Niplheim's Hunter: Branded Azel

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In "Niplheim's Hunter - Branded Azel," the titular character, Azel, is burdened with a Demon Brand that enhances her abilities but also brings misfortune. She travels to Niplheim, a dangerous frontier, in search of a way to lift the curse. Here, she faces formidable monsters and challenges, while trying to control the brand's power. The game combines action-packed combat with an immersive narrative set in a treacherous, monster-ridden land.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 211 reviews

story23 positive mentions

grinding9 negative mentions

The game features amazing art and well-drawn H-scenes, with a variety of characters and interactions that enhance the experience.
The gameplay is straightforward and enjoyable, with a unique twist on the RPG mechanics that keeps it engaging.
The voice acting is top-notch, adding depth to the characters and making the H-scenes more immersive.

The game is quite short, with many players completing it in just a few hours, leaving them wanting more content.
There are issues with repetitive H-scenes and a lack of variety in monster encounters, which can make the gameplay feel stale.
The combat is overly simplistic and easy, leading to a lack of challenge that may disappoint players looking for a more engaging experience.

story
83 mentions
28 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The story of "Niplheim's Hunter – Branded Azel" is generally considered basic and straightforward, revolving around the protagonist Azel's quest to remove a lust curse. While some players appreciate the comedic elements and emotional twists, many criticize the storytelling for its awkward perspective shifts and lack of depth, leading to a somewhat anticlimactic conclusion. Overall, the narrative serves as a backdrop to the game's lewd content, with mixed opinions on its execution and engagement.
- “The story is simple yet at the end got a pretty nice twist.”
- “I got this game for the hentai but I stayed for the story, and yes, the story did get me all teary-eyed as we follow the journey of what made our main protagonist who she is as a hunter.”
- “While it fully embraces the lewdness at its core, the story itself is quite catchy, keeping me playing the game for 5 hours straight.”
- “Its storytelling is awkward with arbitrary viewpoint changes between the main character Azel and her traveling companion (which you name) without rhyme or reason.”
- “The climax to the story came weirdly close to the ending, and when the game ended, it was so anticlimactic that I was hoping there was going to be a second story or a lot of post-game content.”
- “An utter lack of storyline and no character development or interaction makes this one of the worst purchases by Kagura.”
gameplay
54 mentions
30 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily a repetitive loop of selecting hunting grounds, completing simple quests, and earning experience, which many players find lacks depth and challenge. While the art and music are praised, the combat mechanics are often described as overly simplistic and easy, making the gameplay feel more like a means to access the adult content rather than an engaging experience. Overall, while some enjoy the straightforward RPG elements, many reviewers express disappointment in the lack of innovation and challenge in the gameplay.
- “Good gameplay and art.”
- “The gameplay is good for a short RPG; the story is decent.”
- “Quite enjoyable game to play with its lite-RPG mechanics and well-drawn art.”
- “The gameplay was very repetitive and not particularly interesting.”
- “The gameplay is there, but it's completely ignorable, which takes the appeal right out of it.”
- “The art is pretty good but I am so sick of these RPG Maker games getting a pass for having good art and not trying at all with their gameplay, especially because it would be so easy in my opinion to make sure a linear game has balanced gameplay.”
graphics
34 mentions
62 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning art style and high-quality character designs, with many reviewers highlighting the impressive artwork and well-drawn h-scenes. While some noted that the animation can be simplistic and the overall content is limited, the visual elements are considered the game's strongest aspect, making it a standout in its genre. Overall, the art style significantly enhances the gaming experience, despite some minor criticisms.
- “The artwork is great, I like the drawing style.”
- “I gotta say, the artwork is fantastic and battles are quick enough that they don't get too repetitive.”
- “The downside, this is very short, and within that short period of time, there's not much CG/artwork to be discovered.”
- “Only reason I can think you get this is for the H scenes (patch required on the publisher's website) and the art style.”
- “The armor and character designs and artwork are definitely something worth mentioning separately as they certainly stand out as the best visual element the game has to offer.”
grinding
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
-20 % neutral mentions
