What are the best Dungeon Crawlers for PS4?

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Jan 31, 2024

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Gauntlet vs Divinity: Original Sin II - Enhanced Edition vs Enter the Gungeon

vs The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth vs HELLDIVERS vs Diablo III vs Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony vs Crypt of the NecroDancer vs Persona 5 vs Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition vs Vikings: Wolves of Midgard vs Bloodborne vs Darkest Dungeon vs Salt and Sanctuary vs Nioh vs Alienation vs Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris vs One More Dungeon vs Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time vs Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth - Hacker's Memory vs Fat Princess Adventures vs Battle Chasers: Nightwar

Specs

Platforms

Windows/TitiMode/APK

Genre

Dungeon Crawler RPG, Hack n' Slash

Co-Op

4 Player Online / 4 Player Couch

Controller Support

Full/ Unfull

Bayag

aaa

Steam Rating

Platforms

Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Genre

Turn-based RPG

Co-Op

2-4 Players

Controller Support

Yes

Bayag

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Platforms

Genre

Roguelike

Co-Op

Single Player

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Overwhelmingly Positive

Platforms

Genre

Co-Op

2 Player Local

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Platforms

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Platforms

Windows, macOS, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One

Genre

Dungeon Crawler RPG

Co-Op

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Platforms

Windows, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4

Genre

Adventure, Visual Novel

Co-Op

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Mostly Positive

Platforms

Win / Mac / Linux / PS4 / Xbox One

Genre

Co-Op

2 Player Local

Controller Support

Full

Bayag

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Platforms

PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4

Genre

Role-Playing

Co-Op

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Platforms

Windows, macOS, Linux, PS4, Xbox One

Genre

Dungeon Crawler RPG

Co-Op

2 Player Local / Online

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Platforms

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Platforms

PlayStation 4

Genre

Action Role-Playing

Co-Op

2 Player Online

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Platforms

Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Windows, Mac, iOS

Genre

Role-Playing

Co-Op

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Platforms

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Platforms

PlayStation 4, Windows

Genre

Action-RPG

Co-Op

2 Player Online

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Mostly Positive

Platforms

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Platforms

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Platforms

Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch

Genre

First-Person Shooter, Roguelike, Dungeon Crawler

Co-Op

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Platforms

PlayStation 4, Windows

Genre

Action Role-Playing, Dungeon Crawler, Beat 'Em Up

Co-Op

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Platforms

PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita

Genre

Role-Playing

Co-Op

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Platforms

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Platforms

Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, macOS

Genre

Role-Playing

Co-Op

Controller Support

Bayag

Steam Rating

Pros + Cons

Pro
Bosses offer good bit of diversity to the gameplay thanks to requiring different strategy over the base gameplay

Different bosses require different tactics to defeat them. This creates a good change of pace from the regular hack and slash gameplay as differing tactics will need to be used.

Comment

Pro
Good co-op options no matter if you want to play locally or online

Gauntlet has support for local and online 4 player co-op. Making for a game that works well for small groups.

Comment

Pro
You can easily play the PC game on a sofa with the included full controller support

Gauntlet offers full controller support that actually works extremely well for an action RPG. This makes for a good game to play on a Steam Machine or living room gaming PC.

Comment

Con
Wizard is complicated to use

The wizard character is complicated to use. He has nine spells that can be cast using a number of hard-to-remember button combinations. This results in very few people wanting to play as the character. For online matches, this means there are quite a few three-player games as no one wants to take the role of the fourth character: the wizard.

Comment

Con
Can be rather difficult

The difficulty level is way too high especially when playing with kids.

Comment

Con
Locked camera

The camera is locked in a single position. This creates confusion while playing in a busy area, as the camera does not stay focused on the player’s character. While a locked camera made sense in the arcade or on home consoles, where only one screen was needed, it really doesn’t make much sense for online multiplayer.

Comment

Con
Very repetitive gameplay

With a few exceptions, the gameplay and strategy is the same for the entire game. There is very little progression and very few new abilities. The game also seems to gets easier rather than harder, although the new Colosseum mode adds some challenge to the end game.

Comment

Con
Exposition Heavy

If you want more game, and less story, this game might not be for you. Lore dumps and exposition are a very large part of the game, and essential due to the odd snippet of information you need to progress. You may find that in a two hour play session you've barely moved and might not have had one combat encounter. Instead you'll spend the time listening to some (well voiced) NPC's or members of your own party unloading their opinions on you. Great if you like story first - game second Not so good if you prefer using the excellent game systems OD2 offers

Comment

Con
Slight learning curve

Very few game worlds have the same interactivity as D:OS2. Because of this, it can be easy to forget that using fire near an oil barrel will cause it to blow up in your character's face, or if a fire is blocking your way, you can just douse it with water. As a result, it might take a while until you get fully used to the interactivity.

Comment

Pro
Huge amounts of content and choices

The main campaign has a staggering amount of content. The maps you'll explore are massive with various routes, containing numerous quests, battles, secrets, and even ambushes along the way. Even if you rush through the story, a single playthrough will last you about 50 hours. D:OS2's greatest strength, however, is the ability to choose. This includes choosing your character, your companions, what builds to use for them, what route to take when exploring the map, how to solve various encounters and quests, and many more. Every single choice affects how the story progresses, and a bad decision early on can come back to haunt you later. As a result, there's enough variety to keep multiple playthroughs new and exciting from start to finish.

Comment

Pro
Outstanding multiplayer mode that allows for endless content

D:OS2 features a Game Master mode, which lets you create custom multiplayer campaigns for up to 4 players, with the 5th player assuming the role of a Game Master. When creating a campaign, you can use any asset within the game, such as characters, items, etc, and import new, user-made assets as well. You can even create new quests, levels, and alter any of the existing assets, allowing you to go as far as creating a sci-fi campaign if you have the patience. Additionally, because there is a game master, you can create various role-playing events not possible in a normal campaign. For example, you can designate one of the playable characters as a kleptomaniac, so whenever they're near an object that can be stolen, you'll have to roll a dice to determine if that character resists the urge to steal or not. On top of that, the game master can control NPCs, add quests, and make rule adjustments on the fly. There's enough creative freedom to create any campaign/story you want, keeping you interested in D:OS2 long after you've finished the main campaign. Even if you don't want to create a campaign on your own, you can just download a campaign made by another user.

