Dungeon Crawler - Indie RPG Reviews

Famous last words: “Gold … I need more gold!”

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Platform: XBox 360 Live Indie Games (XBLIG)
Prize: 80 MSP (0,96€)
Developer: Eyehook
Website: here
Download: XBLIG

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“Here be Perma-Death”

Epic Dungeon was released as one of the first games of the Indie Games Winter Uprising, an initiative of XBLIG developers trying to “fight back against mediocrity and lameness” on their host platform. Eyehook definitely managed to do that. Epic Dungeon delivers what its name promises: fast-paced, adrenaline-filled dungeon crawling in an epic strife for fame and riches. See for yourself after the break.

Advancement & Items

Your first choice is to pick on of four character classes. Each class looks a bit different and is able to raise one of four skills twice as fast as the other three skills. Other than that, it doesn’t matter too much which one you chose. The five skill are: Health regeneration (no class bonus), a Pet (Orb, Tinkerer class), an are effect attack (Frenzy, Berserker class), an area effect damage over time (Poison, Gambler) and an area effect stun (Freeze, Shaman class). Here’s a video showcasing the four classes:

Level-ups happen pretty fast (about once per dungeon level, expect to be level 20-25 in about an hour). Whenever you level up, you can put three points into one of four attributes (damage, defense, dexterity and luck). Every other level you gain a skill point that will increase and skill by one or your main skill by two points. The skills are capped at ten.

Equipment can be found, must often be identified and will improve your character’s four attributes. There’s also a lot of scrolls and potions which add some depth to the gameplay. Every few levels there will be a shop where you can buy and sell stuff … so remember to pick up those gold coins. And never forget to buy lamp oil. The state of your lamp does determine how far your character can see. No more oil, no more light. No more light, dead adventurer.

Ye Olde Goblin Shoppe

Gameplay & Controls

These work pretty well. You move with the left analog stick - no surprise here. But if there’s an enemy in the direction where you push the stick, you’ll instead do a melee attack into that direction. This sometimes leads to uncontrolled “stumbling” into a bunch of monsters when you’ve defeated one of them but did not net go of the stick. Other than that, the controls work really well. You activate the skills with the ABXY-buttons, ladders and shops with the left trigger and potions with the right trigger. This is extremely important as drinking potions is extremely important for your survival. If you’re too slow or greedy with your potions, swarms of monsters will easily beat you down in seconds and then it’s over - your character died, please start a new game. Yes, there is perma-death in this game. And you can’t get around it via saving often (because you can’t). Deal with it. This is where the game’s fun comes from - gaining strength and wealth is only important when you can also lose it.

Story & Setting

You’re a lone-wolf adventurer. You wake up in a dungeon because you drank too much / your mother played a trick on you / a peasant threw you into his well / you simply want to beat up some evil monsters. Now go find some loot and maybe try to get to the last level. Epic Dungeon is more focused on the second part of its name (yeah … Dungeon) and not on telling an epic story. But let’s be honest: We don’t really need one either. It’s about getting fat loot, right? Still, at some times the game’s story-based ancestry shines though in the form of a short text-based interlude that happens when you activate certain items. You can then multiple-choice yourself to either death or riches - should you accept the task.

There’s no reason to deny your pen-and-paper roots.

Graphics & Eye-Candy

Nothing special here. Eyehook went for a classical pixel-look that fits the game well. It may not really as memorable as Spelunky, Canabalt or Super Meat Boy, but the graphics are very smooth and easy for the eyes. You always know where you are, what’s a threat to your life and where to go next. Well done.

Music & Sound

Epic Dungeon’s soundtrack features exactly one music loop. But that loop is very well made as you can’t really tell easily where it starts and where it stops. It may only be some 30 seconds long but its retro-organ sound never really disturbs you. It’s quite soothing, to be honest. There are also some sound effects, but they’re not really going to attract your attention.

Conclusion

Yeah … well, there will be no point rating from me. It doesn’t really matter if the game gets 90% overall or a 7 out of 10 in the graphics department. I bought it, I liked it (and still do). And should you be looking for a adrenaline-filled but casual dungeon crawler then you’ll most likely like it, too. So get the demo and decide for yourself.