Review by Jon Donnis
Qliphah in Providence's Shadow is an unusual RPG that mixes visual novel storytelling with a tactical combat system built around predicting enemy attacks. Tokyo has fallen following the Collapse, reality is eroding, and grotesque Aberrations roam the ruined streets. After delivery boy Souma Hoshigami is attacked and left in a half-turned state, he is taken into custody by investigator Rena Hizuki. Together, they become caught up in a mystery involving the drug Tiny True, cursed Stigmas and a mysterious cult.
The most interesting part of the game is its combat. Rather than simply reacting to attacks, you can see incoming moves on a timeline and plan your actions around them. Skills can be chained together, enemy attacks can be interrupted and time can be slowed or paused while you work out your next move. Once the system clicks, successfully predicting an attack and responding with a perfectly timed counter can be extremely satisfying.
Unfortunately, the combat does not always have enough variety to maintain that excitement. There are too few genuinely different encounters, and fighting multiple enemies can become frustrating because the timeline only shows attacks from the enemy currently being targeted. The dodge mechanic can also occasionally fail to move the character correctly, while the camera struggles at times when several enemies are involved.
Visually, Qliphah in Providence's Shadow has a distinctive style, combining cel-shaded characters with grotesque Aberrations and unsettling shaders. The combat presentation is similarly impressive, with flashy effects making successful attacks and counters feel suitably powerful. The fully voiced story and strong soundtrack add further polish.
Away from combat, things are rather different. This is not an open-world or traditional linear RPG where you explore Tokyo on foot. It is much closer to a visual novel with RPG battles built into it. The investigation elements allow you to examine clues, illustrations and social media information to uncover passwords and other details, although the sheer amount of material can become overwhelming. Some of the mystery elements can feel too obvious, with the case information often giving you enough to work things out without much real deduction
Rena and Souma make a likeable central duo, with their contrasting personalities providing some enjoyable dialogue. However, the characters do not develop enough to create the emotional connection the story needs. The same applies to progression, which offers limited incentive to experiment with different skills and builds.
There is plenty to admire in Qliphah in Providence's Shadow. Its combat system is genuinely different, the presentation is stylish and the combination of supernatural horror, police investigation and visual novel storytelling gives it a distinctive identity. When everything comes together, the tactical battles can be excellent.
The problem is that the game cannot maintain that quality consistently. Repetitive encounters, limited progression, awkward multi-enemy battles and a story that can sometimes be predictable hold it back.
Qliphah in Providence's Shadow is an interesting and original-feeling game that has some genuinely satisfying ideas, but it just misses the mark for me.
I score Qliphah in Providence's Shadow a 6.5 out of 10.
Out Now on Playstation
