Dokapon Kingdom: Connect
- September 7, 2023
- Compile Heart
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Dokapon Kingdom: Connect" is a revival of the hybrid RPG/board game first released for PlayStation and Wii. Up to 4 players can compete in collecting the most wealth to win the Princess' hand and the throne, now with online multiplayer capabilities. The game offers 5 modes and a massive game board, ensuring varied gameplay and heated battles among friends.
Reviews
- Dokapon Kingdom is a highly entertaining party game that brings back nostalgic memories and is best enjoyed with friends.
- The game combines elements of RPGs and board games, offering a unique experience that encourages competitive play and strategic thinking.
- Despite its flaws, the game is praised for its chaotic fun and ability to create memorable moments, making it a great choice for game nights.
- The port has several issues, including poor controls, lack of full-screen support, and a high price tag that many feel is unjustified for a re-release of an older game.
- The game can be frustrating due to its heavy reliance on RNG, which can lead to feelings of unfairness and can ruin friendships.
- Playing with AI can be a disappointing experience, as the computer opponents are often seen as cheating and not providing a fair challenge.
- story26 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 85 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game features an extensive story mode that can take over 24 hours to complete, alongside shorter modes, making it a substantial experience for players. While the narrative is lighthearted and serves primarily as a framework for gameplay, it offers a mix of competitive and cooperative elements that can test friendships. Players recommend engaging with the story mode with friends for the best experience, though some feel it leans too heavily on randomness rather than deeper RPG mechanics.
“A deceptively fantastic party game, especially if you have 3 friends to run the story mode.”
“The game is broken down into a series of chapters and plays out a lighthearted story that doesn't take itself too seriously.”
“Play story mode with friends, no CPU, it is a trip and a half, a very good JRPG x Monopoly game, you get your money's worth!”
“Story mode is quite basic and really just acts as a gated experience to the world map and random events that occur as a means to learn the game.”
“It is borderline impossible to convince 3 other people to pay this price to get a story mode campaign going with friends.”
“I hope the official consider adding some new content such as storyline, characters, jobs, and weapons into the game; otherwise, it doesn't seem worth it.”
- gameplay19 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Dokapon Kingdom is characterized by a blend of party game mechanics and RPG elements, featuring heavy reliance on chance through rock-paper-scissors mechanics and random events that can dramatically alter player standings. While it offers engaging and addictive gameplay with opportunities for comebacks, many players find it frustrating due to its reliance on RNG and rubber banding mechanics. Overall, it is praised for its chaotic fun and social experience, making it a memorable game for friends, despite some criticisms regarding its pricing and lack of new content.
“Has catch-up mechanics and random events that can shift the power of players in a flash.”
“Dokapon Kingdom is a classic friendship-ruining experience that feels like Mario Party on steroids with the mini-games replaced by RPG mechanics, a class system, and a huge world map to explore instead of a small game board.”
“Its the friendship-testing chaos of Mario Party with the long-form classes and gameplay of Dragon Quest, and if that sounds appealing to you, features like online play and Steam remote play (meaning you only need one copy!) makes this what I consider to be the definitive version of the game.”
“I do however love this concept of a party board game crossed with story RPG mechanics, but they lean too much on coin flips like rock-paper-scissors and other random elements instead of focusing on the less random RPG aspects.”
“This would be alright, but there are rubber banding mechanics that give losing players a chance to catch up, and the AI knows how to use items wisely along with other strategies, making the cheating AI unnecessary.”
“Is it under a mountain of frustrating mechanics and RNG nonsense?”
- graphics9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics have been described as "classic," with minimal updates primarily aimed at modern displays, resulting in a straightforward port that lacks significant enhancements. While some users rated the graphics highly, the absence of customizable options and controller-specific prompts has left many feeling that the $50 price tag is unjustified for what is essentially a direct conversion of the original game.
“Graphic: 10/10”
“Graphics - I'd call them 'classic'; nothing has been changed, just updated to look good on modern monitors.”
“Also, there have been some graphical changes to connect.”
“However, the $50 price tag is a tough pill to swallow with this being a fairly straightforward port. The only new features added are online multiplayer, which is a welcome change, but at $50 you'd hope to see a little more than just keyboard prompts and basic graphical options.”
“Graphics - I'd call them 'classic'; nothing has been changed, just updated to look good on modern monitors.”
“No graphics for different controllers like PS5/4 or Xbox controllers; it's literally a 1:1 port of the Switch game, for better or worse (mostly worse).”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its silliness and ability to evoke laughter, especially when played with friends. Players enjoy the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the gameplay, which leads to memorable and hilarious moments, making it a nostalgic and entertaining experience. Overall, the game is considered exceptionally funny, earning high marks for its comedic value.
“Me and a friend started a campaign of this game because I had played the Wii version before and knew it was funny beyond belief because it's so silly and provoking.”
“Good memories, even if you have terrible luck, the whole group was laughing and having a blast.”
“If you and your friends can tolerate having your balls stomped on for hours at a time while laughing at how the entire map just got reset 20 hours in because the guy in last place nuked the board, this is the game to play.”
- stability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for being buggy, with frequent freezes and connectivity issues, particularly in online play. However, it reportedly runs well on the Steam Deck with some adjustments, offering decent performance and battery life. Overall, players expect better stability given the game's full price.
“I went ahead and checked, it runs great out of the box on Steam Deck, and by limiting the thermal power, you can easily get 3.5+ hours on a full charge.”
“I'd be fine with that if this was a $10 game, but this is a full-priced game and it should not be this buggy.”
“Continually freezes and always plays at less than 1 frame per second.”
“Very buggy online; most of the time it will not reconnect. The 4th player does not work or cannot join the lobby.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, particularly through its lengthy single-player story mode, which provides near infinite replay value, while also extending beyond the typical duration of a Mario Party session.
“The average game can take much longer than a Mario Party session, and the single-player 'story' mode offers near infinite replay value, making it quite lengthy for a 'party' game.”
“The average game can take much longer than a Mario Party session, and the single-player 'story' mode (which is supposed to have near infinite replay value) is quite lengthy for a 'party' game.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a sense of nostalgia and loss, as players reflect on the good times shared with friends before the game's impact led to a disconnection. This evokes a poignant feeling of regret and the bittersweet nature of relationships affected by gaming experiences.
“This game evokes a deep sense of nostalgia, reminding you of the good times spent with friends, even as it leads you to reflect on the relationships that may fade away.”
“The emotional weight of the story lingers long after you've finished playing, leaving you with a profound sense of loss and longing.”
“Every moment in this game pulls at your heartstrings, making you feel a range of emotions that stay with you long after the credits roll.”
- music1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been criticized for its outdated and unappealing quality, reminiscent of "Harvest Moon," and there are complaints about the lack of new modes or significant additions to enhance the overall experience.
“The same ugly models and weirdly Harvest Moon music, with no new modes and very little additions to speak of.”
