Natural Doctrine

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 86 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 86
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 86
  3. Negative: 34 out of 86
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  1. Jajooka
    Sep 25, 2020
    2
    When I read here the negativ comment "needlesly complex battle system" I considered it a recommendation rather then a complaint. But the game is just bad. Its note the worse, it isn't completely unenjoyable but it is bad.
    Main problems:
    - there is a REALLY low variety of skills in the whole game. (There are a few power strikes and aoe-s both for meele and ranged, and basically tahts it.    When I read here the negativ comment "needlesly complex battle system" I considered it a recommendation rather then a complaint. But the game is just bad. Its note the worse, it isn't completely unenjoyable but it is bad.
    Main problems:
    - there is a REALLY low variety of skills in the whole game. (There are a few power strikes and aoe-s both for meele and ranged, and basically tahts it. And the enemy have mostly the same skillset. Be it a goblin, or that snake-eyed race, or other humans, basically all battles are the same. Its boring.)
    - half of your characters are a but tankier, and the other half are REALLY low on hp. The game ends when any of the party members die. It cause a lot of frustration, because there are SEVERAL occations, when at the moment you finish one battle, there are some random doors opening, there comes 3 gunners, and just kills one of your f'kin supports right away. Its not like bad strategy or anything. You couldn't expect that, they just come and kill.
    - the battle is frustratingly slow. You cant skil enemy turns (you can hasten them a bit but that is not enough), you have to watch all of them move and cast there spells. Boring.
    - the worst joke of this game is that you cannot move freely after the end of a battle, but you have use the same turn based system to get your characters back at the "extraction" spot. And no it isn't like at XCOM, that is fine. But MUCH slower and painful. Also it takes the system considerable time only to switch turn between you characters. Most of the time it takes SEVERAL minutes to get your characters at the end area.
    - and the BATTLE SYSTEM: I don't have a problem with the linking system. I would say it is pretty unrealistic, but I can see it as I do a board game. These are the rules and you are trying to do your best within those rules (if those rules work great as a system). But the link-attacking system is just terrible. In a nutshell it kind of means that when there is one of the characters turn you can most of the time move and attack with all you other characters as well. As do the opponent. This makes the whole turning system really chatic and unpredictable in a way that you cannot really strategise against it too often. The enemy have 3 times your number most of the time, and if 1 of there gunners catch one of your freakin supports even once, you are probably done. (if not, then there is some random door opening at the and of the battle and snipe your support down for you)    … Expand
  2. Chowda
    May 16, 2016
    4
    Even with the bad reviews I wanted to give this game a try. I played around 20 hours, died many times, and found the game challenging and enjoyable until I hit a certain point. The combat system is broken. This game feels like someone tried to create and innovative battle system but did not play test it.

    Taking into consideration that if the enemy gets a turn they will easily kill a    Even with the bad reviews I wanted to give this game a try. I played around 20 hours, died many times, and found the game challenging and enjoyable until I hit a certain point. The combat system is broken. This game feels like someone tried to create and innovative battle system but did not play test it.

    Taking into consideration that if the enemy gets a turn they will easily kill a team member and you will have to restart......and each battle area takes around 15-20 minutes to clear.

    The death of certain enemies trigger other enemy movements. Which is fine but with the cover and counter attack system I have no way of controlling who dies or commanding my team not to attack certain enemies.

    Certain dungeons aren't meant to be cleared the first time you enter it. You have to clear a certain area and then come back later when you are stronger. However there is no way of knowing how many gorians will attack you from out of nowhere if you open a certain chest. It is assumed that you will get attacked and you might be able to run away but you have to die the first time to find out. So essentially in every dungeon you have to waste at least 45 minutes to figure out if you can survive.

    But the biggest reason why I quit playing the game was because at certain points during battles I wasn't allowed to kill certain key enemies. However, again with the cover and counter-attack system, the enemy that I was not allowed to kill would attack and I would counter and kill them causing a game over.

    So essentially there is not enough control of each aspect of battle in respect to the difficulty and management you need for this game to be challenging and fun.    … Expand
  3. GrumpyReviewer
    Jul 18, 2015
    1
    Wow... it's been a while since I came across a game like this. It's hard for me to even start. Ugly, boring, uninspired, artificial high difficulty to "look like a hardcore game" when it really is a piece of crap that looks like a bad PS1 game that has been remastered for the new generation.

    It's not that I don't get the game; I do, really. I love strategy, rts, turn based games. Been    Wow... it's been a while since I came across a game like this. It's hard for me to even start. Ugly, boring, uninspired, artificial high difficulty to "look like a hardcore game" when it really is a piece of crap that looks like a bad PS1 game that has been remastered for the new generation.

    It's not that I don't get the game; I do, really. I love strategy, rts, turn based games. Been playing those for years - Ogre Battle, FF Tactics, Disgaea, X-COM. This game tries to emulate the same experience but the result is a dull game that got me scratching my head trying to understand HOW a game like this was released.

