Ninety-Nine Nights
October 29,2006 - From the beginning, a big part of the Xbox 360's huge Japanese push was the host of Japanese content that was being pushed on the system. This included a number of surprise announcements, most of which centered on Hironobu Sakaguchi's new Mistwalker development house, with Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon coming up for Microsoft's third-party lineup. However, the list certainly did not end there, and Tetsuya Mizuguchi, fresh off of the wildly popular Lumines, had his own offering to provide. Ninety-Nine Nights, or “N3” as it is often called, is a very well-produced hack-and-slash action game that is, as Mizuguchi himself put it, aimed directly at the mass market of casual players.

At times, this seems brilliant. N3 is quite clearly a well-made game that does, at the very least, serve its purpose of getting Japanese content of solid quality out on the 360 in short order. Other times, one has to wonder what exactly Mizuguchi thinks of the casual players, as N3 often comes off as having needlessly simplistic gameplay that does a disservice to its players – if it isn't outright insulting – particularly in light of how much thought went into the rest of the package.

As was made obvious when N3 trailers first started to emerge prior to the Xbox 360 launch, this game lands squarely in the previously one-franchise genre of Dynasty Warriors games that have players plowing through armies of nameless soldiers, alongside their own nameless soldiers, throughout a number of different character campaigns. The only real key difference here is that N3 is based completely upon original characters, and places itself completely in the fantasy setting, while Dynasty Warriors has strong historical basis on which the semi-fantasy elements are added. The similarity in gameplay was lost on no one, and many gamers anticipating N3 picked up Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires as an appetizer of sorts.

Unfortunately, it would seem that the main course wasn't that much more filling than said appetizer; N3 most certainly delivers a solid action game with plenty of style (almost as much style as is packed into the average Final Fantasy game, in fact), but the gameplay fails to hold up its end of the bargain. That isn't to say it has no advantages over its slightly older counterpart. Unlike the Dynasty Warriors series, N3 uses two attack buttons instead of one, which may sound negligible, but does manage to open up a whole list of stylish combos to a game that would otherwise be painfully repetitive and mind-numbing. At times, N3 will surely satisfy the same action itch as do games like Devil May Cry and Nightshade, despite the more niche design of the overall gameplay.

As you chop your way through enemy armies at an absolutely ridiculous pace, your super meter will gradually fill. This works much like those found in fighting games; fill it up, activate it, then sit back and “go all lawnmower” on the remaining opposition. In addition to the standard red meter, you also have a secondary blue meter. You can only fill this one up while your red meter is activated, but the reward is even greater; instant mass destruction of any foes unfortunate enough to be caught anywhere near your location. It may not be as viscerally satisfying as chopping through them yourself, but considering it can rack up literally hundreds of kills within seconds, it is a highly valuable tool/strategy for surviving some of the game's tougher missions.

The visuals are where N3 truly shines. There are some minor quirks, such as grass being kicked up under a character's feet even while they're running on dirt, and that may be indicative of some current-gen development mentality seeping its way onto the next-gen platforms, but you'll forget all about that when you take in the sheer atmosphere of this game, the well-designed models of N3's memorable cast, and the imposing sight of hundreds of enemies rushing you from the blurred distance, all at once. To its credit, N3 really goes out of its way, at least at times, to make you feel like you're one part of an incredibly large-scale, fantasy-style war. On the other hand, the audio doesn't hold up quite as well. Although there's very little to actually complain about, the soundtrack is quite unmemorable, and the voice acting is a classic case of “hit or miss.” Some characters are very well-voiced, while other voice actors are an insult to their roles. Certainly not unheard of in gaming, but disheartening when it happens.

N3 had all the promise of an instant classic going in; a strong story, memorable characters, and style by the boatload. When you get to the gameplay, however, you'll quickly find a game with a niche concept and levels of simplicity that border on patronizing at times. It can still be recommended, and quite easily, especially for Japanese-leaning gamers or old-schoolers who want something that will look and feel nice and familiar in their emerging Xbox 360 libraries. For would-be PS3 owners balking at the price of Sony's latest offering, but still looking for “PlayStation-style” gaming, one could even go as far as to call N3 a must-own. There is a good time to be had here, at least for some. Purchase with caution (unless you're into games like this), but rent with confidence.

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