy with my purchase of this game. For $20, your'e getting a gorgeous magic-filledSo close to being so damn good!
   
   Overall, I'm pretty happy with my purchase of this game. For $20, your'e getting a gorgeous magic-filled dungeon crawler that you can take on the go. The combat can be punishing at first, but once you learn how to evade the enemies various attacks you can really start to fly through the levels with no trouble. I have spent time both playing alone and online with others, and online is definitely the way to go if you can.
   
   There are a couple points of frustration in Nine Parchments, and they're seriously ruining what would otherwise be an amazing experience. The communication while playing online limits you to a couple of odd phrases that fall short of conveying anything close to what you want to relay to your online teammates. Did your party almost wipe during a boss fight but a single player managed to survive long enough to revive the entire team? Too bad your only way of saying "thank you" on your chosen character is limited to "_____ is polite." Customization for quick communication would go a long way to helping coordinate or express strategies in and outside of battles.
   
   Secondly, and the single most frustrating part about this game, is the progression system of levels in the game. Say you've been adventuring alone and offline for a few hours, but then a friend (or little brother who lives far away in my case) texts to play with you. If you jump into a new run online with him, those hours you just put in by yourself are GONE. Your character's level and skill tree remains, but you have to start over from the academy again. I don't understand why there isn't an option to start from later levels if you've already completed them with that specific character. It honestly feels like you're being punished for switching modes like this. The only semi work-around I've found for this is to host an online match, wait for someone to join, then use that as my only point of progression. People can drop in and out, friends can join, but you can still continue to play alone. Just don't leave the house though, or you'll have to switch to offline mode and you'll lose your spot again.
   
   Honestly, I would easily give this game a 9 and recommend it to more of my friends if they fixed the above, but as it stands, I don't want them to be stuck with the same frustrations.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
8. helpMeHelpYou

   Jan 29, 2018

   1

   The graphics look very good, its a decent game to play, BUT:
   
   After several hours of single player mode I wanted to try out the onlineThe graphics look very good, its a decent game to play, BUT:
   
   After several hours of single player mode I wanted to try out the online player. Its NOT fun at all since your spells can damage your teammates and to be honest, most of the time there is too much going on on the screen so it gets confusing very quick. You have to watch out for enemies, select your spells, figure out where your own character is AND take care that you dont kill your buddies. The worst part: After starting online player once, your single player progess IS GONE. COMPLETELY GONE WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR EXPLANATION.
   
   You have to start a new single player campaign and start all over again. This is so frustrating and honestly I dont want to start over again because I tried out online player. This is BS!… Expand

   • 1 of 3 users found this helpful

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