99 Spirits

About

99 Spirits is a single player role playing game with fantasy and historical themes. It was developed by TORaIKI and was released on November 12, 2013. It received neutral reviews from players.

"99 Spirits" is an adventure RPG where players hunt down spirits and solve supernatural mysteries in feudal Japan. Through strategic combat, collect and catalog spirits, using their powers to unlock secrets and unravel the story. With striking visuals and a captivating soundtrack, players will be drawn into this unique world filled with Japanese folklore.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

58%

Audience ScoreBased on 270 reviews

story66 positive mentions

grinding23 negative mentions

The game features a unique combat system that combines word puzzles with traditional RPG mechanics, making battles engaging and thought-provoking.
The story is well-crafted, drawing on Japanese folklore and mythology, with charming characters that add depth to the narrative.
The art style and music create a lovely atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience of the game.

The gameplay can become repetitive and tedious, especially as players must repeatedly identify the same spirits in battles.
The game is prone to crashes and bugs, which can disrupt progress and lead to frustration for players.
The combat system, while unique, can feel clunky and slow, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.

story
174 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
56%
6%
The story of "99 Spirits" is generally well-received, featuring a unique blend of Japanese folklore centered around tsukumogami, with a narrative that explores themes of love, family, and betrayal. Players appreciate the engaging characters and the atmospheric setting, although some find the pacing slow and the combat repetitive, which can detract from the overall experience. While the storytelling is described as decent, it is often noted that the game shines brightest when focusing on its narrative elements rather than gameplay mechanics.
- “The story is fantastic, I love the artwork and there is enough game here to make it more than just your typical 99% text visual novel!”
- “99 Spirits is a fun JRPG/visual novel crossover, with a deep and interesting storyline, and a fun, unique combat system that is easy to learn and hard to master.”
- “The story is much deeper than it first appears on the surface, the characters are all pretty cool--from the gokon sword-wielding heroine Hanabusa, to her foxy companion Komiya and all the gods in between.”
- “The story is boring; the monsters are like 70% the same monster every time.”
- “The pacing is so off-balanced and the story is so nonsensical I couldn't last more than 20 minutes.”
- “The combat is so far extremely repetitive and the story is somehow way too simple and yet convoluted at the same time.”
gameplay
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
60%
11%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a unique combat system that requires players to identify enemies through spelling, which initially feels fresh but quickly becomes repetitive and tedious. While the game features engaging storytelling and appealing visuals, many players find the mechanics clunky and the overall experience lacking depth, leading to frustration during longer play sessions. Casual mode is recommended for a smoother experience, allowing players to focus more on the narrative rather than the gameplay's shortcomings.
- “The storytelling is well done and the gameplay is creative.”
- “The gameplay is simple, but the combination of several simple gameplay systems, including twitch and vocabulary puzzles, is surprisingly more fun than you might think.”
- “The game has a visually appealing style and an interesting set of mechanics in combat that help keep you going, and the story is fairly interesting with plenty of stuff on the side.”
- “If you save often, it's not too bad, but it's still frustrating, especially considering how repetitive the gameplay can be.”
- “The graphics are subpar, the UI is clunky and looks amateurish, and the novel gameplay, based on vocabulary, which is 99 Spirits' main quality, gets tiring really quickly.”
- “The gameplay itself contains mostly turn-based fighting, JRPG style but with just one character, and with blocks and counters requiring quick reflexes.”
music
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
51%
7%
The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many players enjoying its blend of traditional Japanese sounds and modern instruments. However, some reviewers noted that the soundtrack lacks variety, leading to repetitiveness, particularly with the battle music, which can become annoying over time. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance, its limited range may detract from long-term enjoyment.
- “The soundtrack is nuts and lives rent-free in my head to this day.”
- “The music provides a lovely atmosphere to the game and is rather upbeat for the most part; it certainly fits with the positive personality of Hanabusa and her determination.”
- “It's a mix of traditional Japanese music using kotos and harps but mixes in some modern instruments in certain tracks to enhance the sound.”
- “The soundtrack and sounds are a little bit annoying after playing a bit.”
- “The battle music is very distracting and will start to get on your nerves after failing a defense or two.”
- “The music also gets really repetitive and annoying.”
graphics
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
38%
8%
The graphics of the game are often praised for their lovely artwork and charming Japanese aesthetic, featuring interesting character designs and a watercolor-inspired art style. However, some reviews note that the visuals can be mediocre or underwhelming, with a clunky UI and repetitive gameplay detracting from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the art and music are highlighted as standout elements that enhance the game's appeal.
- “The game really goes all-in on the 'traditional Japanese' aesthetic, which is reinforced with the focus on different types of yōkai, shrine gods, and the gameplay focus on Japanese writing.”
- “The visuals are beautiful, supposedly inspired by watercolor paintings.”
