Official Site: http://www.dungeonsofdredmor.com/
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/98800/
Source: Youtube Channel GameBansheeDotCom
Developer: Gaslamp Games, Inc.
Publisher: Gaslamp Games, Inc.
Platforms: PC (Steam)
Release Date: July 13, 2011
Genre: Rogue-like RPG
Pros:
-Hundreds of combinations for all sorts of builds and play styles
-Stays true to the turn-based Rogue-like RPG of the past
-A different experience every new game is started
-Challenging, humorous, and really fun background music
-Unpredictable in every step and a surprise behind every door
Cons:
-Can be very difficult and not easily approachable to just anyone
-Things are randomly generated, be prepared for shenanigans to happen (like getting 1-shotted)
-Where did the time go? Easily eats up time in the day/night
Dungeons of Dredmor gave me a bad impression the first time I saw the video for it. It looked slow and boring. Still, it was an "RPG" sort of game and I was very curious. Being sold at the usual $5, I picked up the game during a sale for a mere $2.49. I'm so glad I did now. DoD is a Rogue-like RPG where the player custom builds a combination of skills and talents for the hero to walk into the dungeon with. The experience in how the player subdues enemies and compensates for lack of other abilities change depending on what the player chose for talents and skills as well as what randomly generates each play through. As I gained more experience (both in understanding and points wise), I started looting more, killing more, and delving even deeper into the dungeons. It might be a bit strange having the turn-based tile system of most Rogue-likes for the gamer that's accustomed to Action-RPGs, but it should be fairly easy to adjust to after an hour or so. The learning curve can be a bit steep depending on how quickly one learns, but learning how the game works and what everything does is half the fun. It is bothersome to be extra careful with each step in not trying to trigger a trap, but it truly adds to the tension of the game and reminds the player to be cautious and play smart. With so many combinations and the ability for the game to randomly generate levels, this game can last a really long time for the measly $5 that you pay for. Rogue-like RPGs are rare and good ones are even scarcer. Anyone looking for a unique sort of Action-RPG experience with tons of variation and replay value should definitely pick this one up.
Aesthetics
I'll be very honest, but the graphics are rather shoddy. Everything looks like it was painted in Flash and was crudely drawn. but after playing the game for a while, I didn't mind anymore. The style of the graphics were consistent and worked well for the game's humorous theme. What does bother me is things that are obscured or hidden, such as traps behind a wall or door, or a potion behind a book shelf. I was also disappointed that equipped items do not reflect back at the main character's look. All equipped items are stat changing and has no change in the character's appearance. Animations are simple but portray the actions of attacks, enemies and traps within the game. I think what makes up for the graphics is the audio. The sound effects have a significant role in the game as it helps tell a player when they've stepped on a trap, got a critical hit, when they can't hold anymore items, etc. My first experience with the music, other than the title screen, is the tutorial tune. At first, I thought "wow, this is kind of catchy". By the 5-7th tutorial mission, the song started to get annoying. Luckily, the rest of the game cycles through various tracks created for the game. Better yet, the music for the game is awesome! There's the dark type of atmospheric tunes with jazzy upbeat ones. It actually made the game a lot more entertaining! The graphics and animation aren't incredible, but they work for the game in a way. The music I ended up liking a lot. Aesthetics: 8/10
Buttons
The game was really confusing at first, but there's an optional tutorial that the player can play through. It helped me get started, but I ultimately had to figure out everything else on my own. The stats system is convoluted and detailed, and I barely go past looking at it as "the higher the numbers, the better they are". The inventory can get really messy too, but the added "sort" button and its compact screen makes it easy to leave it open and still be able to play the game and keeping it organized. I'm glad they allowed the use of the keyboard for movement as well as mouse. Some may feel more comfortable using the mouse to click where to go, but I started using the keyboard more as each step has its danger in the game. The controls and User-interface isn't the easiest to learn, but I think it's mapped out pretty well once I got used to them. Buttons: 7/10
Concept & Content