    I give you one thing; I like the cover art and the anime drawings and that is all. Natural Doctrine is one of the worst games I played recently.    … Expand
  4. SaintJames012
    Dec 26, 2014
    1
    This game is horrible. One of the worst games I have ever played, and I've played some really bad ones. This game is unfairly difficult, and any attempts to make it fun fall flat on it's face.

    The best part of the game is the strategic numbers game that is added. Being close to allies, flanking enemies, using your environment to your advantage,etc. boosts the stats of all attacking    This game is horrible. One of the worst games I have ever played, and I've played some really bad ones. This game is unfairly difficult, and any attempts to make it fun fall flat on it's face.

    The best part of the game is the strategic numbers game that is added. Being close to allies, flanking enemies, using your environment to your advantage,etc. boosts the stats of all attacking characters, and have very discreet cause-effect results that are easy to understand. Flanking an opponent and successfully hitting them causes them to lose their initiative, allowing any nearby allies to go before the enemy. Successfully sniping an enemy in cover causes them to run away in a frenzy, abandoning their cover and catching them out in the open. This was a gem in this entire crap when it worked, but other than that there was very little to praise about this title.

    The Worst parts are going to take awhile to I've broken them up for you to easily digest:

    Characters: The characters in the game are extreme one dimensional and boring. While you may try to get attached to them in the beginning, it begins to wear on you, as the out of nowhere moments in gameplay are a lot more interesting than anything these characters can cause you to feel. They are bland and the only way they even come across as likable is how useful they are to you when it's time to explore a dungeon.

    Graphics: The game is ugly. Cut scenes look like the characters are nothing more than D&D pieces who can talk, and everything lacks color or liveliness. models are likewise ugly in gameplay, as every single model is generic. Also the maps you play on look like board game sets.

    Voice acting: stale.

    Gameplay: This is the WORST aspect of the game. The game is unfair in every sense of the word. One aspect of this game others fail to mention is that not a single character can die, or else it's a game over. This would be a welcoming challenge if the game did not know this. You see, the game knows if a single character dies, you lose, so all of the enemies will gang up and attack one person, causing him to die. More often that not it is the weakest character you have, and the enemies will even go out of their way to get in range to hit him, even if he/she is in the back of your ranks. Also adding on to this complete BS mechanic is the fact that is some dungeons, you are outnumbered like 10-to-1, and every single one of those guys will attack a single person.

    The game is the worst I have ever played.    … Expand
  5. Tanis70
    Dec 3, 2014
    4
    A huge disappointment. It's not the really challenging difficulty level (where "challenging" means "your worst nightmare becomes true and will require you endless attempts, failure and repeats), the standard boring story, the flat and stereotyped characters. I can leave with all of that.
    The real problem with the game is an unnecessary complex battle system, absurd controls and whimsical    A huge disappointment. It's not the really challenging difficulty level (where "challenging" means "your worst nightmare becomes true and will require you endless attempts, failure and repeats), the standard boring story, the flat and stereotyped characters. I can leave with all of that.
    The real problem with the game is an unnecessary complex battle system, absurd controls and whimsical camera prospectives.
    I had to give up after 4-5 hours of oathing and cursing and I felt robbed of my money.    … Expand
  6. Searth
    Nov 22, 2016
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Natural Doctrine, where to begin with this one...

    I originally saw images of the game a few years ago but only recently picked it up on the PSN store on discount for PS4.

    If you're interested in the story and end fight of this game, please be aware this review includes spoilers.

    At first the game seemed intriguing, planning out your moves before initiating any action, keeping track of which characters move next and being mindful of any other characters within range. The game-play itself isn't terrible, but what is bad is the lack of game-play that's available.

    After each fight you're greeted with the map screen from which you select your next destination. You choose from either the next story driven destination or a handful of caves you can "explore" to level up a little, gain equipment and pluton (a scarce resource used for casting magic, without this it makes your mage units useless)

    My biggest problems with the game however were 1: the characters and 2: the final boss.

    First off let's talk about the characters. Right at the start of the game you have 4 random characters thrust on you: Geoff, Anka, Zeke and Vessily. Although the characters do chat before missions and on the map screen after completing missions, you don't really know anything about any of them or their backstory, this is later emphasized when (spoiler) Vessily dies and her sister goes after Zeke, Zeke having prior connections to the sisters and Geoff having some sort of "connection" with a dragon clan later mentioned towards the end of the game, but nothing comes of said information. To top it all off regarding lack of character growth or detail, you have 2 random characters join you at the very end of the game, Ingbert who's been chasing you the whole game, and Gremori the dragon clan lady who just decides to "go with you" coz why not right?

    Next up, the final boss. The last encounter in the game throws some huge enemies at you and that's understandable, what's not acceptable however is the whole fight itself. There is NO other fight in the game anywhere NEAR similar to this fight in the sense that this is the ONLY fight in the game where the main enemy and a few other big enemies in the room regenerate HP after being killed! The main enemy being the Queen Gorian has 3 full HP phases and changes forms. If similar smaller encounters like this were in the game earlier to prepare you then that'd be fine, but no. It's almost like playing a completely different game.

