Okay Geek Farm
PC Review - Dungeons
Jamie Donnelly
Dungeons
Format: PC
Genre: Dungeon Crawler / Tower Defense
Publisher: Kalypso Media
Developer: Realmforge Studios
What’s Dungeons About?
You play the role of a fallen Underworld Prince, whose demonic, succubus girlfriend has betrayed him and left him at the bottom of the power chain with a simple, measly dungeon to his name. While most normal folk would grab a bottle of vodka, a box of chocolates and a Dido CD, our evil prince decides to butcher his way back to the top of the food chain by harvesting the souls of adventurous heroes who foolishly wander into his domain. You work your way up through various dungeons until you can once again reclaim your throne. It may not be as iconic as a Shakespearian tale of romance and betrayal, but it provides a backbone to which the gameplay can cling to – and that’s all it really needs to do.
What’s the Gameplay Like?
Although it looks like a Dungeon Keeper clone, the actual gameplay is quite different. If you want a dungeon management game in which you must care for creatures and build up various rooms then Dungeons is not for you. The dungeon management in Dungeons is all about placing objects and gold around your dungeon in order to make the wandering heroes happy. There is a selection of rooms you can build which also increases heroes’ happiness, but with only a Library, Armory and Prison on offer the choice is very limited. Happier heroes gain more soul energy which you can then harvest from them. Soul Energy can then be spent on more objects, which grant prestige. The higher your prestige points, the more objects become unlocked. The objects in question are simple decorations to spruce up your dingy dungeon and make it feel a bit cozier. They also increase a hero’s satisfaction, which once again means you can reap more soul energy. Essentially, you’re running a heroes farm. Albeit, a rather unethical heroes farm in which they think they are free range but are actually battery heroes waiting to have the goodness beaten out of them. As you may have gauged by now, it’s a very repetitive grind that can become quite tedious. MMO’s that follow the grind recipe have that extra special unexplained ingredient that keeps you hooked to the grueling repetitiveness of it all. Dungeons is missing this ingredient, but only just. At times I felt myself falling into the groove and auto-piloting my way through levels, but I could never quite shake the feeling that I was stuck in a repetitive loop that never really diversified.
The combat in the game is its biggest flaw; You can play from a birds-eye view, or zoom in and take on your foes from a third person perspective. I rarely used the third person perspective as I soon lost track of the many happenings in my dungeon when I did, and it really added nothing to the combat experience. You gain points as you go through levels and these can be spent boosting attributes as well as on talent trees. You will gain unique boosts and abilities depending on how you spend your points and which tree you choose to follow. Spells range from fireballs to ice shields, and are all designed to help you slay your foes. While the combat system was probably implemented to add an extra element to the game and make it more interesting, it just felt a bit clunky and dull. Press 1, click enemy. Press 2, click enemy. Wait for cool downs. Repeat. While this sort of combat works in some games, it just didn’t feel right in Dungeons and was simply an annoyance that felt tacked on and out of place.
So what if the dungeon management is lackluster, and the combat system is clunky and unnecessary, what does Dungeons actually offer us? Something straight out of left field, that’s what. At its dungeon heart, it is essentially a tower defense game which is not what I was expecting at all. You must build a dungeon designed to keep enemies from defeating your dungeon heart by building a well laid out series of creatures and traps. Yes, you can use your lord to get involved and help out, but the action is often so frantic you will not be able to be all places at once. If you can forgive Dungeons for luring you in under false sensibilities, then you may find that you actually start enjoying it for what it is. Imagine buying what looks like a cheeseburger and finding out it tastes like cheesecake, it may not have been what you were expecting but that doesn’t mean it’s bad, it’s just different – this is the Dungeons experience. Don’t go in expecting Dungeon Keeper or Diablo and you may find yourself pleasantly surprised.
How difficult is it and is there any replayability?
Dungeons can become quite difficult rather quickly. At first you will simply be juggling a few things at a time, watching your soul energy and prestige fill up while your dungeon lord puts his feet up. But by the end of the game, you will be frantically charging around as your dungeon overflows with heroes and enemies. The combat is not challenging, and foes can usually be defeated with ease, but the amount of enemies presented is what becomes troublesome. People with experience in tower defense games will definitely find this game easier than most, as strategic placement of your monsters and traps makes everything much easier.
If the grinding formula of Dungeons gets you addicted, you will probably play it for hours and hours on end. Outside of the story, there are maps that you can continually play, as well as three sandbox maps. I would advise against the sandbox maps unless you really think putting some coffins along the corridors of your dungeon is a fun way to spend an afternoon. The rest of the maps have missions and I can definitely see myself returning to Dungeons many times on a rainy afternoon.
How does it look and sound?
The game takes on a cartoony style, but even this cannot hide the fact that the graphics are dated. From the top-down perspective, how you play most of the game, it looks acceptable, but when you look through the eyes of the lord and enter the third person perspective you will notice an abundance of jagged edges. The characters and creature design is also a bit underwhelming, with everything looking extremely generic and uninspiring. Setting your game in a dungeon means you are likely to fall foul of this hurdle, but it would have been nice to see at least some original design.
Watch the official trailer for Dungeons here
The music in Dungeons is far from spectacular but it does the job that it’s been tasked to do. It sets the mood but soon becomes unnoticeable and doesn’t add anything to the game. The voice acting is worth mentioning, particularly that of your right hand minion; Mr Sidekick. Despite having an annoying goblin-esque tone, it never becomes grating and his quips are enough to raise a wry smile.
Overall
Dungeons is a noble attempt at a new idea, but unfortunately it gets lost trying to do too much. Had it just stuck to its core premise and sold itself as a tower defense game set in a dungeon, it might have fared better. Had my expectations not been for a spiritual successor to Dungeon Keeper I may have enjoyed it more, but that is my own fault more than the games. Despite its flaws it still provides an enjoyable experience and has a potentially addictive formula that could keep you playing for hours if you really get into it.
“…a very repetitive grind that can become quite tedious.”
Pro’s
- The tower defense element is potentially addictive.
- Doesn’t take itself too seriously.
- Provides a decent challenge without becoming frustrating.
Con’s
- Graphics look dated.
- If you were expecting Dungeon Keeper, you will be disappointed.
- Feels like a bit of a grind.
6/10 — Dungeons is not a bad game, but it misses that special something. I suggest waiting for a Steam Sale and picking this one up on the cheap.
