All in all, the game feels like it is very polished, and looks nice, with no visual or technical bugs or glitches in the gameplay and very few moments where the framerate dipped below 60. The game supports a gamepad on PC and seems like that is the way it is intended to be played since the overlay has pictures of gamepad buttons emblazoned on it. If you’re someone who is into anime JRPG games, then this is most likely right up your alley. If not, give it a look and maybe you’ll find something new you didn’t know you liked. Do be aware though that the game is entirely voiced in Japanese and has English subtitles.

Nights of Azure is a game of wasted potential. The game's dark tone and setting is ultimately ruined by the excessive presence of comic relief, which takes a lot of the tension out of the terrible choice Arnice has to take to save the world. With an experience that gets stale way too quickly, Nights of Azure true saving grace are the game's two main characters and the development of their relationship, which takes some interesting turns. A shame, as the game could have been so much more.

While the opening hours do nothing to rid your mouth of a slowly growing taste of disappointment, Nights of Azure eventually manages to claw you back once some of its more interesting combat mechanics begin to shine through. It’s relatively short length aids the process, but also comes under fire when you consider the bare-bones storytelling. It’s a difficult sell, but one I hope GUST can rehabilitate with the upcoming sequel.

In the end, Nights of Azure tries to prioritize style over substance, which should be enough to gain the attention of its target audience, but a bit more tightening up of the latter would have been preferable. Whether the grinding gameplay is enough to enjoy a saccharine sweet girl/girl romance plot will depend on the player’s tolerance, not to mention their own priorities for a game like this.

Despite its early leaden pacing, Nights of Azure's story concept isn't bad. The two main characters, with their shy, budding romance and mutual dependence, have potential for an interesting arc. What surrounds them -- bland visuals, inconsistent design, sloppy localization and fast-paced but ultimately repetitive action -- makes it challenging to appreciate their relationship and story.