There are some games out there that are so good, that you can overlook every quirk, and every bug, other games get dragged down into the mud because of them.

And then there are games like Nine Parchments, that has so many things to love about it, but boy it will test your patience.

Take my first experiences with the game. When I first launched the game, getting through the opening screens, showing Frostbyte etc, took 5 minutes because it was chugging along. After a lot of testing I isolated it to the game, then after about an hour of playing around, for no reason it started working again.

I couldn’t replicate this issue again, so I was going to chalk it up to a freak incident, especially after the next few hours captivated me.

Nine Parchments is like many other twin-stick isometric shooters, yet so different. The obvious variance is that instead of shooting, it is based around magic. You choose a magician who goes venturing to power themselves up. Their adventure consists of killing a lot of monsters and finding collectables through a series of gorgeous linear Levels.

You learn new spells throughout the game and can assign them to your spell wheel. Switching between spells on the fly is easy and fun. This is when the game is at its best, when you are switching between spells to keep your attacks going as you slaughter hordes of enemies. Whether you are firing is beams, icicles, or thunder blasts, it is fluent, simple and fun like many other twin-stick games.

The biggest problem is the game is built around playing with others, whether local or online, the idea is you play with up to 4 players. With only one controller I could only play the game locally solo, and this was fine for many enjoyable hours. The problem came about half way in when after an hour of dying I gave up on the boss that was slaughtering me. Even on easy.

Not being able to get a partner to play locally, I thought I would try online. Big mistake.

The first game I jumped into, threw me into a Level late in the game with someone else. We died and had to start again, and that’s when the game decided to start testing me again. We got stuck in the Level, unable to advance the way we knew it should.

After some struggles I left the game and tried joining another one. Nine Parchments doesn’t let you just join any online match, you need to specify some things like difficulty, so if you just want to play you may need to bounce between these options depending on wait times. I got in the queue and it told me I had an estimated 8-minute wait, which would have been fine, if the next 10 minutes didn’t consist of slowly watching that wait time climb slowly up to 13 minutes.

Giving up, I thought I’d try another difficulty, and proceeded to have the same experience, multiple times. After failing that I tried a few nights at different times, and consistently had this experience.

It’s frustrating that these bugs exist, but even more so because the game itself is so fun and so beautiful. Enemy designs are intricate and amazing, and the environments are gorgeous. Especially stages with running water, with beautiful colours under the surface.

Coupled with its genuinely fun gameplay, the game is a treat, until you hit the difficulty spike.

If the online issues get fixed, or if you have a local co-op partner, Nine Parchments is worthy of a look. But if you want to do it solo, I would wait for some updates, as it is tough as nails, and online will test your patience.

The post Nine Parchments (Xbox One) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

You’re a rogue apprentice who has abscondered from your training in order to retrieve the Nine Parchments.

From Frozenbyte, known for the beautifully artistic and highly playable Trine trilogy, Nine Parchments is an RPG in the same vein as Trine where as a inexperienced Wizard you will harness the powers of elements like Ice and Fire in order to wield magic in this mostly open world adventure title.

Your goal throughout is to fill up your spellbook with new magic abilities, but because you have not completed your training, there is many deadly mistakes made as you traverse the Nine Parchment’s world in search of the lost Parchments.

Playing the game is also a case of trial and error. Played in single player or in co-op you will get to grips with your elemental powers, and discover what magic you will need to use in order to defeat enemies who generally are derived from varying elements aswell.

This means that you need to figure out on the fly what resistances enemies may have.

Nine Parchments is not easy. Not at all. Expect to die many many times until you get familiar with your opponents’ weaknesses.

For example, a fire beast cannot be taken down by fire magic – you will need to use ice or similar. That’s a no brainer, for sure, but your powers are limited and do run out.

Magic can be switched on the fly via D-Pad hotkeys and as you progress your character will level up. Whatsmore, there is loot to be had, much like a dungeon crawler, scavenge around and you are likely to pick up new Wizard hats, better melee weapons and more.

Astoundingly rich and detailed in it’s visuals, Nine Parchments looks as though it is an extension of the Trine series.

Playing on Nintendo Switch allowed for a quick game here and there on the go. The Levels are not too long but can have an insane difficulty curve, especially if you encounter an enemy that is resistant to most magic. At times it is a case of thinking outside the square or trying out differing abilities or a combination of magic and melee to get through.

Nine Parchments is a game of self discovery, you the player will discover your abilities as the inexperienced character does aswell.

Also released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, Nine Parchments felt as though it was built for the Switch and could have easily been an exclusive portable game.

With a shortage of a substantial RPG on the Nintendo Switch (Skyrim being the exception) and if you are a patient gamer who likes titles where perseverance to progress keeps you engaged Nine Parchments will be the title for you.

The post Nine Parchments (Switch) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Frozenbyte (Trine series) has recently told us here at StG that their co-operative blast’em up game Nine Parchments is coming to Nintendo Switch!

Frozenbyte CEO Lauri Hyvärinen commented on the announcement: “We love Nintendo Switch! We’ve been ecstatic about the success of our roguelike action game Has-Been Heroes, and we love all the improvements made to the development environment, it’s a great platform! Nine Parchments is a wonderful co-op game and feels like a perfect fit for the system. We can’t wait to unleash the wizard mayhem later this year!”

Nine Parchments sees a group of drop-out wizard apprentices decide to skip their training for a quick path to the Nine Parchments. As the wannabe wizards rapidly discover powerful new spells and ignore all safety aspects, it’s natural that their hasty progress results in lots of unwanted deaths…

Players will wield the power of the elements and master a diverse and ever-changing arsenal of spells while unlocking new playable characters, wizard hats and magical staves and more.

With an RPG feel, you will level up and train your characters in the magical arts, but choose your path wisely! Battle strange creatures & mighty bosses in a breathtakingly beautiful world, set in the Trine universe.

Nine Parchments will also feature multiplayer with online and local co-op with 1-4 players and is set to release on the Nintendo Switch aswell as PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC this year (2017).

The post Nine Parchments Coming to Nintendo Switch! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.