Don't listen to all those who say this game is too complex to be fun. It's too good, to be true. Buy it, period.
You're a wisp ... kidding, not! Don't worry, you won't be collecting honey and running around elves; you have much more important things to do. Your task is to uncover the mystery of the nightmare, or so it seems. You don't know who you are. You don't know why you were summoned. Your only ally is an armored maiden, who is rather vague in her monologues. We can't waste any more time - let me take you on the journey... to the center of the game mechanics! :)
Before I start explaining the whole system let me first say that there are basically 3 game 'modes'. Plot mode (watch new scenes, learn more & more about what happened), Setup mode (prepare to battle - equip items, choose units etc.) & Battle mode (the screen you will see most of the time - aka the fighting screen). The most important for us is the Battle mode in which your skills will be put to test.
As stated before, you will control a wisp - aka a white pulsing dot present on your DS screen. Your wisp is ALWAYS present in the battle. That means, even if you don't tap the DS screen your wisp will be there, where you left it. Why is that important? During the whole combat you will have to evade enemy projectiles (attacks). If you do not - you will loose time.
Time is a specific variable present in a game. You use time to initiate/power up attacks. So, basically, when you evade all attacks, you will have all the time (1 min.) to spend on attacks. Time doesn't flow! You have all the time in the world (not game :D) to think about your strategy. But, when you attack - you will spend time (on charging).
How do you attack, you ask? Using your knights, of course! On every map there will be places where your knights will be standing and from which you will initiate attacks. You only have to tap the specific knight and hold your stylus in order to charge. When you are ready to attack, just pull the stylus off from the screen. There are basically two types of attacks: normal & skill attacks. Every knight (regardless of class) can always perform a normal attack. This attack only requires time (game time) to charge - nothing more. Those kind of attacks doesn't do high damage (almost none), but after a hit on enemy, crystals will drop from your foe (you will have to catch them using your styl... wisp). There are several types of crystals, but one of them give you MP. When you have enough MP and you provided an item (weapon) for one of your knights, you will be able to perform a skill attack. Those attacks deal good damage and are the main damage dealers in the game.
As I said you need MP (mana points) and a weapon for your knights. There are several types of knights in the game, such as: duelist, wizard, priest etc. Each of them can use specific items, and have different types of attacks (various range, area covered, power etc.). Before battle (in Setup mode, or phase) you put a few items in your item bag. Only those items you will be able to use for this fight. So, we have MP & a weapon. We draw a weapon from the item box, on to the respective character, charge the skill attack and release it. Simple. The problem is, that there are 2 mini-modes of the battle: Law & Chaos. Great majority of weapons can be used only in one mini-mode. Also, the knight classes have different types of attack for respective mini-modes. That is why you will have to change (you can do that freely) mode to different one, if you want to use a skill attack of another mini-mode.
I haven't said anything about items, transsouling, kill matrix and who knows what. I only tried to tell you, dear reader, that the game is really complex, but it's really great this way. In Knights In The Nightmare there is a great tutorial which will introduce you to all game mechanics. Don't feel ashamed that you are overwhelmed by the vastness of this game - so were I. In the end, however, (after you understand the mechanics) endless tactics will appear in your head, and you will spend whole your day trying to get SSS kill rank, 100% items and what not.
There are two things so great, that devoting only one paragraph for them seems a serious crime, or at least a deadly sin. Those are: sound & graphics. Sound fits perfectly to every part of the game. You can close you eyes and touch the sorrow, joy, victory & failure. I am somewhat disappointed that there are no Japanese VO, but English ones, are not bad. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Make that a million and you might understand what I mean by godly graphics. Hand drawn characters & backgrounds with magic touch make unique ambient. If you ever meet someone who has pre-ordered the Knights In The Nightmare, then - ASAP - ask him/her to let you see the art book. Sometimes various elements on the screen might seem distorted and almost invisible, but those are only minor shortcomings as you won't have enough time to even notice such things.
Bottom line (aka what tigers like the most): Knights In The Nightmare is an unique & complex DS game mixing stylus control with tactic RPG. Almost perfect music & graphics make you forget of any dents in the game.
P.S. Visit www.atlus.com/knights/