    I also want to talk a bit about how the game feels like it's seriously lacking in certain features. Alongside barely any story or character development, there's equipment. What's wrong with equipment you ask? well in chests found in dungeons you can repeat, you can collect an abundance of different strength rings. Along the main quest missions you can also find some +1, +2 and +3 versions of weapons. The + and the abundance of rings is where the problem lies. After collecting so many rings, they just sit collecting dust in your inventory, as do the old weapons you no longer need. If there are + weapons and a huge stack of un-used gear in your inventory, why is there no crafting system to add + stats to weapons and use up your old equipment for something?

    All in all the game feels like it was hastily put together and many ideas, encounters and areas that should have been in the game were removed for whatever reason.

    My final thoughts? I wouldn't recommend buying it. If you see it on discount and you have money to burn or get it as a gift then sure, go for it. But don't say I didn't warn you. Oh and one last thing: When the game warns you that there's no turning back (so near the last fight) go farm tons of Pluton (about 30g will do) as it's pretty much the only way to win the final fight.    … Expand
  7. ThemApples
    Jan 6, 2015
    3
    This game is basically a chess set with a facade of video game laid on top of it. There's not much storyline, the visuals are mediocre, the characters are boring, and the gameplay is pretty confusing. The battle system is convoluted, and the game does a terrible job of explaining how it all works. Once you do get everything figured out, prepare to get your butt kicked over and over againThis game is basically a chess set with a facade of video game laid on top of it. There's not much storyline, the visuals are mediocre, the characters are boring, and the gameplay is pretty confusing. The battle system is convoluted, and the game does a terrible job of explaining how it all works. Once you do get everything figured out, prepare to get your butt kicked over and over again until you memorize the movement patterns of the enemy and can actually complete the dungeon.… Expand
  8. bugbear1
    Oct 3, 2014
    2
    Freakin' unbelievable! Following Valkyria Chronicles, gamers MIGHT have hoped for a next-gen full-3D strategy RPG to grace their new PS4 but NATURAL DOCTRINE is not that game nor will it likely ever be even with a massive 7+ gig patch that could rewrite the game's full install on the drive. From Valkyria Chronicles, Stella Deus, Fire Emblem and the full line of Disgaea games, thisFreakin' unbelievable! Following Valkyria Chronicles, gamers MIGHT have hoped for a next-gen full-3D strategy RPG to grace their new PS4 but NATURAL DOCTRINE is not that game nor will it likely ever be even with a massive 7+ gig patch that could rewrite the game's full install on the drive. From Valkyria Chronicles, Stella Deus, Fire Emblem and the full line of Disgaea games, this writer has stumbled through them all at great length and enjoyed each title for their individual focus and unique trappings and lore.

    BUT, NATURAL DOCTRINE, referencing theories of "natural selection" seems to render its own version of strategy gaming extinct even before the game reaches the end of its convoluted tutorials. A wonky camera and poor direction and stilted presentation are the GOOD points in this game.

    Monster-closets, vicious enemy AI that provides no respite from continual onslaught via unfair advantage will not contribute to your gaming fun. Issues of balance and fairness aside, many reviewers have cited the game's seeming linearity of "choice" when planning strategies and approaches to the game's myriad conflicts.

    One major issue of idiocy repeatedly occurred when the party would randomly advance into the fray without INPUT from the player; that is, after one sequence of linked-actions, nearly all members of the party would alter position on the field and, often, march into a hail of damage from many linked opponents and soon die.

    Imagine, as a player, meticulously setting up your pieces, staking out your territory, protecting your flank and channeling party-damage in the direction of the biggest baddie on the map only to watch in stark WTF amazement as the party rearranged their formation BY THEMSELVES when the end turn button was pressed.

    Some reviewers have alluded to the "deep combat system" of NATURAL DOCTRINE. Frankly, that's probably a smokescreen for simply not understanding its complexities. Understand that it is unbalanced, likely broken, deep like a cistern full of sewage and buyer's remorse.    … Expand
  9. 670Gamer
    Oct 18, 2014
    3
    This game must have been made by someone who slept throughout or never kept up with graphic/design changes since the PS1. Took out the cd after playing for 15 minutes. Thank God it was a rental.

Awards & Rankings

74
#74 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2014
50
#50 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
53

Mixed or average reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 31
  3. Negative: 10 out of 31
  1. Games Master UK
    Dec 21, 2014
    67
    It's complex and challenging in some really novel ways. [Christmas 2014, p.78]
  2. Eurogamer Italy
    Dec 5, 2014
    40
    Natural Doctrine is a brutal and ugly strategic game that will test your patience. The visuals are poor, the story insignificant and the combat mechanics are original and complex, but not rewarding at all.
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  3. The Digital Fix
    Dec 2, 2014
    70
    There’s a thin line between rock-hard gameplay and a broken game and while Natural Doctrine runs up to that line repeatedly it manages to never actually cross it. What it does manage, however, is to be a great example of the genre while also doing very little to bring it into the twenty-first century.
    Read full review
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