Best N3II: Ninety-Nine Nights - Xbox 360 Deals

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This game bears little resemblance to the original and plays more like Dynasty Warriors now. Everything that was unique about N3 has been removed. The over-the-top orb spark attacks have been nerfed and are no longer very impressive. All characters play EXACTLY the same, including the same available spells, unlike the first game where everyone had their own moves and abilities. Cut-scenes, levels and boss battles are reused between characters, and you can play down any the characters' paths in whatever order you want, which seems like an okay idea but really undercuts the narrative. Voice acting is pretty bad on like half the characters.

All that aside, the game is fine for what it is -a Dynasty Warriors clone. If you go in expecting it to be like the original Ninety-Nine Nights, you'll be disappointed. If you just want to play something like DW but with different characters then this game is pretty good.

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N3II is far better than the original.

The Overall story revolves around a Entity called The Lord of the Night's conquest of the world, leaving the country of Orphea one of the last standing. While the first game's story was merely connected by chance meetings of few characters, N3II story is about 5 individuals who unite under Orphea's banner to fight back against the Lord of the Night (reminds me of power rangers). While each character has their own narrative which shows their part in the game's events, the flow is disjointed. You learn about the Lord of the Night mainly in Galen's side, while Sephia's does not reveal a thing and only serves expand her character(that's when i learned of her very one-sided crush on Galen). One could play each missions in chronological order with out beating any character final mission. All 5 characters are unlocked by Galen's 4th mission. 3 1/2 stars

Graphics

The game has nice detailed graphics, it's not AAA gorgeous, but it's still good. Unlike the first game which can show hundreds of troops, N3II has just two hundred at most, no slowdown. The setting feels akin to Lord of the Rings, Color Range varies for each level, From dark and gritty to Arctic blue. The levels are huge and have diversity, You will fight in Forts, castles, caverns, forests, caves, and N3 II version's of Hell/Purgatory. Animation is smooth, though enemy movement seems a little too fast. Each weapon has their own design and each character has extra costume colors, both reflect the chosen character in cutscenes. Camera can freak-out when fighting to close to walls and a FEW graphical hiccups. blood effect are average and could be turned off, while gore is mainly separation at the torso and waist, as well as one arm for giants. Partial nudity, because some people don't understand, is at most a Bikini, which is what Zazi wearing, and when the cut-scenes focus on Sephia tattoo some cleavage. Strangely enough every character basically dual wields 4 stars

Sound

I don't recall hearing music in certain cut-scenes, though none of it is memorable to begin with, it does fit the mood. Combat sounds are as expected, but may drown out the in game chatter. The voice acting for the most part is decent, and most fit the lip sync. Maggni is the only one I'm bothered by for the sole reason that I think he's an idiot. The Lord of the Night doesn't sound menacing enough. Japanese VA is available. 3 1/2 stars

Game-play

Anyone who enjoyed Dynasty Warriors 6 or 6 Empires will feel at home. Just like DW6, N3II does away with branching combos and basically uses DW6 Empire's Renbu and Skills. While the X Combo is not endless, the Y combo is slower, but is a stronger and wider set. X can flow to the Y set but just continues and finishes the Y combo, holding the Y button during a short combo will add a slam while holding Y near the end of the chain will add a few more hits followed by a launching attack. Characters special called Orb Attack (Super Combo) and Orb Spark (Area Attack)which can be activated by either a tap or holding down the button respectively, and the power depends on how many section the bar is filled out. Plus the 2 air attacks, a dash attack, and the murderous counter attack (Block then YY, or break a block YY)that's all characters have. The Skill System is like DW6 Empires, while holding a button you can activate a skill map to the buttons, these skill vary and range from physical attacks, magic of all types and stat buffs. you can dodge as well, which can cancel most attacks. Again, if you enjoy DW6, you will enjoy this game.

One thing N3II does differently is something i call " Devil May Cry Lite" focusing on strategic combat, very lite (sometimes horrendous) platforming, and small puzzles. Characters play the same, but they have an exclusive action. Other than Zazi's action, most are very useless in combat. Levels are long (some linear) and checkpoints are placed at the halfway point and the boss battles

Co-op is limited to Xbox live, and serves more as a challenge mode. You aren't really missing out much other than a few skill and very crappy "legendary" weapons

Fixes the first game's problems, in N3II it seems like every character except Maggni was trained in ninja running, difficultly has 3 settings, Recovery items are more common (the game still expects you not to get hit), length is, varied prepare to spend 30-45 minutes on most missions (most have a boss to finish). Boss only missions take 10 minutes tops. Galen took me round 7 hours, while Sephia was 4-5.

