HolyKnight Ricca admittedly came as a bit of a surprise. I was expecting more of an action/platformer with Metroidvania elements like Lord Knight Complex, which was for a while the best example I’ve seen of doing this style of gameplay justice within a hentai environment. However, Holy Knight Ricca is on a completely different level and while several have already dropped it for Elden Ring, (which isn’t even comparable, they’re two different games) I personally managed to complete the game upon it’s 1.06 release (it’s on 1.13 as of right now) and will be attempting to give you an honest review for it. So here goes nothing, folks – this is the world of Holy Knight Ricca.
Introduction:
Holy Knight Ricca appears to be a fan-funded effort made in Unity. After the game ends, dozens of supporters are listed in the credits, so it’s good to see that this is something developers are trying to fund these kinds of games – and it paid off. Ricca showcases not only great action platforming and intriguing boss battles, it also does some experimenting here and there, even with other game modes that only bring more proof to the concept that it was supposed to establish. The devs aren’t just stating that they can make a good platformer, but that they’re capable of so much more. From flight sections to mine cart areas and even a rather extensive character creator mode, there’s a lot to be had within Ricca’s 15+ hour playing time. Which is admittedly quite a bit for a platforming game, especially after skipping most of the hentai content, which in truth is it’s weakest moment.
Gameplay:
Holy Knight Ricca is an action/platformer in the truest sense. Our customizable heroine can run and jump, attack enemies with her sword (and other weapons later in the game) as well as use it as a throwing device to step on in order to reach some higher ledges before the double jumping ability. The game also contains a deep character customization system right down to the hair color (and I mean the hair down there as well), breast size and more. As you play the game, you’ll also gain more outfits to dress her up in (at the cost of skills though, as every wardrobe has it’s own strengths and weaknesses) as well as other goodies that can make her standout as the heroine that she is. However, sometimes you will be forced to revert back to village girl mode where you’re slower than cold molasses in January and armed only with a stick. Additionally, a curse is placed on you around the seventh level of the game that can eat away at your life if you’re not too careful. It’s a bit haphazard since it goes away a few levels later, but a hassle nonetheless.
A short flying stage also accompanies our heroine right at the very end, but it’s that Donkey Kong style platforming and mine cart levels that might leave a mark on you the most. In fact, you even get to revisit the level later in one of the game’s bonus areas after it’s completion. Riding on boulders, running from boulders and jumping from windmill to windmill are some of the game’s platforming feats and yes – there are a few leaps of faith, but immediately upon falling, the character will be carried upwards for a short amount of time where she can quickly regain her footing. The Archlich’s Tower though is by far the toughest platforming challenge she’ll encounter though, as the devs really took this job seriously when they designed these layers of hell. Imagine the Clock Tower areas from Castlevania, albeit somehow made even more troubling and you’d have it. There is also a section where you’ll go underwater for a bit, which is interesting enough, but not all that engaging. Some stages are hit and miss, especially in the beginning of the game. Rest assured, you are getting a legitimate platforming experience that is on par with games from non-eroge developers.
Additionally, there are two systems in place for skill upgrades and power-up/power down items. The first is a basic skill tree which of course contains some skills that are necessary for even entering some levels, while others just make the game a bit easier. Obviously you can upgrade your defensive abilities as well as different attack styles (midair attacks, for example) but there are also a bunch of swords scattered around the game that unlock special skills as they are found. One thing that Holy Knight Ricca does is encourage exploration and you never know what you’ll find when you go off the beaten path. These skills become available on the skill tree and can be upgraded at your whim. Some skills take a lot of experience to upgrade however, and I even missed a sword or two throughout my first run of the game. The game does allow you to revisit levels an infinite number of times in order to locate what you may have missed during the first run, which I’ll admit having passed by some locked chests which required skills I didn’t possess at the time.
Bosses in the game actually differ quite a bit and aside from fighting a fearsome dragon and some rather hefty rock golems (as well as an iron golem that you get to play as for a segment) you’ll also take on Poseidon himself in a battle that I would consider as one of the most epic in the H-Game genre so far. The scale of this boss is massive, you’d have expected something of this nature from a AAA title – and the fight is not easy. Some bosses are puzzles and require certain conditions in order to be damaged, while others can take a beating and you’ll have to keep your wits about you in order to win the fight. The game’s final enemy is equally monolithic and can be just as big of a pain as Poseidon as it requires a specific method in which it must be destroyed. So yes, do expect some minor frustration from these bosses, all of which can have their way with you if you lose. The most frustrating boss for me was a large bird who had the ability to turn the heroine to stone with it’s numerous tails. I actually lost to this boss, so the game asked me if I wanted to skip the whole damn level completely and I did. Yes, a bit cheap but the boss itself had a very cheap way of attacking the player several times at once, which turned it to stone very quickly.
That’s another thing I need to mention here – the ice and stone effects. These don’t automatically freeze the player, but work slowly up the body and once they’ve reached the head, it’s game over. If you do become hit with one of these effects, just try to stay away from the enemy or boss as long as you can, because they work their way back down as long as the player is not being attacked by the same effect again, which is why the bird was so deadly. It could easily one shot the character with it’s effects, which only get worse as the player manages to damage it further. Yes, bosses do change their attack patterns the more they are struck, so you have to be ready for anything. One hit kills can and do happen here, so be prepared for that. As it is said, “git gud” would be my advice there. Healing items do exist in the game, but some bosses even make these seem worthless. No one said this adventure was going to be easy.