I believe there's 10 floors total for each playthrough and they're all randomly generated. The goal is to get to the 10th floor and defeat Lord Dredmor himself. Along the way, the player can fight monsters to gain experience points, learn new skills, gather strong equipment, and gain items to use against the many enemies in the dungeons. The concept is basically a Rogue-like back in the 1970's but with nicer graphics and a (much) more approachable user-interface. Their interpretation of a Rogue-like is actually much easier to understand than most, even though it's still a bit complicated. And as the game states when you start the game: "don't make finishing the game your goal as you will miss the fun. Get better each play through and experiment to see what works and what doesn't." If the player just tries to rush through the game, they will often find themselves quickly killed by traps, a boss monster, or by their own hands (stepped on my own spell rune once, I was curious). There are three difficulty levels to choose from and the option to turn on Perma-death. So if the player dies in the dungeon, they have to start a new character. I play with Perma-death on since it makes it that much more pivotal to play carefully and strategically. It has that tension that wouldn't be there if I knew I could just rush around everywhere and continue from my last save if I mess up. A new option added to the game just this week is a shorter version of the game which makes all the floors smaller, but give the same amount of experience points so that the player can go through the game a lot faster. While a successful playthrough could probably last at least 5-15 hours of gameplay time, the amount of combinations available offers tons of ways the game can be played which lengthen the gameplay time even further. A new DLC was added yesterday (Dec 14, 2011) with new levels, weapons, enemies, and items as shown in the video above. I dislike DLC a lot, but I really like the game and will be willing to get it during a sale. The DLC is $2.99 (yup, only $2 less than the actual game). But for the original package offered, $5 is a really good deal for what you get. I only wish that items have an actual change of appearance for the character. Concept & Content: 9/10
Duration
As mentioned above, the game has a lot to offer as long as the player is still enticed to the concept and try out different combinations of skills. Watching the gameplay doesn't give a good sense of the pacing as it looks really slow. While playing the game, the pacing moves at a moderate speed. Each room can be a reward or a nightmare which places the player on edge each time. I can't complain about the game being too long or too short as the game itself is so fun that I didn't really care. I've already died about 5 times in the game and each new playthrough got me even more excited than the last as I learned more and want to try a different build. My latest save file got corrupted in the patch this week, which I think the developers knew because I got an achievement for having the game crash stating that it's a "thank you" for doing a bit of QA for them and letting them know that old saves don't work. I started another character with the same build and realized that they added new skills to the branches of the talent tree. I can imagine myself playing this a lot more before I feel like I've gotten all I can out of the game. Duration: 10/10
Fun
I was so skeptical about getting this game. The gameplay looked boring, the graphics were amateurish looking, and the sell price of $5 made me question the quality of the game. I'm so happy that the game turned out to be so much fun! I haven't played a good Rogue-like (other than Desktop Dungeons) since Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja on the Nintendo DS back in 2006. I was still weary about what to think about the game when I played through the tutorials, and I was super confused when I started up the game and I encountered so many things I didn't in the tutorial. But once I started to get better weapons, learning strong skills, and descending farther down the dungeon, I was hooked. The feeling that you get after your character dies or you finish the game is wanting more. The game really does change the way you approach enemies and situations depending on the talents you choose from the beginning. The music really got me into the mood in playing the game too. It does feel disappointing when your character dies and you spent 10+ hours on it though. This game truly surprised me and is one of the more memorable ones this year. Fun: 9/10
Overall
Dungeons of Dredmor isn't for everyone, but for $5 there shouldn't be any reason not to try the game out. It's unique, comical, challenging, and has a surprise behind every door (*cough* monster zoo *cough*). What a player gets out of it is an everlasting adventure experience that leaves a lot of room for experimentation, one which can last a long time if the player wants it to. My only advice for those who want to play the game: be patient and keep playing, because it just keeps getting better and better as you continue to learn more. Overall: 8.6/10
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