BLACK CLOVER: QUARTET KNIGHTS
- September 12, 2018
- ILINX, Inc.
- 4h median play time
Black Clover: Quartet Knights is definitely not the sleeper hit of 2018, and I’m not even sure if the fans of the original manga series are among the people playing the game. It’s not a bad title, but I’m pretty sure that the studio overstated just who many people are going to play it. Focusing on multiplayer with such a niche following might not have been the best course of action. In any case, as it stands right now, Black Clover: Quartet Knights is somewhat fun to play, even if you just want to go through the single-player campaign, or if you enjoy taking on multiplayer populated with bots. I have a distinct feeling that if a new Black Clover game will ever be made, it’s not going to focus on the multiplayer aspect.
"Black Clover: Quartet Knights" is a magical action game based on the popular Black Clover anime and manga. Players form teams of four in various game modes, including 4v4 battles, and use their unique magic abilities to defeat opponents. The game features a variety of characters from the series and offers both single-player and multiplayer options. Character count: 174
Reviews
- The game offers a unique story that is separate from the anime, providing a fresh experience for fans.
- Gameplay is fun and engaging, with a variety of characters and abilities that reflect the anime's charm.
- The graphics and animations are visually appealing, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
- The multiplayer mode is virtually dead, making it difficult to find matches against real players.
- The story mode is short, taking only a few hours to complete, which may leave players wanting more content.
- There are significant technical issues, including bugs and performance problems, especially for AMD GPU users.
- story174 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is an original, non-canon narrative that diverges from the anime, but it is criticized for being very short, typically taking only 2-5 hours to complete. While some players appreciate the new storyline and character perspectives, many find it bland, predictable, and lacking depth, with repetitive missions and minimal character development. Overall, the story mode is seen as a fun addition for fans of the series, but it falls short in terms of length and engagement.
“The story is interesting and is not part of the anime or manga; this game is like an OVA.”
“As a fan of the series, I can appreciate that they came up with a separate storyline for the game rather than rehashing the same old from the anime and manga.”
“The story itself is intriguing once you really get into it, and it's a nice change to play through the story from various characters' perspectives.”
“The story is bland and predictable and easy to get through unless you play on hard.”
“The single player story is an original story, it's supposed to be a filler-like arc but it's so short that it could be covered in 3-4 episodes.”
“The story mode is a joke, there are only a few short missions, each consisting of very short tasks, where you need to either kill some mobs and/or a boss or hold a point to get points.”
- gameplay38 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the solid mechanics and fun combat, while others criticize it for being overly simplistic and repetitive, often reducing to basic button mashing. Many noted that the game feels unfinished, with unbalanced character abilities and a lack of engaging multiplayer options, leading to a sense of disappointment despite the potential for enjoyable gameplay. Overall, while the game has its merits, particularly for fans of the source material, it struggles with depth and variety.
“The story is short and new (it wasn’t in the original series) and the gameplay is pretty solid.”
“Hella fun, awesome gameplay and nice roster.”
“The gameplay is nice and it's awesome to be able to play as your favorite characters from Black Clover!”
“Game is a barebones arena fighter with very simple controls and a Black Clover skin; the gameplay difference between characters is not that impactful either, which is disappointing.”
“The game's obvious focus is on multiplayer, but the gameplay is so bland that I don't see the appeal.”
“Even on hard, the actual gameplay is basically 'mash right trigger until you win', and that's it.”
- graphics19 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The game's graphics receive mixed reviews, with some praising the vibrant anime visuals and unique character designs, while others find the combination of 2D and 3D elements inconsistent and occasionally lacking in quality. Although the graphics are generally considered good, performance issues on lower-end hardware can detract from the experience. Overall, while the art style is appreciated, it may not fully justify the game's price for some players.
“The game has nice graphics, in my opinion, and the characters are crazy awesome.”
“The game is super good; it has good graphics and an excellent story mode.”
“The art style is one of the best I've seen in years, with bright and colorful anime visuals.”
“The seemingly random mix of 2D animated (best), 3D animated (meh), and 2D static graphics (boring) comes out as weird, perhaps even lazy.”
“The visuals are average, but my laptop has such a hard time running them that I had to drop them all to the lowest setting just to get the playable parts not to lag.”
“I had to switch to an old graphics card due to a short, and the particle effects can cause lockups.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding in the game is excessive, with some players feeling it requires an unreasonable amount of time investment, even from those who typically enjoy grinding mechanics.
“The grinding can feel excessive at times.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Too much grinding.”
“As a side note for people who are going to comment that I'm just not into grinding games, I have 2,000 hours on Black Desert, so that's not true.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting frequent freezes, crashes, and significant bugs that hinder gameplay. Many players find it unplayable due to these issues, which also lead to high RAM usage, preventing them from multitasking while playing.
“I've tried to play this game off and on a number of times; the game just freezes or crashes, resulting in me never being able to play the story or enjoy the game.”
“Unplayable, buggy HUD, and the first actual gameplay (the part after the animations) was just stuck as it came, so I wasn't even able to move my mouse or screen a single millimeter.”
“The game seems fun, but it's very buggy and seems to eat RAM, so I can't have anything open in the background like YouTube.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers moderate replayability through challenges and easy achievements, making it appealing for completionists. Players appreciate its fun gameplay and balanced characters, suggesting that upcoming DLCs will further enhance the experience. Overall, the combination of visual appeal and engaging content justifies its price.
“The game has great replayability, and is generally visually pleasing. Aside from the minor bugs and issues, the general gameplay is really fun. Most characters are balanced, and some could use slight tweaking, but for a game that has just come out, it definitely feels worth the £40 price tag, especially with 3 DLCs to come that will only add more and make the game more fun.”
“Not difficult, around 3 hours, has a sort of replayability in the form of challenges, and gives you the possibility of getting easy achievements if that's your thing.”
“Not difficult, around 3 hours long, has some replayability in the form of challenges, and offers the possibility of easily obtaining achievements if that's your thing.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is inconsistent; while some players find it well-optimized with a compelling story, others criticize it for poor AI performance and a lack of active online multiplayer, leading to frustrating experiences against overly skilled bots.
“The game is well optimized and has a good story, with difficulty settings that incite challenge.”
“It's badly optimized; the online is dead, and playing against AI bots with perfect aim isn't fun.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, making it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
“I experienced constant frame drops and long loading times, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is negatively impacted by technical issues, as players express frustration over character control problems, which detracts from their overall experience.
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is well-received, complementing the story effectively and enhancing the overall experience.
“The story and soundtrack are both excellent.”
“The music perfectly complements the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.”
“The soundtrack is incredibly immersive and adds depth to the game's atmosphere.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is negatively impacted by poor advertising from Bandai Namco, leading to a lack of player engagement and visibility.
“The monetization system feels exploitative, with prices set unreasonably high for in-game items.”
“It's frustrating to see that progress is heavily gated behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
“The constant push for microtransactions detracts from the overall experience, making it feel more like a cash grab than a game.”
Critic Reviews
Black Clover: Quartet Knights Review (PC)
Black Clover: Quartet Knights is definitely not the sleeper hit of 2018, and I’m not even sure if the fans of the original manga series are among the people playing the game. It’s not a bad title, but I’m pretty sure that the studio overstated just who many people are going to play it. Focusing on multiplayer with such a niche following might not have been the best course of action. In any case, as it stands right now, Black Clover: Quartet Knights is somewhat fun to play, even if you just want to go through the single-player campaign, or if you enjoy taking on multiplayer populated with bots. I have a distinct feeling that if a new Black Clover game will ever be made, it’s not going to focus on the multiplayer aspect.
65%Black Clover Quartet Knights Review
Words by Jason Coles
20%Black Clover: Quartet Knights
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