Dungeon Hearts plops two things I love together, puzzle games and classic console RPGs, and tells them to have a talk. Fortunately the conversation topic is beating up monsters and listening to some pretty good music in the process; unfortunately this mash up is a bit difficult to play with a mouse.
It’s hard not to compare the Dungeon Hearts to Square Enix’s Theatrhythm at first glace because your party members are lined up, you fight one baddie and run onto the next. Rinse and repeat until you’re all done! Simple, right? Not so much, as Dungeon Hearts goes its own path once the gameplay itself starts.
Players are tasked with dragging three Hero Chargers together and combining them into Hero Strikers to do damage to enemies, stop enemy attacks, and prevent hexes from raining on your party’s parade. The game’s official trailer shows how this works, as well as some of the special abilities each of your party members learns during gameplay.
Final Fantasy fans will feel right at home with the party members (Warrior, Mage, Priest, and Archer), setting, and music. The match-three puzzle gameplay is a welcome twist that any puzzle game fan can get into, as long as they’re ready for some frustration.
While Dungeon Hearts starts off simple enough, the game becomes increasingly difficult as it adds new challenges to the Fatestream, the board where Hero Chargers and so on make their way to the party. Enemy attacks come packed in Chargers, get more durable, and even get their own Chargers to boost their damage should an Enemy Striker reach your party.
It gets pretty complex. Let’s just leave it at that.
Is it worth $2.99?
Dungeon Hearts is a very basic game in that it is simply a puzzler with multiple unlockable soundtracks — but yes, it is definitely worth the whopping $2.99 it costs on Steam (for both PC and Mac) and the iPad App Store.
Puzzler and RPG fans can find something to love in this game. The developer’s love of both genres shines through in this release, and it’s a blast to play and listen to. The soundtracks you unlock each time you complete the game are well-worth the effort.
But know this:
The PC/Mac versions of the game don’t exactly shine with mouse controls, and they’re all you’ve got.
Dungeon Hearts seems to be developed primarily with the iPad in mind, and the drag-and-tap gameplay really does not make that a secret. I’ve spent a good amount of time with the PC version, and there are times where I get overwhelmed because there is no way I can drag all that with my mouse in time.
If you have an iPad, I highly recommend grabbing it for that platform instead of the PC or Mac versions. If you happen to be iPad-less and interested, don’t let the controls deter you too much — the game is still fun and most certainly completable.
Pros:
- Respectful homage to RPGs and puzzlers.
- Solid soundtrack.
- Gameplay is fun and addictive.
- Colorblind mode (always a plus).
- Cheap as dirt.
Cons:
- Mouse controls aren’t that great.
- Uh.
Published: Apr 10, 2013 12:46 pm