4 stars

DLC is planned for those who care.

and don't expect the manual to have any information (Honestly five pages of the basicsrest is the same 5 in different languages.)

All in all, this game while a step back regarding combat, takes many steps forward as an 1 vs 100 game.

Best Deals for N3II: Ninety-Nine Nights - Xbox 360

N3II was a gamble on my part. While I staunchly support the hack n slash genre this one got negative marks across the board at many review sites. Was it "that awful"? The masochist in me bristled with excitement as I placed my order!

Disappointingly I must confess this is not a "So bad it's epic!" affair. N3II is simply "rather decent" for the genre and it fails at being the terrible intriguing train-wreck most gaming critics made it out to be. It's not going to blow any minds or stand out as a footnote in history but it's unabashingly enjoyable once you get pass the slight learning curve!

The first thing you'll notice is N3II expects you to sprint around while blocking and tumbling. If you don't pay attention to your surroundings archers, shamans, and annoying bird-things will whittle you down quickly. This game takes the philosophy of "death by a thousand paper cuts" and runs with it shamelessly!

N3II likewise has the distinction of being much harder than a typical Dynasty Warriors title. Some stages end with huge boss battles that can decimate your hero of choice and send you home crying. In other dire situations you must defend a castle gate from an onslaught of enemies who can do damage to the surrounding fortifications over time. "Winning" is one half trial and error and one half leveling up your weapons, stats, and equippable spells. Akin to an rpg N3II expects you to "grind" as you re-do certain missions to farm for experience orbs and hidden items.

Aesthetically N3II went through a bit of an identity crisis. The first game was lively,colorful,and whimsical. It wasn't too embarrassed to make you fight a giant frog-man wearing a king's royal red cape or put you into the shoes of a cute water bubble casting witch flying around on an enchanted staff. N3II by comparison splatters the blood of your enemies onto the camera lens as you cut them in half. The color palette is dimmed by somber broodishness and it really does seem that N3II switched out its' Narnia influence for something that is closer to ASOIAF or Lord Of The Rings. Whether or not you will take to the new style or not depends on the kind of person you are. I can appreciate the direction of both iterations despite the fact their extreme opposite polarities makes it hard for me to accept N3II as a "genuine sequel" to its' predecessor. It's the same shock of alienation that would occur if I watched the first Harry Potter film than proceeded to view Deathly Hallows. That's how jarring the atmospheric differences truly are. Perhaps Konami got "gritty and mature" to appeal to western audiences but sadly we're discussing a genre that is a hard sell here no matter how many severed limbs and brooding protagonists are added to the equation. Combining N3 with N3II would likely result in some kind of freakishly awesome gaming wonder-crack! A shame we'll probably never get a third iteration of this series.

Concerning the combat, I don't take issue with enemies cheaply juggling me once in awhile. Turn about is fair play and I appreciate the added challenge. However, the camera can undermine the player a little too often. It sucks to be mercilessly brutalized in a corner because I cannot even see the location of my character. Luckily this doesn't break the game. A quick evasive roll forward or to the side can usually help you get your bearings. Again, N3II encourages you to not stay idle too long. Amidst a swarm of cheap adversaries taking advantage of you ? Move your arse! Getting pelted by arrows as you try to mow down the infantry? Then change your tactics and go after the snipers on the ridge!

While it's wonderful N3II encourages you to be strategic during fights it's equally a downer you can't order around your allied troops. This was a feature that made the first game more satisfying and there really is no justifiable reason to leave out squad commands in the follow up.

To make up its' shortcomings N3II adds "check points" to the fray. Personally I found them to be very helpful but other gamers have lamented over the fact "auto saves" can be spread too far apart depending on the chapter. I cannot help but to sympathize with the caveats of my brethren. Most games allow us to record or progress whenever we want so why stick to an archaic design choice?

N3II opens up with the lord of night being resurrected. If he can merge the orb of light with the orb of darkness he'll become immortal yet if he cannot do it by the 99th morning he'll revert back to ashes. The elf capital gathers 5 heroes together to restore peace and tranquility to the land. Galen is a dual wielding swords master. Sephia is an elfin princess and wind sorceress who uses bladed silken shawls. Maggni is a stubborn ogre brigand who prefers to maul foes with his bladed shields. Zavvi is a beautiful coa coa skinned elfin archer. The last character is a goblin assassin named Levv who uses chained blades to eviscerate crowds of cronies and to pull himself up to higher locations. On the plus side every character has a lot of attributes and gear to customize. They also have unique skills that aid them in exploring each environment differently from their peers. On the negative side their attack animations and movement patterns are roughly identical.

