9th Dawn Remake
- September 25, 2024
- Valorware
Get on Steam"9th Dawn Remake" is a large-scale open-world RPG that invites you on a perilous journey through the continent of Montelorne to investigate a stirring evil power. Engage in single-player mode or with a friend via online or local co-op, battling monsters, looting, leveling up skills, and building a formidable team of creatures. With over 45 hand-crafted dungeons, this remake brings revitalized adventure to the series.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a rich open world with plenty of dungeons to explore and a variety of mini-games that add depth and fun to the gameplay.
- The developer is highly active and responsive to community feedback, frequently releasing updates and fixes, which enhances the overall experience.
- The pet system is engaging, allowing players to collect, evolve, and utilize pets in combat, adding a unique layer to the gameplay.
- The mini-games, particularly the fishing and card games, can feel overly long and repetitive, detracting from the main gameplay experience.
- There are balance issues, especially with certain classes and abilities, leading to frustration during combat and exploration.
- The game lacks clear communication regarding abilities and mechanics, making it difficult for players to understand the full potential of their character builds.
- gameplay29 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of enjoyable co-op mechanics, quality of life improvements, and a variety of mini-games that provide a refreshing break from the main gameplay loop. While some players appreciate the depth and diversity of mechanics, including fishing and card games, others find the overall gameplay simplistic and lacking engagement, particularly for those seeking more challenging experiences. Despite mixed opinions on graphics and certain mechanics, the fun factor and humor in gameplay are frequently highlighted as strong points.
“Co-op is fun, less grind overall, a lot more quality of life and gameplay features.”
“The gameplay is fun and the new card game, taming, and fishing mini-games are an absolutely great addition to the main game.”
“The concept is fun and the gameplay loop is refreshing.”
“Don't buy this if you are a mechanical player.”
“This is a total mess of mechanics just haphazardly thrown together 'just because'.”
“The gameplay is alright, but the issues with co-op are a deal breaker for me.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the charming blocky pixelated style and immersive visuals, while others criticize the outdated graphics reminiscent of the 80s. The 9th Dawn remake is noted for its beautiful pixel art and significant upgrades from previous installments, though some feel the 2.5D addition was unnecessary. Overall, while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they are often forgiven in favor of engaging gameplay and nostalgic appeal.
“The blocky pixelated graphics make the game endlessly charming for me, and the ambiance and soundtrack really take me back.”
“The graphics are insanely good; when I put it in first person, I am fully immersed.”
“The visuals are nice to look at and are a massive upgrade from the previous installments.”
“Like, laggy laggy, 1920x1080, already in low graphics quality.”
“But in my PC, Cyberpunk is potato modded and can run in 10fps and all low res and graphics; the same applies to NFS Heat, in 10 fps.”
“Terrible graphics out of the 80's but totally forgiven for that elusive feature so many games miss - gameplay.”
- grinding9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -22 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
Reviews on grinding highlight a mixed experience; some players find it tedious, particularly when searching for missed collectibles or enduring lengthy mini-games, while others appreciate the grind as a way to multitask or engage with the game casually. There are calls for more customization options to adjust the grind level, especially in crafting and resource gathering, which some feel is overly reliant on repetitive tasks. Overall, the game's dungeons are noted as compelling, providing a balance to the grind.
“Dungeons are not tedious at all, and you actually feel compelled to explore them.”
“The grinding in this game is rewarding, as it allows you to discover new strategies and improve your skills.”
“I love how the grind leads to meaningful progression, making every hour spent feel worthwhile.”
“I'm just abhorred by grinding and having to search through a location I already was for one missed collectible in a corner.”
“- extremely grindy.”
“- mini-games are too long and grindy too.”
- story8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally well-received, with players enjoying the main narrative and its engaging elements. However, significant issues arise from the co-op functionality, as only the host can access quest dialogue and rewards, which detracts from the experience for players who wish to enjoy the game with friends. Additionally, some mini-games tied to quests are criticized for lacking depth and balance, leading to frustration among players.
“It's a hack and slash, dungeon crawler with a lot of loot, some mini games, and a cool story.”
“I've finished the main story and enjoyed myself the whole time.”
“I will finish the main story (one boss left) and then step aside from the game, hoping the next installment in this series does a few things better.”
“Does not support co-op progression or quest dialogue; huge mood kill for people who play with their friends or partners.”
“It sounds harsh, but I was literally getting locked out of abilities I unlocked on day one (camel) because the dev updated the game to require a quest for it. Then they're posting dev commands in their patch notes to respec/fix gates, etc. It just feels really shoddy.”
“They might be optional, but the mini-games are part of some quests in-game. Aside from having to spend way too much time on a mini-game to complete these quests, they lack depth, balance, and fun.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by a blend of tongue-in-cheek dialogue and charming minigames that pay homage to other titles, creating a lighthearted experience. Players appreciate the subtle yet effective comedic elements, with some moments eliciting uncontrollable laughter, particularly in the context of intentionally absurd dungeon designs. Overall, the humor is well-received, contributing to the game's enjoyable and entertaining atmosphere.
“It still has plenty of crafting and skilling up; the various task minigames are charming homages to other games, such as the horde-survival minigame for fishing; and the characters still have that tongue-in-cheek humor to them.”
“The humor of the game is subtle, but actually pretty funny.”
“Fun gameplay, funny dialogue that acknowledges that it's dumb and funny, and having a good dev.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its uniqueness and immersive quality, with many players highlighting the excellent soundtrack and overall enjoyment it brings to the gameplay experience. The combination of engaging graphics and a captivating environment contributes to a fantastic and fun atmosphere that enhances the overall enjoyment of the game.
“The gameplay and atmosphere are fantastic.”
“I love the grind and the amazing atmosphere.”
“The OST and atmosphere are excellent, and more importantly, it's fun to play.”
“The atmosphere feels completely disconnected from the gameplay.”
“The game lacks any real sense of immersion or atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere is bland and fails to evoke any emotional response.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews; while some players report smooth performance, particularly on the Steam Deck, others experience significant issues, especially in the overworld, leading to crashes and the need for improvements. Users are hopeful for future updates to enhance performance further.
“The performance is butter smooth now!”
“Game runs smoothly on Steam Deck (I am using the old version, not OLED).”
“Only issue is the performance on the overworld, even if my laptop has an RTX 4050, 8GB RAM, and an i5 13th gen.”
“Can't wait for this game to be optimized soon enough.”
“The performance is simply poor at the moment.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it lacking due to simplistic systems and mini-games, others appreciate the inclusion of default and randomized settings that enhance replay value, rating it as high as 8/10.
“Replay value 8/10, this one is going to be revisited.”
“The game has default settings or randomized settings in several areas to provide some level of replayability.”
“Replay value is zero.”
“The game has default settings or randomized settings in several areas to give some sort of replayability.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music and sound effects in the game are highly praised for their ability to create an immersive ambiance, enhancing the nostalgic charm of the pixelated graphics. Players feel that the soundtrack effectively draws them into the game world, making it a captivating experience.
“The ambiance and soundtrack really take me back.”
“Give a chance and the world and music will pull you in for a long time.”
“Great music and sound effects.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the remake is noted to be somewhat problematic, with users reporting bugs and issues stemming from the transition to a new engine. However, many feel that it is a significant improvement over the original version, particularly praising the first-person view. Overall, while there are stability concerns, the remake is generally viewed more favorably than its predecessor.
“It's a bit broken and buggy trying to remake the original on a new engine.”
“I never played the first 9th Dawn (bought it on Google Play Store, found it too buggy at that time, refunded), but this remake is surely way better than the old version, especially the first-person view... love it so far.”
