Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon Reviews
Nights of Azure was a surprise gem of 2016, giving Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon high expectations to live up to.
A fast-paced hack-and-slash with fun, combo-heavy combat and an anime-after-dark aesthetic, Nights of Azure 2 is a great time. Strong characters, endearing interactions, and an interesting plot kept us excited to play more throughout, even if the repetitive missions and environments make for an experience best enjoyed in smaller chunks. 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.
I enjoyed the new battle systems and all of the additional features that Gust added to Nights of Azure 2. However, it's clear that keeping the action fast and the frame rate stable were the developers biggest concerns and it shows in the forgettable environments. Thankfully, there's too many good features about Nights of Azure 2 for fans of Gust to not pick it up, while at the same time introducing new players to the developer. As for me, I'm going to hope that they continue to support this awesome action RPG series and its casual yuri story plots.
This Musou is not among the best that have been tested, with somewhat small and mechanical maps that have benefited from a little more attention.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Compared to the original, Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon is an utter disgrace. For me, it took all the good stuff out and amplified the things that didn't work. Performance is notably worse, and don't get me started again about how bad the dialogue is in this cookie cutter excuse for a sequel. Even if you like this kind of titillation, this is a remarkably poor example of it. Avoid at all costs.
Though Nights of Azure 2 feels more like a sidegrade than a definitive step-up at times, some of its new and revised features still allow it to feel like a genuinely new experience that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy.
All criticisms aside, though, Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon never really pretended as though it was going to be anything different than what players have gotten with its release. It's quick and dirty, the video game equivalent of a greasy burger, and Nights of Azure 2 will leave all but the most hardcore fans of yuri tropes feeling the same kind of shame that comes after consuming fast food as well. Nights of Azure 2 isn't a bad game, but it certainly isn't a good one either—it's just empty calories, with nothing having been gained or lost after a playthrough.
Knights of Azure 2 was not an awful experience, just a thoroughly mediocre one. Combat is dull and simplistic; game performance lacks; many of its systems never amount to much and – its visuals are likely held back by the Vita, a device that westerners forgot about 5 years ago.
Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon improves over the predecessor in every possible way, from the more refined gameplay to a more inspired story and art direction. There are some technical issues, and the game is not available in the Italian language. Other than that, a pretty good RPG-musou.
Review in Italian | Read full review
If Nights of Azure could have been a promising franchise, Gust didn't succeed in making a good use of it with this second game. Despite a few improvements, Bride of the New Moon is technically and narratively too weak to outperform his predecessor. Only its casting, while too clich' and hyper-sexualized, raises the bar and offers a few cute moments. In itself, Nights of Azure 2 isn't a chaotic game and JRPG fans will most likely enjoy it.
Review in French | Read full review
Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon improves heavily on the original but it also stubbles by introducing unnecessary mechanics that hinders your ability to enjoy the game at your own pace.
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 experience offered is thus slightly worse. The game can still be enjoyable with its fast-paced battle system, humorous interactions, and plenty of fanservice, but the low challenge level, bad dungeon design, and underwhelming story make it difficult to stay engaged for a long time. A missed opportunity.
Nights of Azure 2 doesn't stray too far away from its predecessor
Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon is quite a streamlined Japanese RPG. The time limit system will keep you constantly moving forward, and while it is a bit shorter than your typical JRPG, it rarely feels repetitive thanks to a quick and satisfying battle system. A beautiful and engaging cast of characters are the icing on the cake.
Like the first episode, Nights of Azure 2 is a charming A-RPG with some loveable soundtrack and some solid arguments to seduce players who like those kind of experiences.
Review in French | Read full review
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. Add that to a trite plot and pandering fan service and there isn't much to praise.
Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon is another Koei Tecmo game that looks like so many others, but plays with a special mix of ease and uniqueness that makes it compelling and addictive. There are many fun elements for exploration and battles, not the least of which is a time limit system that keeps you moving and searching for better ways to complete tasks. Despite some monotony as you progress, there is a ton to enjoy in this fun and simple game.
Nights of Azure 2 was the chance to improve on its predecessors potential, but it completely drops the ball.
Frustratingly repetitive gameplay makes this a disappointing follow-up to last year's action RPG by Gust.