Dragon Eclipse
- June 24, 2024
- Fardust
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Dragon Eclipse" is an unfinished deck-building roguelite game where players collect magical creatures called Mystlings to use in battles. The game is still in development, with bugs and balance issues possible, and only English is currently supported. Saved data may be wiped in large patches, and gamepads may not work properly, but the game is playable on Steam Deck with a keyboard and mouse recommended. Together, players and developers aim to create the best deckbuilding experience possible.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a charming art style and cute creature designs, making it visually appealing.
- The mechanics of team building and card synergies provide depth and strategic gameplay, allowing for various playstyles.
- The game has potential for future updates and improvements, with a solid foundation that could lead to a more engaging experience.
- The game suffers from a lack of content and replayability, with runs feeling repetitive and short.
- There are significant balance issues, with some creatures and cards being overpowered while others feel useless.
- The user interface and movement mechanics are clunky, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- gameplay39 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of deck-building, monster battles, and strategic positioning of "mystlings," offering a solid core loop that is both simple to grasp and complex enough to remain engaging. However, players have noted issues with repetitiveness, clunky controls, and a lack of procedural generation, which could enhance replayability. While the mechanics show promise and the game has potential, it currently suffers from balance problems and UI bugs that detract from the overall experience.
“At its core, the gameplay revolves around assembling a team of three 'mystlings'—charming creature companions that, at first glance, might seem to belong in a more casual game.”
“Positioning and planning for your mystlings makes for thoughtful gameplay.”
“The core gameplay loop is solid and the Pokémon-like vibe to the creatures and collecting them is a great addition to the deckbuilding genre.”
“I really want to like this game, but it's just not very interesting mechanically.”
“Gameplay is a bit repetitive.”
“Controls are clunky (the game seems to only have partial or at least very touchy mouse-only control options and for it to feel half decent you need to use WASD) and the game is frustratingly difficult upfront when you have the least knowledge of the game mechanics and the fewest choices; can't beat the first area and I have zero trouble with most competent games in the genre.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming hand-drawn art style that many players find adorable and appealing, though it lacks the polish of more established titles. While the animations and overall visual presentation are praised, some users noted bugs and the absence of basic graphic settings. Overall, the art style and audio are considered top-notch, contributing to an enjoyable gaming experience, especially at a discounted price.
“I do love the art style, and the story and character interactions are cute.”
“Art style and audio are top-notch; the game looks and sounds pretty nice.”
“The animations are fantastic, the gameplay is fun, and the artwork is great.”
“The hand-drawn art style is charming, though it lacks the polish of genre-defining titles.”
“- missing basic graphic settings (anti-aliasing, vsync)”
“Balance and artstyle is still rough but the underlying game is solid.”
- story7 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with players appreciating the cute character interactions and art style but criticizing the lack of a strong, coherent narrative. Many feel disconnected from the characters due to inconsistent story elements and insufficient worldbuilding, particularly during the early access period. Overall, the storyline appears to be underdeveloped, leaving players confused and wanting more depth.
“I do love the art style, and the story and character interactions are cute.”
“It's lacking a strong story and meaningful interactions with the mystlings, other than battles and continuous progress, as the mystling's levels reset after each chapter.”
“I don't see much of a storyline, nor can I connect with the characters.”
“The story and worldbuilding have suffered significantly during the early access period.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is viewed as a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the variety of starting monsters, synergies, and difficulty levels that contribute to replay value, others find it lacking. The full release introduces more playable characters and acts, enhancing replayability significantly, but some still feel there is room for improvement.
“There are quite a few different starting monsters to build different synergies, and there are a few different difficulties, which adds a lot to the replayability factor.”
“Now it has been fully released, with a total of 14 playable mystlings and 6 tamers that you can combine in many ways, guaranteeing dozens of hours of replayability, and a total of 5 different acts (which would be the equivalent to difficulties).”
“Overall, it's a really fun game, has pretty good replayability, and the price is also quite fair.”
“Low replay value.”
“The combat system, customization during a run, and the art style are on point, while the replayability is a bit lacking, but it is just in early access, so there's still room to improve.”
“Now it has been fully released, with a total of 14 playable mystlings and 6 tamers that you can combine in many ways, to guarantee dozens of hours of replayability, and a total of 5 different acts (which would be the equivalent to difficulties).”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to be highly unstable, with numerous bugs persisting even after reaching version 1.0. Users have experienced significant issues, such as freezing during critical gameplay moments, leading to a general recommendation against playing it.
“Additionally, the game is quite buggy.”
“My existing review is below for posterity, but I have switched my conclusion to 'not recommended.' This game just hit v1.0, and it is still extremely buggy.”
“Both times I went to the healing center and when I selected 'heal,' the game freezes up and I cannot exit the screen.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music and sound design are generally well-received, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere, though some reviewers feel a more ambitious audio direction could enhance the experience further. Overall, the combination of music, humor, and mechanics is praised, positioning the game as a standout in the roguelite genre.
“The music, humor, and in-depth mechanics make this game one of the best roguelites out there, with extreme customizability and ease of access.”
“The sound design and music are good, but a more ambitious audio direction could have further elevated the experience.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its creativity and positive theme, with users emphasizing its strong presence throughout the experience.
“The atmosphere, creativity, positive theme, and baseline is 100% there.”
“Did I mention the atmosphere?”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is highlighted as a key strength, contributing to its appeal alongside its music and mechanics. Players appreciate the developers' professional yet approachable demeanor, which fosters a positive community atmosphere. Overall, the humor enhances the game's accessibility and enjoyment.
“The music, humor, and in-depth mechanics make this game one of the best roguelites out there with extreme customizability and ease of access.”
“The developers are very professional and respond to their players like actual people, with good humor and straightforward goals for their product.”
