Deep Dungeons of Doom

Deep Dungeons of Doom is an 8-bit-era-inspired, dungeon-exploring RPG with subtly satisfying mechanics and a focus on monster slaying. It joins the company of recent games like Knightmare Tower, Shovel Knight, and Rogue Legacy, which stand out among a crowd of indie games channelling the spirit of classic Castlevania and Ghouls and Ghosts.

In scope, the game is closer to Knightmare Tower than the others mentioned in that it relies on a simple combat mechanic. But instead of climbing up a tower by bouncing off progressively tougher enemies, the game has you plunge level by level toward the boss battle.

Gameplay

Mechanically, the game couldn't be simpler; your character stands immobile opposite the monster. Battle is a question of timing, and you press left to block and right to attack. It's so easy that you might have a hard time believing that's all there is to it. In no time, you'll discover that the game's simplicity is deceiving, mainly due to the variety of enemies that you'll face and the variations in their attacks and their attack patterns.

What makes the game's combat mechanic truly interesting is that you'll quickly have the option of exploring the dungeons with three different characters: the crusader, the witch, and the mercenary. Each character has its own strengths and weaknesses; using them successfully isn't just a matter of understanding these but also of managing the special stat-boosting items that you'll pick up along the way.

Story

The story is a standard one about a land overcome by darkness in search of heroes, told through semi-animated vignettes before every dungeon. The game's approach to these vignettes is lighthearted and humorous to the point of self-parody. While the game isn't unique in its setting, it does offer a beautiful evocation of it. From the background environments to the character design and animation, Deep Dungeons of Doom is very pretty to look at and even to listen to.

As you progress through your quest, you'll navigate the overworld map, discovering weapon shops, potion merchants, and places to upgrade yourself with permanent stat buffs. In-game missions function as achievements, and every monster you defeat opens a new entry in the bestiary. Certain places will require you to obtain key items to advance. All of this adds up to the game's biggest surprise: intriguing depth built around an incredibly simple core mechanic.

Deep Dungeon of Doom - Verdict

The game isn't without its flaws, however. The difficulty across dungeons is, at times, unbalanced. Some of them feel far too easy, and some of them feel like they go on too long with too many repetitive battles. The tutorial system is adequate, but certain mechanics, like holding down the right to recharge magic, were undisclosed for long enough to make using the witch rather difficult. The game isn't long either, but at five dollars, I'll go as far as to call this one a hidden gem.

TechRaptor reviewed Deep Dungeon of Doom on PC via Steam. This review was originally published on 10-28-2014. While care has been taken to update the piece to reflect our modern style guidelines, some of the information may be out of date. We've left pieces like this as they were to reflect the original authors' opinions, and for historical context.