bit Dungeon II
- December 15, 2014
- Kinto Games LLC
- 4h median play time
"bit Dungeon II" is a challenging action-adventure game with permadeath and permanent leveling. Explore a randomly generated overworld filled with dungeons, demonic enemies, and powerful weapons. Upon defeating the final boss, the game restarts at a higher difficulty, allowing you to grow stronger and potentially become a god. Features include ranged and magic weapons, Steam Play support, and original chip bit music.
Reviews
- Fun and addictive gameplay reminiscent of classic Zelda games.
- Great pixel art and catchy soundtrack enhance the overall experience.
- Offers a variety of weapons and loot, allowing for different playstyles.
- Controls can be clunky, with multiple actions assigned to the same button.
- Lack of a map and clear guidance can lead to confusion and frustration.
- Permadeath mechanic can be punishing, requiring players to restart after dying.
- gameplay137 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and accessibility, often relying on single-button mechanics that make it easy to pick up but can lead to repetitive and shallow experiences. While some players appreciate the fun and addictive nature of the mechanics, others criticize the lack of depth, variety, and challenge, making it feel more like a time-waster than a fully developed game. Overall, it offers a casual, fast-paced experience that may appeal to those looking for a straightforward roguelike adventure, but it may not satisfy players seeking more complex gameplay.
“The gameplay is simple but fun.”
“Overall, the gameplay is addicting and fun.”
“Fluid controls, great gameplay, and an ultimate replayability factor.”
“Shallow gameplay; this is something you'd play on a phone to pass 15 minutes.”
“The game mechanics are poor at best; the game design is elementary, and the plot is spare and uninteresting.”
“The overly simplistic gameplay and the complete lack of a story don't help either.”
- music85 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its catchy, retro chiptune style that enhances the overall atmosphere, while others criticize its repetitiveness and lack of variety, leading to moments of silence during gameplay. Many appreciate the nostalgic feel it brings, reminiscent of classic 8-bit games, but some find it out of place or annoying, particularly when it fades during combat. Overall, while the soundtrack has its fans, it seems to lack the depth and consistency needed to keep players fully engaged throughout their experience.
“The music is catchy, but it can get on your nerves if you're angry at the game.”
“The score is amazing, and sometimes I just stopped playing to listen to the music.”
“This is a must-get if you're into 8-bit style art and dungeon crawling gameplay, and the soundtrack of this game is amazing, sets you in the 8-bit adventure mood.”
“The music is terrible!!”
“The soundtrack leaves something to be desired.”
“The music is generic and doesn't fit with the game.”
- graphics62 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a vibrant pixel art style that appeals to fans of retro aesthetics, with many praising its colorful environments and engaging sprite animations. However, some reviewers noted a lack of graphical variety and polish, with certain elements feeling repetitive or poorly executed. Overall, while the visuals resonate well with those who appreciate indie pixel graphics, opinions vary on their quality and execution.
“The game has beautiful pixel graphics, engaging gameplay, and a wide variety of gear.”
“The graphics are great and true to a 16-bit style.”
“I can honestly say the graphics are enjoyable for what it is - it's supposed to be a retro-inspired game.”
“The graphics are awful, and glitch out often.”
“There is no way to set controls, the game does nothing to explain how things work, there is nothing but crappy graphics and shitty sound.”
“Aside from the theme change in the few different areas (forest, snow, desert, dungeon), there's very little graphical variation between rooms.”
- story52 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal or non-existent, with many players noting a lack of direction and engagement. While some appreciate the simple premise of rescuing a loved one, the overall narrative feels underdeveloped and fails to provide a compelling backdrop for the gameplay. Players seeking a rich, immersive story will likely be disappointed, as the focus is primarily on gameplay mechanics rather than storytelling.
“The actual story is that your loved one has passed away and you want to meet with her again, so you clear the dungeons, etc.”
“Its amazing and the story is well done once you start hearing what bosses and others have to say.”
“The story is minimalistic but gives the game a purpose nonetheless.”
“The plot is weak and there’s no great story behind the scenes.”
“There's no story presented in the game, there's no direction about where to go, the controls weren't good and the combat is automated.”
“While the world of Bit Dungeon II looks visually interesting, there is little to no story or exposition to explain what's going on.”
