The Fairy Tale of Holy Knight Ricca: Two Winged Sisters is a critically acclaimed 3D side-scrolling action RPG developed by the Japanese doujin circle Mogura Soft. Released on December 25, 2021, the game follows Ricca, a village girl who inherits the power to transform into a holy knight after her sister is kidnapped by monsters. With over 20 main story stages, four hidden levels, deep customization, and a branching narrative with multiple endings, it delivers a lengthy 30-to-50-hour experience. Praised for its high-quality visuals, superb voice acting, and engaging Metroidvania-inspired gameplay, it stands as one of the best adult action RPGs in recent years. Official English and Chinese versions are available.
Story & Dark Fairy Tale Setting
1. The game's story begins in a peaceful mountain village where Ricca lives with her older sister, Milia. One day, after returning from gathering herbs, Ricca discovers a mysterious brooch and a fairy. The fairy, Iris, reveals that Ricca has been chosen by God to become a holy knight. But before she can fully understand her new powers, monsters attack her village and kidnap Milia. Ricca transforms into the Holy Knight for the first time and sets out on a desperate journey to save her sister.
2. As Ricca ventures deeper into monster territory, she discovers a devastating truth: her sister Milia has been corrupted by the Demon Queen's power and transformed into a succubus. Now a servant of the very monsters Ricca fights, Milia seeks to capture her sister and train her into a submissive pet. This dark family tragedy forms the emotional core of the narrative, with the game earning praise for its "enjoyable character stereotypes and proper character growth".
3. The story is told through event scenes before and after each stage, featuring fully voiced dialogue with exceptional voice acting. The game includes multiple endings determined by player choices throughout the adventure. With roughly 10 hours of main story content and a total playtime of 30 to 50 hours for completionists, the narrative offers substantial depth for an adult action game.
3D Side-Scrolling Action & Combat System
1. The game is a 3D side-scrolling action game where players control Ricca through a series of stage-based levels. Combat is built around a skill tree system, allowing players to unlock new abilities and passive bonuses. Essential skills like the double jump are critical for exploration. Players can acquire Magic Stones from fallen enemies and treasure chests, which are used to purchase new weapons, armor, and skills between stages.
2. Each stage concludes with a powerful boss encounter that tests the player's mastery of Ricca's abilities. The game includes 20+ main stages plus four hidden levels, with branching paths, secret collectibles, and hidden routes rewarding thorough exploration. Three difficulty settings accommodate different skill levels. Reviewers have described the gameplay as "fairly fun side view metroidvania'ish" with "plenty of skills to unlock including useful passives".
3. The game supports gamepad controllers and is built on the Unity engine. However, players should be aware that later levels may have optimization issues on some hardware, and certain boss fights feature niche mechanics that can be challenging. The game offers a fair difficulty curve on normal mode, though some players note that the repetitive nature of certain sections can become tiresome.
Character Customization & Progression
1. One of the game's standout features is its extensive customization system. Players can modify Ricca's hairstyle, facial features, and body type. These customizations are not merely cosmetic—they affect gameplay, with body size influencing movement speed. All customizations are reflected in both event scenes and H-scenes, creating a cohesive visual experience.
2. Between stages, players can purchase new Holy Knight costumes and weapons using Magic Stones. Each outfit and weapon has unique performance characteristics, allowing players to tailor their build to their preferred playstyle. The equipment system is praised for its depth—"plenty of outfits and all affect scenes (and your combat stats as well)". A "Lewd Crest" development system adds another layer of progression tied to the game's adult content.
3. The game includes a gallery mode for revisiting unlocked scenes. With approximately 4.5 GB of content, the customization and progression systems offer substantial replay value. Players are advised to save Magic Stones for essential upgrades and avoid certain items like the red and blue skulls that can negatively impact gameplay. The game officially supports Japanese, English, Simplified Chinese, and Korean.
Adult Content & Player Reception
1. The game's adult content is triggered when Ricca is captured or defeated by specific enemies. H-scenes come in two formats: traditional ADV-style narrative scenes and fully interactive 3D scenes with free camera control. All scenes feature optical censorship and are fully voiced. A notable feature is that scenes can be unlocked even without losing—completing a stage allows players to access the corresponding H-scene from the level selection menu.
2. Player reception has been overwhelmingly positive. The game holds an 8.7/10 rating on Douban based on 127 reviews and an 8.07/10 on VNDB from over 10,000 votes. Reviewers praise the "high quality visuals", "superb voice acting", and "plenty of outfits and all affect scenes". One reviewer called it "one the best h-game/rpg game ever". However, some players note that the game features a heavy focus on forced content, ryona (sexual brutality), and violence—tags that may not appeal to all audiences.
3. The game was released on December 25, 2021, with official English and Chinese versions following. The English translation is described as "awesome" and "sounds relatively natural which helps make you feel connected to the characters". Priced at approximately 182 RMB, some players recommend waiting for sales on DLsite. The game remains a landmark title in the adult action RPG genre, offering a rare combination of polished gameplay, deep customization, and a dark, emotionally resonant story.
