An occasional KEMCO RPG can be a guilty pleasure of mine from time to time, and I’m always pleased when I find one that sometimes stands out a bit. While Knights of Greyfang might most attract attention from one character’s appearance, I appreciate it for its commitment to making its vampires sort of actually act like vampires.
There’s a fight between humans and monsters in Knights of Greyfang, a common theme for KEMCO RPGs. Except this time around, it isn’t ordinary humans fighting back against the monsters. In an attempt to fight back, the king of the humans gained the ability from their god to turn humans into vampires. Those who have that additional strength can tap into blood from other ordinary people to access greater skills. Now, of course that measure means monsters are now resorting to their own new means of escalating things. Which means Princess Leticia sets out alongside her vampire knight Lise and vampire sorcerer Mylene to save the day.
So here’s the part I found interesting about Knights of Greyfang. The reason all main characters like Lise, Leticia, and Mylene are able to basically do their vampire thing is because the combat system actually lets them be vampires. This is because the other major character Thoma is a type of character called a Blooder. This is represented by a Blood Gauge that shows how his allies can feast on him to use special attacks. There’s still MP and all for regular sorts of skills, but the fact that there is this extra mechanic really enhances the experience.
This is especially evident once you start playing more and really unlock additional bats to improve your vampire characters and their Bloodthirst abilities. So because characters are tapping into Thoma and accepting their vampiric nature, you’re getting this additional wealth of power for attacking enemies.
Also, I’m genuinely a fan of the character designs. There are a few that fall short, like Thoma’s. But even though the design for Lise is clearly pulling inspiration from Alear from Fire Emblem Engage, I honestly don’t mind the execution. It probably helps that the other primary heroines Leticia and Mylene and antagonists like Pasion and Adelina look more original and have equally strong character designs.
Knights of Greyfang is a typical sort of KEMCO RPG. It isn’t astonishingly different or reinventing the genre. However, it is entertaining and I appreciated how it handled the concept of vampires. Exe Create could have just said, “Everyone is vampires, and that’s how they use spells.” However, made it a practical mechanic that forces you to think, and I appreciate that.
Knights of Greyfang is available for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and mobile devices.
