99 Spirits

About

"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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

58%

Audience ScoreBased on 268 reviews

story65 positive mentions

grinding22 negative mentions

The storytelling is well done and engaging, with a charming cast of characters and a unique premise based on Japanese folklore.
The artwork and music are lovely, contributing to a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
The combat system, which involves guessing the names of spirits, is creative and adds a puzzle element to the gameplay.

The gameplay can become monotonous and repetitive, especially as players face the same enemies multiple times without significant variation.
The game is prone to crashes and bugs, which can lead to frustrating loss of progress if players do not save frequently.
The difficulty spikes in later chapters can be jarring, making the combat feel tedious and unbalanced at times.

story
171 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
56%
6%
The story of "99 Spirits" is centered around Japanese folklore, particularly the concept of "tsukumogami," and follows the protagonist Hanabusa on a quest to confront these possessed objects while uncovering her family's past. While the narrative is generally well-received for its depth and character development, some players find it slow-paced and occasionally convoluted, with mixed opinions on the writing quality. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging story and charming art style, making it a worthwhile experience for those who prioritize narrative over gameplay mechanics.
- “The focus is on the 'tsukumogami' (a type of yōkai that possesses a specific object) and the main story involves finding a way to stop the chaos they create, primarily by visiting a number of ancient gods.”
- “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!”
- “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.”
- “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
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
60%
10%
The gameplay in this title is characterized by a unique combat system that requires players to identify and spell the names of enemies before attacking, which initially feels refreshing but quickly becomes repetitive and tedious. While the game features a charming aesthetic and engaging story, many players find the mechanics clunky and the overall experience lacking depth, leading to a mixed reception regarding its enjoyment. Casual mode is recommended for a smoother experience, allowing players to focus more on the narrative rather than the often frustrating gameplay elements.
- “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 prioritizes its effort well - the brunt of the gameplay is in the unique combat system, while moving around is a very simple affair and menus and shops are pretty basic.”
- “99 Spirits is a fun and unique puzzle role-playing game with many hours of gameplay.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay gets monotonous really quick.”
- “The gameplay is the same over and over; the graphics are the same, the board you are playing on, the sounds, really everything.”
- “As said in other reviews, the gameplay is very repetitive, which makes the game very boring.”
music
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
51%
8%
The music in the game is generally praised for its beautiful blend of traditional Japanese elements and modern instruments, creating an atmospheric and engaging soundtrack that complements the visuals and story. However, many players note that the battle music can become repetitive and annoying over time, detracting from the overall experience. While the soundtrack is considered a highlight by some, its limited variety and looping nature may not appeal to everyone, especially during extended gameplay sessions.
- “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 art, music, and story are very interesting and very pleasing.”
- “The soundtrack and sounds are a little bit annoying after playing for a while.”
- “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 art style, vibrant colors, and charming character designs, which draw heavily from traditional Japanese aesthetics and folklore. While many players appreciate the visuals and the overall artistic direction, some find the graphics to be mediocre or underwhelming, particularly in comparison to the engaging story and music. Overall, the art style is a significant highlight, though opinions vary on its execution and 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
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be a tedious and repetitive experience, particularly in the early stages, with many players finding it boring and slow. While some appreciate the option to adjust difficulty and find casual mode enhances the overall experience by allowing the story to shine, others feel that grinding is often necessary to progress, leading to frustration. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a significant drawback, detracting from the enjoyment of the game.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I can't explain how boring and tedious it is, and I'm only at the start!”
- “Any grinding would make the game very boring because battles are highly repetitive, with only around 7 enemies in each area.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
88%
38%
The game's humor is characterized by its quirky and 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, especially Shizuru, provide a comedic charm that keeps players engaged. Overall, the humor blends weirdness with endearing moments, making for a lighthearted experience.
- “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.”
- “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
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting its beautifully detailed art and an engaging original soundtrack that effectively brings the setting of feudal Japan to life. The music complements the game's positive themes and characters, enhancing the overall experience and immersing players in its vibrant world.
- “The overall gameplay is fairly simple, but 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 to life.”
- “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, featuring a vibrant anime style that enhances the overall aesthetic. The storyline and dialogue are well-crafted, contributing to an engaging narrative experience, while the unique character designs, though occasionally unconventional, add depth to the characters.
- “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.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
100%
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 go that route. Achieving 100% completion requires some dedication.”
- “With multiple endings to explore, the game encourages you to replay it and experience all the different outcomes. The New Game+ mode is a fantastic addition that speeds up the process for those who want to dive back in.”
- “The replayability is impressive, thanks to the various endings and the New Game+ feature, which allows players to experience the game again with enhanced speed and efficiency.”
- “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.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players have reported inconsistent frame rates during gameplay, leading to noticeable stuttering and a lack of smoothness in the overall experience.
- “The frame rate fluctuates significantly during gameplay, resulting in a noticeable stuttering effect.”
- “Optimization issues lead to frequent drops in performance, making the game feel choppy and unresponsive.”
- “The inconsistent frame rate severely impacts the overall gaming experience, causing frustration and distraction.”
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.