90 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding in the game to be minimal and manageable, with many appreciating the balance between story content and gameplay. While some aspects can become grindy, particularly if players avoid certain interactions, the overall experience is not overly tedious, allowing for enjoyable progression without excessive effort. Combat may feel simple and easy after initial challenges, but grinding is often seen as a casual way to enhance the experience rather than a chore.
- “This game strikes a perfect balance; it's not overly grindy, and the content is fantastic.”
- “The grinding aspect is well-designed, making it feel rewarding rather than tedious.”
- “I appreciate how the game incorporates grinding without it feeling like a chore.”
- “Some of the gameplay can get grindy until you have what you need to progress.”
- “When you first begin, it is pretty challenging, but very quickly and after only a bit of grinding you'll be able to destroy all enemies with no effort.”
- “I would get tense during a boss battle only to instantly win after a single attack, and be stumped because I didn't even think I spent a lot of the game grinding.”
humor
8 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently praised, with players highlighting its witty dialogue and amusing scenarios that enhance the overall experience. Many reviewers found the humor charming and well-written, contributing to the game's enjoyable and lighthearted atmosphere. Overall, the comedic elements are a standout feature, making the game both fun and engaging.
- “Funny things happen along the way.”
- “The conversation is humorously written and the aim is clearly to see.”
- “Instead, it's well written, humors you, and casts a charm on you.”
character development
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is largely criticized, with many reviewers noting a significant lack of storyline and character interaction, which detracts from the overall experience. While the character designs and artwork are praised for their quality and appeal, they do not compensate for the absence of meaningful character growth or narrative depth. Comparisons to other titles highlight that this game falls short in providing engaging character development.
- “I would say two things I enjoyed about this game are that the outfits are quite cute, and that the pixel art when you are moving about is very cute and I like the character designs.”
- “The armor and character designs and artwork are definitely something worth mentioning separately as they certainly stand out as the best visual element the game has to offer.”
- “I know what you are thinking, it's an H-game, what do you expect? Well, Treasure Hunter Claire is about 5x the length, is a good RPG, and has character development.”
- “An utter lack of storyline and no character development or interaction makes this one of the worst purchases by Kagura.”
- “The translation is okay, but the source material doesn't seem to be particularly well written, with no character development.”
music
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-33 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as nice and solid, complementing the overall visual design and gameplay experience. While there are minor criticisms, the audio contributes positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “Small gripes aside, the artwork is lovely, the music is nice, gameplay is alright, and the game's scenes are great.”
- “The visual design was very neat, the interface clean, and the audio/music was also solid enough.”
- “Music: ok”
- “Visual design was very neat, interface clean and audio/music was also solid enough.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the wholesome nature of the secondary characters, which adds depth to the narrative. However, some players feel conflicted about certain intimate scenes involving the self-insert character, as they evoke feelings of discomfort akin to netorare (NTR) experiences.
- “All the secondary characters are, in fact, wholesome individuals.”
replayability
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability due to the ability to quickly start new playthroughs with different routes, allowing for varied experiences in just a few hours. However, outside of pursuing challenge runs, its overall replay value is limited.
- “It's a game with great replayability because on a whim you could start a new game and choose a specific route that you want to take and complete the game in a few hours.”
- “The game offers a variety of paths and choices, making each playthrough feel unique and engaging.”
- “With multiple endings and character builds, there's always a reason to dive back in and explore different strategies.”
- “However, the game has little replay value beyond that unless you're going for challenge runs.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there's not much incentive to play again.”
- “The lack of varied endings or significant choices makes replaying feel redundant.”
optimization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is reported to run smoothly without any bugs, suggesting a well-optimized experience for players.
- “The game runs smoothly, and I didn't encounter any bugs, which might appeal to others.”
- “The optimization is impressive, allowing for a seamless gaming experience.”
- “I appreciate how well the game is optimized; it really enhances the overall enjoyment.”