I may give off the vibe of being unimpressed based upon what I've written up so far. Yet you know what? I totally love this game! It's the first of its' ilk to come along and give me a decent work out even on the easiest setting. While the plot is simplistic it's not cringe worthy and the voice acting is tolerable. It's neat having to tactically balance the re-charge rate of used spells with the next mob busting orb spark attack.

Putting it bluntly, if you find experience farming, buffing up characters,collecting loot,blasting hundreds of adversaries into the air at once, and slicing monsters apart to be soothing and theraputic N3II is worthy of your consideration despite its' faults!

Bias opinion

With easy puzzles, rpg lite elements, multiple playable characters, platforming elements, and outright insane boss monsters N3II may entice hack n slash devotees who are craving for a more challenging adventure. Overall it's a good addition to its' genre but it's not so "ground breaking" it'll usher in brand new followers

The janky camera, a few poorly placed save points, and the lack of local co-op are N3II's main blemishes. Assuming you can forgive those follies it is an addictive, loot intensive, and grind intensive jolly fun jaunt!

For you if

If you're a massive battlefield hack n slash enthusiast, like a challenge, and you are generally put off by the anime aesthetic N3II offers a gloomy and grit covered dark fantasy tale for a cheap reasonable price. It may not end up on your "best games of all time" list but it will delight you deep down in the recesses of your more carnal and self gratifying subconscious!

Not for you if

If you never got into Dynasty warriors and Sengoku Basara or if you preferred the setting of the first N3 this game will not woo your socks off in the slightest. What we have here is a relatively okay game with a few glaring flaws that are hard to ignore for gamers who have set their bars of excellence on a higher level. Even for hack n slash fans N3II isn't quite as impressive as Dynasty Warriors 7 or Sengoku Basara 3. The drastic changes in setting and atmosphere are bound to metaphorically ruffle quite a few feathers the wrong way to boot.

Overall "4 practice bodkins out of 5"

N3II is a game of "mechanics" and what it does it does quite well. This is not a game that needs multiple patches. This is not a game that freezes or corrupts recorded data. It was crafted with the upmost care and attention to detail. Poorly placed save points and an ornery camera are "annoying" but neither imperfection is so glaringly awful it turns the core experience into an unplayable mess.

Fun factor "4 practice bodkins out of 5"

For hack n slash fans N3II delivers a lot of fun wrapped up in its' addictive farming and grinding! The darker fantasy setting,steady challenge,rpg level up system, and big monstrous bosses do much to seperate N3II from other hack n slashers in a good way.

Yet the lack of local co-op, inability to control allied soldiers, and sometimes frustrating spikes in difficulty need to be addressed all the same.

If anything this game intrigued me enough to check out the first one that started it all. Though it's unlikely, I would welcome another N3 game on the consoles with open arms!

Pros

+Fun addictive combat

+Characters are nice to look at

+ Orb spark attacks are befittingly flashy

+Platforming segments and light puzzle elements prevent excessive monotony

+All 5 characters have their own story lines and diverse ways to move through the game's many areas.

+Boss monsters are surprisingly well designed and range from awe inspiring to just plain creepy.

+Compelling dark fantasy atmosphere

+Check points

+Hidden items give a lot of incentives to re-play missions.

+Serviceable voice acting and a decent sound track

+Battles require tactics to win

+Online co-op

Cons

-Camera is spastic sometimes

Enemies can easily juggle you if you don't play it safe.

-Protagonists don't seem as "diverse" as they were in the first game.

-Occasionally check points are spread out too far apart.

-The blood, gritty realism. and violence in N3II may alienate the fans who were fond of the previous game's more vibrant and enchanting setting.

-Cannot earn exp. orbs in the coliseum

-The ability to control allied troops is absent

-No local co-op

-Real time event button mash sequences during a few boss battles (Do they have to be in EVERY game now?!)

Honest reviews on N3II: Ninety-Nine Nights - Xbox 360

The "professional" reviews for this game rated it as "boring" "stale" and "monotonous" which describes Easy Mode. Playing on Normal forces you to add some variety to your gameplay, while playing on Hard can crush your soul in the first level if you are not prepared.

This game plays like a very fast, very strong Dynasty Warriors. Any fan of the Koei series or this game's predecessor will be pleasantly surprised with this gem.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for N3II: Ninety-Nine Nights - Xbox 360

N3II is Konami's attempt to continue on with the Ninety Nine Nights saga. Instead of bringing in characters from the previous game, they've rebuilt the game engine and the characters. None of the characters from the original game have made it to this new game. That's not really an issue for me, as they weren't overly memorable anyway.