Comment

Pro
Very deep turn-based combat

Winning battles in D:OS2 is equal amounts of preparation and tactics. When preparing for battle, you need to consider your group setup, your formation as you enter the battle, and even what equipment you bring with you. For example, during one battle you fight against an ice dragon that constantly freezes the ground. Any character that steps on the frozen ground will slip. To avoid this, you can equip spiked shoes on your characters before the battle, allowing them to retain footing. During combat, you always need to keep in mind things like turn order, positioning, height, and how various magical effects interact with the environment and characters. For example, standing on a cliff increases your range and visibility, using a lightning spell on a puddle electrocutes all characters standing in it. Fast characters will get a turn first, so a group of fast characters could end a battle without letting enemies retaliate. As a result, the combat has enough depth and variety to satisfy any RPG fan and even entice newcomers of the genre.

Comment

Pro
Excellent and thorough voice acting

Every single dialogue line in D:OS2 has a voice-over. From the prattling of an overzealous city guard, to the lines a sketchy shopkeeper feeds you, to even the conversations you have with forest animals. You even get a narrator to read out long walls of text for you. On top of that, each and every voice actor's performance is superb, providing depth and nuances even to obscure side-characters, which is hardly ever experienced in games.

Comment

Pro
Complete freedom when building your character(s)

Even though you choose a class when creating your character, it only affects your starting equipment. You can create a character build with any skills you like without class or archetype constraints. This includes a fire mage that wears heavy armor while wielding a shield and a hammer, an archer that can use teleportation magic to always keep the distance, and countless more. You even get to build your companion characters from the ground up, allowing for hundreds of party combinations. As an added bonus, once you complete Act 1 of the game, you can respec your build whenever you want, free of charge. Because of this, you don't have to worry about messing up your build, allowing you to freely try out any skill combination/setup.

Comment

Pro
Great soundtrack

D:OS2 has an expertly composed soundtrack, giving the world a great amount of color and atmosphere. From the mellow flute permeated with ambience and a divine chorus when you travel down a road, to the upbeat strumming of string instruments as you ransack a tavern, to even a ominous orchestra during a confrontation with a dragon. Wherever you are in the game, the soundtrack is a joy to listen to.

Comment

Con
High difficulty

The game can be difficult, especially when first starting out. This may mean a lot of deaths and a feeling of no progressions due to having to start over a lot. While the game is not unmanageable for players who enjoy the games genres, it may be a bit of a turn off for newcomers.

Comment

Pro
Unique tone

The game is often silly with many humorous elements such as every character is based around being a bullet, that in turn own guns and fire other bullets. There is no mistaking that the game is about shooting, and the game is somewhat 4th wall breaking by taking advantage of this fact and hilariously throwing it into the players face.

Comment

Pro
Easily stay in the action of the game

There are a few small features in the game that add up to making sure the player is never too distracted or pulled out of the action. Things like once a stage is cleared and all coins dropped by your fallen foes will be magnetically pulled to you, just to make sure time is not wasted running around picking up currency. Another is that each map has numerous teleporter nodes, which makes for fast and easy travel. And lastly there is a quick start in the main menu that allows the player to jump right back into the action the next time they start up the game. All these things add up to an ease of use that makes sure the player is never too distracted by the un-fun elements of play.

Comment

Pro
Gameplay is balanced well

Often in a roguelite game there can be the chance of getting delt a bum hand on any particular run, luckily Enter the Gungeon does not suffer from this issue as there is a good balance of the gunplay mechanics that sees any death by you as your own fault of not playing to your max ability. Never is it some cheap shot or some item that was not able to be picked up this run, it is just your skill and awareness of wht is being shot at you that matters the most.

Comment

Pro
Satisfying replayability

Thanks to the roguelite aspects of the game, there is randomly generated levels, which means fresh gameplay each time the game is played. There is also 4 different characters available in the game, each of which has a different boss fight at the end of the game as well as different characteristics while being used. This also makes for a good bit of replayability for those that would like to see all the different bosses in the game as well as experience the different type of gameplay for each character.

Comment

Pro
Cool collection aspect

There are 190 guns available in the game that the player can collect through purchasing them in an in-game shop as they progress through the game. Most likely this will take multiple playthroughs with all four of the available characters, which means tons of playtime for those that like to collect everything in a game.

Comment

Pro
SHMUP like gameplay

A lot of the shooting elements in this game revolve around SHMUP like mechanics. Players will need to doge a juke many bullets on screen at ones. Luckily there is a roll capability that allows the player to doge when in a precarious position. This roll feature though is not just some way to make the game easier but is a tool to be used as the game is specifically designed to need this roll in certain places.

Comment

Con
Co-op feels tacked on

Co-op in the game is only local (no online co-op at all), which limits who you can pay with. On top of this the way one has to go about starting a co-op game feels a bit unintuitive, which can be frustrating. Stages can also feel cramped when in co-op mode, meaning players bump into walls and objects too much.

Comment

Pro
Character upgrades are really fun

One of the best parts about Binding of Isaac is collecting upgrades and watching your character evolve. This can be nuances in the physical appearance of your character, adding a cute hat, changing its skin tone to green, or even lodging a rock into its skull. It can also be modifications to the way your tear bullets look and shoot, changing their color, speed, firing arc, or even turning them into a massive laser. It’s just really cool seeing your character turn into something entirely different by the end of a playthrough.

Comment

Pro
Addictive gameplay that keeps you entertained

Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is very easy to pick up and play with each playthrough lasting about 30 minutes on average. It’s just really fun shooting enemies, collecting treasures, and dropping the occasional bomb, making it really hard to stop playing. One playthrough will turn into ten and many hours will have passed before you know it.

Comment

Pro
Very creepy themes

Binding of Isaac is a story about insanity, religious fanaticism, ritual sacrifices, and even worship of the devil. Once you start paying attention to the various details, it can be genuinely terrifying and dark.

Comment

Pro
Great replay value

The levels in Binding of Isaac are randomly generated. They will have different layouts, monster combinations, upgrades, secrets, and bosses each time you start a new playthrough. You can even change characters to mix up the playstyle, swapping to a really fast but fragile character or a very durable but weak character. As a result, no two playthroughs will ever feel the same, allowing you to replay the game countless times without getting tired of it.

Comment

Con
Randomness can be really frustrating

You can have really bad luck in some playthroughs like finding very few keys, bombs, or coins, causing you to miss out on a lot of potential upgrades. There can also be times when the upgrades you find are bad. In both cases, a playthrough becomes unbearably hard and you probably won’t get very far. It’s very annoying when this happens multiple times in a row.

