Niplheim’s Hunter — Branded Azel is a fantasy RPG with adult content like Treasure Hunter Claire, complete with costume changes, but with more of a focus on monster hunting. There are two protagonists in Branded Azel, the titular (and well-endowed) Azel, and a player self-insert character who works as her blacksmith. You will spend almost all your time controlling Azel while she hunts for monsters, mines for metal, and has sex as her lust brand overpowers her inhibitions.
Azel is blessed with great power, at the expense of uncontrollable lust. In her day-to-day she sates those feelings with her blacksmith companion, and as the game progresses some NPCs, but she adventures alone. Her lust largely builds as she uses skills that defy human limitations, but whose power derives from the brand a monster bestowed onto her long ago. She’ll do anything to find the monster who cursed her and end the urges it creates in her body. But controlling her body’s needs can mean sating herself on monsters. She does this in the bushes on the left of the screen, with a CG of her popping up to make the scene NSFW.
There are ways to control Azel’s libido, mainly by not using too many special skills, including healing her. Obviously, that’s easier said than done in a combat RPG. Niplheim’s Hunter — Branded Azel is a tough RPG early on. Succumbing to the lust brand leaves Azel vulnerable for at least two turns, which early game is usually lethal. Using only regular attacks results in Azel coming close to death and having to use the First Aid skill, which also builds lust. It’s probably best to grind early with regular attacks anyway, but Azel will inevitably break down. Since there are scenes to unlock for each demon beast, including bosses, you can turn the lust mechanic into a collect-’em-all game where the goal is to survive and grab scenes.
My issue with Branded Azel comes down to its difficulty. It rarely feels just right. The early game is difficult, but with a little patience, and grinding you can earn enough power to make those same early-game enemies insignificant, allowing you to easily complete quests. When you grind, higher tiers of enemies aren’t particularly hard, and your quests will help you grind further. If you avoid grinding you might be balanced in one area, but then the next one might start kicking your ass again. In the end, I settled for being happy with Azel’s strength, raising her ATK stat more than any other to maximize monster murdering, and accepting that power and a little grind was the most tolerable way to play the game.
I like the game’s art very much, though one or two NPCs look like stereotypical fantasy fare. The variety of CGs between adventuring and NPCs at the guild house is high.
The game’s music is fine, as for many offerings in the genre. It fits the scenes, doesn’t annoy, but isn’t something you’ll be humming in delight hours later.
The UI is pretty good, especially compared to RPGMaker fare which I’ve been playing a lot of recently. Azel’s skills are represented by different sword icons during combat. The menu cycles in a circle. And the only two numbers that matter during combat, your health, and building lust, are both easy to read.
Then there’s the plot. I think I’d rate Branded Azel‘s plot reasonably high for creativity, and for having varied routes that feel significantly different, but the plot is very simple. Much of the early plot focuses on getting accepted by the monster hunting guild, which is a bit generic but is necessary to build a relationship between Azel and the characters who help her later. It’s a light story, but it moves you from one ecchi CG, or action map, to the next.
Are you looking for a somewhat challenging hentai RPG with reasonable combat and good CGs? Then look no further than Niplheim’s Hunter — Branded Azel. I wouldn’t suggest it as an introduction to the genre, but for fans of similar games, it’s a good time. It has just recently switched publishers, and is available on Steam.
