NATURAL DOCTRINE - If You Need a Challenge, You've Come To The Right Place

I've gushed about the potential of Natural Doctrine before, but now that the English website is up, there are some things that have become a bit clearer. No less excited mind you, possibly even more, but we did learn a few things. The game will be released on September 16th for the PS4, PS3, and the VITA (yay! someone remembered the VITA), and the title does include cross-play between the consoles and the handheld. 

In the previous post I said the game would include 2 camera angles, but I was mistaken, as the game actually includes three. One is right behind your character (3rd person), while the second one is an overhead camera for ultimate tactical control, and the third is an isometric point of view that fits somewhere in between.

Natural Doctrine prides itself on being challenging and full of options, so get used to seeing all the multicolored and squiggly lines you see above. To get the most out of this system, patience and menu digging will (most likely) be required. Two other things of note caught my eye. The first is the use of pluton, which is the resource used to power spells and magic. You can find it throughout the world by exploring, but there is only a certain amount of it in the game, so if you go crazy with spells at the beginning, you will not have any left for the more powerful forces towards the end. This little extra layer of resource hoarding brings out the survival horror nerd in me, and is a pretty sweet addition.

The other thing that caught my eye is the multiplayer mode. You can play against other players or team up for a co-op experience, and while the actual gameplay is the same, the units you take into battle are determined by a card deck building system. You can earn points to open more packs and get more powerful units, which if used correctly, ala Mass Effect 3, can turn into a truly addictive and fun experience. As long as matches don't drag on constantly, this could be a great way to extend the shelf life of Doctrine. For those unfamiliar with the title, you can catch the English trailer down below. 

Seasoned explorers and novices alike venture underground into dangerous caves to collect the coveted material known as Pluton. During your first trip down into the depths of one of these mines, you and your new explorer friends quickly realize that things may be more dire than you had imagined as you encounter a brand-new type of evil lurking below the surface.