The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2 Review

When NIS released the first Witch and The Hundred Knight, I’ll admit that I had some difficulties getting into the game, but it wasn’t for the game’s lack of charm. The game focused on a magical familiar called The Hundred Knight (rather than being 100 creatures, he was the Knight of a Hundred Tactics – according to the in-game witch tomb) and his Witch Master as they fought against other witches for more power.The Witch and Hundred Knight 2 keeps a lot of this charm but is easier to get into and to learn its mechanics, it also features an original story that doesn’t need the original to fall back thanks to a new cast of energetic characters.

Witch and the Hundred Knight 2 follows 2 sisters, Amalie and Milm. One day Milm goes missing from their village, only to return with a scar on her forehead, this is a symptom of Witch Disease, in which any child infected with it would die and become a powerful witch when the scar opens to reveal a third eye.

Amalie and Milm leave their village in fear and in search for a cure. The game jumps a head in time to the day that Milm undergoes surgery to remove the third eye, only to awaken as the powerful witch Chelka mid-surgery. Summoning life into Milm’s favourite doll – The Hundred Knight – they escape. Amalie – now part of the Witch Hunting organization called Weiss Ritter or WR for short, must now hunt her former sister.

Of course there is more than meets the eye when it comes to JRPGs, and Witch and The Hundred Knight 2’s story has plenty of twists to keep you engaged. However it’s the cast of characters that makes Witch and the Hundred Knight 2 stand out, either from their cool design like the members of the WR’s witch killing generals, to the entertaining foul-mouthed Chelka who sadistic experiments end up with (sometimes) comical effects, lets not forget that the game also features a Giant Drag-Queen Raven Butler.

Still it’s the Hundred Knight himself that brings the charm to the game much like the original. The Hundred Knight doesn’t speak, instead makes cute little cooing noises when questioning, affirming and going against something. He takes everything completely literal and acts as a punching bag and loyal minion for Chelka that its hard not to fall in love with the adorable character.

Much like the original, Witch and the Hundred Knight 2 is a Dungeon Crawling Action JRPG where players retake control of the Hundred Knight as he sets out to his master’s bidding. Hundred Knight can use 5 different type of weapons (Sword, Spear, Hammers, Staffs, Lances) which can be used in a variety of combos by simply equipping the weapon to an attack slot. The various enemies that the player will have to face all have different weaknesses and vulnerabilities, some weak to cut attacks, other by blunt force and others by magic, players will have to align their combos correctly so that they’d be able to easily defeat their opponents.

To make this easier, players are also given access to Facets. These are stat-changing helmets that affect special abilities and strengthen specific weapons. Players are able to carry 3 into battle with them to help deal with different scenarios and can be switch at ease by pressing the trigger buttons. Players are also able to make use of their home base which can help to level up your weapons via Alchemy, by sacrificing other weapons or material that you pick up along the way, I cannot stress the importance of this mechanic as it saved my skin in multiple boss battles.