<s>
Knights	B-Application
Contract	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2011	O
action	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Game	O
Republic	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Namco	O
Bandai	O
Games	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
,	O
set	O
in	O
a	O
fantasy	O
version	O
of	O
Medieval	O
Germany	O
,	O
follows	O
the	O
witch	O
Gretchen	O
and	O
former	O
executioner	O
Heinrich	O
as	O
they	O
seek	O
to	O
stop	O
the	O
schemes	O
of	O
the	O
alchemist	O
Dr	O
Faust	B-Language
,	O
who	O
has	O
revived	O
Gretchen	O
's	O
sisters	O
as	O
vengeful	O
monsters	O
in	O
pursuit	O
of	O
their	O
power	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
drew	O
inspiration	O
from	O
the	O
legend	O
of	O
Faust	B-Language
and	O
European	O
witch	O
folklore	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
release	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
saw	O
mixed	O
to	O
negative	O
reviews	O
;	O
while	O
praise	O
was	O
given	O
to	O
its	O
premise	O
and	O
art	O
design	O
,	O
its	O
gameplay	O
and	O
Gretchen	O
's	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
were	O
generally	O
faulted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Knights	B-Application
Contract	I-Application
is	O
an	O
action	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
in	O
which	O
players	O
take	O
on	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
Heinrich	O
,	O
an	O
executioner	O
cursed	O
with	O
immortality	O
and	O
escorting	O
the	O
witch	O
Gretchen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Only	O
Heinrich	O
is	O
controlled	O
by	O
the	O
player	O
,	O
with	O
Gretchen	O
guided	O
by	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
(	O
AI	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
alchemist	O
Dr	O
Faust	B-Language
,	O
seeking	O
the	O
Anima	O
Del	O
Monde	O
's	O
power	O
,	O
creates	O
a	O
disease	O
dubbed	O
the	O
"	O
Black	O
Death	O
"	O
and	O
has	O
the	O
witches	O
blamed	O
for	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ensuing	O
witch	O
hunts	O
end	O
in	O
their	O
execution	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
last	O
of	O
their	O
number	O
Gretchen	O
cursing	O
her	O
executioner	O
Heinrich	O
with	O
immortality	O
;	O
Heinrich	O
had	O
earlier	O
expressed	O
doubt	O
as	O
to	O
the	O
morality	O
of	O
his	O
actions	O
,	O
but	O
did	O
no	O
defy	O
Faust	B-Language
's	O
orders	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
immortality	O
curse	O
giving	O
him	O
a	O
chance	O
to	O
atone	O
for	O
his	O
actions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Faust	B-Language
failed	O
to	O
claim	O
Gretchen	O
's	O
piece	O
of	O
the	O
Anima	O
Del	O
Monde	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
century	O
later	O
,	O
the	O
six	O
executed	O
witches−necromancer	O
Straegelle	O
,	O
ice	O
witch	O
Trude	O
,	O
fire	O
witch	O
Holda	O
,	O
storm	O
witch	O
Trendule	O
,	O
the	O
seeress	O
Rapunzel	O
,	O
and	O
their	O
leader	O
Vederinde−are	O
resurrected	O
by	O
Faust	B-Language
as	O
monsters	O
driven	O
by	O
vengeance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gretchen	O
seeks	O
to	O
both	O
stop	O
the	O
other	O
witches	O
,	O
and	O
seal	O
the	O
Anima	O
Del	O
Monde	O
on	O
the	O
Brocken	O
on	O
Walpurgis	O
Night	O
before	O
Faust	B-Language
can	O
steal	O
her	O
piece	O
and	O
achieve	O
true	O
immortality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rapunzel	O
,	O
later	O
revealed	O
to	O
have	O
retained	O
her	O
own	O
will	O
upon	O
resurrection	O
,	O
took	O
her	O
own	O
life	O
to	O
prevent	O
Gretchen	O
's	O
soul	O
from	O
falling	O
under	O
Faust	B-Language
's	O
spell	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
also	O
meet	O
and	O
fight	O
Faust	B-Language
,	O
who	O
has	O
used	O
the	O
Anima	O
del	O
Monde	O
to	O
extend	O
his	O
life	O
and	O
retain	O
his	O
youth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Faust	B-Language
faces	O
them	O
on	O
the	O
Brocken	O
,	O
using	O
the	O
Anima	O
Del	O
Monde	O
to	O
attack	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Production	O
of	O
Knights	B-Application
Contract	I-Application
began	O
in	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
collapse	O
of	O
Brash	O
Entertainment	O
and	O
consequent	O
issues	O
surrounding	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
Clash	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Titans	I-Application
,	O
developer	O
Game	O
Republic	O
was	O
in	O
financial	O
difficulties	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Knights	B-Application
Contract	I-Application
was	O
one	O
of	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
projects	O
pitched	O
to	O
Namco	O
Bandai	O
Games	O
as	O
potential	O
franchises	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
developed	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
(	O
360	B-Operating_System
)	O
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
(	O
PS3	B-Operating_System
)	O
consoles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Gretchen	O
was	O
considered	O
as	O
the	O
playable	O
character	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
opted	O
to	O
focus	O
on	O
the	O
action-oriented	O
Heinrich	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
premise	O
drew	O
inspiration	O
from	O
European	O
folklore	O
surrounding	O
witches	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
legend	O
of	O
Faust	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
scenario	O
was	O
written	O
by	O
Tadashi	O
Satomi	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
worked	O
on	O
the	O
Persona	O
2	O
duology	O
and	O
Shin	B-Application
Megami	I-Application
Tensei	I-Application
:	I-Application
Digital	I-Application
Devil	I-Application
Saga	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kosuke	O
Yamashita	O
,	O
known	O
for	O
his	O
work	O
on	O
the	O
Nobunaga	B-Application
's	I-Application
Ambition	I-Application
series	O
alongside	O
other	O
media	O
projects	O
,	O
composed	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Knights	B-Application
Contract	I-Application
was	O
Game	O
Republic	O
's	O
last	O
released	O
product	O
before	O
closing	O
down	O
in	O
June	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
version	O
received	O
"	O
mixed	O
"	O
reviews	O
,	O
while	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
version	O
received	O
"	O
generally	O
unfavorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
according	O
to	O
video	O
game	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kevin	O
W	O
.	O
Smith	O
of	O
Official	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
Magazine	O
felt	O
the	O
narrative	O
fell	O
flat	O
after	O
a	O
strong	O
opening	O
premise	O
,	O
while	O
Edge	O
briefly	O
described	O
the	O
story	O
as	O
"	O
terrible	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
