Dungeon Antiqua
- October 9, 2024
- Shiromofu Factory
Get on Steam"Dungeon Antiqua is a 2D, dungeon crawl-type RPG with nostalgic 80s/90s aesthetic and chiptune music. Its replayability is enhanced by varying professions, free party formation, and auto-generated maps. The game focuses on hack-and-slash mechanics and exploration, avoiding repetitive scenarios. It offers modern, comfortable controls and is available for handheld consoles."
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Dungeon Antiqua successfully combines elements of classic games like Final Fantasy and Wizardry, providing a nostalgic experience for fans of the genre.
- The game features enjoyable mechanics such as spell charges instead of magic points, and the exploration aspect is enhanced by secrets and treasures hidden throughout the dungeons.
- Despite its short length, the game offers replay value through randomly generated dungeons and different class combinations, making it a fun pick for casual gaming sessions.
- The game suffers from a lack of polish, with unclear mechanics and a user interface that doesn't provide sufficient information, leading to confusion during gameplay.
- Many players found the game to be too short, with limited replay value and repetitive dungeon layouts that can become tedious over time.
- There are significant control issues and bugs that detract from the overall experience, making it feel more like an unfinished product than a fully realized game.
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as charming but often repetitive and derivative, with some tracks closely resembling their inspirations. While some players appreciate the nostalgic 8-bit style and find it a nice callback to classic titles like Final Fantasy, others criticize it for being dull and headache-inducing. Overall, the music elicits mixed feelings, balancing between charm and monotony.
“There's not a lot of music, but what's there is charming.”
“But, I did have fun, and the graphics work and music are great callbacks to FF1 and FF4.”
“The sound effects and music are charmingly quaint.”
“I love a good dungeon crawl, but the boring and repetitive tilesets, sounds, and music wear away the charm fast.”
“The music is really bad, even considering it's supposed to sound 8-bit.”
“I actually like retro music when done well, but here it drones on repetitively, giving a literal headache.”
- story6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and lacks depth, focusing primarily on dungeon crawling rather than narrative complexity or character development. While players appreciate the fast-paced gameplay and the inclusion of secrets and items, the absence of a compelling story or high stakes makes the experience feel less immersive. Side quests can be tedious but offer valuable rewards, and the game includes features for speed-runners, emphasizing its straightforward nature over a rich narrative.
“There's no high stakes story or complex character interaction, but it's good fun and fast paced and offers enough secrets or interesting items to pick up to not get boring.”
“For those wanting to speed-run, the game has a built-in clocking feature for letting you know when you beat the main story and post-game final boss.”
“All in all, while I can appreciate that the devs put story aside to focus on the dungeon crawl, there just aren't enough pieces to play with to make any aspect of the gameplay feel satisfying.”
“There's no high-stakes story or complex character interaction, but it's good fun and fast-paced and offers enough secrets or interesting items to pick up to not get boring.”
“That being said, it is very competent and straightforward; side quests can become overly cumbersome if you let yourself get caught up in them, but given they provide you with excellent items, it adds to the playtime while hunting for items.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The graphics are reminiscent of classic Final Fantasy titles, featuring pixel art that evokes a nostalgic, old-school vibe. Reviewers appreciate the retro aesthetic, noting that it complements the game's dungeon-crawling mechanics and overall design, enhancing the experience for fans of the genre.
“Like the sound, the visuals give me that old-school vibe and I'm always down for that.”
“Again, I like pixel/retro graphics when done well.”
“It's like a blobber except it has Final Fantasy 1 graphics.”
“A pretty brilliant dungeon-crawling high fantasy RPG with a classic Final Fantasy aesthetic.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Gameplay is characterized by a lack of clear mechanics and insufficient UI guidance, which detracts from the overall experience. While the focus on dungeon crawling is appreciated, it leaves players wanting more depth and satisfaction. However, some users note that it serves as a solid introduction to classic dungeon crawling mechanics, with commendable pacing.
“It's not going to blow anyone's socks off, but it is a very good onboarding for old school dungeon crawling mechanics.”
“Outstanding gameplay and pacing.”
“The mechanics aren't explained very well, and little to no information is given by the UI or tooltips.”
“The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The controls are clunky and unresponsive, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability, primarily due to its short playtime of around 2-3 hours. However, it does provide some replay value through randomly generated dungeons and the ability to experiment with different team compositions and class options. Overall, while there are elements that encourage replay, they may not be sufficient for extended play.
“Rolled credits pretty quickly at 2 and a half hours, but it seems to be replayable due to a randomly generated dungeon on launch and conflicting class options.”
“Because of the party creation, there is replay value in the game.”
“Unfortunately, there isn't much replay value at the moment. Once you complete your 2-3 hour playthrough, there isn't much else to it.”
“I rolled credits pretty quickly at 2 and a half hours. While there seems to be some replayability due to a randomly generated dungeon and conflicting class options, it still feels limited.”
“There is some replay value in terms of different team compositions, but that's about it.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Many users note that the game requires a significant amount of grinding, particularly in the early stages, which can be a tedious experience for players.
“There's an excessive amount of grinding required at the start.”
“The game forces you into a tedious grind right from the beginning.”
“I found the initial grinding to be overwhelming and unengaging.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the game's stability is lacking, with players experiencing numerous bugs that detract from the overall experience, leading to disappointment compared to expectations of a polished title.
“I expected a polished Final Fantasy V dungeon crawler, but instead I got a buggy, NES-style Final Fantasy I game.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I encountered numerous glitches that disrupted my gameplay experience.”
