Night Watch Demo

Splitting the world into light and darkness is not a new concept, but you can always re-write it to sound interesting, as well as add new elements to the idea and make it you own. In the case of Night Watch, however, the separation is about as blunt as it can be, given the fact that the two sides are called Day Watch and Night Watch. There’s more to it, thankfully, since it all revolves around magic and a hidden reality, which can be tapped into by special humans who call themselves Others, in order to increase their own magical powers.

Night Watch is a tactical role-playing game that allows you to be a part of the conflict between good and evil, playing for the light side. Your main objective is to get out alive from the encounters you stumble into along the way, as well as gain experience and improve your powers significantly, in order to be able to defeat more powerful foes and prove your worth to the Night Watch.

When it comes to the story, it is all about the balance between the two factions, because the Day Watch is trying to augment their numbers through the use of special devices, which would quickly help them outnumber the Night Watch. As such, you must choose a character and actively try to stop them from achieving their goals, using powerful magic and brute force in order to so.

Speaking of your character, there are three classes to choose from in the beginning of the game: shapeshifter, enchanter and mage. The first one allows you to use magic in order to transform into a powerful animal, such as a wolf or a panther, depending on the character you choose. Mages have the ability to cast more potent spells, while enchanters take advantage of their skills in order to bless certain items and use them in battle.

From a technical point of view, the game is based on the Silent Storm engine developed by Nival, which was an inspired choice, given the general atmosphere of the game. The top-down perspective comes in handy during the encounters, but the graphics are detailed enough to maintain the illusion even from a distance. The special effects make the spells look that much more mesmerizing, especially when coupled with the destructible environment.

All things considered, Night Watch may not be a jewel of the genre, but the tactical approach is quite well implemented and the role-playing elements are certainly attractive. On the other hand, nothing really impresses otherwise, because nothing too exciting seems to ever happen as you play along.