Dungeon Defenders Eternity

About

"Dungeon Defenders Eternity" is a tower defense action RPG where players must protect Etheria from invading forces. Choose from 12 distinct hero classes, each with unique abilities and weapons, and strategically place defenses to fend off waves of enemies in various game modes. With online multiplayer and a variety of challenges, this game offers endless replayability and cooperative fun.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

44%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,128 reviews

gameplay56 positive mentions

monetization42 negative mentions

Offers a nostalgic experience for fans of the original Dungeon Defenders with new features and improvements.
Includes all DLC from the original game, providing great value for new players.
The game has a vibrant community and regular updates from the developers to address issues.

Always online requirement limits gameplay options and can lead to connection issues.
The user interface is clunky and not as intuitive as the original, making it difficult for new players to navigate.
The removal of private taverns and local co-op play has disappointed many fans of the original game.

gameplay
220 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
67%
7%
The gameplay of the game has been described as a blend of tower defense, action, and RPG elements, maintaining much of the addictive nature of the original title while introducing new mechanics like pet abilities and a dodge feature. However, many players express disappointment over the lack of content, persistent bugs, and a user interface that detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the rebalancing and minor improvements, others feel that the gameplay remains largely unchanged and suffers from performance issues, making it less enjoyable than expected.
- “This highly addictive, fun-filled, colorful must-have comes loaded and brilliantly blends action, hack & slash, tower defense, strategy, and RPG gameplay.”
- “The classes are interesting, the towers are a lot of fun, the loot is awesome, and the gameplay is too fun to not love.”
- “But, this game does have a lot of added features that spice up the gameplay and make it all-around more enjoyable, in my opinion.”
- “If you're hoping for bug fixes and core changes to improve the quality of life and gameplay, don't get this.”
- “The gameplay itself ultimately isn't any different from Dungeon Defenders 1.”
- “The gameplay needs a little work, currently clunky, bug-ridden, and the lag; I haven't experienced lag this bad since I played Counter-Strike on a 28.8k dial-up with AOL.”
graphics
144 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
74%
11%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players noting slight improvements over the original, while many others criticize significant downgrades in clarity and performance. Issues such as slow texture loading, blurriness, and poor graphical fidelity have been frequently mentioned, leading to frustration among users. Overall, while there are some enhancements, many feel that the graphics do not meet expectations and are often inferior to the original game.
- “This game is a nice graphical upgrade from Dungeon Defenders with the option to customize the appearance of your characters with different armor and such.”
- “Overall, if you liked Dungeon Defenders, the Eternity version is more of the same with graphical improvements.”
- “Graphics = slow to load, but once they do, they are awesome!”
- “Don't buy this game; it's run on a server which streams the graphics to your computer... doesn't even work and they don't plan on fixing it.”
- “The graphics took a noticeable downgrade and everything feels a lot slower paced and clunkier.”
- “Between the worse visuals and the slightly less responsive gameplay, I'd sooner recommend playing the original than I would recommend this game.”
monetization
124 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
64%
34%
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players labeling it a "cash grab" due to the presence of numerous microtransactions for cosmetic items, such as emotes and costumes, in a game that costs $20. While some argue that these microtransactions do not impact gameplay and are merely aesthetic, the overall sentiment is that they detract from the experience, especially in a paid title where players feel such features should not exist. Many reviewers express a desire for a more traditional DLC model or for the removal of microtransactions altogether.
- “There will be no microtransactions whatsoever in the game, and from what I can tell, the team has really good morals and truly loves the original game.”
- “As for the people complaining about microtransactions, they are only there to change the appearance of your characters; they in no way shape or form alter your characters' power, stats, or abilities.”
- “To clear things right away, this isn't a pay-to-win game; there are microtransactions, but they are for emotes and costumes, which are not bought with real money.”
- “Dungeon Defenders Eternity was supposed to be the definitive version of DD but ultimately was a cash grab.”
- “If my money has gone to make the game better in later updates, awesome, but what it feels like is everything that was good about the first game has been sucked out and replaced by things that might cash in on casual gamers like in-app purchases and novelty items.”
- “This game feels like it should be a free-to-play game; instead, you pay $20 and then get hit by F2P-esque features such as microtransactions.”
story
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
88%
3%
The game's story is enriched with five new maps that integrate well with the original narrative, alongside additional missions and DLC content. However, players express frustration over the requirement to return to a central tavern after each mission, which disrupts the flow of the campaign and diminishes the overall storytelling experience. While the revamped gameplay offers new features and rebalanced missions, the chaotic nature of the shared tavern environment detracts from the immersive storytelling that players enjoyed in previous iterations.
- “The good: pets and accessories are more common, all classes are available, re-balanced gameplay, amulets and consumable items for quick skills, DLC campaigns and missions are included, new campaign and missions, new textures and looks for characters, enemies, and items.”
- “All characters are included and all DLC storylines, including a bonus storyline with added campaign missions.”
- “- five new maps, each of which fit in nicely with the original story, plus the last one which is its own map entirely.”
- “You can't play through the campaign by progressing through levels in a story-like format; you have to return to the tavern after each level.”