Story:
You begin the game as a village girl (and I’d sooner say she’s a woman at this point, since much of the story speaks about her time as a little girl being defended by her older sister) who runs into a horde of goblins in a church, is then raped, nearly murdered and instead given the power to turn into a Holy Knight from God. With this power, she makes short work of these foes as she makes her way towards finding her captured sister who was cursed and transformed by the evil Archlich, with it’s own unique secrets. The story isn’t all that amazing, but it does serve it’s purpose and features a somewhat bittersweet end. I’d say nearly everything is tied up rather nicely, though it definitely leaves enough open for a sequel. I’m not going to spoil anything here because there’s only one major path in the game and I’m encouraging you to play it all of the way through. The game only becomes more intriguing as it goes on, so do be aware of that.
Graphics:
Holy Knight Ricca actually has modern graphics comparable to what would pass for a PS3/PS4 level, if we’re comparing it in that fashion. We’re not getting a rough or shoddy looking product here and all of the bloom, anti-aliasing and other features only make the game look better. All of the models are cell-shaded and there are even sections of the game which look like sketches. A 2.5D style similar to Bloodstained or Metroid Dread is what you’ll notice the most here and yes, it shines just as brightly. This game simply doesn’t look low budget and you’ll notice that especially in it’s highly detailed movie scenes and even in the hentai portions of the game. The price is unbelievable for the level of quality and I’d have paid twenty dollars more for it, easily. I’m quite glad that the developer made it affordable though and it appears to be selling rather well on DLSite. A Steam version is currently in the works and Critical Bliss seems to be working on that, since the head of Critical Bliss happens to be a friend of the game’s programmer. Of course, getting a game like this on Steam, even if it’s good – is a bit of a drudge. Let’s call to mind Evenicle 2 which was denied, even though it was far less extreme than the first game which is still surprisingly on Steam. But that’s another topic.
Sound:
If you like the music in most JRPG’s, you’ll find the music here pretty good. I’m reminded of something Falcom may dish out and that’s fine – it fits. You’ll hum along and find that most pieces fit well. There are no screaming guitars (that I can recall), but it’s not anything you’d find to be soft and cozy either. I don’t quite remember most of it off the top of my head which is a bit disappointing, but I enjoyed it enough in the background and found it fitting. Nothing comes off bizarre or out of place. The game also has voice acting for several of the characters and it’s done as well as in any JRPG or visual novel. There are no real standout performances here, but the voice acting is really second nature to the musical portion of the game, again; which fits well enough. It’ll get your toes tapping.
Hentai/Adult Content:
Out of all the sections in which you would’ve expected Holy Knight Ricca to pass, the hentai section is actually where it mostly fails. There is a succubus torture scene that is done to over the top proportions as well as a scene between highwaymen in which our heroine is forced to become a prostitute (but it’s the only way you can get that outfit for use in the game). Other than that, it’s mostly orcs and goblins. No, not even orcs to be frank – it doesn’t matter what monster defeats you (which is what triggers the H-Scenes) nine out of ten H-Scenes in this game are merely goblin rape. Why? I have no idea. But the developers must have really fucking loved goblins to death and even if the damn mimic box clamps down on you in the Archlich’s tower, you still get raped by goblins. At least when fighting the Archlich itself, you get tentacles. No, those tentacles aren’t from the Archlich and they seem to be just there at the bottom of the boss room for some reason. Don’t ask me, it’s hentai logic. These scenes have several portions (via a top menu) which you can watch as many time as you want. Or you can just skip the scenes altogether, which I was mainly doing. I’m gonna be honest, I wasn’t playing this because it was an H-Game, but because it was a legitimately fun action/platformer title. For the most part, the hentai just got in the way.
Conclusion:
I had a really rough beginning of the year and Holy Knight Ricca gave me something to sink my teeth into while I was dealing with doctors and health issues (which I’m happy to say I’m on the better part of now). That’s also a reason why this review took so long to write, because I was seeing a doctor or having another procedure done every Monday. Though even if you’re not seeing the worst of it right now, you’re still going to have an absolute blast with a game that performs so well that it doesn’t even need the hentai to sell it. Absolutely Ricca would have worked simply as a lewd platformer and much of the story could have the erotic sections merely hinted at and still make sense. Most people will be playing this for the hentai content, which is by far the game’s worst part, and if you’re playing the game for anything, I’d recommend playing it for the game itself. Holy Knight Ricca handles quite well and has only gotten better with every patch upgrade, making for an enjoyable experience that people who aren’t even looking for the hentai will more or less want to check out anyway. An immense amount of work was done by a small Japanese dev team with the help of numerous supporters and that’s what made this game great. They had the budget and the scale to make the kind of game they wanted here and I’m sure it’ll be great for speed-running as the H-Scenes can be turned off completely if I recall correctly. You can also have the H-Scenes only appear the first time you unlock them, rather than every time you get pwned by the enemies and/or bosses. This is great, because while I knew Holy Knight Ricca was an H-Game, I legitimately cannot say I was playing it only for the hentai. If you grew up in the golden age of platformers like I did, you’ll see Holy Knight Ricca as a tribute to that era of gaming. It’s a true labor of love that shows pretty simply, “Just because a game has hentai or sex scenes in it, doesn’t mean that it has to have shallow or uninteresting game play.” When I finished the game, I honestly wanted more and cannot wait for the team to come out with something else in the future. You’d better keep your eyes on these fellas, because they might be the next big thing in H-Gaming or even the Japanese gaming scene in general. Holy Knight Ricca demonstrates how to make a good game, eroge or not.
Final Score:
BUY: