Dungeon of the Endless

[Bulzur]

Finally out of it's beta, i present to you Dungeon of the Endless, from the creators of Endless Legend and Endless Space : Amplitude Studio.


Trailer :
http://api.dmcloud.net/player/embed/53e3843606361d65f9537387/544e5b6606361d02cc3b08d7/8c92592c976f4dfd90bd35c6fb913ad5?exported=1

It's an original mix of rogue-like, tower defense and rpg. Primarily single-player, but there's also a multiplayer, for up to 4. (and any less will ake the game harder)

You control 1 to 4 heores aiming to reach the surface through a dozen floors, randomly generated, after having crashed in their escape pods on an hostile land. And quite deep at that.
The heroes must protect a Dust-based energy Crystal, initially part of the power supply for their escape pods, from creature attacks while exploring the dungeon searching for the exit to the next floor and then transporting the crystal with them to that exit, as it represents their only controllable source of light and power. Each opening of a door will give you ressources, depending on your production, but each new room explored may give ressources, items, nothing or worse, unleash monsters. Better get prepared and have a strategy, ready for the worse, before opening some badly placed doors.

In each room, you may be able to build modules, granting you ressources or various offensives/defensives bonuses, that will help you in your journey. Building them wisely will reap some benefits, but don't forget to protect them from the hostile creatures. --> Tower-Defense part.

You initially start the standard game with 2 heroes, from an initial pool of 4 (there's 18 different heroes though, unlocked in your playthrough). You will encounter other unlucky passengers while exploring the floor/searching for the exit. Some are cupid merchants, offering you some items in exchange of ressources. Others are heroes like you, who can be recruited with food (one of the four ressources) or left to die. Your heroes can also be upgraded with food, granting them bonus stats or special skills. But we warned, as food is used for healing your heroes, so you don't want to run out.  There's also some character background behind that, and having some heroes in the same team may trigger special dialogue after completing a floor. --> RPG part.

There's seven different escape pods, from the standard one to others with special rules. From the pool of 18 heroes, find your four-man dream team, and pray to encounter them during your playthrough. Protect your crystal at all cost, as the destruction of that one, or the death of all your heroes, will end your journey. Be greedy and explore all the rooms in each floor, or play it safe and head for the exit as soon as you discover it. A mixture of boldness and rationality is best, but your curiosity may get the better of you. Rogue-like saving is alll there is, and any death of an hero is unrecoverable. --> Rogue-like part.


In my own opinion, it's a really enjoyable game. The music is nice, and the pixel-art graphic gives a nice retro feeling. Currently, there's a "very easy" difficulty, to learn about the different modules, heroes and ennemies. Then there's an "easy" difficulty, more challenging already. And if you're ready for more, i believe there's one beyond that. I haven't finished an "easy" run yet, being quite unlucky with the main ressource (dust) on some floors, or just too bold and opening doors i shouldn't have. The items are also important, and with funny names. The "hipster scarf" will force all monsters to attack it's user, for example.  For it's price, it's definitely a good deal.



The "very easy" run gives you a pleasant walkthrough, and providing a good start, you can know by the 8th level that you'll survive, no matter what future encounters await you. So not too frustrating. If you're up for more, go for the "easy" or above difficulty, and start praying every time you open a door that you won't encounter some damn rhinos or whatevers.

I need some volunteers to start a multiplayer game, sounds fun.^^

Edit : Plenty of youtube videos out there, though the first one i watched was in french, with one of the developpers. That's where i saw what is the "normal difficulty", if i'm right, where rooms are unpowered when you're moving the crystal when reaching for the exit. Much more realistic and interesting. As of my current runs, every "get the cristal to the exit" was but a formality, this should spice things up. Still looking for that video, to check if it has some translated subtitles. :s


Edit 2 : Replayability may be a bit overrated, since the floor strategy to deal with the monsters spawn aren't infinite. So probably a bit repetitive once you found out the best possible run and strategy. Some items also really simplify your game. In one, i didn't encounter a single "taunt" item. In another, got one on the 2nd floor. And damn, life is so simpler then. Simply get in a defended room, then get out, monsters will follow you. Then go back in and through to a different rooms, monsters won't attack in the "doorway", since it's a sort of transition between rooms, and will chase you to the next one. Minimum damage for maximum effectiveness, granting good offensive modules in the room.

[Tovi]

That's ugly. It's 21th century here.

[Ninja_Khorin]

Played this game for roughly 20 hours. Great amount of fun. The multiplayer is a bit buggy, though, so waiting for a few fixes before diving back in.

[Christo]

That's ugly. It's 21th century here.

Well, you don't belong in the 21st century either.

'90's kid' 

[Tovi]

Well, you don't belong in the 21st century either.

'90's kid' 

Right. I've played too much of this.
And even of this :

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[Bulzur]

Right. I've played too much of this.
And even of this :

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Retro-pixel game doesn't mean a standard 2D sliding unicolor game, with a total of 4 animations on the same single tone music.
But of course, i understand the youngsters wanting only the latest graphically realist games, and ready to buy a game for 60 euros, without add-ons.
Here i'm talking of a little breather, that you can play quickly (unlike most games where if you don't have at least 30min, you won't even bother launching it and will rather browse the internet). But everyone has different taste, i just won't accept as excuse : it's pixel so it's old, so it sucks. That mentality is childish. At least watch the trailer, though there's not a single information about the depth of the actual game behind it. But it's still well made.

There's a great amount of work behind DotE, even if the idea of the game wasn't thought seriously before. It came as a developer's little project, before the direction finally deciding to give it a go, since the idea seemed interesting to them. If i understood it well.
If it ever gets on sale (i'll try to notify that when it's the case), then it would definitely be a fine purchase. And even at it's full price, i'm not regretting one cent out of it.

Around 30 hours played so far (some of them while in the beta), since i like to take my time to plan things, and usually open all doors in each floor. Will go for an "easy" run next time. Wish me luck.

(click to show/hide)

Though loosing a run because of an heated discussion between two of my heroes, in the elevator, resulting in the death of one, did at the same time annoy me, and made me laugh madly at the thought : "no they didn't do just that". Loving it. At least i know it won't happen next time. At least i hope so... and if it does, i'll just send him away for some food at least. 

[Tovi]

I agree for kids, but you could understand that oldest players have spent hours on big pixels (like the awesome Load Runner above), so now it hurts my poor eyes.