Games Database
PS2
Adventure: Role Playing
| Viewed: | 3D Third-person, floating camera | Genre: | Adventure: Role Playing |
| Media: | DVD | Arcade origin: | No |
| Developer: | Nippon Ichi | Soft. Co.: | Atlus |
| Publishers: | Koei
(GB) |
Released: | 28 May 2004
(GB) |
| Ratings: | PEGI 12+ | ||
| Features: | Analogue Control Compatible: analogue sticks only | ||
| Accessories: | Memory Card | ||
Summary
The Netherworld is a place darker than a pitch-black cave, located deeper than the depth of the seas. It is a cursed land where evil reigns and foul beings dwell. Nobody knows its whereabouts, but everybody fears its existence.
Hour of Darkness' story takes place two years after the death of King Krichevskoy, the ruler of the Netherworld. His son Laharl slept for two full years, unaware of his father's death, while demons fought for supremacy over the Netherworld. With the help of his subordinate Etna and her underlings, the egocentric, megalomaniac Prince Laharl fights his way to become the next king.
The game story is broken down into chapters, each containing a set of battle stages. Between those stages, you are free to return to your castle to heal your party, strengthen items, trade and create new characters. Clearing stages and earning bonuses provides the experience to grow items and characters and to unlock new worlds and character classes. Combat is fought from an isometric perspective, on a 3D battlefield with 2D characters, the proven standard for turn-based battle.
Levelling up your own character and those characters that you create is where the real strategy begins. The success of Hour of Darkness is based on the freedom of choice and the unique concept. The combined strength of the party members add to the damage count, and crystals project patterns on the map grid influencing friend and foe abilities alike. Player characters can toss crystals, enemies and allies around to create astonishing and sometimes hilarious effects. The party can venture into items and gain control of specialists who increase the item's attributes. The player will also have to strengthen Laharl's position in the measly Dark Assembly – a council built up of a dozen senators – to grant their permission for various upgrades to skill sets and weaponry. Some senators can be bribed but others will have to be fought. Lose these fights and you will lose some of the benefits that you have built up over time.
With multiple endings, a plethora of unlockable characters and a good sense of humour throughout, Hour of Darkness contains many hours of gameplay for every RPG fan.
Hour of Darkness' story takes place two years after the death of King Krichevskoy, the ruler of the Netherworld. His son Laharl slept for two full years, unaware of his father's death, while demons fought for supremacy over the Netherworld. With the help of his subordinate Etna and her underlings, the egocentric, megalomaniac Prince Laharl fights his way to become the next king.
The game story is broken down into chapters, each containing a set of battle stages. Between those stages, you are free to return to your castle to heal your party, strengthen items, trade and create new characters. Clearing stages and earning bonuses provides the experience to grow items and characters and to unlock new worlds and character classes. Combat is fought from an isometric perspective, on a 3D battlefield with 2D characters, the proven standard for turn-based battle.
Levelling up your own character and those characters that you create is where the real strategy begins. The success of Hour of Darkness is based on the freedom of choice and the unique concept. The combined strength of the party members add to the damage count, and crystals project patterns on the map grid influencing friend and foe abilities alike. Player characters can toss crystals, enemies and allies around to create astonishing and sometimes hilarious effects. The party can venture into items and gain control of specialists who increase the item's attributes. The player will also have to strengthen Laharl's position in the measly Dark Assembly – a council built up of a dozen senators – to grant their permission for various upgrades to skill sets and weaponry. Some senators can be bribed but others will have to be fought. Lose these fights and you will lose some of the benefits that you have built up over time.
With multiple endings, a plethora of unlockable characters and a good sense of humour throughout, Hour of Darkness contains many hours of gameplay for every RPG fan.
Artwork
