Knights in the Nightmare
Developer: Sting
Publisher: Atlus
Release Date: June 2, 2009
System: Nintendo DS
ESRB Rating: T
Official Web site
In a nutshell: What the hell is going on? Oh, that's what's going on? OK, that's pretty cool then.
0:00 In my experience, knights don't usually show up in the nightmares, but in good dreams. Buff, sparkling knights, with broad shoulders and rippling pecs, rescuing me from ... well ... perhaps I've said too much.
0:01 A story scrolls by WAY too fast for me to read it. All I caught was something about the "Island of St. Celestina." Anyway, we're off watching a woman in white hover down a lavish hallway, battling enemies as she goes. "I must hurry ... before the nightmare engulfs me. Before the wisp of hope is lost. I have to survive! ... To regain what was lost." As she escapes into the night, a crowd of voices calls out that they have to find her. The fast-paced music transitions to gentle piano and strings as the title comes up over a red castle in the distance. Powerful!
0:03 Let's go with "Teachings" before starting the game. "First Steps" is for first time players, and has 10 sub-categories. Good lord!
0:06 Interesting ... moving the stylus around on the touch-screen moves a little white "wisp" on the top screen, which can be used to select characters on an isometric grid. Hold it there to charge up an attack, then point in the direction of an enemy and FIRE! "Ready ... I'll cut you in two! It worked!" says my character with genuine surprise in his voice.
0:08 Hmmm ... enemies shoot bullets that don't hurt my character but DO hurt the stylus-controlled wisp. All the twitchy action of a shoot-'em-up with all the strategy of a tactical RPG. I like it!
