Parents' Guide to Nights of Azure

This somewhat dark role-playing game is equal parts fluff and melodrama. On one hand, there's the silly bits involving some bad-tasting baked goods and a rivalry between an uptight professor and a sketchy salesman. The contain mawkish dialogue and immature sexual innuendos are played for very broad, slapstick-like humor. On the other hand, there's the tragic romance between the Saint and her protector conveyed through a range of revealing outfits and set against a clock ticking down to the end of the world. In both cases, the story's bound to elicit rampant eye-rolling, but at least it's not boring.

The gameplay, on the other hand, contains undeniable bouts of tedium thanks to a poorly designed interface and backward-thinking map design. Menus clearly aren't meant for ease of use, especially the section devoted to fiend collection. The benefits (or disadvantages) of upgrades and equipment swaps aren't easy to grasp, and the fiend skill interface is downright obtuse. But worse than this is the quest system. Quests often name locations not referenced on the world map, which means confusion and lots of pointless running around. Still, the game's dynamic combat mitigates this somewhat, thanks to multiple weapons and transformation modes, not to mention the fiend party support system. This one's definitely not a must-have, but if you pick it up, you're in for bouncing boobs, cheesy flirtation, and mediocre role-playing.