Nightshade Review (Nintendo Switch) (spoiler free)

 Nightshade Review 

Release date: 2018

Staff : Red Entertainment Corporation. D3 PUBLISHER

Available on : Nintendo Switch, Steam, PS vita

Themes : Romance, historical, action

Rating : 17+

Official website : https://www.d3p.co.jp/hyakka/steam/

Trailer : https://youtu.be/qFDdoytcG4Q

Synopsis

'During the Sengoku Period the two main factions of ninja clans, Iga and Kōga, warred against each other for decades.
After 17 years the Sengoku Period finally came to an end, and Japan was unified. Our Main character spends her days training diligently in hope of becoming a full-fledged ninja like her peers. At long last she is assigned to her first mission, but finds herself caught in a dark conspiracy..'(Source : d3p)

Visual

The graphics are superb. We could very easily make it into an anime. I liked that there is movement during the action scenes. The art scenes are beautiful and I was really immersed into the atmosphere. The choice of colors and details really focus you in the moment. Overall, there is a very beautiful visual harmony. 

The historical settings were very well represented. There is a real diversity which means that we are not always bored in the same place.

Each of the characters has a unique charm and visual and I think everyone can find someone to their liking. I also really liked the different clothes of the characters, which made them really charismatic and brought out the strengths of each one.

Scenario

The story begins slowly but surely. We are presented with the historical context which contains a lot of information. There are plenty of twists and turns that we don't expect in terms of events but also in terms of the knowledge that we obtain as we go along. 

I especially liked the fact that depending on the roads we took, we learned different crucial information about the general situation of the story.

I appreciated the calm moments as well as the moments with more action. Indeed, the game is punctuated by the different ninja missions, some calm, others very dangerous and hectic.

Characters and routes

For this game, the roads are all accessible from the start. I think you can play according to your preferences without too much worry but due to the potential spoiler here is what I recommend:

Goro > Hanzo > Chojiro > Kuroyuki > Gekkamaru

Each character has two endings which can make the gameplay simpler in my opinion and also also allows for a more optimal quality of writing. I unfortunately think that sometimes having 5 or 6 endings were almost useless since they were poorly written and very quickly ended without further explanation.

• The Main character : Enju 

ISFJ

Symbol of peace

Hard worker

Ambitious

Innocent

Unaware of the harsh reality of the world

• Gekkamaru

ISFJ

Voiced by Wataru Hatano

Loyal

Bodyguard

Overprotective

Childhood friend

• Kuroyuki

ENFP

Voiced by  Hiro Shimono

Cheerful

Reliable

Independent

Always appears when you need him

• Chojiro

ISTJ

Voiced by Kohsuke Toriumi

Teacher

Duty first

Leadership

Hardest romance route

• Hanzo

ISTP

Voiced by Kenjiro Tsuda

Loyal

Truthful

Strongest ninja

My personal favorite

• Goro

ENTP

Voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa

Flirty

Joker

Loveable

Most surprising route ?

Sapphire's conclusion :

Nightshade is the very first game I bought on switch, so I have a very special attachment.

The game is very easy to access with a very simple and uncluttered interface. I think it's a good game for someone who wants to start an Otome game adventure for the first time.

The game is correct in terms of length, not too long without being too short. 

The characters are unique and diverse. So much that we would like to be able to have roads even with the secondary characters! It is interesting to see how romance is approached in different ways depending on their personality, more natural or more complicated. 

Even now, some characters are still part of my all time favorites (aka Mr.Hanzo)

I liked the determination of the MC who didn't want to sit around doing nothing.

The chara design is to die for! And the voices really match them. 

This game takes you away with its context, the quality of the soundtracks and somehow makes you nostalgic.

Even after seeing it replayed several times, I still find myself feeling strong emotions thanks to this game.

Would I recommend this game? Yes.

If you are looking for an anime mixing romance, action, adventure with the historical side of Japan, you will be served. This anime made me go through all the emotions joy, sadness and even anger sometimes. Once again, if you are new to the world of Otome games, this game can be a good start.

Thank you for reading this review :)

Credits to Red Entertainment Corporation. D3 PUBLISHER

Written by Sapphire.