Knights in the Nightmare

Knights is something completely unique and as such has a learning curve. But, once the game is understood, it only gets better and better.

Knights in the Nightmare is a miraculous achievement in game design, and one hell of an RPG experience.

Aside from the fact that the game has a fairly steep learning curve early on, there isn't a lot to complain about when it comes to Knights in the Nightmare.

You’ll know the first time you play it whether this game is for you – you’ll either be immediately dissuaded by its complexity and depth, or you’ll fall in love with them. It might be the very definition of “niche title”, but for those who get it, Knights in the Nightmare provides a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

An awesome addition to the DS library.

Knights in the Nightmare isn’t a game that everybody will love simply because it’s one of the most complex games ever to be released. There is no game to really compare it to, except for maybe Ikaruga, and that’s not even an RPG.

In the end, no other DS title plays like Knights in the Nightmare. It's one of those games that gives you as much as you put into it.

Knights in the Nightmare can’t be judged by numbers. It breaks the barriers between two different genres, melting elements and creating something really different. Sometimes it loses himself in the hugeness of the magnificent gameplay, but it’s a little sin, and the supporting elements, from the plot to the fantastic artistic direction, confirm the quality of the production. Hail to Sting, for the courage needed to innovate, and to Atlus, for taking the responsibility to believe in their vision.

If you have a DS and are sick of the same old RPG clones that have been coming out this past year then Knights may be just what you are looking for, especially if you don’t mind trying new things.

If you're a series fan, there's no question that you need to play this game. For newcomers, I only offer this one warning: be ready for a challenge.

As unlikely as it seems, it's a great combination of cerebral strategy and pure twitch challenge. [July 2009, p.86]

Those of you willing to take the challenge will find a beautiful, genre-bending game with near-endless amounts of strategy, customisation and content. Truly, Knights In The Nightmare is a game worthy of the title "hardcore".

Knights in the Nightmare combines deep tactical role playing with frantic old-school bullet dodging to tremendous effect.

Knights in the Nightmare is not an easy game to get into, and its complicated mechanics might be too overwhelming for those looking for simpler fun. Regardless, few games can reward your efforts as well as this one can. Pick it up if you want something different. Long live the king.

Knights in the Nightmare, while complicated, is an excellent game worthy of players' time and effort.

Knights in the Nightmare struggles under the weight of its own complexity but the bizarre melding of divergent gaming subgenres make it a title I'd recommend to anyone bored with gaming's status quo.

The most complex RPG we've ever played. Takes a lot of time to get to grips with, let alone master, but it's worth the effort. [Sept 2009, p.71]

An intriguing excursion into uncharted territory. [June 2009, p.93]

Knights in the Nightmare isn't a bad game; the combat system is addictive as hell, and though the various elements of the game that might seem like an odd mix, together they make a lot of sense. It just tries to do too much, so instead of a historic must-play that changes the genre forever, we get a quirky, worthwhile oddity.

Casual players and even tactical RPG fans may have a hard time getting used to Knights in the Nightmare, and I can guarantee that the effort to learn the battle system will be worth it in the long run. [July 2009, p.86]

Part tactical role-player, part bullet hell shooter - this is hard to get into but worth it if you do.

For its fights alone Knights In The Knightmare is a worthy effort, another semi-successful attempt to find the sweet spot for stylus-driven roleplay. [July 2009, p.101]

The story never draws you in, battles take forever, diminishing the game’s allure as a portable experience, and the fact that you play as a ball of light introduces a layer of separation from the game’s characters that ensures your disinterest in their fates.