Qliphah in Providence's Shadow
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Qliphah in Providence's Shadow
Qliphah in Providence's Shadow focused all its promotion around its Tactical Counter Timeline RPG battle system, and it certainly wasn't lying, as the game presents a gameplay design unlike anything I have seen before.
Qliphah In Providence's Shadow has the ambition to try something different, but in practice it needs better execution. It feels like a rhythm based battle system that has a very slow beat to it if you just focus on counters, with any pace needing you to attack without a care for defence. The battles are repetitive too and once you settle on a build there is no real reason to change it up.
Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow is most easily compared to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. There are a lot of people waiting for a game influenced by it, and this is the first great one.
Frustration mounts from start to finish during Qliphah in Providence's Shadow. What could have been a unique, brand-new IP sadly fails to capitalize on its great ideas. Combat is convoluted, and its special mechanics don't always work as intended, and the investigation segments almost unlock on their own. There are glimpses of something good here, but bad design decisions constantly hold it back.
Qliphah in Providence's Shadow is an entertaining-yet-contained VN/RPG hybrid with an altogether clever counter battle system.
Qliphah: In Providence’s Shadow is a game carried by it’s fun combat, solid visuals and two solid leads. Had some things been pushed a bit further, perhaps it could’ve been a hidden standout but for as it stands, it’s a good budget title RPG that’s worth checking out.
Although there are a few good ideas here, the game is simply not much fun to play. RPGamers who want something different may find Qliphah worth a look, but it is ultimately difficult to recommend.
Moving beyond turn-based RPGs, real-time combat or hybrid forms of the two, this title attempts to break new ground and shake up the genre with a concept that almost feels like a rhythm game at some points. The developers may have been a bit too ambitious however. A reduction in the number of abilities and tutorials would have probably been better. Yet once players get the hang of it the game offers a rewarding sense of accomplishment. Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow dares to innovate, creating a unique blend of visual novel and RPG featuring a combat system unlike anything I have seen before. Ultimately though a bit more polish and less complexity would have benefited the game in the end.
Review in German | Read full review
