Hands On Picotto Knights And The Japan Only Famitsu Side Quest

Game Arts’ third PlayStation Vita title is an online enabled beat ’em called Picotto Knights. You create a knight armed with a sword or maybe a chakram and mash the attack button to defeat enemies. It’s kind of like Castle Crashers with more character customization because there are dozens of character skins to collect.

Even when you play single player Picotto Knights gives you three allies. These mercenary knights are actually created by other players and the computer takes control of them in solo mode. Picotto Knights also has online multiplayer and a matchmaking system, but I played Picotto Knights before the servers officially launched. So, my dinosaur-like knight was accompanied by knights created by three Game Arts employees.

I played through one of the game’s easy missions and crushed every monster in my path using my knight’s basic attack. You also have skills you can use by pressing the R button and one of the face buttons. Your knight learns command skills and passive skills as your character grow. Each level ends with a boss fight, but one mission only takes about five minutes to play.

I decided to take on a harder mission, one that will be exclusive to Japan. Picotto Knights has collaborative missions and weapons with gaming maazines Dengeki and Famitsu. I took the Famitsu one, which had much stronger enemies. I defeated a few enemies, but a few clonks on the head defeated my rod wielding knight. I used a potion, one of the in-game items you can purchase through a microtransaction, to resurrect my character instantly and got back into battle. The rod gives knights ranged attacks and spells that let you shoot fireballs.

Picotto Knights is simple and simply fun to play as a five minute diversion. Gungho Online Entertainment America will release Picotto Knights in North America early next year, but you can play it now if you have a Japanese PSN account and spare Vita memory card.