Endless Dungeon
- October 19, 2023
- AMPLITUDE Studios
- 18h median play time
Endless Dungeon manages to create the perfect mix of tower defense, roguelikes, and twin-stick shooter to create a deep, yet accessible adventure for the ages. One of the best co-op games of 2023.
"ENDLESS™ Dungeon is a roguelite tower defense game set in the award-winning ENDLESS™ Universe. Play solo or with friends, recruit heroes, and upgrade your gear as you navigate through an infested space station. The 'Last Wish' Edition includes exclusive skins, artbook, and soundtrack. Participate in the GAMES2GETHER community for in-game rewards and the chance to influence game content."
Reviews
- Engaging gameplay loop that combines tower defense and twin-stick shooter mechanics.
- Beautiful graphics and a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- Fun to play with friends, offering a cooperative experience that adds to the enjoyment.
- Lacks depth and variety, leading to repetitive gameplay and limited replayability.
- Multiplayer progression issues where only the host earns unlocks, making it frustrating for guests.
- Some bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including AI pathing issues and missing health bars for bosses.
- gameplay1,105 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Endless Dungeon" has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its unique blend of tower defense and twin-stick shooter mechanics, but criticizing its overall depth and replayability. While some enjoy the engaging core loop and character abilities, others find the gameplay repetitive and lacking the strategic complexity of its predecessor, "Dungeon of the Endless." The game is visually appealing and offers fun moments, but many feel it falls short in providing a satisfying and varied gameplay experience, often feeling shallow and simplistic.
“The exploration gameplay loop of opening doors and leaving others closed to create long detours for the enemies, and then placing your turrets at intersections to conserve resources is really satisfying and something I haven't experienced anywhere else.”
“There's enough cool stuff to unlock between runs that I don't see slowing down before the 30-40 hour mark, at least personally, and I think the core gameplay loop is pretty interesting.”
“Endless dungeon is a fun, well-presented, and colorful roguelike game with similar mechanics to the previous game, Dungeon of the Endless. It features a variety of different turrets to play with to defend your crystal bot and cards which have powerful effects on how you play the game.”
“The gameplay loop becomes very boring after the first and second game and the unlocks are both borderline useless and give little to broaden possible strategies.”
“The gameplay is shallow and not particularly satisfying, unfortunately.”
“This is a disappointing husk of the original game, with core gameplay mechanics and unlockables removed for a depressing, neutered experience.”
- story432 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story in "Endless Dungeon" has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and well-integrated into the gameplay, while others criticize it as shallow and lacking depth compared to its predecessor. Many appreciate the character quests and world-building elements, but bugs and issues with quest progression, especially in multiplayer, detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the narrative offers some interesting moments and character development, it often feels disconnected from the core gameplay and lacks the polish expected from the developers.
“The story is actually pretty cool, way more than the original for sure, with cutscenes and stuff, and accented by incredible remixes of the original dungeon's music.”
“What I think shines in this game is the character design and milestone system they use for unlocking and gaining more parts to their story.”
“The co-op is where it really shines, but the nuggets of story that are scattered around the levels are beautifully written and make it worth hunting them all down.”
“Dungeon of the Endless had some narrative depth to it, whereas this game's story/narrative/etc is shallow and unamusing.”
“The story offers an excuse for the game to exist and is largely detached from the core gameplay.”
“Story: boring and generic, would have been a lot better if not just viewed as a comic with some quirky characters.”
- graphics413 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Endless Dungeon" have received mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant art style and improved 3D visuals compared to its predecessor, "Dungeon of the Endless." While some players appreciate the aesthetic and character designs, others feel that the new graphics lack the charm and strategic depth of the original, leading to a more generic experience. Overall, the visuals are often highlighted as a strong point, though technical issues and gameplay depth remain concerns for some players.
“The art style is stunning, and the soundtrack?”
“The graphics are quite good, they feel 'next gen' without requiring terribly demanding hardware and most of it is all style rather than sheer realism.”
“Endless dungeon is a fantastic roguelike with beautiful visuals, a charming cast of heroes, genuine humour, and a comprehensive, well-designed meta-game.”
“The graphics: updated to look like every other game.”
“They took Dungeon of the Endless, replaced the pixel art with generic graphics that have no personality and dumbed the game down so there's barely any strategy involved.”
“This 'sequel' traded all strategic and gameplay depth for graphical depth, leaving in its wake nothing but a barren and sterilized wasteland of a subpar roguelike game.”
- music383 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its quality, atmosphere, and ability to enhance the overall experience. While some feel it lacks the memorability of the original game's soundtrack, others appreciate the remastered tracks and new compositions that contribute to the game's unique vibe. Overall, the soundtrack is described as fantastic, immersive, and a significant highlight of the game, making it a key reason to play.
“The in-game music is fantastic and really adds to the slightly creepy feel of the station.”
“The music and sound design deserve special mention as being absolutely outstanding.”
“The soundtrack is amazing, especially if you played Dungeon of the Endless.”
“The music, on the other hand, isn't as iconic as the original; they tried to make it more akin to background music, so obviously it doesn't hit as well.”