Comment

Pro
Incredible amounts of content for a low price

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth has all the content of the previous releases and even new content. As a result there are tons of unlockable items, secrets, bosses, power-ups, hidden characters, challenges, and item combinations. There’s just so much to do and try out you’ll be entertained for dozens of hours, adding up to more hours you can spend in a lot of fullprice games.

Comment

Con
Can be really disgusting

While on the surface Binding of Isaac: Rebirth looks very cute and colorful, it actually has some pretty gruesome details within it. Blood, various bodily fluids, excrement, disfigured flesh, umbilical cords, and many more things that can make your stomach churn.

Comment

Con
Game gets difficult

There are 12 different classifications of difficulty in the game, as you progress the game gets a lot more difficult going all the way up to the twelfth difficulty. For some this may be too difficult and will end in frustration, so for those not looking for a challenge, this game may not be for them.

Comment

Pro
Intense co-op play

The whole game can be played in local or online co-op with up to three other players. Each stage is procedurally generated and feature certain objectives that need completed. Of course, the objectives need executed while hordes of enemies swarm you. This is what makes for the intense action as there are so many enemies to be found coming at you at all times, add in extra players and the action becomes quite turbulent thanks to the friendly fire mechanic. There is no way to turn off friendly fire which means everyone who is going in guns blazing may upset the other players meaning everyone will need to keep a close eye on all of the action taking place in order to succeed.

Comment

Pro
Heavily influenced by the film Starship Troopers

The main story of the game plays out a lot like the theme in Starship Troopers, where the world is united in exterminating an alien race on other planets. The humor found in the movie as well as the action are to be found in this game as well, which is all a bit over the top but all in fun, of which the game is. So for all of those that are fans of Starship Troopers, this game should offer a bit of nostalgia for them.

Comment

Pro
Requires more tactics over other twin stick shooters

Ammo is limited in the game, meaning the player needs to make each shot count. On top of this, where an enemy is hit matters as well, so center mass is the best place to shoot them, of course this is not always easy. Due to the fact that ammo is limited and placement of shots matter it is up to the player to try and figure out the best methods for not running out of ammo and shooting each creature. This requires patience and planning, something that is often missing from run of the mill twin stick shooters.

Comment

Pro
Enemies go all out during extractions

At the end of each stage the player/players must order an extraction vehicle. Once called the players must ward off an onslaught of enemies for 90 seconds. Only one player needs to get on the extraction vehicle, which means all out mayhem as each player can just start unleashing their most devastating weapons. This is quite a fun part of the game as each player can just go all out.

Comment

Pro
The scoring system greatly encourages teamwork

When playing co-op, once a level is completed there will be a score rewarded to the players. Luckily this score is not based off of kills, which means players can focus more on objectives instead of going lone wolf for kills. the scoring allows for more teamwork to happen, which is great as that is what co-op should be geared more towards, cooperation.

Comment

Con
Joining co-op can be a pain

There is no way for everyone to just jump into a game, one player needs to host and then the others can be invited, but of course they already need to be on the players friend list, which may not always be the case which means more work to get everything together. A more seamless experience would be nice to see but sadly that is not how the co-op was designed.

Comment

Con
Things can get a bit repetitive

After a while of playing the game, it can all seem a bit "samey" in that really all you are doing is the same tasks over and over again. The repetitiveness of the game can get frustrating after a while leading to the game being ignored.

Comment

Pro
Fun to collect loot

One of the better parts of Diablo III is collecting the piles of gold, the colorful gems, and various pieces of equipment. It's especially exciting when a legendary quality item drops from a monster since it makes a distinct sound effect and shoots a beam of orange/green light into the sky. So whenever a lot of legendary items drop all at once it just feels incredibly satisfying.

Comment

Pro
Easier to learn and enjoy than most other similar titles

Diablo III is very simple, requiring very little to no planning to succeed. You create a character, pick a skill and just progress through the game while occasionally upgrading your equipment. You can change skills and any stat points you've earned without penalties. You can also choose from one of the 17 difficulty levels, so you can always play at a level that's challenging but not too stressful. All of this creates a game that you can enjoy without worrying about messing up in the long run.

Comment

Con
Endgame grinding can get really repetitive

The endgame in Diablo III consists of only two things – completing bounties and clearing greater rifts. Both of these have very little variation in them, so quite often you'll run through the same map layouts, clear the same enemies, and complete the same objectives. This gets extremely stale after long play sessions and can cause you not to pick up the game again.

Comment

Pro
Decent selection of character builds to try out

There are more than 50 distinct class/skill combinations, including ranged builds, melee builds, support builds, defensive builds, pure-offense builds, and many more. You're sure to find a build that you'll enjoy playing, whether you prefer to play alone or with friends.

Comment

Pro
Constant updates and new stuff added for free all the time

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Comment

Pro
Quirky storytelling

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is a mish-mash of a visual novel, an adventure game, a colorful cast of anime characters like talking bears with varied creepy designs and a host of high school characters solving a murder mystery, all packed together as a competition of wits to investigate each crime scene and figure out what happened. Getting fellow classmates to believe the player's version of events involves stylish debates with text flying across the screen, where the other characters can be swayed by the correct answers or timely lies that risk the chance of perjury.

Comment

Pro
Eccentric cast of characters

The sixteen main characters in Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony are all at the "ultimate" level of their specialties, such as the ultimate detective, the ultimate tennis-player-turned-convict, the ultimate artist, and many more. Their personalities shine through during debates as they argue their points of view, some with no shortage of pointed vulgarities, with other outright lying in order to keep the player on-edge. The localization's many pop culture references to "alternative facts" and misinformation campaigns helps the characters feel relevant and real.

Comment

Pro
Unique blend of different gameplay concepts

Filled with heated debates, character bonding and relationships, whodunit murder mysteries, along with mini-games and dungeon-crawling, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is a blend of ideas and mechanics that manage to work as an unexpected, yet cohesive package. This is a game that sounds impossible on paper, but everything fits together as a package surprisingly well.

Comment

Pro
Great music

DRV3's soundtrack encompasses many genres, allowing you to enjoy a wide variety of instruments, which includes guitars, drums, brass instruments, synths and many others. The end result is a gritty, futuristic soundtrack with punchy, energetic songs that make the proceedings feel action-packed while also making key story moments memorable.

Comment

Con
Questionable mid-story pacing

Unfortunately, things begin to drag on toward the middle of the story, where the plot begins to feel tedious and repetitive. These crimes in the middle are more tedious and repetitive than anything, lacking the finesse and enjoyment of other parts of the game.

