The Witch and the Hundred Knight

1. wolfflow

   Mar 31, 2014

   10

   People saying it's Linear, Repetitive, childish, ugly, boring and easy are 100% wrong. Stop listening to people that barely play the gamesPeople saying it's Linear, Repetitive, childish, ugly, boring and easy are 100% wrong. Stop listening to people that barely play the games before reviewing and watch a walkthrough. This game is gorgeous, original, innovative and exactly what rpg gamers needed.… Expand

   • 8 of 11 users found this helpful
2. Demonik420

   Mar 25, 2014

   10

   Pay no mind to the bad reviews from critics who clearly have no appreciation for great Japanese titles. they are all just mind numbed by thePay no mind to the bad reviews from critics who clearly have no appreciation for great Japanese titles. they are all just mind numbed by the **** 4 hour long, western, one big giant quick time events that we call games over here.
   
   this game has a lavishly beautiful world and equally stunning and sumptuous character designs as is the norm for a NIS title. If you like the Disgaea series you will find everything to love in this game.
   
   Metallica (Metallia in the western release) is an awesome character and a great change of pace from your normal protagonist! plus shes super easy on the eyes if that's you kind of thing (almost as good as Etna/Flonne (disgaea). i found myself stopping to admire the character art so many times during the dialogue scenes in this game!
   
   The combat is hands down the best part of the game and will keep you entertained customizing your combos for the entire length of the game. Its always very fresh.
   
   The music is definitely the music of a NIS title.. and believe me NIS titles have some of THE ABSOLUTE BEST MUSIC IN VIDEO GAME HISTORY.
   
   The story is solid as well, and as a whole Witch and the Hundred Knight is a fantastic entry into the PS3 Catalog of finely crafted Japanese titles!
   
   If you are a fan of JRPGs, Action RPGs, or NIS games in general you need to pick up this title! If you don't Metallica will likely kill you with swamp gas, or her devilishly good looks. Both of which are a distinct possibility.… Expand

   • 9 of 16 users found this helpful
4. Arcandus

   Mar 25, 2014

   10

   It always happens that some of the very best titles on a platform are released toward the end of the console's life. They're called anchorIt always happens that some of the very best titles on a platform are released toward the end of the console's life. They're called anchor titles, named so because they make it seem unnecessary- for a time- to pick up a next gen console. The Witch and the Hundred Knight is one of those anchor releases.
   
   I got the game on the 21st (EU release) and played it day-in day-out until I finished it. I did the grinding for bonus objectives and items and fully explored every map, so this review is based on a complete experience.
   
   Despite its ostensible billing as a darkly twisted comedy, TWHK is actually quite earnestly dark for a JRPG. Metallica, the titular Witch, is a genuinely wicked individual for most of the game (or all of it, depending on your sensibilities), and as the Hundred Knight you'll witness her committing some straight-up deplorable acts. I was delighted that Metallica's evil wasn't the whimsical, inoffensive cartoonish sort, but your mileage may vary so consider yourself forewarned.
   
   The story is quite unconventional, especially by the standards of JRPGs. Metallica's goals- and by extension the goals of the Hundred Knight are very straightforward in the beginning, but just like the various combat and resource systems, the story acquires and incorporates additional layers as you progress. That it manages to do so without falling into Squeenix-patented contrivance and convolution and without messing up the pacing is worthy of some praise.
   
   Speaking of the combat and resource systems, they're introduced at the rate of about one or two per map after the tutorial until they're all in place. If you need to run the tutorial panels again then you can always do so from the main menu, but TWHK's systems interlock so neatly, and are so intuitive, that I very much doubt you'll have to.
   
   The most significant mechanic is Gcals, which is both a resource and combat mechanic. If I have one big criticism of the game, it's that the Gcal mechanic micromanages the player somewhat, and if you don't pick up on this through regular play, the consequences might worsen your experience.
   
   Gcals burn down from 100 to zero as you perform actions with the Hundred Knight. From map start, you have about ten minutes worth of Gcals which can be replenished at checkpoints in return for a temporary currency called GRADE. You earn GRADE by killing regular monsters.
   
