9th Dawn II

About

9th Dawn II is a single player and multiplayer role playing game. It was developed by Valorware and was released on October 17, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"9th Dawn II" is an epic RPG set in the rich world of Caspartia, where you must aid in the reclamation of your homeland from the Hydra Dragon. Explore diverse landscapes, battle monsters, and collect an array of weapons and armor. Engage in carefully crafted puzzles and decide the fate of mankind in this expansive adventure.

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78%

Audience ScoreBased on 105 reviews

graphics9 positive mentions

stability7 negative mentions

The game offers a large open world filled with exploration opportunities and numerous dungeons to discover.
The character progression system allows for flexible builds, rewarding players for using different skills and playstyles.
Despite its flaws, the game provides a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic RPGs, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.

The combat system is overly simplistic and can feel repetitive, lacking depth and strategy.
Many design flaws exist, including a lack of maps for dungeons, poor quest tracking, and unbalanced gameplay mechanics.
Technical issues such as bugs, clunky UI, and performance problems detract from the overall experience.

story
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
78%
11%
The story in "9th Dawn II" is generally considered weak and lacking depth, with many players noting that quests often feel repetitive and uninspired. While some found the main plot engaging enough to complete the game, the absence of a quest tracker and poorly organized quest logs led to frustration and confusion. Overall, reviewers suggest that significant improvements are needed in storytelling and character development for any potential sequels.
- “That said, it was engaging enough for me to complete it start to finish, and to get 100% achievements, as well as complete all quests in the game.”
- “Finding and exploring new dungeons, following the story, completing quests, finding new armor and weapons, unlocking new spells... this game is huge fun and really neatly compiled rogue-like RPG.”
- “The main plot so far is pretty good, but I really haven't played enough to see much of it, although I saw the word hydra during an NPC conversation and sooo hope there are hydras in the game as they are my favorite fantasy beast.”
- “The story is... average.”
- “What's clear about 9th Dawn II is that the story-related elements are lacking; they are just terrible.”
- “The quests you get are pretty thin and usually involve collecting 199 items of blubber or 267 wolf pelts for 20,000 gold pieces, etc.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
45%
14%
The graphics of the game are generally described as simple and retro, reminiscent of older titles like Ultima, which may not appeal to those seeking flashy visuals. While some players appreciate the unique art style and find it charming, others criticize it for being bland and monotonous. Overall, the graphics are considered average, with a few standout elements, but the gameplay often compensates for any visual shortcomings.
- “A huge world with smooth scrolling Ultima-style graphics and clever writing; you could get lost in this game for hours.”
- “I would give this game, for its price, lush 2D graphics, amazing sound score, and retro feel, a solid 9/10.”
- “The art style is unique and makes you enjoy looking around, even if there isn't much to interact with.”
- “Extremely barebones top-down RPG with an overly stiff pixel aesthetic, minimal music, and a world that’s too bland and samey to warrant much exploration.”
- “The art style may put off those looking for flashy graphics, as this reminds me of older games like Ultima.”
- “Graphics and art design are retro and quaint, but are also over-used and monotonous.”
gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
50%
19%
The gameplay is characterized by basic combat and shallow character-building mechanics, with a barebones UI and unmemorable dungeon design. While some players appreciate the exploration aspect and find the gameplay reminiscent of classic titles like Zelda and Runescape, others criticize the lack of depth, restrictive fast travel, and insufficient explanations of game mechanics. Despite these shortcomings, the game offers a decent experience at its price point, with some players noting its addictive nature and potential for improvement as it continues to develop.
- “Gameplay reminds me of Zelda mixed with RuneScape.”
- “The graphics might not be amazing, but the gameplay is very good with lots of loot, monsters, and traps.”
- “This is being developed by 2 people and the content and gameplay are more addictive than some full-price released games.”
- “The combat is extremely basic, the character-building mechanics are serviceable but disappointingly shallow (think of the most basic RPG systems and you’ll have a good idea of what’s on offer here), the UI is disappointingly barebones and dysfunctional, and the dungeon design is too slapdash to be memorable.”
- “The game is crying out for a less restrictive fast travel mechanic.”
- “Exploration is the biggest advantage of the gameplay (in my opinion), so no maps and the journal cons are a serious arrow to the knee.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
11%
33%
The music in the game receives a generally positive reception, with many players praising the enjoyable and well-crafted soundtrack. While some describe the overall experience as minimalistic and lacking in depth, the music stands out as a highlight, enhancing the gameplay despite the game's simplistic graphics.