Comment

Con
Polarizing ending

Love it or hate it, the ending is undoubtedly polarizing, with some fans enjoying the conclusion to the game's many twists and turns, with others left feeling disappointed or annoyed. Your experience will vary, so be prepared to fall on either end of the spectrum once you reach the end of your 30+ hour series of investigations.

Comment

Pro
Unique gameplay

Crypt of the NecroDancer is a dungeon crawler that is also a rhythm game. Your character can move, attack, and use special abilities only to the beat of a level's music. This means you have to split your attention between listening to the music and watching enemy movements. If you miss a beat your character won't do anything, but your enemies still get to move and attack. While the enemies are bound by the same rules as you, they won't ever miss the beat. Fortunately enough, they're always bound to a rhythm, so learning an enemy's rhythm is the key to defeating them. As a result, the gameplay stands out in both the roguelike and rhythm game genre.

Comment

Pro
Fantastic soundtrack

Crypt of the NecroDancer has one of the best soundtracks you'll hear in a video game, featuring EDM, synthwave, and even heavy metal music. Each song has a unique tempo, rhythm, and feel to it, so you'll never get tired of listening to them.

Comment

Con
Co-op can make the game a lot harder

While Co-op in most games makes a game easier, Crypt of the Necrodancer is the opposite. This boils down to three main reasons. First, you and your co-op partner have to share money and items. This can lead to two under-equipped characters that struggle with killing enemies and surviving their blows. Second, there's no splitscreen, meaning your movements need to be in sync with your partners. If you happen to go in the opposite directions, you can get stuck or attract multiple groups of enemies, causing you to get overwhelmed. Third, you share one beat counter with your co-op partner. So if one if you misses a beat, that's the end of a combo for the both of you. Not keeping up a combo means you'll have less gold and consequently less gear.

Comment

Con
Extremely hard

The combat in this game has an insanely fast tempo, requiring you to split your attention between the music and the on-screen enemies. Losing focus even for a split-second means you'll probably die, so you'll have to restart the level. At times this will feel really overwhelming, especially if there are many enemies around.

Comment

Pro
Well-balanced story

Even though the story dives deep into heavy themes such as abuse, loss, and depression, it never becomes too overbearing. That is thanks to its lighthearted moments, funny situations, and feel-good subplots to ease the gloom of a sullen reality. This creates a wonderfully woven story with a satisfying conclusion.

Comment

Pro
Living the life of a highschooler is surprisingly fun

Your character is one of the very few highschoolers in a game that actually has to go to school. This includes attending lessons, answering your teacher's questions, taking midterms, and many other things, which is actually kinda fun. Then when school's out, you can go spend time with your friends or alone in Persona 5's version of Tokyo. You can hit up a karaoke, a batting center, or numerous other locations, all the while meeting new people and establishing connections with them. All of this makes it a refreshing change from most modern games where you're always trying to kill or blow up someone.

Comment

Pro
Entertaining dungeons

In Persona 5 you'll explore many unique locations, including a medieval castle, an ancient pyramid, and even a futuristic spacecraft. Each location is filled with bizarre enemies, interesting puzzles, and various secrets. The great variation in enemies, layouts, and theme keeps the exploration exciting and will keep you interested in seeing more.

Comment

Con
The time managment might feel constricting at times

Persona 5 uses a calendar-based time system, advancing the in-game date after you've done several activities during a day. The main drawback is that you're constantly trying to meet story-enforced deadlines, which require you to clear a dungeon before it's too late. This constantly puts you under pressure, causing you to spend more time on dungeons and less time on side-activities. It makes it feel like you're forced to do what the game tells you, which might dampen your enjoyment at times.

Comment

Pro
Morality based gameplay that actually impacts the game

You'll be confronted with moral choices during your quests. These choices change how other characters perceive you, affecting the overall story and ending. This makes the story feel more realistic and immersive since actions have consequences.

Comment

Pro
Highly interactive world

Divinity: Original Sin has a highly interactive world. This ranges from NPC interactions, elemental spells that can affect the environment, to a cornucopia of in-world items and objects that can taken or moved. There are so many things you can do, it's very easy to immerse yourself and have a great time.

Comment

Pro
Self-deprecating humor allows the game to stay lighthearted despite many serious overtones

The writing in the game is often entertaining and humorous as the game does not take itself too seriously. There are quite a few inside jokes to be found for this type of genre game as well as many situations that lighten the mood, such as talking pets that hand out light-hearted quests.

Comment

Con
Building a working party may take several tries

Some party setups work better than others and some don't work at all depending on the difficulty. A bad party can make the game feel like an impossible struggle at times. This may cause you to restart several times until you get the right setup, allowing you to enjoy a much smoother playthrough. Those used to very old RPGs like Exodus: Ultima III will find this need to work at getting a successful party deliciously satisfying.

Comment

Con
Mechanics take some trial and error

There is a basic tutorial, but it doesn't explain some of the finer aspects of the game such as using spells. Most spells can be used in and out of combat, giving you access to locked or hidden areas. For example, if you want to get into a locked door, you can burn it down. If you want to save a burning ship, cast a rain spell over it. While this is an intuitive mechanic, it may take a while to get used to. Until then you might spend some time scratching your head, trying to figure out how to proceed.

Comment

Pro
Frantic combat

In the world of Bloodborne you're never safe. Each location is filled with fast and ruthless enemies that will constantly try to kill you. It can be infected humans, werewolves, and even demonic beasts. You'll have to constantly attack and dodge at a very fast pace, and losing focus for even a second means you'll die. It's the type of combat where you'll steadily improve with practice, making it feel rewarding when you get the hang of it.

Comment

Pro
Great bosses

Bosses in most games nowadays hardly ever give the player any challenge. Bloodborne is an exception, with bosses being a test of focus and skill. You'll have to constantly move around, attack openings, read tells to dodge attacks, and choose proper positioning. Beating one of these beasts after a long and exhausting struggle is extremely satisfying.

Comment

Pro
Excellent world design

This game takes place in a Gothic, Victorian era (1800s Europe) inspired city. The buildings are dark and tall, instilling in you a sense of awe and fear. The environments are very detailed, reminding you it was a thriving city before all went wrong. All of these elements fit the Lovecraftian horror theme really well.

Comment

Con
Framerate pacing issues

The game engine often produces two unique frames followed by two duplicates instead of one after another. This makes it seem like there are frame-rate drops even though the game runs at a stable 30 fps. The gameplay doesn't feel smooth because of it, which can be quite distracting.

