Nights of Azure is an action JRPG for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and PC (although only the PS4 and PC versions were released in English). It is a hack n slash hybrid which is an interesting mix. You control Arnice, a half-human half-demon wielding a wicked blade. The controls are your typical hack n slash mapping, with square for light attack, triangle for heavy attack, X for special attack and circle for dodge rolling. You do multiple hits in order to chain combos but the game ends up being okay to button mash. Unfortunately, as Arnice's hits lacks weight to them, it does not feel satisfying. You don't even feel like your attacks connect and that is the game's biggest flaw. It's also because you attacks do not stagger the enemy, they'll just keep attacking through it while their attacks can stun Arnice.
The twist with the combat is that Arnice can summon up to four Servans at once. Servans are basically fiends that Arnice has befriended and they are controlled by the AI. However, you are able to dictate when to summon them and when they use their special attack. Eventually, you gain the ability to carry up to four Servans Decks that you can swap on the fly, leading to some interesting versatility.
Arnice and each of your Servans have their own levels and stats. This is one of the most addictive aspect of gameplay since it is a loop of going back to the hotel, boosting your stats and taking on quests, heading out to kill the fiends and then repeat. It is rewarding especially since the game is designed such that each run doesn't take too long. That being said, the level caps are low and so the progress through the levels slows down after the first five or so. The other sad thing is that there are only a limited number of unique Servans to recruit, you'd wish and hope for more.
Servans takes on different roles with some focused on attacking, others a support type and of course, there's the tanking type. Having the ideal mix for your play style is important. Arnice can wield several different weapons that you can change during combat as well as being able to transform into a demon form. The demon form is useful in that it significantly increases her offensive power but the multiple weapons feels tacked on and doesn't provide enough uniqueness or distinct advantages.
Each area is separated into smaller maps with short loading screens in between. Enemies will spawn when you get to a certain area and you can skip most of them if you only need to get to your destination. The game is pretty easy overall, especially if you take the time to do quests and level up. Bosses have interesting designs but limited gimmicks; you approach each one similarly to each other. An interesting thing is that there is a time limit in each area before you have to return to the hotel (which acts as your base). Initially, it is 15 minutes but this can be extended to 20 minutes after some upgrades. The time limit never really becomes an issue as the areas are fairly small unless you wanted to traverse several maps at once, but then there are plenty of fast travel points.
While the story had potential it ultimately doesn't deliver many thrills. It feels flat as a result. The world is currently in a cycle where the Nightlord is threatening to cast an eternal night. During these nights (which forms the basis of the game's title), fiends appear who was the result of Saints who had appeared in the past to delay the Nightlord. As his blue blood falls upon the land, anyone who touches it turns into those demons.
The game starts off with Arnice arriving at Rusewall Island, an agent of the curia, tasked to protect the new saint, Lilysse. Coincidentally, the pair already knows each other and are close friends. The rest of the story follows their journey to find a way to seal the Nightlord forever. There are some weird characters who are here for humor but it's hit or miss. One of the most surprising aspects of Nights of Azure is the music. The piano pieces are fantastic, eliciting a melancholy atmosphere and enhancing the scenes that they are played in.
Character models look nice and they're cel-shaded but their animations feel stiff. Environments on the other hand can be bland and generic at times, probably since the game had to be developed with the weaker systems in mind. The two lead female characters are definitely designed with fan-service in mind but the game on the whole isn't too bad with it. The voiceovers are only in Japanese. The game has an annoying final boss with the trait of healing itself periodically and it becomes a battle of attrition. To make things easier, you might just go ahead and grind up a few levels but it is weird since everything else before it was easy.
Surprisingly for a JRPG, it is a short game. It takes around 15 hours to finish it the first time and get an ending, then another hour or two for the true ending. There is no New Game Plus, after you save the cleared file, it puts you right back before the final dungeon. Two new superbosses appear and if you want to see the true ending, you will have to play through the final dungeon again including the boss rush.
Apart from the main story, there aren't too many other things to keep your interest. The quests are boring fetch and kill quests. There is an arena where you go through 50 challenges, each with a winning condition / restriction. Overall, Nights of Azure is a fun game. While the hack n slash element can be underwhelming initially, it ends up being an addictive mix of progression and leveling. The story had potential but the way it is told was a bit bland, although it doesn't ever get close to outstaying its welcome.
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