Developed by Gust Co. Ltd
Published by Koei Tecmo
Reviewed on Playstation 4 (also available on Nintendo Switch)
Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon is the sequel to last year’s action role-playing title Nights of Azure. Known for the Atelier series and more recently Blue Reflection, Gust has a considerable history of developing compelling titles. Nights of Azure 2 continues Gust’s legacy of experimental character-driven role-playing games. Much like its predecessor, it features high speed beat-em-up action mixed with dramatic storytelling, strong female leads, and an enigmatic setting. It amplifies the pace of battle by providing new assist functionality and entertaining pair maneuvers. With its well-crafted aesthetics and accessible action, Nights of Azure 2 is exciting and enchanting.
In Nights of Azure 2, humans cling to survival in a dark fantasy world. The game takes place in the Land Without Night, which teems with mutated Fiends following the defeat of the demonic Nightlord in ages past. Following the first game’s events, the mysteriously Moon Queen arises and poses a new threat to mankind. After a dire effort to defeat her, the protagonist Aluche falls in combat. She is revitalized with experimental technology that undermines her own humanity. Though burdened by her newfound inhuman body, she battles enemies alongside old and new companions in order to rescue her childhood friend Liliana. While the game makes references to the first game’s events and characters, it stands on its own and anyone can enjoy the suspenseful mysterious narrative.
Nights of Azure 2’s familiar yet experimental mechanics allow players to quickly and stylishly dispatch foes. Aluche can perform combinations of Normal Attacks and Strong Attacks to attack incoming enemy waves. Her attacks are highly varied and wide-ranging, and it can be quite entertaining to try each combo string. She also has access to familiar actions such as blocking, jumping, and dodging. However, the game also introduces plenty of teammate assists and attacks that add an extra dynamic touch. These teammate moves can be initially overwhelming, but constant on-screen button prompts show whenever a move is available to use. Pressing Triangle and Circle uses an Active Skill, which is an assist that recharges over time. Aluche can perform Double Chases and Lily Bursts in which she and her teammate overwhelm the battlefield with cinematic area-of-effect attacks. These attacks are quick and fun to watch even after repeat viewings.
The game flow is straightforward, and its time management elements create a slight sense of urgency. Aluche fulfills primary and optional quests by venturing into specific dungeons and defeating designated foes. Because of her body’s limits, however, Aluche can only remain in a dungeon for a set amount of time before she must return to the base of operations and rest. Resting causes a day to pass, which allows her to venture into a dungeon again. However, the moon becomes increasingly obscured with each passing day, and a new moon will result in a game over. While this mechanic initially seems intimidating, it encourages the player to push towards objectives with a plan of attack. The game also provides a fair amount of time to complete quests and explore dungeons.
The game’s party system provides plenty of choices and customization. Its Lily System involves selecting a computer-controlled companion for each dungeon trek. Each partner fights at a different range and provides a unique set of support abilities and attacks. These distinct styles range from traditional sword fighting to whimsical ranged combat, which diversifies combat in an entertaining way. The game provides a more streamlined take on its predecessor’s Servan support monster system. Throughout the course of the game, Aluche meets new Servans such as a fiery cat, a cute plant spirit, and a ferocious wolf. Rather than having decks of Servans at her disposal, Aluche can bring two Servans into each dungeon. Pressing L2 or R2 activates their skills in combat, which feels natural in the heat of battle. These skills range from firing projectiles to transforming into usable weapons, which leads to entertaining new attack combinations. Certain Servans can overcome dungeon obstacles and allow Aluche to reach areas with useful items. Since dungeons have a multitude of barriers and obstacles, the game encourages regularly swapping Servans in order to fully explore dungeons. Aluche can also give commands and perform skills in order to heal and help her teammates, which gives players even more tactical choices.
Compared to its predecessor, Nights of Azure 2 showcases higher graphical fidelity and detail. The environments feature atmospheric lighting, a greater number of objects, and higher texture resolution. It can be pretty engrossing moving through a nighttime town with subtle lighting. Particle effects accompany many attacks, which bolsters the dynamism of combat. As a trade-off, however, the game runs at a lower framerate than its predecessor. The framerate can also dip while being surrounded by hordes of enemies. However, the game’s action is always easy to follow despite the sheer amount of objects that can appear.
Many of the game’s elements consistently create a mysterious otherworldly atmosphere. Aluche traverses dimly lit forests and abandoned structures that can feel ominous and gloomy. The characters’ expressions frequently look forlorn and distant, which creates unease and uncertainty. It can also feel strange interacting with creatures and seemingly inorganic beings. Furthermore, the characters’ embellished attire is wonderfully designed and feels as if it came from another universe. Some characters tread a thin line between being human and demonic, which heightens the game’s intensity. The game continues Gust’s marvelous legacy of well-composed soundtracks. Areas’ tunes include high tempo electric guitar melodies and haunting orchestral tracks.
Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon is a well-built action role-playing title that provides plenty of features to keep players entertained. Its dark fantasy world provides an enthralling setting for mysterious tense encounters and frenetic action. Though a few mechanics can initially seem overwhelming, the game is easy to pick up and play. With its diverse character roster and fascinating visuals, Nights of Azure 2 is a wonderful sequel that caters to anyone interested in role-playing or action games.