Comment

Con
Incredibly frustrating at times

You'll most likely die a lot, especially while you're still getting used to the game. It can happen on both regular enemies and bosses, with the latter being a lot more frustrating. Dying at a boss means you have to fight your way back to the boss room. If you're too agitated you might even die without reaching that boss again, which adds even more to the frustration. This pattern will repeat many times over the course of the game.

Comment

Con
Gets really repetitive

You'll spend dozens of hours repeatedly running the same dungeon, killing the same enemies, and collecting the same loot just to progress further into the game. On top of that, if you lose a character at any point, you'll be set back by another 3 hours. If you don't enjoy grinding, Darkest Dungeon might not be the game for you.

Comment

Con
It can be frustrating at times

Darkest Dungeon heavily relies on random events that can happen at any point in a dungeon. Some of them don't make any sense and most of them don't feel fair. For example, right after stepping inside a dungeon your characters might suddenly go hungry. If you don't feed them they'll get a penalty, setting you back for the rest of the dungeon. If you feed them you'll have used up your food but your characters might still go hungry again. You can't reliably plan around stuff like this, which can be annoying.

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Pro
Interesting adventurer management

While the fabled heroes are off slaying dragons, battling demon kings, and saving princesses, the small-time adventurers have to clean up the dregs. You as the lord of a small settlement will employ these adventurers to clear out the mysterious dungeons surrounding your property. To clear a dungeon you’ll need to prepare adequately. This involves having decent party setup, which usually consists of at least 1 tank, 1 healer, and 2 damage dealers. This also includes having enough provisions such as torches and food. Planning out what and/or who to take with you can sometimes take as long as running a dungeon but it really makes you feel like you’re organizing an adventure. Another interesting part is the stress mechanic, causing your adventurers to accrue stress as they keep adventuring. If stress passes the first threshold, your adventurer might incur various penalties or even refuse your orders. If stress passes the second threshold your adventurer will die from a heart attack, so it’s important to relieve it regularly. This can be done by sending them to the tavern to blow off some steam or to the abbey to request absolution. Either option will make them unavailable for a week, so it’s a good idea plan ahead and have multiple parties of adventurers ready. This mechanic makes it feel like you’re managing real people rather than the indomitable figures often seen in fairy tales.

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Pro
Outstanding narration

Even though the only character that talks in this game is the narrator, his delivery of the lines is excellent. He talks in a deep and raspy voice that is also very pleasing to listen to. The narrator usually describes the events happening on-screen such as upgrading your settlement buildings, recruiting adventurers, various dungeon interactions, and many more. Additionally, he’ll start dropping story bits every time you near a boss, creating a very minimalist approach to storytelling that is also very enjoyable.

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Pro
Great monster visual design

There's a wide variety of extremely well-designed monsters and characters in the game. You confront bandits, skeletons, undersea terrors, pig monsters, and all sorts of otherworldly horrors. There's a lot of gruesome detail on each and every enemy, so the longer you'll keep looking the more you'll notice. This can be bloodstains, an extra set of eyes, an appendage that looks like a tentacle, and many more. It sometimes really feels like you're losing your mind alongside the adventurers, seeing whatever fits into your schema.

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Pro
Immersive atmosphere

Darkest Dungeon has an almost intoxicating atmosphere created by three main aspects. Firstly, it’s the visuals: the somber color palette that accompanies a sunset, the creepy environments your party of four will anxiously proceed through, and the detailed, fearsome, and sometimes disgusting enemies that will tirelessly try to slaughter you. Secondly, the audio: an eerie soundtrack filled with murmurs of otherworldly creatures, teemed with bloodcurdling sound effects that render monster strikes more impactful. Even a charismatic narrator providing insightful interjections, as uttered by his mysterious, deep voice. Lastly, it’s the highly unpredictable and sometimes unfair gameplay. Whatever short triumph you may have, it will get drowned in a sea of despair. These elements combined make it very easy to immerse yourself into the world of Darkest Dungeon.

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Pro
Creed mechanic keeps subsequent playthroughs interesting

There is a feature in the game called "creeds" that allows you to ally with a faction of NPCs. You can only ally one creed at a time, giving you access to their unique perks, items, quest givers, and access to fast travel points. All of this offers just enough variety to keep subsequent playthroughs interesting.

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Pro
You can make a character that fits your playstyle

Your character has a large skill tree with many branching paths. It contains most abilities you see in a fantasy game, including spells, martial arts moves, and many others. This means you can make a fast mage, a bulky fighter, a mix of the two, or whatever fits your playstyle, making it a more enjoyable experience as a whole.

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Pro
Deep combat

While the combat may seem simple at first, it's actually quite diverse. A lot of it depends on your equipment, where the weight and reach affects how you can play. For example, heavy armor will make you slower, but you'll be able to take more hits. This enables a safer playstyle, where you're allowed to make more mistakes. Large weapons have a better reach, but swing slower, so you'll need to have good timing to combat enemies effectively. During combat, you'll be alternating between a light attack and a hard attack. These can charged to alter the timing and increase the damage of each swing, allowing you to perform very varied combos. As a result the combat stays exciting for the entirety of the game.

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Pro
Immersive storytelling through exploration

Salt and Sanctuary doesn't tell you much in terms of story, so it's up to you to explore and figure it out. You can do it by talking to NPCs, reading item descriptions, and observing the environment. You'll piece the story together bit by bit, filling in the gaps with your imagination. This makes it feel like you're truly exploring the world of Salt and Sanctuary, finding out what interests you, without having exposition constantly thrown at you.

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Con
May be too niche

The setting of the game is quite morbid and the gameplay is rather difficult. This causes it to be mentally draining even during short play sessions. As a result Salt and Sanctuary won't be very appealing to players looking to relax while playing a game.

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Con
Difficult to know where you are

There is no map in the game, making navigation quite difficult at times. Most of the locations look very similar, so you can't really use them for orientation either. Sometimes it might even feel like you're running through the same area multiple times. This can be especially confusing if you're backtracking towards a locked area. You might faintly remember it being somewhere, but you won't be exactly sure where, causing you to re-explore everything.

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Pro
Rewarding exploration

Exploring in Nioh feels worthwhile since it helps you find new equipment and rare materials. This will help progress your character, allowing you to defeat enemies in fewer hits and giving you a smoother playthrough overall. It's also very exciting to accidentally stumble upon secret areas.