- replayability32 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed, with some players finding it enjoyable and worth revisiting due to scaling enemies and loot collection, while others feel it lacks depth and variety after the initial playthrough. Many reviews highlight that while there are elements that can enhance replay value, such as different weapon types and challenges, the game ultimately offers limited long-term engagement. Players seeking extensive replayability may be disappointed, as the core experience remains largely unchanged after completion.
“Good replayability with scaling enemies.”
“The game is challenging and has 'infinite' replayability.”
“Extremely enjoyable, tons of replay value and an interesting speed run.”
“It's not super in-depth; it doesn't offer thousands of hours of replayability.”
“Replayability is, at the moment, reserved for collectors of loot/achievements, but since characters have one line of dialogue in the entire game (two, tops), there is not a rich history to be explored.”
“Replayability: after one (almost completed) run, I didn't feel like going back to it again.”
- grinding18 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is polarizing; while some players enjoy the mindless farming of items and bosses, others find it tedious and repetitive, especially with respawning enemies and a lack of inventory management. The game can feel overly reliant on grinding for stats, leading to frustration when progress is lost due to permadeath or unclear objectives. Overall, it appeals to those seeking a grind-heavy experience but may disappoint players looking for a more engaging narrative or exploration.
“Boring and tedious.”
“Every time you leave a screen, all the enemies respawn and any items left disappear, so there's no chance to test new items without losing your old ones (no inventory, just what you can equip) and wandering around can get tedious if you don't know where to go.”
“At times it felt like the whole game was just about grinding.”
- stability11 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and freezing issues that significantly detract from the experience. Players express frustration over the lack of fixes and communication from the developers, leading to a perception of the game as an unstable and poorly designed product. Overall, many reviewers advise against purchasing it unless it is heavily discounted.
“But because of its buggy nature and permadeath nonsense, I really can't recommend it unless it's on sale.”
“This is to name a few of many more glitches, and they have been around for months with no fixes at all and little communication from the developer.”
“Between the slow progression early on and the buggy movement for the character as well as the monsters, this is just not worth the money, even at $5.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its simple yet entertaining design, with players finding it amusing and worth the low price. The game features a tongue-in-cheek narrative and humorous NPC interactions, contributing to its charm. Even minor bugs are met with laughter, showcasing the lighthearted tone throughout the experience.
“The beginning was slightly confusing until I got hold of the controls, but honestly, looking back at it, I find it hilarious how the game is so simple in appearance yet so fun.”
“Bit Dungeon II is a tongue-in-cheek mash-up of The Guardian Legend and Dark Souls, with a rogue-like perma-death consequence system and a Diablo-style 'loot treadmill' that propels you (at hilarious speed) through its semi-procedurally generated dungeons.”
“There are very few bugs in the game and even when you do come across them, you find yourself laughing.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is generally appreciated for its nostalgic, SNES-like quality and its haunted forest setting, which evokes a classic Zelda vibe. While some players enjoy the overall ambiance and concept, others criticize the lack of environmental variety and find the soundtrack underwhelming. Overall, the atmosphere is a mixed bag, with some praising its charm and others noting its repetitiveness.
“I like the overall atmosphere of the game and the concept behind it, which is to say it puts you in a haunted forest filled with ghostly enemies and resets your level and equipment if you die.”
“A really pretty and atmospheric Zelda-esque kind of thing, except for a bizarre design choice, which is that your character auto-attacks when you walk up to an enemy.”
“This is something else, a very good game with great music and atmosphere.”
“Lots of things look the same and there's no real atmosphere or environment.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's controls are poorly optimized, as they are primarily designed for touchscreen devices, leading to confusion and frustration for players using other input methods.
“The controls don't make any sense because they are optimized for touchscreens.”
“The game runs poorly on lower-end devices, making it frustrating to play.”
“There are frequent frame drops and stuttering, which ruin the overall experience.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is not explicitly addressed in the provided text, which focuses more on the game's promotional trailer and its thematic comparison to "Link to the Past." Therefore, no specific insights on monetization can be drawn from this review.
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its nostalgic graphics, which evoke memories of classic titles like "Zelda: A Link to the Past," though some critics feel it straddles the line between homage and plagiarism. This connection to beloved games may elicit strong feelings of nostalgia in players.