Qliphah in Providence's Shadow

Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow is made for a very niche audience. It’s a horror JRPG with a combat system built to appeal to fighting game fans. The combat is deep and is going to be a dream come true for some. This might even be a great entry JRPG for Arc System Work’s usual fighting game audience. Normally I would be hesitant to widely recommend something this niche, but Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow is most easily compared to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. There are a lot of people waiting for a game influenced by it, and this is the first great one.

It took me roughly sixteen hours to finish my Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow playthrough, though I imagine it might be a shorter turnaround for those who can master countering quickly. While I do feel the game pads some fights to make them last longer, such as including multiple phases or bosses with huge health pools, they feel brief enough due to how quickly combat flies once you’re used to gameplay. I give Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow credit that I didn’t feel like it was rushed or condensed, as the overall ending felt pretty satisfying for our two protagonists, at least. Adding in a New Game + mode for extra replayability, I could easily imagine being tempted to take a return trip to this post-apocalyptic world, especially if I want to test out my abilities against even stronger foes in its really satisfying and compelling combat style. I think those who appreciate a mixture of VN and RPG, as well as those who might want to try action-oriented combat that’s slightly different than your average RPG, could give Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow a chance to step out from the shadows.

Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow is an unfortunate case of ambition easily being the most compelling part of a game. Its core vision and foundation are razor sharp, but are buried beneath a lack of substance, a faltering and mismatched presentation, and a narrative that fails to match the concept’s lofty ambitions. When Qliphah does double down on what makes it stand out, like the unique combat, charming leads, and gorgeous world, there are signs of a much more interesting game just waiting to be unearthed. Until a potential sequel (which I honestly hope happens, weird name and all) confidently finalizes the game’s strong core identity, Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow is an underbaked title that wears out its ambitious charm a little too fast.

Qliphah in Providence's Shadow focused all its promotion around its Tactical Counter Timeline RPG battle system, and it certainly wasn't lying, as the game presents a gameplay design unlike anything I have seen before. However, what felt interesting during the first few hours quickly became highly repetitive, poorly explained, and eventually unengaging. Pair that up with a script that cares far more about explaining technical terms and lore than actually telling a story, and the result is a half-baked experience that never finds its footing.

Qliphah In Providence’s Shadow has the ambition to try something different, but in practice it needs better execution. It feels like a rhythm based battle system that has a very slow beat to it if you just focus on counters, with any pace needing you to attack without a care for defence. The battles are repetitive too and once you settle on a build there is no real reason to change it up.

Frustration mounts from start to finish during Qliphah in Providence's Shadow. What could have been a unique, brand-new IP sadly fails to capitalize on its great ideas. Combat is convoluted, and its special mechanics don't always work as intended, and the investigation segments almost unlock on their own. There are glimpses of something good here, but bad design decisions constantly hold it back.

Sadly, Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow is a slog from beginning to end. The combat is repetitive from the start, as every fight becomes the same sequence of counters and finishing attacks. The progression system has plenty of upgrades to unlock, but they all leave the same tedious combat intact. The story has some interesting ideas; the writing fails to make them work, and the decent atmosphere is wasted. The basic visuals and repetitive environments are another drag on the experience. Although there are a few good ideas here, the game is simply not much fun to play. RPGamers who want something different may find Qliphah worth a look, but it is ultimately difficult to recommend.