Nine Parchments

 Switch
Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. GameSpace
    Dec 8, 2017
    85
    Nine Parchments is a solid twin-stick, isometric, Action RPG with some great multiplayer fun. As a single player title, it does begin to feel a bit repetitive but this is offset by the exceptionally fun multiplayer. If you own a Switch or PC, or other console and are looking for something to scratch that twin-stick shooter itch but with a magical twist, Nine Parchments is definitely worth checking out.
  2. IGN Spain
    Dec 11, 2017
    73
    Short but fun dungeon crawler made to be enjoyed by multiple friends but also works as a single player game.
  3. COGconnected
    Dec 13, 2017
    71
    Having that single player path dangled in front of me, only for it to be an awful slog, is terribly disappointing.
  5. God is a Geek
    Feb 9, 2018
    70
    Given that the PS4 version is 1080p 60fps, I wasn’t really shocked to see this half the frame rate but what impressed me a lot is how well it runs and how good it looks on the Switch. There’s a demo you can check out for an idea of the performance but with the latest patch allowing for no save overwriting, Nine Parchments on Switch is an easy recommendation for a co-op game.
  6. FNintendo
    Jan 30, 2018
    70
    Nine Parchments features fun and challenging combats, as well as plenty of options and an exquisite visual environment. Where it performs less well is on its level design, which feels rather bland, and on its plot and narrative, making this component a disappointment but one which still feels good to play and which can bring some hours of fun.
  7. Switch Player
    Dec 11, 2017
    70
    Nine Parchments is a charming little dungeon-crawler that boasts some truly stunning visuals and intuitive gameplay, but suffers from a distinct lack of depth. Nevertheless, if you can get a group of pals together, you'll be in for a spellbinding time.
  8. Nintendo Life
    Dec 11, 2017
    70
    Nine Parchments is a game with an awful lot of potential; the combat is fun, the multiplayer co-op works a treat, and the gorgeous art creates a visually impressive world to explore. Repetition in the format and layout of levels - and the incredibly strange decision to delete your save data when wanting to switching between single player and co-op games - are unfortunate shortcomings, however. If you love your co-op adventure-type games, and especially if you like the sound of the light RPG elements, you may well get a good time from this game – just keep our warnings in mind.
  9. XGN
    Feb 1, 2018
    65
    Nine Parchments is beautiful and elaborate. It's also incredibly frustrating and unbalanced.
  10. Critical Hit
    Dec 8, 2017
    65
    There’s fun to be had here, if you’re able to play it with others. Alone, Nine Parchments is a dull slog. Play with others, and it becomes an electrifying slice of pandemonium.
  11. NintendoWorldReport
    Dec 7, 2017
    65
    Nine Parchments has its problems, but for the most part, it is still an entertaining dungeon crawler. If you plan on playing solo, your playtime might be a little more frustrating, but if you have some local friends, a multiplayer romp through this game is sure to be a good time. Online, as of this writing, is a wild card. If it works well, Nine Parchments has the potential to be one of the better online experiences on the Switch. If it's rough? Well, a lot of the appeal for Nine Parchments will wash away. We will update with a final review after more playtime before we reach a verdict.
  12. Worth Playing
    Dec 15, 2017
    63
    Nine Parchments isn't necessarily a bad game. It's a very basic experience that lacks many different qualities, and from what I've witnessed, the title has to work out some major technical issues. However, many people will find a very enjoyable experience here, with a lot of unlockable characters and stuff to find. If you're into co-op experiences, you can't go wrong with Nine Parchments on Nintendo Switch. If you rely on online play, you may want to hold off until a patch is released to fix the connection and save file issues.
  13. Destructoid
    Oct 19, 2018
    60
    With a stronger connection to the world and a more rewarding progression system, Nine Parchments could have been more than a fleeting arcade fancy. If you can find it on sale (which it has hosted many times since launch) and can wrangle up three other people, it's a decent party game that will fill a single afternoon.
  14. DualShockers
    Dec 19, 2017
    60
    Nine Parchments, though wielding action RPG elements, works best as a party game. There are chaos and comedy to be had when you have three other friends sharing the screen, combining spells, chucking heals, and being sure not to stand in the fire. All of these mechanics combined with a lighthearted story lend themselves to a laugh-filled-couch-co-op game that should not be played alone.
  15. Cubed3
    Jan 25, 2018
    50
    Nine Parchments can be enjoyable in small doses with others. Playing alone can feel depressing as the grind of pressing on feels strongly palpable. There really isn't anything wrong with the mechanics since it controls nicely and feedback is satisfying. The art direction is top-notch and fantasy atmosphere has a much more colourful Magic the Gathering vibe going on. It is the sheer unimaginative level design and pedestrian scenarios that will bore most people. There is very little variation from the first stages to the end game stages and there is desperately a need for something to mix up the action.
This publication does not provide a score for their reviews.
This publication has not posted a final review score yet.
These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation.

In Progress & Unscored

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  1. Kotaku
    Dec 7, 2017
    If you’re planning to venture into the magical world of Nine Parchments, heed my words: It’s tedious to go it alone. Take friends. Maybe wear some fireproof gloves.

Awards & Rankings

58
#58 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2017
16
#16 Most Shared Switch Game of 2017

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 55 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 55
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 55
  3. Negative: 10 out of 55
  1. 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 this    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 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. :)    … Full Review »
  2. 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 online    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 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!    … Full Review »
  3. 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. Sending    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. 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    … Full Review »
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