“God please don’t let me die again!” That is phrase that was uttered from my mouth countless times during the game. This is a hard game… a really hard game. Natural Doctrine is a new strategy RPG from NIS America. It is a punishingly-difficult Strategy RPG that will show you if you’re as good as you think you are.

NAtURAL DOCtRINE is a challenging strategy game that features cross-play, cross-save, and stunning visuals. But be warned – this title will truly test your ability to conquer the evils that lurk in the sprawling networks of mines and ruins in the areas surrounding the fortress city of Feste.

Let me repeat that Natural Doctrine is a super hard Strategy RPG. Thankfully there is a good tutorial mode to show you the ropes and teach you the systems so that you are not completely overwhelmed. That being said once you finish the tutorial mode the kid gloves are off. There is a switch that opened a secret door once I finished. I went through the door, and there was a prison cell. I opened the door and the monster that was behind kicked my party’s butt. [Game Over] I think this was done to welcome me to the full game.

It performs similarly to other games from the genre except you get an open 3-D world to move around in and make your choices. The battle system is all about getting your characters in proximity of each other so you can link skills As you position your characters, it will show you what skills you are linking through a tangled web of lines. If you time everything right, you gain a full flow and all of your character’s attack. If not timed properly your enemies have a chance to take over… and they don’t make mistakes. [Game Over]

The plot itself is not a focus since it is just kind of there to keep the action moving along. The game isn’t necessarily about the story but about the mechanics and the action of the game. [Game Over] The characters are interesting, but there are no real standouts which is what I’m typically looking for in an RPG.

The game looks good and runs well on the PS3 and more impressively on the Vita. I played both versions, and they’re both fairly identical. Whatever sacrifices they made to have it run on the Vita are not really noticeable. [Game Over] The sound in the game is also great. I think that the localization job with the english actors is good, and it let you have fun with the dialog.

There are 46 trophies in the game [Game Over] including a platinum, but as you can imagine earning the platinum will be a very difficult and time-consuming endeavor. Kudos to those who earn the platinum.

Natural Doctrine is a hard game. It’s meant to be crushingly hard and at times my will to play it died down… but it would never die in full. If that sounds great, then this will be a good fit. But if you are not playing for the difficulty then this may not be a great game to play. There is a lot to like about the game and those who master it will enjoy the rewards. I just think those individuals will be rare to find.

[review pros=”Great Graphics

Super Challenging ” cons=”Super Challenging

Story is not too engaging
” score=75]

Cost: $59.99/$39.99

PS3/PS Vita Game size: 6.6 GB/2.7 GB

You can purchase Natural Doctrine from the PSN

Disclaimer

This review is based on a copy of Natural Doctrine provided by NIS America.

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