Even the original Ninety Nine Nights was a Dynasty Warriors "clone" of sorts. It was a mostly simple hack and slash, kill everything on the screen game. At the time it looked very good though by today's standards, it is obviously lacking. N3II is an upgrade to N3 and not a whole lot more. Graphically it looks good for a game of this style with so many enemies on screen at once, but as with most games of this type, the game play is all but bankrupt given the repetitive nature of the game.

I picked this game up on a lark for ~$15. I will say that for $15 it is certainly enjoyable, but anyone that paid full MSRP of $60 for it when it was released probably feels ripped off.

Graphics:

As stated, graphically it looks nice, I guess. The frame rate is a bit uneven as more enemies show up on screen. One issue I've seen other reviewers write about, and I agree, is that the amount of enemy types is small compared to how many of them you have to murder. Every one of the 1000s of enemies you'll kill in a given level are exactly the same to the point of being forgettable. Character animation is smooth and the graphical flourishes in the game are nice. Backgrounds are detailed well and draw in distance, while not perfect, is nowhere near as poor as a Dynasty Warriors game.

Graphics get 3 stars tops.

Game play:

I hope you enjoy pressing X and Y a lot, since that's pretty much what the game play amounts to. Every once in a while you'll fire off a powered up attack and kill lots of enemies by using orb power, but for the most part, press X and Y. Also on occasion you will want to use your special attacks, the ones assigned to all of the controller's face buttons (XYAB) while pressing LB. It's like they added that capability in just to toss things up a little bit and give a false sense of variety. In the end, it's just you slashing at enemies, sometimes killing a bunch of people in the process.

You can upgrade your characters with the experience you earn throughout a level, lending an RPGish feel to the game. One word of caution; UPGRADE WEAPONS and LEVEL UP, A LOT. This game will thrown tons of faceless, worthless enemies at you for hours, followed by a ridiculously cheap and tedious boss battle. If you don't power up the proper weapons and powers and level your character up, these battles will be nigh impossible for you to finish without divine intervention. It's truly a horrible experience to spend almost 2 hours on a level, on the verge of constant death, only to think you've finished the level to find you have to fight a demon you just aren't prepared for. And if you quit the game to the mission select screen? ALL of the experience you earned to that point will disappear, which lends further to the endless frustration these cheap battles lend to the game. It's like artificially increasing the difficulty of a game to make it seem more worthwhile. These boss battles harken back to SNK style fighting game boss battles; endlessly cheap, except finishing off these bosses isn't anywhere near as rewarding a feeling as defeating an old SNK boss.

Game play gets 2.5 to 3 stars. It is just like every other hack and slash game you've played to a fault.

Music/Sound Effects:

If you have your 360 connected to a surround receiver, be prepared to turn the receiver WAY DOWN. For whatever reason, Konami has decided that the game needs to be designed to be louder, it seems, than any other game in your 360 library. Switching from Borderlands to this caused me to have to really watch the volume. I adjusted the volume in the options, but it amazes me how loud this is when turned all the way up compared to other games in my library.

Music is orchestral/symphonic in nature and not bad. It's also not overly memorable. I prefer this orchestral feel over the fake guitars and ridiculousness of say, Dynasty Warriors game. Konami's composers aren't in love with MIDI guitars it seems, which is a good thing.

Voice work is decent both in English and Japanese. Nothing amazing, but OK. A far cry from Dynasty Warriors 2 and 3 that used just people in Koei's offices for voice work (and it showed).

Music/SE get 3 stars as well. Nothing stands out as exceptional in either case.

Packaging:

Cover art is nice. Back cover is bland and the description rather boring. The manual, yes, an ACTUAL manual, isn't badly done either.

Packaging is 3 stars as it is nothing fantastic and nothing horrible.

Over all:

N3II is simple OK. Mostly forgettable. At sub $20, it's worth a play through for some fairly easy achievements if nothing else. If you have your choice between this and another game that strikes your fancy, I say get the other game first. This isn't a completely horrible choice, but it's also so derivative of Dynasty Warriors and other games in the genre that it's simply boring. If you've never played a hack and slash game and just want to spend 45 minutes mindless killing stuff, this is definitely not a bad choice in game. I'd recommend this over any of the current generation Dynasty Warriors games (5 and 6; I haven't played DW7 yet as I will never pay $60 for a game I've basically already played) in terms of graphics, though it is a lot tougher, in my opinion, than the DW games because of the horrible boss battles.