Natural Doctrine (PlayStation 4) Review

Originally intended to be only a PlayStation 4 game, after a few delays Natural Doctrine has arrived on PlayStation 3 and PS Vita as well. While it is a miracle that a strategy RPG has appeared on a major console, it does make sense for a version to appear on a portable gaming device since most RPGs in general seem to have found their niche on mobile platforms. It's a daring move to cater to such a narrow audience on a platform like the PlayStation 4 and while it doesn't take advantage of the hardware, fans of the genre will definitely find something they like about Natural Doctrine.

The first thing any gamer will notice is that despite it looking decent at best, it has fairly low production values - probably due to the limitations of the PS Vita edition. The cut-scenes are very barebones, consisting of character portraits and cut-outs that are not expressive or even that well drawn. It's unfortunate that this is the case because the in-game character models are actually very nice with fluid animations and it is disappointing that they are relegated to just battle unites that don't get used in cut-scenes. These cost saving game design choices affect the experience on the big screen PlayStation 4 version, especially when compared to older strategy RPGs like Valkyria Chronicles, or even Final Fantasy Tactics, games that had living and breathing characters move and act. The story of Natural Doctrine is fairly simple and manages to have compelling characters that players will care about; basically it is like a medieval StarCraft. The localisation is very strong in this one and has energetic voice actors that do the characters justice.

Natural Doctrine is an unforgiving mistress, though. This is a very challenging game that demands a full understanding of its intricacies and systems if there is any hope of succeeding. That is not to say that it is a very rigid game - far from it. There are many options that can ensure a victory, but there are so many risks involved. The battlefields are grid-based and characters can move up to two squares. Within each square is a small field of 3D movement where units can be positioned. What Natural Doctrine does introduce to the genre are initiatives and links; mechanics that can create devastating attacks. Another interesting quirk is that each unit can get their own turn, alternating between player and enemy. This is where it gets interesting - the player can link unit actions together permitting multiple actions before the enemy can have its turn, basically killing them and skipping their action. It is risk vs. reward because taking too many actions will leave the opposition open to take many turns. This is especially risky when a player turn did not make any kills that might have interrupted the enemy's flow, allowing them to wipe out allies by simply killing one unit. Yes, if a single character dies, it is Game Over.

Once the various systems have been grasped, there is a great sense of accomplishment when victory is finally attained. It never feels like a gruelling war of attrition, but sometimes the stupidity of enemy AI does reveal itself. After a while, gamers might be able to figure out some of the patterns the AI has and discover that they will almost always go for the weakest unit. It can be a viable strategy in a game as difficult as this, but exploit this weakness and victory still feels earned. While most strategy games focus on character building, Natural Doctrine does only lightly explore it with minimalistic skill trees. The core focus is definitely placement on the field and risky choices. It may not be for everyone, but for those who embrace an unforgiving system that demands careful thinking, Natural Doctrine will be a wonderful and stressful experience.