Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon

70%
Game Brain Score Based on 182 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon Game Cover
We should really be saving the world, but have you been to the pool?
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In "Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon," players journey through treacherous dungeons with a party of allies to fight against unique fiends. Aluche, the player's character, can perform powerful Lily Bursts with her humanoid companions, while Servans offer unique abilities and elemental attacks to aid in battle. Each team member brings their own skills and fighting styles to the party, ensuring diverse strategies in combat.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station Vita
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

70%
Audience ScoreBased on 182 reviews
story29 positive mentions
grinding8 negative mentions
  • The combat system has improved with the addition of various combos and interactions with partners, making battles more engaging.
  • The exploration aspect has been enhanced, with a better map design and the need to choose specific Servans to overcome obstacles.
  • The game features a larger cast of characters, which adds depth to the story and character interactions.
  • The game suffers from frequent crashes and performance issues, particularly in the hub area.
  • The time limit mechanic can feel restrictive and punishing, detracting from the overall enjoyment of exploration and quest completion.
  • The story and character development are considered weaker compared to the first game, with some characters feeling underutilized.
  • story122 mentions

    The story in "Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon" is often described as a rehash of familiar themes, focusing on Aluche's quest against the Moon Queen, but it attempts to add depth through character interactions and DLC content that enriches the main villain's motivations. While some players appreciate the emotional weight and character development, others criticize the narrative for being less engaging than its predecessor, with repetitive side quests and a lack of variety in storytelling elements. Overall, the game presents a mix of intriguing moments and clichés, leaving players divided on its effectiveness and depth.

    • “The game gives you hints about the story details without directly telling you what happened in the game's world (through character affinities and the DLC story, which adds motivation for the main villain and the context before the protagonist fights her), which is cool but also forces you to play through it all to get a full understanding.”
    • “The buildup of these relationships has twists and turns that actually matter to the main plot and, at times, it's rather heartbreaking.”
    • “This has to be the best written yuri/gothic story I've seen in a game.”
    • “Overall the game has bland characters and an unfleshed out story.”
    • “The story feels like more of the same, with Aluche needing to defeat the Moon Queen or sacrifice the priestess.”
    • “It's retreading the same ground with the story, but doing it with an inferior overall plot and some cringe-worthy writing for the dialogue.”
  • gameplay61 mentions

    The gameplay in "Nights of Azure 2" features a mix of improved combat mechanics, such as combos and weapon switching through servans, which enhance the overall experience despite some players finding it limited and repetitive. The introduction of a time-limited mechanic adds a layer of challenge, though it can detract from exploration and pacing, leading to mixed feelings about its implementation. Overall, while the game retains elements from its predecessor, it struggles with balancing new features and maintaining engaging gameplay.

    • “Despite the slower combat, they compensated with the addition of various combos, interactions with your partners for combo attacks, and the ability to switch weapons using the servans with that function, which allows you to customize gameplay.”
    • “The new mechanic of a limited number of in-game days to complete each chapter may seem daunting at first, but it is very easy to get used to, and once you start planning your hunts before departing, it poses no trouble at all.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, much like the first game, wherein you can interact with characters/servans and upgrade your weapons and items in the hotel and time-limited areas/maps. Battle mechanics have improved from the first entry, such as Lily Burst, support, and additional servan mechanics, making it more enticing and engaging.”
    • “However, the gameplay has taken a huge hit.”
    • “Nights of Azure 2 attempts to add new gameplay elements to the tragic gothic romance of the ARPG franchise, but things like puzzles, map exploration, and a larger party to master work against the timing mechanic that is central to the game's design.”
    • “The gameplay is highly repetitive, both in exploring the world and in the generic mash-y gameplay, but despite all the negatives, there's actually some fun to be had here.”
  • music36 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players find it enchanting and fitting for the gameplay, others feel it lacks the memorability and epic quality of the first game's soundtrack. Several reviewers noted that certain tracks can become repetitive and less engaging over time, though the overall quality is still considered good. Comparisons to previous titles highlight a general sentiment that while the music is decent, it doesn't quite reach the heights of earlier installments.

    • “Overall it's fun, the character designs are neat, the music is great, and there are plenty of servans to augment weird gameplay; so what's the bad news?”
    • “The music score is enchanting and simply wonderful.”
    • “The music is excellent, which is standard for most Gust games; in my opinion, the music in this game is among their best.”
    • “The graphics and fan service are a lot better, but the music and character interactions are a bit worse than the first, in my opinion.”
    • “[narrative and characterisation are significantly worse, severe performance issues, forced time limit reduces gameplay options, uninspired combat mechanics additions at the cost of previous ones, generic soundtrack]”
    • “[music].”
  • graphics27 mentions

    The graphics in "Nights of Azure 2" are generally praised for their stunning art style and appealing visuals, though some players report significant pop-in issues and minor stutters during cutscenes that can be distracting. While the game maintains a consistent frame rate and offers decent visuals, it lacks extensive graphical settings, which may limit customization for players. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, despite some technical shortcomings.

    • “Great visuals and music, nice story, fun and addicting gameplay.”
    • “The storyline is average, characters are interesting, and I like the combat as well as the visual art style, which is stunning.”
    • “Worth a buy if you enjoyed the original as the follow-up keeps the same appealing art style, seemingly fixed most of the flaws and adds more demons to the mix.”
    • “Graphics have major pop-in issues, especially with post-processing effects for mid-distance geometry, which can be very distracting.”
    • “As much as I love playing Nights of Azure, I want to support its second entry on Steam; however, every KT port has fewer graphical settings available, such as resolution and depth of field. So far, NoA2 is pretty much an okay port from my end since I'm not having any issues, and the game runs at a constant 60 frames, but it suffers from 720p resolution movies and minor stutters during cutscenes, which is not game-breaking but still noticeable.”
    • “The PC port is lacking in graphics options.”
  • grinding8 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be significant, with some describing it as tedious, particularly in relation to sub-quests. However, many still enjoy the overall experience, suggesting that the grind can be offset by the game's enjoyable elements.

    • “The game can be really grindy.”
    • “The sub-quests are quite tedious.”
    • “Though that made the more tedious parts of the game less so.”
  • stability6 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including unpredictable crashes and long freezes, with players reporting multiple instances of these problems during gameplay. Additionally, some boss encounters are plagued by bugs, further detracting from the overall experience.

    • “Severe issues of note: crashes at unpredictable moments (2 times in 12 hours, 2 other long freezes/hitches).”
    • “Additionally had 2 long freezes that felt very dicey.”
    • “One boss who uses a single attack showed up twice; one was so buggy it clipped into a wall and died, and another had you stand stationary and waiting for it to throw projectiles so you might knock them back at them.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartfelt storytelling and the impactful development of relationships, which significantly influence the main plot and can evoke strong feelings, including heartbreak. Players appreciate the depth of the narrative, particularly in its representation of yuri themes, making it a compelling experience that resonates on an emotional level.

    • “The buildup of these relationships has twists and turns that actually matter to the main plot and, at times, it's rather heartbreaking.”
    • “I like what this game is - a heartfelt action RPG that does yuri storytelling right, and I'm ready for more.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    Overall, optimization feedback is mixed; while some users report mild stability issues and minor controller support problems that can be resolved, others criticize the Nintendo Switch port of "Nights of Azure 2" for significant visual and performance downgrades compared to its predecessor. Handheld mode also suffers from noticeable performance issues and a lack of polish, impacting the overall experience.

    • “There were some mild stability issues (occasional crashes while in the hub area but saving frequently prevented any potential loss of time/progress) and a small issue with controller support (fixed by disabling the Steam overlay), but overall great from a performance perspective.”
    • “There are some noticeable performance issues in handheld mode, and a few interface woes reflect a lack of overall polish, but if you’re looking for an enjoyable action romp with plenty of blood-sucking style, this is an excellent choice.”
    • “Nights of Azure 2 on Nintendo Switch is a lazy port with loads of visual and performance issues and a downgrade compared to the first one in every aspect.”
    • “There are some noticeable performance issues in handheld mode, and a few interface woes reflect a lack of overall polish.”
    • “[Narrative and characterization are significantly worse, severe performance issues, forced time limit reduces gameplay options, uninspired combat mechanics additions at the cost of previous ones, generic soundtrack]”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is generally described as enjoyable, though some players feel it lacks the calm and cozy charm of the first installment, particularly missing the pleasant hotel setting and its accompanying music. While the sequel, noa2, does have moments of comfort, it does not consistently match the serene ambiance of its predecessor.

    • “I also missed how calm and comfy the first game was, with its pleasant hotel atmosphere, its music, and the altar where you leveled up.”
    • “That's not to say noa2 isn't comfy with atmosphere; it can be at times, just a lot less than the first game was.”
    • “Enjoyable atmosphere.”
    • “That's not to say Noa2 isn't comfortable with atmosphere; it can be at times, just a lot less than the first game was.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Reviews indicate that while the character designs and overall gameplay are enjoyable, "Nights of Azure 2" falls short in character development and interaction, failing to enhance the strengths of its predecessor in this area.

    • “Nights of Azure 2 had the potential of being much better than the original game, but it fails to build upon some of its best features, such as the character development and interaction.”
    • “The game is severely lacking in character development.”
    • “Character development feels shallow and uninspired.”
    • “I was disappointed by the lack of depth in character development.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by charming characters like Christophorous and Arnice, whose funny moments add to the overall enjoyment. While the game features humorous interactions and fanservice, some players feel that the lack of challenge and engaging story may detract from the experience over time.

    • “The game can still be enjoyable with its fast-paced battle system, humorous interactions, and plenty of fanservice.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is positively received, with multiple users noting the absence of microtransactions.

    • “There are no microtransactions, which makes the experience much more enjoyable.”
    • “I appreciate that the game doesn't include any microtransactions.”
    • “The absence of microtransactions really enhances the overall gameplay.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

62% average critic score

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