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Pro
Fast-paced, intense combat

Nioh is a very fast-paced game, which also rewards awareness and patience. The combat in it is all about dodging, countering enemy attacks, and looking for openings. You will quickly regret any hasty decisions (like fighting three demon Samurai out in the open) since they'll most likely lead to your death. It also features some very intense boss fights that further expand upon this core concept. The fights are much longer and requires you to focus the entire time. Nothing beats the sense of accomplishment when you finally beat a giant mythical demon.

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Con
Punishing difficulty for beginners of the genre

Nioh, like any other Souls-like title, has a very brutal entry difficulty. If you're new to the Souls-like genre, you'll have to get used to a lot of the mechanics, dodging, and, most importantly, dying. This can be the source of extreme frustration for the first ten hours or so, which causes a lot of players to quit during that time. If you can get over this initial hurdle, you'll finally start enjoying the game. The acquired skills will also carry over to other games in the same genre.

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Con
The story isn't particularly good or meaningful

Nioh has kind of a throwaway story. You won't fall in love with any characters, and nothing that happens will shock or awe you.

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Pro
Fast paced, arcade action

The action never stops. Enemies of multiple types spawn all over the place in random locations, lasers and flamethrowers light up the screen, and things explode into a shower of color and particle effects. Loot is everywhere, drops randomly, and can be upgraded RPG style. There's hardly a chance to catch your breath because the enemies just don't stop coming as you make your way through procedurally-generated maps and missions.

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Con
Guns are all pretty similar

With the exception of their raw damage output and base stats, most guns of the same type (shotgun, flamethrower, etc) look and perform the same.

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Con
Single player can be hard

This game was meant for co-op, meaning the single player mode can feel overwhelming at time. Playing alone and with no support, you will oftentimes simply be outgunned.

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Pro
Great weapon looting and upgrade system

There's always a new weapon to loot or find via randomized weapon drops. Weapons come with a variety of upgrade sockets that can be fitted with upgrade "cores" to increase the base stats like damage, clip size, and rate of fire. All upgrades are incredibly satisfying as they feel immediately more powerful. Each player can carry 3 weapons at the same time, as well as a grenade slot for explosives like boomerangs and mines. You're free to mix and match your weapons to create a style that works for you. If you're not happy with your random drop, you can always salvage/reroll it to have new stats and sockets. Regardless of your weapon choice, you'll always be able to custom tailor it to suit your playstyle through the versatile upgrading system.

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Pro
Lots of variety in enemy type

There are many enemy types, from the slow-moving kind you can simply shoot down as you run and gun, to ones that move fast, explode, wear heavy armor, and teleport around the map. Every enemy has a trick up it's sleeve, so you'll have to adjust your strategies on the fly. As you progress through the game, the enemies become more numerous and stronger resulting in exciting and balanced gameplay. You won't get bored of shooting the same enemies over and over, as they are randomly placed with plenty of variety.

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Pro
Different classes to compliment each other in co-op play

Alienation features three different classes to choose from, all of which compliment each other in co-op play. Tanks can take the brunt of the damage, while saboteurs can dash into swarms of ranged enemies to take them out, and the bio-specialist which serves as an assist role by healing teammates can unleash clouds of poison to choke enemies. Playing with your friends offers the opportunity to create some fun team compositions that compliment each other as you work together to blast your way through swarms of aliens.

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Con
PvP can be unfair

Through an 'Invasion' system, other players can invade your game and attempt to kill you while you attempt to defend against them. However, there is no attempt to match up players of equal power, so it usually results in unfair play where higher level players are demolishing lower level players. It feels very unbalanced and offers no extra rewards like loot or experience.

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Pro
Good balance between action and puzzle solving

You'll do your fair share of running and gunning through hordes of scarabs and skeletons, but the action is offset nicely by numerous environmental puzzles. There's just enough action so that you stay on your toes, but it's never overbearing to the point you'll ever feel overwhelmed by enemies. The puzzles are spaced liberally to give a break from the action and let your brain do the heavy lifting for a while. Every so often, you'll put your weapons down and instead pull levers, throw down rope lines, shoot lasers at mirrors, and change the flow of waterways in an attempt to continue down your path.

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Pro
Co-op play encourages strong teamwork and coordination

In order to overcome obstacles in your path, get at loot in hard to reach places, or use teamwork to solve a variety of puzzles, the game encourages a deep level of coordination and communication between players that isn't required in most other isometric dungeon crawlers. This makes it a great co-op game to play with friends. Boost a friend to the top of a column for hard to reach loot, pull a switch so they can access a locked gate in another area, or even lay down a rope line to help your friends cross a perilous chasm. Almost everything in co-op play will require multiple people working together to advance throughout the level. Additionally, the puzzles scale based on the number of players, oftentimes adding new mechanics such as switches, levers, and walls that aren't present in solo play. Nobody will ever feel left out as there's always a way for players to contribute to solving puzzles whether you're playing with 2 or 4 friends.

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Pro
Various loot adds a bit of an RPG element

While this is not a loot-based dungeon crawler, there's still a variety of different weapons to discover and blast your foes with, as well as gems and treasure chests scattered around the levels. The gems are used to open treasure chests that contain rings and amulets. This loot provides combat bonuses such as extra fire damage, a leech effect to steal health from enemies, or provide a bigger blast radius for your bombs. Finding these gems and treasure chests will require some exploration into hard to reach areas, oftentimes by utilizing the help of your friends, but looting a new ring or amulet to increase your combat capabilities makes it a worthy endeavor and gives the game a light RPG element.

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Pro
Boss fights incorporate puzzles

Sometimes the boss battles incorporate elements of the puzzles from the level you just played, and build on them a bit. This makes the boss battles more strategic. Instead of just pumping lead into them and mashing buttons, you have to strategically alter the environment to take them down. For example, there is a snake boss that requires you to arrange mirrors and shoot lasers to expose the weak areas of the boss. Your friend may be arranging the mirrors while you're shooting the lasers. Discovering the trick to defeating each boss is highly rewarding as each encounter incorporates a clever, satisfying mix of action, teamwork, and puzzles.

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Con
The story is generic and simple

If you're looking for a deep and intricate story, you won't find it here. The plot revolves around Lara and friends finding all the pieces of Osiris and putting him back together to stop the evil god Set from enslaving all humanity. There's not much depth or character development.

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Con
Online co-op with strangers can be frustrating

Most of the intricate and complex puzzles require intense cooperation and communication between players. Achieving that level of coordination playing online with strangers is difficult and frustrating in some situations.

