Coldfire Keep
- May 9, 2014
- Steve Jarman
Get on Steam"Coldfire Keep" is a first-person dungeon crawler game. The player must navigate through the keep, fighting monsters, solving puzzles, and collecting treasure to progress. With permadeath and randomized dungeons, each playthrough offers a new challenge.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic dungeon crawlers, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
- Level design is generally good, with large dungeon floors featuring traps and secret passages.
- Once players start leveling up and acquiring gear, the gameplay becomes more engaging and fun.
- The game feels incomplete, lacking essential features like an options menu and a proper tutorial.
- Combat and character leveling are repetitive and uninteresting, with little challenge after the initial levels.
- The graphics and overall polish are subpar, resembling a quick mobile port rather than a refined PC game.
- story24 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The story in the game is widely criticized for being simplistic and lacking depth, often described as "meh" or weak, with many players feeling it serves merely as a backdrop for combat. Reviewers note that the narrative is minimal, primarily revolving around the premise of dungeon exploration and monster slaying, which detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, the awkward execution and occasional fourth-wall breaks further diminish the story's impact, leading many to suggest that a more streamlined approach would have been preferable.
“If you liked the older style games (1980's and 1990's) before they became all graphical fluff but don't want to waste time with a story (beyond 'I'm here to kill stuff') then you may like this game too.”
“Very much like Might and Magic 1 through 6 but with less story.”
“It is definitely not for a PC gamer who is expecting the depth (whether story or mechanics) that comes from real PC RPGs.”
“The biggest complaint I have is the map is atrociously bad and the story is a bit awkward and breaks the fourth wall a bit.”
“There is no story beyond 'hey I'm in a dungeon, let's kill stuff' and it feels more like someone's early work rather than a polished full-fledged CRPG.”
“The introduction story is poor and it gets worse from then on.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as smooth and enjoyable, appealing to fans of classic dungeon crawlers from the 1980s and 1990s. While some players find the visuals to be somewhat unpolished and not up to modern standards, they appreciate the nostalgic style and overall aesthetic. Ambient sound effects and intuitive controls further enhance the experience, despite some criticism regarding the uninspired dungeon levels.
“I found it enjoyable to play through with very nice smooth graphics, pleasant ambient sound effects, and easy intuitive controls.”
“If you liked the older style games (1980s and 1990s) before they became all graphical fluff, then you may like this game too.”
“So I hope the resolution, graphics, keymap, and sounds are to your liking.”
“Graphics are fine, style not so much.”
“I can deal with the unpolished visuals.”
“If you liked the older style games (1980's and 1990's) before they became all graphical fluff but don't want to waste time with a story (beyond 'I'm here to kill stuff') then you may like this game too.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a grid-based style that appeals to fans of dungeon crawlers, though it starts off slowly and can feel sluggish and unintuitive. As players progress and acquire better gear, the pace picks up, revealing secrets and puzzles to solve. However, the game lacks depth in mechanics and story, and the absence of helpful resources for understanding gameplay can be frustrating for players seeking a more complex experience.
“If you enjoy the gridder style of gameplay, or if you just like a fun little dungeon crawl, then go ahead and check out this title.”
“The game starts off quite slow but once you start exploring and getting better gear, the gameplay speeds up and you'll be finding more secrets and solving cool puzzles.”
“It is definitely not for a PC gamer who is expecting the depth (whether story or mechanics) that comes from real PC RPGs.”
“The lack of any sort of re-readable help files, and not giving basic information about the game's mechanics really sucks.”
“The game mechanics are sluggish and not intuitive.”
- music4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game is criticized for being overly loud and intrusive, with no in-game options available to adjust or turn it off, forcing players to use external volume controls. This lack of accessibility has led to frustration among users.
“You cannot turn off the music in the options, because there are no options available.”
“When the game is blasting music as soon as you open it, you have to go to the volume mixer in Windows to lower it.”
“The lack of options to control the music volume is frustrating, forcing players to adjust settings outside the game.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including numerous low-level bugs and visual glitches, which detract from the overall experience. It appears to be poorly optimized for tablets and phones, lacking the polish expected from a finished product.
“The game still has plenty of very low-level bugs which you wouldn't expect for many games even in a beta status, with visual combat glitches being the most obvious even from early on.”
“Buggy, designed for tablets/phones, lacks polish.”