- “What used to be a place of relaxation between missions is now just as chaotic as the missions themselves.”
- “This places every single useful aspect of the tavern as far away from each other as possible, leaving you to run around all over the place when all you want to do is get set up for the next mission.”
stability
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and a general feeling of being unfinished, leading many players to liken it to a beta rather than a polished product. Matchmaking issues, freezing, and inconsistent gameplay further exacerbate the frustration, prompting some users to recommend avoiding the game until significant improvements are made. While some acknowledge that the developers are working on fixes, the overwhelming sentiment is that the game is currently too unstable for enjoyable play.
- “Runs great.”
- “The game is stable and provides a smooth experience.”
- “It's buggy as well.. this game isn't a finished product; it's really a beta but it's sold as a finished product.. don't buy it.”
- “They didn't test the game as they should have and released it with many, many, many... bugs and glitches.”
- “So buggy, can't even play the game due to all of the loading screens, not worth the frustration.”
grinding
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
93%
The grinding aspect of the game is a central focus, with many players noting that it can feel excessive and time-consuming, yet essential for progression and enjoyment. While some appreciate the hardcore grinding experience and the new features like crafting and pet hatching, others feel that without grinding, the game loses its purpose and direction. Overall, it appeals to fans of loot-driven gameplay, but may deter those seeking a more casual experience.
- “I definitely recommend this game. It started off on a rocky foundation and plummeted, and there is no denying that fact; however, for anyone not grinding the end game content, it is a lot of fun, and honestly, at this point, there is little direction besides up.”
- “Makes the whole game pointless - DD was about grinding - take it away and there are no goals anymore.”
- “Long, long hours of grinding are necessary.”
- “And it really is just that... a hardcore grinding game - perfect to take away your many leftover hours.”
optimization
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
56%
25%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant performance issues, particularly due to the mandatory online multiplayer requirement and a new interface that feels more suited for touchscreens. While some improvements and additional content were expected, the overall experience has been marred by shoddy controls and a lack of single-player options, leading to a disappointing performance compared to the original title.
- “This game is an optimized and improved version of the first one with all the DLC included.”
- “I had looked forward to the original game with additional features and perhaps upgraded performance, graphics, and perhaps additional gameplay modes.”
- “I understand that they would do that on mobile because of the smaller screen and to increase performance, but these problems don't exist on a PC.”
- “With shoddier controls, a forced always-online multiplayer tavern, mandatory waiting period before starting a match (even a private match), and a new 'playverse' interface which feels optimized for touchscreens (likely because it was), this re-release seems to offer very little in the way of enhanced content over the original title.”
- “But the overall performance hit, coupled with being forced to play online in multiplayer (no solo play here at all) really ruins it.”
- “Game performance is terrible.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The music in the game is widely praised for its addictive quality and epic atmosphere, earning a perfect score from many players. However, some users express frustration with the inability to customize music in shared taverns, leading to a chaotic and noisy experience. Overall, while the soundtrack enhances the gameplay, the shared environment can detract from the enjoyment for some players.
- “Sound 10/10 - this game has some ridiculously addictive music.”
- “Epic atmosphere and music, excellent game, only happiness.”
- “9: same classic music... it even sounds clearer.”
- “I cannot have my own tavern; the shared tavern is noisy and gives me headaches listening to missiles and chaos all day. I can't even turn off the bad music.”
- “I liked being able to relax in my own tavern, managing my gear, chatting with the other people I might have just played with, looking through my trophies, and being able to change the music playing in the tavern.”
- “It's the same classic music... it even sounds clearer.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game to be enjoyable and often laugh-inducing, particularly due to the amusing interactions between game mechanics, such as the large monk aura and EV tower booster. The lightheartedness and fun features contribute to an overall entertaining experience.
- “Large monk aura + EV tower booster that made me laugh at some maps.”
- “Really fun and has a lot of great and funny features :)”
- “Well, that's fine and you can get to that level hilariously easy in Dungeon Defenders 1 by means of Tinker's Lab Assault NMHC.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
Players find the game to be highly replayable, enjoying the core mechanics of defending against enemies with towers. The improved playability of various classes, particularly the ranger, adds to the overall enjoyment and encourages multiple playthroughs.
- “What saves this monstrosity of ugly is the game itself; you and your towers stand between the enemy and their goal, a simple, replayable joy.”
- “What saves this monstrosity of ugly is the game itself, you and your towers stand between the enemy and their goal, a simple, replayable joy.”
- “But, the ranger, and most of the other classes have become far more playable.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express strong emotional disappointment, comparing their experience to the letdown of pre-ordering a highly anticipated game that ultimately failed to meet expectations. The sense of betrayal and frustration is palpable, particularly for those who feel misled about the game's quality and content.
- “I loved Dungeon Defenders; however, this made me feel exactly the same way I felt after I pre-ordered and booted up Alien Colonial Marines on launch day, that I'd been lied to and used.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its epic quality, complemented by outstanding music, creating an overall experience that brings joy to players.
- “Epic atmosphere and music, excellent game, only happiness.”