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Pro
Barebones gameplay but still quite fun for a few hours

One More Dungeon is a fairly basic first person dungeon crawler. Roaming around dungeons, picking up power ups, killing enemies, avoiding traps, and using a variety of different weapons. There's no looking up or down, so combat is pretty straightforward. Run up and hit a monster, or line up your ranged attack. Bosses have a few simple mechanics but nothing fancy. Dungeons are randomly generated so you'll never play the same one twice.

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Pro
Retro art style

The simple pixel art is full of charm for those that enjoy the bloated 8 bit style, and it takes a lot of it's inspiration from games such as the original Doom and Minecraft. The blocky textures, chunky pixels, and 2D enemies are a definite nod to old school gaming. It's a visual feast for retro lovers.

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Pro
It gives you a fresh experience every run

The dungeons, items, and enemies are procedurally generated. This ensures the levels are truly random each and every time, with items, bosses, traps, and secret rooms scattered about in new places every run. You'll never play the same map twice.

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Pro
Interesting ranged weapon play

Staves act as the ranged weapon to shoot projectiles at your foes, as well have some magical attributes like freezing, poisoning, and burning. Staff use is limited as ammo comes in the form of various crystals (fire, ice, and acid) which can be found scattered around the maps. Some staves, such as the Ice Beam Staff, only consume ice crystals. However others, like the Mirror Staff which causes your shots to bounce off walls, requires 1 crystal of each type to use. Some enemies are also weak to certain damage types like fire or acid, so you'll have to plan and manage your crystals appropriately if you want to do max damage with staves. Between the sheer variety of staffs and micromanaging your crystals to use each staff to it's full potential, everything comes together into a ranged weapon system that's both interesting and functional.

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Pro
You can customize the gameplay with Mutators for an added challenge

Every time you kill an enemy, you earn points which can be used to purchase Mutators. These Mutators are game options that change your experience a bit, and are a great way to try something new or add an extra layer of difficulty. Some examples of Mutators include starting the game with 1 hit point, reduced view distance, extra power ups, and extra enemies. There are quite a few to choose from, and you can activate 2 at a time which means you can mix and match them to find your perfect challenge.

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Con
There's no story

The only goal is to escape the various dungeons, and there's no kind of story to keep your attention. While this may be okay for some, those who prefer at least a basic story with their games might be disappointed.

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Con
You can't look up or down

There's no Y-axis which means you can't look up and down. This greatly reduces the immersion in the environment and your only perspective is limited to a straight on, first person view.

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Con
Melee weapons feel imbalanced to play with

The melee weapons seem to hit a little off center and to the right of where you're actually aiming. You can adjust for this with a little practice, but it just doesn't feel good to control. Also, the range on most melee weapons is so low that they're almost effectively useless since you have to be practically right on top of enemies. During the early game, you'll be too weak to be up close and personal with enemies, so the sheer difficulty discourages any kind of melee play.

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Con
Repetitive gameplay

The randomly generated maps are very similar to one another. In most cases, they require a bunch of backtracking due to bad layouts, meaning a lot of play time is spent walking instead of fighting. Enemies either blindly charge at you or sit at the same predetermined distance to shoot at you, without any kind of noticeable strategy behind their actions. Overall, the similar maps and predictable enemies just don't change things up enough from level to level to retain your interest for long.

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Con
Some of the dungeons are boring

Not all of the dungeons are that fun to play through. Some of them are designed well with lots of traps to dodge and mini-puzzles to figure out, but others are just a drag. They're not inventive or exciting at all, with samey designs and almost no challenge involved with the enemies and bosses. They really bring down the quality of the exploration and gameplay.

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Pro
Great anime visuals

The 2.5D art style and animations during cutscenes are wonderful. Characters look amazing, animated in natural ways and drawn with bright colors that stand out from the backgrounds of the school corridors and classrooms. Everyone's personalities shine through in their designs as well, with calm, collected characters looking put-together and in control, and more gregarious characters like Akko gesturing wildly or making funny expressions. Chamber of Time is a lot like an anime ported to a game, pulling off a unique and charming visual style.

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Pro
Accessible to newcomers who haven't watched the anime

Even if you haven't watched the Little Witch Academia anime, you won't be lost. From the beginning, the game introduces you to Akko's friends by showing you key scenes from the anime that give context to each character. The slower pace at the start also goes a long way to introduce you to the world that you're in, making sure that you really know who everyone is and how the time and magic lore works. You don't have to spend hours catching up on the source material; you can jump right into Chamber of Time and understand what's going on.

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Pro
Fun and flashy beat 'em up-style combat

Combat is satisfyingly fun with lots of spectacle. Playing as Akko with her group of witch friends, you delve into dungeons within the magical academy. Sidescrolling your way through dungeons, you use your wand to fire off colorful magic abilities against the hordes of goblins, skeletons, and other monsters. Enemies are relentless, filling up the screen with their presence as you fight back with quick bursts of spells like a beat 'em up game. Everything looks and feels great, keeping things exciting for plenty of hours of dungeon crawling.

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Pro
Funny story premise of the protagonist trapping her academy in a time continuum

The basis of the story is entertaining in how silly it is. The main character, a young witch named Akko, is so clumsy and irresponsible that she manages to accidentally get her magic academy stuck in a time continuum. She tries to solve the problem with her friends, who seem to be the only other ones who don't notice that the school is stuck living out the exact same day over and over again. It's funny seeing the other NPCs act like all is well when things are clearly wrong, and it's even funnier seeing how hopeless Akko is at figuring out the whole conundrum. The game never takes itself too seriously, giving you the chance to laugh over Akko's antics and the absurdity of the situation.

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Con
Stiff controls for running and jumping

Running and jumping during combat isn't always intuitive. If you just run and stop, you have to watch your character skid to a halt before she decides to react to you controlling her to jump next. You have to chain the two actions together -- running and then transitioning to a jump -- to keep things smooth. Your character won't simply react in a timely way as she should, making things feel rigid.

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Con
Characters repeat the same combat lines over and over

The repetitive lines characters shout out during combat can easily get on your nerves. Each time you shoot your spells, everyone says the exact same line again and again, with little to no variation. It's so bad that you might want to consider turning off the voices altogether, and possibly turning the volume back up once you're finished dungeon crawling for the day.

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Pro
Enjoyable domination battles that freshen up turn-based combat

Aside from regular turn-based battles that make up most of the game, there are also team-based domination battles that focus on territory control. You and your opponent get placed into an arena and each of you is usually given 3 characters that you take turns to move. The arena is split into territories that have point values attached to them, requiring you to capture a certain amount of territories (points) to win. To contest a territory with an opponent character on it, you still have to fight a turn-based battle, but the loser respawns at their starting point, so the goal never is to just defeat your opponent. This creates a refreshing mini-game that still uses core concepts of the game, which is not seen in many other turn-based RPGs.

