We previously reviewed The Witch and the Hundred Knight for the Playstation 3 and praised it as an interesting game that was new yet familiar with the signature trademarks of a Nippon Ichi Software video game. Two years later, NIS America brings us an updated version, The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition for the Playstation 4 with all the bells and whistles you’d expect refining the experience.

One of the most notable changes is the graphical update for its Playstation 4 release. The difference between the original and remastered aren't exactly mind blowing, but you can definitely tell the difference such as better lighting effects, and sharper details. While the game may have hit its limit on the Playstation 3 version, on the Playstation 4 it goes beyond.

The Witch and the Hundred Knight on the Playstation 4 now runs at 60 frames per second, double the rate of the Playstation 3 version. Combat is smoother and more fluid comparable to more modern games today like Diablo 3. I did, however; see a slight drop in frame rate at least a couple of times in new areas where more monsters were present on the screen.

New to The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition is the Tower of Illusion. This randomly generated tower tasks you with clearing floors of increasingly tough enemies at the sacrifice of a weapon of your choosing. More powerful weapons sacrificed generates a dungeon with more powerful enemies which leads to better rewards upon completion. Every time you clear a floor, you can either leave the tower, keeping any loot you've obtained along the way, or attempt to clear the next floor. Upon death, you can either retry the floor until you clear it or decide to give up. Overall the The Tower of Illusion seemed pretty generous with its loot, as I was able to obtain a few weapons of "Epic" rarity with just a few plays, as well as a great way to grind for experience at lower levels.

As you grind through the many levels of the tower monsters will occasionally drop an item called a catalyst which is used for the new Alchemy system, allowing you to add more stats to your weapons and armor. This added a new layer of depth and made it easier to obtain more powerful gear at the lower levels and adds good replay value for those who seek to grind for better weapons.

Another new addition exclusive to the Tower of Illusion, and probably the biggest draw to the game, is the ability to summon and take control of the voluptuous witch Metallia, as you collect mana from killing enemies. As the witch you gain access to one sword combo and a massive AOE (area of effect) thunder spell that hits the whole area around you. I have to admit with games like the Disgaea series which are known for their over the top special attacks, I was a little disappointed to find how limited your abilities were while playing as the witch. You can only be the witch for a short period of time and once your witch meter has drained you turn back into the Hundred Knight.

One of the mechanics I wish they would have refined is the Gigacals system, which is just a fancy name for time limit. Being immersed in a large dungeon, I would lose track of time exploring and fail the dungeon. I can re-enter the dungeon to restore my Gigacals but overall it was somewhat annoying having to start from the beginning of the dungeon again.

Whether you’ve already experienced it on Playstation 3, The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition is a great addition to the Playstation 4 and is definitely worth your time whether you are new or old to the franchise.

Pros:

-Shiny New Graphics

-Smoother Combat

-The Tower of Illusion

-Alchemy

Cons:

-Gigacals timer

-Playing as the witch seemed dull