   And that is what the micromanagement of you boils down to: TWHK punishes you for bee-lining from way-point to way-point in a race to the map bosses without building GRADE by almost guaranteeing that you'll run into those bosses with too few Gcals left to win. The penalty for death is minor, but it's still an inconvenience, so make sure you nip it in the bud by doing a little fighting all the way.
   
   Luckily, you'll probably want to fight!
   
   In order to do violence to Metallica's enemies, you'll build your own combos from weapons that deal either Slash, Blunt or Magic damage. The aim is for a mix that flows smoothly, suits you personally and mixes all three varieties. If this element has one flaw, it's that you can't save configurations and load them at will. That occasional irritation aside, it's a really great element that I had a lot of fun constantly tinkering with.
   
   The fighting itself is a simple, well trodden concept with solid execution. Dodge, defend and deploy a mixture of attacks and special skills to overcome your enemies. Overhead prompts coincide with enemy wind-ups, but they're neither intrusive nor patronising. Pulling various types of enemies together is incentivised by the soft Gcal time limit and the desire to earn GRADE, and is what ultimately will provide you with the most rewarding battles, as you dodge direct and indirect attacks from all sides while slaying foe after foe.
   
   Finally, on non-visual atmospheric elements like soundtrack and voice-work, I'll admit up-front that I'm not an audiophile, before saying: the music is fun and catchy- some tracks more than others- but for the most part I didn't notice it (although I might have noticed the absence of it, had I turned it off via its separate slider). The English voice-work is incomplete, not covering all the conversations that are voiced in Japanese. For me this was not a problem, as the Japanese voice-work is usually superior and I switched to it immediately after a quick test.
   
   Overall, a mighty anchor title for JRPG fans. If that's what you call yourself, then do yourself a huge favour. Buy this excellent game!
   
   Note: review is *intentionally* bereft of narrative details. Also light on mechanics details, as I only single features out if they are an impediment to the game or like Gcals, require specific addressing. Review is also bereft of commentary on the graphics, as anybody can review TWHK's appearance for themselves on Youtube.… Expand

   • 13 of 18 users found this helpful
5. He_Never_Helps

   Apr 30, 2017

   8

   Nobody can agree on anything about this game, but i'll try explaining it's appeal like this:
   
   If you're genuinely open-minded about otherNobody can agree on anything about this game, but i'll try explaining it's appeal like this:
   
   If you're genuinely open-minded about other cultures and not some coffee shop liberal, try playing the whole game before making snap judgements about someone else's sense of humor. The Witch is deeper than i expected, and i expected a JRPG, which are not notoriously shallow as a class of experiences.
   
   It get a little slow in places, gameplay wise, despite offering a lot to do in the meta game, but i enjoyed the characters and the plot so much i kept coming back (ahem, Drakengrad 3, ahem).
   
   For once in my life i believe it's probably pretty fair to judge this one by it's cover. If it looks good, and you want it to be, it probably will be, but if you go in expecting to be disappointed, you'll undoubtedly find stuff to complain about. It might win over a skeptical first-time gamer, but there are none of those here, just whiny/effusive otaku.
   
   Just like me. Holla. :D… Expand

   • 1 of 2 users found this helpful
6. bdbD

   Aug 18, 2022

   6

   the story is kind of interesting but the game wasn't that fun to play, hopefully next time is better

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
7. aspentitan

   Apr 6, 2021

   6

   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 quickI 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 captivating......And 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.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
8. JoeLiker

   Mar 27, 2014

   2

   No one but a Nippon Ichi fanchild could possibly enjoy this game. The gameplay is repetitive and linear, the characters are completely vapid,No one but a Nippon Ichi fanchild could possibly enjoy this game. The gameplay is repetitive and linear, the characters are completely vapid, and the story is childish beyond belief. The non-cutscene art is even bland and ugly. Seriously, save yourself some time and money and skip this garbage. Even if you like JRPGs, you should think long and hard before you dive into this mess.
   
   The music is decent, I'll give it that.… Expand

   • 4 of 20 users found this helpful

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