I’m fairly enthusiastic about the Nintendo DS stylings and conventional roguelike charms of Shiren the Wanderer: The Thriller Dungeon Of Serpentcoil Island, however I’m having actual hassle summoning up the motivation to repeatedly grind by its opening ranges to get to the fascinating stuff. Early levels quickly lose any actual sense of shock, and later ones can really feel low on actual company. I need a new roguelike run to really feel very important and verdant; heady with grand plans and plan-shattering twists. However by having randomness affect every run so considerably, Thriller Dungeon feels fickle as a substitute of emergent – lower than the sum of some extremely novel and artistic components.
Certainly one of these components is a speaking ferret named Koppa, bless him. He’ll be doing the chatting on your character, Shiren, who opts to remain silent in a means that could be practised stoicism however feels largely like fixed bewilderment. On the sport’s begin, the adventuring duo discover themselves deep within the titular dungeon, get thwomped, get up in a close-by village, and vow to return to the mountain to hunt some beneficial treasure within the stomach of a large monster.
It’s a simple hook, however Thriller Dungeon has such pretty, heat JRPG vibes – all pleasant colors and luxurious, stirring instrumentals – that it’s a simple world to get sucked in by. The story progresses in vignettes after failing a couple of runs or discovering new places in your journey up the mountain, and also you’ll meet new characters and factions, or generally unlock new paths. A standard city may end up to have a stunning, stabby secret, and a often sleepy seaside in your beginning village may host an uninvited visitor one morning. Story scenes aren’t so widespread that you just’ll see them each run, and they also’re a welcome break once they do pop up.
Principally, although, you’ll be braving that mountain, one tile at a time. Every step or motion you are taking counts as one flip, throughout which any monsters about may also take theirs. The purpose on every stage is to find the exit to the following stage, although you’ll wish to discover totally to mop up loot and expertise. Shiren heals one HP for every tile, but in addition drains a starvation meter. If this depletes, you’ll lose well being, so that you’ll wish to keep stocked up with onigiri (rice balls). Shiren’s HP will increase once they stage up, however it’s also possible to eat therapeutic herbs on full HP for a couple of extra factors. Your starvation meter doesn’t increase like this, however you’ll be able to develop it by consuming onigiri while you’re already full.
That’s one fascinating consideration, straight off: do you save these things for while you’re determined, or attempt to buff up Shiren early? Onigiri can rot for those who attempt to hoard it, too, and Thriller Dungeon can also be a sport of novel emergent reactions. When you’re hit by a fireball, any onigiri you’re holding will grill, boosting its results. How are you going to plan for this? Effectively, you’ll be able to’t. Like mainly all the things fascinating right here, it simply occurs generally. When you’re considering “that could be an issue, really”, effectively…
At its most elementary, fight entails buying and selling blows with enemies flip by flip by inputting assault instructions. However actually, all the things fascinating or notable about fight encounters right here stems out of your stock. By means of exploring and killing monsters, you’ll amass a bag of scrolls, staffs, pots, and different consumables. A shot from a paralysing employees may go away a rotund cat unable to behave for a number of turns. Or higher but, apply it to the speedily hopping frog that steals your gold if it will get too shut. Some dragonbreath grass could have Shiren breathe hearth – although you may wish to save these for physical-resistant spirits later. A bladewind scroll will clear a room in seconds, however is best tucked away for treasure rooms filled with enemies. There are extra esoteric results, too. Place switching. Confusion. An empathy spell that returns harm to sender. Studying the best way to counter an in depth bestiary stays a spotlight, even when there’s little you are able to do to really put together.
Once more: these are all random pick-ups. It can save you and plan, and also you’ve often obtained a minimum of a couple of issues that may get you out of a bind, however there simply isn’t a lot tactical satisfaction to getting fortunate with drops, utilizing them in apparent conditions, then popping alongside in your merry means till you get caught in a bind the place you’re too depleted of fine stuff to deal with it. Emergent gameplay is nice. It’s higher than nice. It’s certainly one of gaming’s biggest joys. However it must be framed by company, planning and determination making. There’s actually a few of that right here, however I believe the easiest way I can put it’s that every one this novelty can’t hold tempo with the speed of progress. Whenever you’re making discoveries, it’s extremely absorbing. Whenever you’re placing these discoveries into impact for the fifteenth time, it appears like a rote grind. All of it means I am not excited for an additional run, I am simply crossing my fingers till the sport decides to cough up some pity treasure.
Other than monsters, dungeon flooring additionally conceal traps and secrets and techniques. Place a improper foot throughout fight, and also you may hit a tile that strips your gear, forcing you to spend two valuable turns to seize your sword and defend once more. Or, you may simply get bonked midway throughout the ground by a large spring. Shopkeepers and blacksmiths are uncommon commodities within the occasional village between flooring, however you’ll generally discover a store in a dungeon. I’m 99% certain the shopkeeper will assault you for those who don’t pay, however I’ve by no means been courageous sufficient to attempt. There are additionally hidden partitions, water you’ll be able to dispel with a sure scroll for further loot, and companions – certainly one of which can allow you to ship again a single merchandise to a warehouse on your subsequent run. How this often works is I’ll ship again my second greatest sword and discover a significantly better one on the second flooring.
It doesn’t assist that I’m taking part in an early copy, after all, so I’m not getting the complete expertise of one of many extra fascinating issues Thriller Dungeon does: rescues. You’ll be able to request three rescues per run. This may be on-line – see above. Or, you’ll be able to rescue your self by progressing to the spot while you died. Why would you do that when it’s as time-consuming as a brand new run, and the model of you that died clearly wasn’t having a fruitful run or they’d nonetheless be alive? Trustworthy query. I am really hoping I missed some revelatory characteristic that’ll let me get pleasure from my time with the ferret extra.
Extra so than different video games, my expertise with Thriller Dungeon does really feel like a case of the reviewer’s curse; the dreaded roguelike embargo. Performed one run at a time as a comfy night ritual, and the luster goes to remain on so much longer. Nonetheless, that sense of fickleness – of getting little company how your runs end up within the face of random drops – does really feel prefer it’s baked in. Maybe that’s the sticking level for me, having to cope with untameable chaos lurking beneath such inviting presentation. Maybe I ought to let go and permit the winds of destiny to hold me. It’s simply not straightforward once they hold knocking me proper again to the underside of a mountain, and making me belief them once more if I wish to get again up.