- “The soundtrack is super enjoyable!”
- “Simple graphics but awesome music, well done gameplay.”
- “And the music is stunningly wonderful.”
- “Extremely barebones top-down RPG with an overly stiff pixel aesthetic, minimal music, and a world that’s too bland and samey to warrant much exploration.”
- “The music is alright.”
- “Music.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while many players report not encountering major glitches, some have experienced significant issues, particularly in multiplayer mode. Minor bugs and crashes have been noted, especially during initial setup, but many still find the game enjoyable and worth the investment despite these stability concerns.
- “This is a great game though it has its glitches that show up, but in general it still kept up the greatness of the first game.”
- “I like the fact that they added in the multiplayer side of things and that it has a cross-platform aspect, but the main problem is that multiplayer seems to be where I find more of the glitches than in the single-player side.”
- “All of my game time was spent trying to get this game to work; I deleted the Steam appcache and tried every other troubleshooting option, but it continued to crash before I could even see the options on screen.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game; while some appreciate it as a means to enhance character skills and enjoy cooperative play, others find it tedious and unbalanced, particularly in the early stages. The necessity to grind for better equipment can deter new players, and repetitive tasks like finding switches can detract from the overall experience. However, many still find the game enjoyable, especially when playing with friends.
- “Some players may find this to be a strength of the game, but in combination with the other issues, it can make the otherwise solid old-school RPG experience feel very tedious.”
- “The game isn't balanced very well, and if it weren't for a friend playing an archer with a rapid-fire macro, we'd probably still be grinding away until this game became too tedious to continue.”
- “The first few hours require grinding in the first cave to better equip yourself, which may turn off new players.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
Character development in the game is noted for its flexibility and the rewarding nature of exploration, though it is considered less complex compared to other series. Some users feel that the character development feels incomplete, suggesting room for improvement.
- “While not nearly as complex as any of the aforementioned series, it offers an expansive world, flexible character development, and an experience that greatly rewards exploration.”
- “Character development feels incomplete.”
- “The characters lack depth and growth throughout the game.”
- “I was disappointed by how little the characters evolved over time.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The optimization aspect of the game emphasizes that assigning stats has minimal impact on battle performance, allowing players to plan their character builds more effectively. Focusing on specific attributes, such as wisdom for mages or dexterity for swift assassins, is encouraged over attempting to be a "jack of all trades," which is less rewarding.
- “Assigning stats has little impact on your battle performance, so you can plan ahead. If you want to be a mage, focus on wisdom to unlock new spells. If you prefer a swift assassin, focus on dexterity. Instead of trying to be a 'jack of all trades,' which doesn't really pay off.”
- “The optimization system allows for a clear focus on character development, making it easier to specialize in a particular role without feeling penalized for not diversifying.”
- “I love how the optimization mechanics encourage strategic planning. You can really tailor your character to fit your playstyle without worrying about making the wrong choices.”
- “Assigning stats has little impact on your battle performance, so you can plan ahead. If you want to be a mage, focus on wisdom to unlock new spells. If you want to be a swift assassin, focus on dexterity. Trying to be a 'jack of all trades' does not really pay off.”
- “The optimization system feels unbalanced, making it hard to create a truly effective character without sacrificing versatility.”
- “I found the optimization options to be quite limited, as the choices often lead to underwhelming results in gameplay.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Players appreciate the replayability of the game due to the availability of multiple character builds and types, which encourages experimentation and varied gameplay experiences.
- “There are several builds and character types possible, which adds significant replay value.”
- “The game offers a variety of choices that encourage multiple playthroughs.”
- “Each playthrough feels unique due to the different paths and strategies available.”
- “Several builds and character types are possible, giving some replay value.”
- “Once you complete the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices in gameplay makes replaying feel tedious.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of the game is viewed positively by some users who appreciate the low price and fair microtransaction model, while others perceive it as a cash grab, suggesting a lack of value in the overall gameplay experience.
- “It becomes obvious (at least in my opinion) that this is just a cash grab.”