- “This game is a colorful, rich carnival of ancient Japan aesthetics and folklore, with a great story and an endearing cast of characters to glue it all together.”
- “It's grindy, it's not fun to play, the graphics are mediocre, but they want $10 USD for this.”
- “The graphics are subpar, the UI is clunky and looks amateurish, and the novel gameplay, based on vocabulary, which is 99 spirits' main quality, gets tiring really quickly.”
- “Combined with mediocre graphics and sub-par level design just made me bored before hitting 1 hour.”
grinding
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly in the early stages. While some appreciate the grind for enhancing the overall experience and story focus, others feel it detracts from enjoyment, especially with limited enemy variety and slow progression. Casual mode is recommended by some as a way to alleviate the grind, allowing players to engage more with the narrative rather than the repetitive gameplay.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It's grindy, it's not fun to play, the graphics are mediocre, but they want $10 USD for this.”
- “I can't explain how boring and tedious it is, and I'm only at the start!”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
88%
38%
The game's humor is characterized by its quirky and weird elements, featuring amusing dialogue, particularly between the protagonist's sidekick and female characters, as well as entertaining interactions with gods and goddesses. While the story may lack depth, the characters provide a humorous and engaging experience that keeps players entertained.
- “The game is kind of weird and funny at the same time.”
- “My favorites are Hanabusa's (the protagonist) conversations with the gods and goddesses in the game; they are very funny and sometimes endearing.”
- “Great character art and funny dialogue.”
- “Insert unfunny '99 problems' joke here.”
- “The humor feels forced and falls flat more often than not.”
- “I expected clever jokes, but instead got tired clichés.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs that can lead to freezes and crashes, particularly during specific side quests. Players are advised to save often and avoid using certain keyboard shortcuts to mitigate these problems, as the underlying engine contributes to the overall instability.
- “This game still has a lot of bugs that induce either freezes or crashes.”
- “Save often, the game can be buggy and crash.”
- “Kirikiri is an extremely buggy engine that can make saving an irritant.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its beautifully detailed art and an engaging original soundtrack that effectively brings the setting of feudal Japan to life. Reviewers note that the music enhances the overall experience, contributing to a positive and immersive environment, although some suggest that more variety in the tracks could improve certain situations. Overall, the atmosphere is considered the game's strongest aspect, overshadowing its simpler gameplay mechanics.
- “The overall gameplay is fairly simple all things considered, but I feel it is nice enough, since the real weight of this game is mainly carried by its atmosphere, characters, and environment.”
- “The music provides a lovely atmosphere to the game and is rather upbeat for the most part; it certainly fits with the positive personality of Hanabusa and her determination.”
- “Beautifully detailed art and an atmospheric original soundtrack bring feudal Japan alive.”
- “The overall gameplay is fairly simple, but I feel it is nice enough, since the real weight of this game is mainly carried by its atmosphere, characters, and environment.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Character development is highlighted through consistently interesting and detailed character designs, complemented by a vibrant anime art style. The storyline and dialogue are well-crafted, enhancing the overall experience, while the unique character designs, though occasionally unconventional, contribute positively to the game's appeal.
- “The character design is excellent, the music is great, and the storyline and dialogue are very well written.”
- “The art has a vibrant anime style to it and is full of detail in the character designs and backgrounds.”
- “The art style may not appeal to everyone, but I enjoy the soft lines and fun color palette, and the major character designs and even side character designs are consistently interesting, if a little weird in places.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have reported inconsistent frame rates during gameplay, leading to noticeable stuttering and a less smooth experience overall.
- “This meant that while playing, the frame rate would rise and fall very frequently, resulting in a noticeable stuttering effect.”
- “The optimization is so poor that it feels like I'm playing a slideshow instead of a game.”
- “I constantly experience lag and frame drops, making it nearly impossible to enjoy the gameplay.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The game offers some replayability through three different endings and a newgame+ mode that accelerates subsequent playthroughs, though achieving 100% completion requires significant effort. However, some players find the replay experience tedious, particularly due to repetitive boss mechanics.
- “The three different endings add a significant amount of replay value, and the New Game+ mode makes subsequent playthroughs much faster if you choose to use it. Achieving 100% completion requires some dedication.”
- “With multiple endings to explore, the game encourages players to replay it and experience all the different outcomes.”
- “The inclusion of a New Game+ mode enhances replayability, allowing players to revisit the game with new strategies and faster progression.”
- “Three endings add a little bit of replay value, though New Game+ mode makes subsequent playthroughs much faster if you choose that; getting 100% completion takes some dedication.”
- “The replay value is boring as hell, and the endless loop of heal spells the boss used is really getting on my nerves.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is not directly addressed in the provided text, which focuses more on technical functionality rather than emotional engagement or impact. Therefore, no summary can be drawn regarding the emotional experience from this input.