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Pro
Well-balanced story

Hacker's Memory strikes a nuanced balance between dark themes and over-the-top comedy. At its heaviest the story delves into identity theft and slavery, while at its lightest you have absurdist comedy with cartoonish characters in silly situations. The story's greatest strength, however, is that it constantly alternates between the light and heavy themes while throwing in some philosophical questions. As a result, you won't get drained from constant drama as easily and the jokes won't go stale as quickly, which makes the whole narrative more enjoyable as a whole.

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Pro
Crisp and colorful visuals

The game's visuals are really well done overall, having very detailed environments, intricate character models, vibrant particle effects, and even beautifully animated cutscenes. This is further improved by the use a wide variety of colors, ranging from shades of brown and gray to neon green and neon purple. Fortunately, the game also retains great amounts of visual clarity, so the colorful style almost never gets into the way of gameplay, allowing Hacker's Memory to be both enjoyable to play and to look at.

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Pro
Addictive monster collection aspect

The main side-goal of Hacker's Memory is collecting all of the 300+ Digimon found within the game, which quickly becomes addictive because of two reasons. First, it's very simple – you either keep leveling/de-leveling your Digimon and transform them into other Digimon, create new Digimon, or buy some of them at a store. If you want to "catch" the Digimon found in random battles, you don't need to weaken them or actually catch them, but just encounter them enough times. This is because each encounter gives you a % of their data and once you get 100%, you can create that Digimon. To make it even better, you don't even have to level all your Digimon manually since you're given a farm where Digimon can level up automatically over time, reducing the tedium considerably. Second, the Digimon designs look very interesting, cool and sometimes even funny. This includes fierce wolves, massive dinosaurs, robots, angels, devils, ghosts, sentient piles of poop, and many others. There's so much variety in the designs, it can be really exciting to see what new Digimon you'll get. Because of these two reasons, the collection aspect can easily remain exciting right until you finish your collection.

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Con
Combat can get repetitive easily

While there is some strategy to the combat, requiring you to target enemy weaknesses with corresponding abilities, the combat is still very simple at its core, allowing you to brute force through battles without much thought if your stats/level is high enough. As a result, the combat can quickly devolve into you just mashing a single button to get through battles quicker, which might not be that interesting and can get tiresome after a while.

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Con
No English dub

The voice-over is only available in Japanese albeit with English subtitles. This means unless you're fluent in Japanese, you'll need to read quite a bit of text to fully grasp the story, which can be a turn off for some players.

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Pro
Fun battles thanks to overcharge

Using your basic attacks builds up a special charge that allows you unleash devastating attacks, oftentimes being awarded bonus damage based on the charge spent. This charge disappears when combat ends, which encourages you to use it or lose it. This means you can constantly use the most fun and flashy attacks without having to worry about conserving resources for a boss fight or tough enemy. Building up and unleashing brutal attacks in every single fight, no matter how minor, really makes the battles shine.

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Pro
Engaging side content helps the world feel alive

Outside of progressing the main story, there are a lot of interesting side activities to take part in that help you feel like you're part of a real world. Fighting wave after wave of increasingly difficulty enemies in the arena is a great way to put your skills to the test. Seeing how far you can advance in the arena is pretty fun. Certain NPCs also give you the opportunity to go on hunts, where you can track down and kill rare monsters for rewards. These hunts are a great way to get out exploring and find things you normally wouldn't encounter. If you ever want to take a break from the fighting, there's also crafting and a fishing minigame to partake in.

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Pro
Satisfying battle animations

While in battle, all your attacks and special abilities are accompanied by fancy and colorful animations, such as the wizard Knolan waving loops of fire around shortly before tossing at the enemy, or Calibretto the giant golem making a huge spectacle of charging up his big guns before firing them. Watching these attacks play out is satisfying due to all this showmanship, and there's an exciting anticipation that comes with watching a big, powerful spell wind up.

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Pro
Exploration is rewarding

There is a large and detailed overworld filled with dungeons, towns, secret bosses, and plenty of hidden treasures. Just exploring and finding all the tucked away secrets in each of the eight regions can be quite enjoyable and extra rewarding when you find a special monster or treasure chest.

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Pro
Robust and interesting crafting

Almost everything you pick up can be used to craft something. There are recipes, but you are free to experiment and add new reagents to known formulas to create interesting items. Even if you are missing a certain ingredient, you can often substitute a larger quantity of a different one to make up for it. It's a fun side activity for those who like to experiment and get creative with crafting without being locked into strict recipes.

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Con
Story is generic

The story fails to break out of RPG stereotypes and ends up feeling very plain. You are playing as nine year old Gully and her ragtag crew of misfits when your airship is shot down over a strange land. You soon come to find out this land is under the threat of an evil sorceress who intends to steal all the mana for herself. Your characters never get deeply involved in the story, don't have any struggles of their own that get resolved, and simply seem to just be in the wrong place at the wrong time. They then set out to stop her because it's the generic "hero" thing to do. The story never really goes any deeper than that, characters are never fully developed to their full potential, and there are very few side stories.

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Con
Party system has some glaring issues

Although you can recruit additional characters to your party, you can only have three active at any one time. Only active characters get loot and experience, which makes it clunky and hard to level all your characters equally. This essentially creates an imbalance in your roster where it feels like you're pigeonholed into using the same three characters for the duration of the game. New characters you pick up along the way never feel like they quite fit into the groove you've built up with the original three.

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Con
Characters feel plain and static

While all the party members are mostly likable, it's hard to become attached to any of them. None of them change in any meaningful way or learn anything over the course of the story. There's not much banter among them as you travel, and they don't ever really seem to form any kind of real bond. Their backstories are never explored in any depth, and none of them have any major problems that need to be resolved. During the entire adventure, they seem to be just "going through the motions" and don't have much enthusiasm or reaction to the world around them.

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Con
Story ends on a cliffhanger

There is no story resolution at the end of your adventure. This can be a major turn off for some, especially people who enjoy a story with closure.

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Con
Latter portion of the game starts to flail

Due to the crafting system and easy-to-acquire dungeon loot, it's very easy to steamroll everything in the latter portion of the game. This takes away some excitement from the battles as combat poses no challenge, and it makes the final portion of the game way too easy when it should be harder.

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