| Nights of Azure | |
|---|---|
| |
| Japanese Title | よるのないくに |
| Romanization | Yoru no Nai Kuni |
| Developer | Gust |
| Publisher | Koei Tecmo |
| Producer(s) | Keisuke Kikuchi |
| Composer(s) | Kazuki Yanagawa, Daisuke Achiwa, Hayato Asano |
| Visual Designer(s) | Yoshiku |
| Release(s) |  October 1, 2015 March 29, 2016 April 1, 2016
|
| Genre(s) | Action-RPG |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3 (Japan only) PlayStation 4 PlayStation Vita (Japan only) Microsoft Windows |
Nights of Azure (よるのないくに, Yoru no Nai Kuni) is a low fantasy genre action role-playing game developed by Gust and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Microsoft Windows. It was originally released in Japan on October 1, 2015 before being translated into English and re-released in North America and Europe in early 2016, and Microsoft Windows in early 2017.
Plot[]
| “ | Once there was a being who wasn't human— | ” |
| — Story Introduction[1] | ||
The story begins in a world threatened by Eternal Night, caused by a dangerous being known as the Nightlord. In response to the Nightlord, the First Saint, Ludegert, rose up to challenge him. But as she dealt the final blow, the Nightlord's essence—Blue Blood—rained down upon the world. All who were exposed to it, from inanimate objects to living beings, were transformed into bloodthirsty fiends that preyed upon humanity at night.
Eight hundred years after the incident, Arnice arrives at Ruswal, an uncharted island in the North Sea, and reunites with Lilysse, her old friend from boarding school. Not long after however, Lilysse is chosen as the next Saint, whose duty is to sacrifice herself to seal the Nightlord's remains with Arnice as her protector—her loyal Holy Knight. Thus begins Arnice's tale of love and duty, where she must slay enemies along her journey and learns more about the world, Lilysse, and herself, being a half-demon—one who was exposed to the Blue Blood yet retained her humanity.
Gameplay[]
Main article: Gameplay
The primary gameplay of Nights of Azure involves controlling Arnice freely during the night and navigating her through set levels while battling fiends with the help of her summoned servans. These stages are timed, and running out of time results in Arnice returning to Ende Hotel as the night ends. Alternatively, reaching the end of the stage will stop the timer and initiate a boss fight which will progress the story when beaten. At the end of each night, collected Libra and equipment will be shown to the player, along with servan experience and Blue Blood.
During the day, Arnice will automatically perform tasks that are selected ahead of time by the player, and each task will increase her stats according to which one is selected. The other point at which the player has control of Arnice is when she is at the Ende Hotel, wherein they may visit various locations, change equipment or servans, read summaries of the game's story, and so on. This is also where missions can be launched from, starting another night.
Characters[]
Main Characters[]
- Arnice: A holy knight in service to the Curia. After coming in contact with the Nightlord's blood, she became a half-demon. Her half-demon nature has given her the ability to absorb Blue Blood, and she fights with a demon sword composed of her own blood. Though she seems like a calm, collected woman at first glance, she harbors a fierce passion deep within her.[1]
- Lilysse: The Saint who is destined to give her life to seal what remains of the Nightlord. She has been close friends with Arnice since boarding school. While she understands the Curia's expectations of her to a certain extent, she has already accepted her destiny as a Saint. Her nickname is Lily.[1]
Supporting characters[]
- Simon: The hotel manager and the manager of the cafe. He can always be seen wiping cups and glasses, and whenever someone walks in he places a drink in front of them at the perfect time. His hotel collaborates with the Curia, and it's Simon's job to relay messages and provide support to Arnice. With his calm demeanor, he goes above and beyond to provide care and support to Arnice and the others.[1]
- Professor Alucard: A young man who came to the Ende Hotel. He calls himself a demon researcher, but his suspicious motives stir distrust in others. In contrast to his eloquent appearance, he is constantly seen pestering Arnice, begging her to be his research subject.[1]
- Lloyd: A traveling merchant who came to the Ende Hotel. A money-grubbing realist who would even sell fiends to people if he could. He gives many quests to Arnice, but they're all for his benefit. She often gets tired of him as a result. He has vast knowledge of demons and the Curia, and it seems like he is more than just a merchant. As a coffee-drinker, he constantly argues with the tea-loving Alucard. The two of them get along like cats and dogs.[1]
- Christophorus: A masked pureblood demon who lives in the Ruswal Opera House. Raising her conductor's baton, she beckons the audience toward death as she directs her symphony of destruction. She appears before Arnice every now and then to give her advice, but her objectives and actions remain a mystery.[1]
- Corrine: A veteran holy knight who has been active for a long time. As Arnice's senior, she has been giving her advice ever since they met. Though she conducts herself with nobility and faith, she sometimes expresses sorrow. She can often be found at the art museum, but the reason is unknown.[1]
- The First Saint: The first Saint who fought and sealed the Nightlord. The Curia took up her will after she passed away, and every time the seal gets weaker, they elect a new Saint to sacrifice.[1]
- Mistral: A seductive and mysterious pureblood demon who lives deep within the Shrine of Sorrow. She charms all who enter with her sweet aroma. She came to the island in search of the Nightlord's soul, but when she found out the Curia sealed it away, she shut herself inside her palace. She sometimes leaves in search of something, but her objective is unknown.[1]
Downloadable Content[]
First-print copies of the game featured DLC codes for Gust from the Hyperdimension Neptunia series as a servan.
Trailers[]
English[]
Japanese[]
Gameplays[]
English[]
Gallery[]
Box Art[]
Promotional Art[]
.png "Arnas (artwork 03).png (1.97 MB)")
Trivia[]
- The original Japanese title of the game, よるのないくに (Yoru no Nai Kuni), literally means "The Land Without Night." This turn of phrase is used in-game in both versions to refer to the island of Ruswal, while "Nights of Azure" is never directly mentioned; however, it refers to the azure-tinted Blue Blood spilled during the nights that Arnice hunts fiends.