Bullet Hell for Brainiacs- Knights in the Nightmare Review

Photo of Robert Allen Robert AllenDecember 7, 2010
35 557 3 minutes read

Between one co-host’s praise for Sting’s Hexyz Force and another colleague’s incessant enthusiasm for the developer’s DS iteration of Knights in the Nightmare, I should probably be well-acquainted with the Japanese studio’s output.  Yet beyond a pair of new-millennium wanderings through the Dreamcast Evolution titles, Sting’s titles have evaded my role-playing loving radar. The recent port of Knights in the Nightmare to Sony’s portable platform has irrevocably remedied that oversight. Despite a thorny introductory period, the title has slowly seeped into my psyche- coercing play periods whenever a break period emerges, and occasionally being insistent enough to interrupt my regular work schedule. While Knights doesn’t offer the type of immediate gratification characteristic of many portable games, the game’s slow smolder gradually develops into a fiery blaze which could very well ignite the passions of patient players. 


Players tired of conventional JRPG storytelling should find Knights’ poignant plotline refreshing. A devastating tragedy ravishes the kingdom of Aventheim, killing its population and ruler. Players control the Wisp- a retribution-minded manifestation of the King’s soul in an effort to mend some of the damage done to the realm. By soliciting the assistance of fallen knights, players are not only able to restore dignity to the kingdom, they’ll also be given pieces of the game’s fragmented backstory. By blending flashbacks with the present, the full story behind Aventheim’s catastrophe is slowly delivered. Yet, despite the measured pace, Knight’s narrative is elevated by well-written dialog of the game’s cast of two hundred characters- many of which can be recruited. To supplement the PSP translation, players are given access to a third protagonist in the game- Princess Yggdra, which seamlessly complements Atlus’ inclusion of Yggdra Union with launch copies of Nightmare.


Preceding each skirmish, players place their combatants outfitted with highly customizable load-outs across an isometric map. Once each actual clash starts, time becomes the player’s most merciless foe, as gamers are given a 60 second time limit to dispatch either a trio of enemies or a sporadic boss. During this duration, seconds are ticked off every time one of the game’s shmup-like antagonists makes contact with the Wisp. To fight enemies, players must charge normal attacks in an effort to gather enough magic points to release a devastating Chaos or Law attack. The scope of these strikes are influenced by character class, elemental alignment, weapon, and position, embedding a healthy amount of strategy into Knights’ bullet-hell inspired frenzies.

While the depth of weapon and character customization will fascinate stat geeks, others may become bewildered with say, choosing the proper offensive armament for a low-level dualist. With an arsenal of over a hundred of weapons often at the gamer’s disposal, finding one which matches the characters experience and class can be daunting. While the database of arms can be sorted, Knights only explicitly indicates which loadouts are ineffective once they’ve been equipped.


Graphically, the title’s well-drawn characters and environments manage to convey a sense of despair without resorting to a consistently shadowy palette.  Skillfully, the game’s magic attacks are rendered with enough extravagance to offset the visual fatigue of seeing a spell cast for the umpteenth time.  Aurally, the game’s ethereal synth washes and orchestral rhythms complement the game’s tone idyllically. The sole sonic downside is the game’s vocalized battle cries which tend to repeat frequently.

Whereas the DS version of Knights required players to direct the Wisp with the stylus, the PSP translation maps control to the analog nub. While some may bemoan the change, as it adds a layer of complication to outfitting your allies, the hardware change comes with a few key advantages. With the stylus no longer becoming a visual obstacle and a larger screen, I found myself favoring the PSP iteration of Knights.


For tactics-minded gamers burned out on the persistent procession of square and hex-based conflict, Knights in the Nightmare’s stylish incorporation of frantic fracases feels wholly original. By offering players a near- unfathomable amount of depth and customization, the title masterfully reveals its atypical nuances over time. Although Knights may speak to a relatively niche audience, it does so with a eloquence and profundity rivaled by few portable games.

Photo of Robert Allen Robert AllenDecember 7, 2010
35 557 3 minutes read
Photo of Robert Allen

Robert Allen

Since being a toddler, Robert Allen has been immersed in video games, anime, and tokusatsu. Currently, his days are spent teaching at two southern California colleges. But his evenings and weekends are filled with STGs, RPGs, and action titles and well at writing for Tech-Gaming since 2007.

35 Comments

  1. I heard this was like Chinese algebra. My friend did the tutorial twice and still struggled with it.

  3. I bought it (mainly to get in on the Yggdra Union deal) played it once and need to get back to it.

  5. The fact that people say the PSP is dying (and good games like this keep coming out) don’t make sense to me.

  6. There’s has been a Dept. Heaven game that wasn’t rewarding. Knight in the Nightmare may be the peak of the series as far as I’m concerned. I’ve put at least 30 hours in and am working on my second play through right now.

  8. Atlus can have my babies for bring this game stateside. I’m loving the PSP version.

  12. I own the DS version which is plenty fun. But if it ever goes on sale AND i buy a PSP, I’ll grab it.

  13. 16 stages in the game lives up to it’s name and turns into a nightmare. Some of the bosses are tough.

  22. how come the tea pot looks all pixelated? Does that happen with any other parts of the game? It seems weird next to the hand drawn stuff.

  23. Anyone know of any kind of video tutorial beyond the walk through in the game that will help me?

  26. Adam’s been busy pushing Pale Crescent Mist and Qlione for the Rockin’ Android so we’re lucky to have his insights on the occasional podcast these days.

  27. You really don’t have to grind, if fact the more you use your allies the more they will age and eventually die. There’s skippable cutscenes- but you would miss the solid story.

    The game’s VO is in English. Hachimaki thought the game’s dark tone wouldn’t be expressed as well in Japanese.

  29. Desert, have you met your evil twin:

    Put plainly, Knights In The Nightmare stands for everything I hate about video games culture. It is unsocial. It is insular. It is unwelcoming. A port of the DS original, this strategy-shooter role-playing game from Atlus and Sting Entertainment tries to blend the projectile evasion of a shmup such as DoDonPachi, with the tactical play of an isometric strategy title from Japan such as Front Mission. While it largely succeeds at this impressive blending experiment, everything around these core mechanics is so brutally abrasive, so exclusionary, that what could have been a remarkable alternative to Disgaea or Valkyria Chronicles is lost amongst a sea of depressing Otaku bullshit and highly abrasive assumptions of the people playing the game.

    http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/review-knights-in-the-nightmare/

    4/10

  31. Some people just don’t get it.

    Saying “video game culture” is unsocial and unwelcoming from one game is like looking at GTA and thing all games are about violence.

    Kind of a stupid rant if you ask me.

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