Review – The Witch and The Hundred Knight 2

In a world that lives in fears of witches, there are two sisters that must face obstacles during this fearful era. The dreaded Witch’s Disease is looming the land. This disease comes between two sisters. The Witch and The Hundred Knight 2, you are the legendary Hundred Knight and you will be in the middle of these sisters and torn as to how these struggles should be resolved. Let’s take a journey in the world of Kevala in our review of The Witch and The Hundred Knight 2.

The Witch and The Hundred Knight 2

Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher:

• JP: Nippon Ichi Software
• AS: Sega
• WW: NIS America

Director: Kenta Asano
Producer: Souhei Niikawa
Composer: Tenpei Sato
Platform: PlayStation 4
Release Dates:

• JP: February 23, 2017
• AS: May 25, 2017
• NA: March 27, 2018
• EU: March 30, 2018

Genre: Action role-playing game
Mode: Single-player

*Thank you NIS America for providing the review key*

Intro/Story:

From the Wikipedia page:

The world of Kevala is corrupted by the Witch’s Disease, an illness developed in children under age 10. Its cause is unknown. A third eye appears on the forehead of those infected with the Witch’s Disease, and when the eye opens they awaken as a witch. A girl named Amalie lives in a remote village after she lost her parents to a witch. Her younger sister Milm is the only family she has left. One day, Milm suddenly disappears and Amalie eagerly searches for her. When she is about to give up, Milm shows up again, covered in mud and with the witch’s eye on her forehead.

The story itself shows the love between sisters. As Amalie comes to terms as to what happened to Milm, she understands her task and does whatever it takes to achieve it. Milm has her own goals and ambitions as she undergoes a major character development near the start of the game. You take the role of The Hundred Knight. You are tasked to protect both sisters as they do everything they both attempt to reach their individual goals.

The story development itself is interesting. However, it is predictable from the start and as you progress, some twists and turns occur. You will find yourself wondering how did the story get to this point. However, the journey is a worthwhile journey to see how everything develops between the main characters and the other characters as they are introduced in the story with their own goals as well.

Gameplay:

The gameplay itself is a major improvement from the first game. The first game has difficulties in terms of handling the controls in battle, backtracking quite a bit, major camera issues, and tedious tasks that wear down the player. However, in The Witch and Hundred Knight 2, it is a major improvement in each area. There is little to no backtracking, the combat has simplified, and the camera issue was addressed. Hats off to Nippon Ichi Software for these improvements.

As in the first game, you have a unique combat system that requires a bit of strategy to actually set up. You have different facet (builds), different weapon chains, and different skills to learn. If you aren’t properly prepared before major battles, you can find yourself having to respawn at checkpoints quite often. The respawn also comes at a limit. If you run out of energy, you are unable to respawn and your defense decreases. To resolve this you have to find bird enemies that will restore your energy and/or consume enemies when they are in a weakened state. This all adds to a state of difficulty when playing The Witch and The Hundred Knight 2. The first title was difficult as well, and it is good to see that difficulty is retained in this game.

These elements of gameplay and the improvements over the first game, The Witch and The Hundred Knight 2 has enjoyable gameplay. However, there are their downfalls. While the improvements are there, the camera still has a minor issue despite those improvements. The player will be in combat and if the combat takes place in an environment such as a forest, the camera could possibly focus on the forest instead of the player. This can happen in any area if the player is close to the wall. You can adjust the camera, but sometimes that may not work. If the camera is able to be closer to the player, it could avoid this issue.

 

Visual/audio

Visually, The Witch and The Hundred Knight 2 does not look appealing visually. However, it’s visuals are the reason why it is so charming in that department. The visuals and environment fit with the overall theme the game is presenting. It is aesthetically pleasing, and that is a rarity in games in the same department these days.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpu4RGikWto

^The track Chelka

Audio-wise, the game has solid voice-over work. It has English and Japanese voicework options, each with fantastic voice actors, and the delivery from each one is fantastic. However, in terms of the soundtrack, it leaves something to be desired. Most of my playthrough I remember a single song just because it was so frequently played throughout the entire game. The voice work is something to write home about, however, the soundtrack is not. That is not the saying its entirely bad, there are some standout songs. Other sounds, such as the enemies and attacks themselves are fine.

 

Replay Factor:

The Witch and The Hundred Knight 2 is a game with some replayability. The game has multiple endings just like the first game. You will have to at least run through the game 3 times to get them all. To be direct, that shouldn’t be too much of a problem in moderation.

Fun Factor:

The game is pretty fun in moderation. If you are like me and like binge playing the games, it may be difficult to sit for 6-8 hours straight playing it. The game will wear you out. However, in moderation sessions, there will be fun to have in the game.  For what’s it worth, I enjoyed the time I had with the game. If you are an RPG gamer, you will enjoy the game.

Wrap-up/ Conclusion:

The Witch and The Hundred Knight 2 is a major improvement from the first game. The story is interesting and engaging from beginning to end. In the journey of Milm and Amalie, the player will see the bonds between sisters as they go through a life-changing journey. Will the Witch’s Disease overcome the sisters, or will any other harm come to them? As the player goes through the game, these questions will be answered and much more.

If you are a fan of RPGs, this game is worth a try. If you think that you need to play the first game before this one, I am happy to report that this is a standalone sequel. You can jump straight into it and enjoy. The Witch and Hundred Knight 2 is a journey to enjoy and should be enough to hold your interest through a playthrough.