When comparing Dandara vs Back to Bed, the Slant community recommends Back to Bed for most people. In the question“What are the best Android games for Nvidia Shield?” Back to Bed is ranked 17th while Dandara is ranked 23rd. The most important reason people chose Back to Bed is:
Players must figure out how to traverse the architecture in order to get items they need to use to help guide the the main character, who is sleepwalking. It is through this mind bending architecture that the core of the gameplay lies as each level is a puzzle in and of itself to figure out how to gain all the items needed, which is only half the gameplay as once that is figured out they then need to guide the sleepwalker to their goal.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Fun gameplay thanks to unique wall jumping mechanic
Rather than running and jumping, all movement in Dandara is done through a unique wall jumping mechanic. This unique jumping is the heart of the game and what sets it apart from other platformers. You can jump to any wall, ceiling, or floor within reach, often bouncing among them in rapid succession like a ninja. The mechanic itself is simple, just aim and jump. However, this movement style makes shooting at enemies, dodging projectiles, or navigating each room a fun, unique challenge that isn't seen in other platformers.
Pro Great balance between movement and combat
While you do have a gun, it takes several seconds to stop, charge up, and shoot. This means whenever you want to dispatch an enemy, you'll have to stop moving completely for several seconds. It's not as easy as it sounds, since oftentimes dodging projectiles, working around moving platforms, and finding a safe spot requires some planning ahead. Sometimes, it may be better to just keep moving rather than killing every enemy in sight. As a result, Dandara's combat provides a balance and unique challenge not often seen in "run and gun" style platformers.
Pro Rewarding boss fights
The boss fights are exciting and fast paced battles that will put your mastery of the wall jumping movement system to the test. One particular fight has temporary platforms that spawn out of thin air, so you never know where they're going to appear. This requires some on the fly thinking as you'll not only be paying attention to the platforms, but also dodging the boss' projectiles and his minions. You'll have to be precise in your jumping and shooting. Every boss fight incorporates the fun wall jumping flawlessly and defeating each one feels like a true accomplishment.
Pro Interestingly uses mind bending architecture in the gameplay
Players must figure out how to traverse the architecture in order to get items they need to use to help guide the the main character, who is sleepwalking. It is through this mind bending architecture that the core of the gameplay lies as each level is a puzzle in and of itself to figure out how to gain all the items needed, which is only half the gameplay as once that is figured out they then need to guide the sleepwalker to their goal.
Pro Excellent sound design
From its background music to its voice work, the sound design of The Room Two not only fits with the theme but adds to the player's immersion in the game and overall experience.
Pro Surreal graphics
The graphics of Back to Bed are very surreal, as if Dahli and Escher had teamed up to design a game.
Cons
Con Map is hard to use
The camera rotates when entering new rooms/areas, however the map doesn't rotate to reflect this. As a result, it's hard to tell which direction you need to go in. The static map feel a bit useless at times.
Con Save points are scarce
Killing enemies awards salt which can be used to increase your health pool and upgrade your stats. However, you can only use salt at camps (save points) which are few and far between. Additionally, having to replay large sections of content and losing experience every time you die makes the game lose some of it's fun.
Con Major difficulty spikes
Dandara is a challenging game as it is, but there are some pretty sharp difficultly spikes in some areas that feel a little too punishing. This can be frustrating to some players who felt like they were making progress, only to hit these roadblocks.
Con Puzzles could be deeper
With such an amazing graphic design, the level of depth to the puzzles feels almost disappointing.