Dragon Climax
- December 18, 2017
- SEEP
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Dragon Climax" is a fast-paced, side-scrolling action game where players fight through hordes of enemies and bosses in a fantasy world. Choose from multiple characters, each with unique abilities and playstyles, as you battle your way to the top of the "Dragon Climax" tower. With hand-drawn graphics and challenging gameplay, this game offers a nostalgic nod to arcade classics while providing a fresh take on the genre.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- Dragon Climax offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic arcade beat 'em ups, with engaging gameplay and a fun retro aesthetic.
- The game features multiple playable characters with different fighting styles, diverse stage designs, and character customization options, enhancing replayability.
- The retro music and mini-games add to the overall enjoyment, making it a solid choice for fans of the genre looking for a light-hearted experience.
- The game suffers from inconsistent difficulty, particularly in the later levels, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- Graphics and animations are simplistic, and some players found the controls to be sluggish and unresponsive, detracting from the overall enjoyment.
- The game is relatively short, with some players feeling that it lacks depth and variety, leading to a repetitive experience.
- story13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally considered fun and engaging, with character development and multiple endings, though it lacks depth and complexity. Players noted that while the narrative has its moments, the dialogue can be rushed and uninteresting, detracting from the overall experience. Additionally, the game's difficulty and bugs can overshadow the story, making it challenging for players to fully appreciate the narrative elements.
“Fun story that fleshes out all the characters and bosses.”
“The story was good, with different endings and good boss battles.”
“Hardcore seep SMS style platformer with multiple characters, engaging story and fast-paced action.”
“Don't expect a deep story or crazy twists and turns.”
“Though I don't see why you would want to follow the story, as there's not much to the dialogues and nothing interesting is conveyed by them.”
“One: is the dialogue, it moves way too fast and it sucks you out of the story.”
- music9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's music features a nostalgic retro 8-bit soundtrack complemented by synthwave elements, which many players find enjoyable and relaxing. However, some users noted the absence of music in the main menu, issues with sound effect volume levels, and instances of music overlapping during gameplay, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the colorful graphics and RPG elements enhance the appeal of the music.
“The retro music is nostalgic, so I stick around a bit longer.”
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
“The game has a very nice retro 8-bit soundtrack, with a nice bit of synthwave in there at times.”
“The main menu has no music; just total silence.”
“It's the only screen in the game without a music track.”
“The music can sometimes overlap one another, like getting out of a boss fight only for the music to follow you.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics are characterized by a vibrant and colorful retro pixel art style, reminiscent of classic games, though some users find them simplistic and outdated. There are no options for resolution or graphic customization, limiting players' ability to enhance the visual experience. Overall, while the aesthetic is appreciated for its charm and solid sprite work, it may not meet the expectations of those seeking modern graphical fidelity.
“Graphics and animations are pretty simple, but they are colorful and vibrant.”
“Cute aesthetic with solid sprite work and pixel art.”
“Retro/2D art style was very good, music was good, and I liked the little RPG elements and customizing the characters like changing their hair color or clothes color too.”
“A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
“There's no options to change the resolution for the game or customize the graphics settings.”
“There's no way for gamers to try to improve the low-quality graphics.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a nostalgic blend of old-school arcade beat'em up and RPG elements, allowing for item collection and upgrades, which makes it accessible and enjoyable for casual players. However, it suffers from repetitive design choices, such as excessive locked doors and poorly placed key items, leading to frustration and a lack of engagement, as evidenced by a low player retention rate. While it offers some fun mechanics reminiscent of classic titles, the overall execution is marred by awkward hitboxes and typos in dialogue.
“Recommended for those who want to relive old-school arcade beat 'em up gameplay with a touch of RPG (you get items and upgrades that help you in the game).”
“It's not too tough, so you can relax and enjoy the classic gameplay without getting too stressed.”
“This game reminded me of Kung Fu Master and The Karate Kid, a sort of platform-action-brawler without complex combos or moves; anyway, it's funny and the two protagonists are engaging.”
“But then the game starts to overuse this idea by putting multiple locked doors right after each other, then putting the key items all over the screen (even hiding one behind a seemingly random breakable object) in an attempt to pad the gameplay by a few minutes.”
“The most commonly and easily attained achievement is for beating 20 enemies (so about 5 minutes or less gameplay), but less than 4 percent of players bothered to get that far before uninstalling the game.”
“Keep that in mind, for the hitboxes are sometimes awkward, the dialogue has a lot of typos, and the gameplay is pretty standard.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is reminiscent of classic 80s titles like "Kung Fu Master" and "Karate Kid," featuring a lighthearted and entertaining tone. Players appreciate the comedic elements brought by the quirky characters and the fun platform-action gameplay, which, while simple, effectively captures the spirit of the era.
“This game reminded me of Kung Fu Master and The Karate Kid, a sort of platform-action-brawler without complex combos or moves. Anyway, it's really funny, and the two protagonists are mechanics!”
“A really funny game with lots of platform elements and many original characters that capture the spirit of 80s games!”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is noted to be repetitive and finicky, which may not appeal to all players; however, some find it enjoyable despite its grindy nature.
“It has some grinding which might not be for everyone.”
“It's kind of fun, but it's very repetitive, grindy, and finicky.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of Dragon Climax is criticized as a cash grab, with users noting that the game feels hastily assembled using a basic construction kit, resulting in a lack of quality and originality compared to classic titles like Double Dragon.
“Dragon Climax is a very mediocre 2D retro pixel arcade brawler in the style of the ancient Double Dragon games, but worse in every respect, because it was made by lazily filling out assets in the Clickteam Fusion 'code-free' construction kit's arcade brawler engine, then quickly dumped on Steam as a cash grab.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs affecting gameplay, particularly in combat where enemies can exploit mechanics to create an unfair experience. Players often find themselves trapped in a frustrating cycle of being stunned and overwhelmed, detracting from overall enjoyment.
“The game is really buggy and feels unfair in combat at times. All enemies run faster than you, and each hit stuns you, leading to a vicious cycle where you can only mash the attack button and hope for the best.”