“In this game, music is in the background; sometimes you hear it, sometimes it's not even there, and the biggest atmosphere is the shooting of guns.”
“The audio mixing is quite strange in this game, where it seems to feel like the music begins to overpower sound effects.”
- replayability142 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying the variety of team builds and co-op experiences, while others criticize its lack of depth, limited enemy variation, and repetitive gameplay after a few runs. Many feel it falls short compared to its predecessor, "Dungeon of the Endless," which offered more engaging mechanics and endless replay value. Overall, while there are features that provide some replayability, significant improvements are needed to enhance long-term engagement.
“It’s predecessor, Dungeon of the Endless (DOTE), was fantastic and infinitely replayable.”
“Awesome co-op game with friends, plenty of characters and weapons with lots of replayability & challenging yet very enjoyable gameplay.”
“There's also a lot more replayability compared to the original; while there are only 4 regions per run (each region has the equivalent of 2 floors), there are 9 total regions with different monster types and bosses, so you will discover new things between runs.”
“After a few runs, the game loses its replay value.”
“Unfortunately, the biggest issue is that it doesn't have much replayability, which is what the original did so well.”
“Replayability on single player is low unless you're achievement hunting; the game gets same-y pretty quickly.”
- stability111 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
The game is widely reported to be extremely buggy, with numerous glitches affecting both single-player and multiplayer experiences, including softlocks, pathing issues, and quest-related bugs. While some players find the core gameplay enjoyable and the game visually appealing, the persistent technical issues detract significantly from the overall experience, leading many to feel it resembles an early access title rather than a polished release. Despite these problems, some users still manage to find fun in the game, indicating that it has potential if the bugs are addressed.
“Looks, sounds, and runs great.”
“My single player experience has been fairly bug free and the core gameplay is fun but it needs a bit more variety.”
“Amazing game, runs great on Steam Deck.”
“There are still bugs and glitches that have been there since release day.”
“This game has not enough content to justify the price tag and what content is there is so buggy it's hard to believe it's not another beta test.”
“Too many softlock glitches (boss doesn't die with 0 hp, can't reach door unlocker because map glitched, suddenly gun doesn't work forever, etc.) and sometimes the game crashes.”
- grinding74 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 84 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is largely viewed as tedious and unfulfilling, with many players expressing frustration over the lack of meaningful rewards and the repetitive nature of gameplay. While some find enjoyment in grinding with friends, the overall sentiment leans towards it being a chore, exacerbated by bugs and uninteresting character mechanics. Players suggest that the game could benefit from more engaging content and a reduction in grind-heavy elements to enhance the experience.
“There's no large skill tree that needs to be mastered, combined with the 0.0001% loot chance weaponry needed to progress, no grinding for resources, no 'how to keep them hooked'.”
“Reduce the effectiveness of hero auto-attacks so that a hero's time is better spent running around repairing turrets (for those who haven't played, you just run up to a turret and melee it to repair it - one melee restores almost all of its health, the repair process isn't tedious at all).”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The rogue-lite elements are all currency based which in theory smooths progression, but in practice is dull and grindy.”
“It feels grindy and lacks the satisfaction of earning meaningful rewards.”
“But sadly the leveling up and the guns, almost everything to do with grinding to get 'stronger' and progress in it just is so lackluster and unimaginably not fun or feeling like 'wow I got this upgrade'.”
- atmosphere60 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its graphics, sound design, and music as high-quality and immersive. However, some players feel that the shift from the original's dark and mysterious tone to a more comical space-western theme has diminished the overall atmosphere, leading to a less engaging experience. While the game features rich and varied environments, the gameplay loop and tonal changes have left some fans longing for the depth and intensity of its predecessor.
“Great atmosphere and sound design.”
“The atmosphere is great, the saloon theme I like, all the music in the game is really fantastic (I've listened to tracks casually on Spotify, which says a lot in my opinion).”
“The procedural environments are rich and varied, ranging from moody and atmospheric to lush and inviting.”
“- the oppressive atmosphere of the original has been replaced with a comical space-western theme.”
“There are enough campy space western games - the somber atmosphere of the previous was way better.”
“No oompf to the guns, there's no melee like the previous title, the atmosphere and voice lines are childish and kitschy whereas with other endless installments, everything is darker and more deep from a writing and atmospheric point of view.”
- character development55 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the unique character designs and engaging dialogue, while others criticize the lack of depth and variety in character abilities. Although the visuals and atmosphere are highlighted as strong points, players feel that the gameplay mechanics do not support satisfying character progression, leading to a sense of repetitiveness. Overall, while the character designs are appreciated, the game falls short in delivering a rewarding character development experience.
“What I think shines in this game is the character design and milestone system they use for unlocking and gaining more parts to their story.”
“Balancing resources, making decisions on turrets, generators, research, healing, and character development all feels as seamless as ever.”
“Character dialogue is good, character design is good, level design is good.”
“Unfortunately this game was half-baked at launch with poor progression, limited character variety (+lackluster character designs), and not a rewarding or fun gameplay loop for a roguelite.”
“It also had absolutely none of the tension or character development of the first.”
“I'd have expected way more focus on the character development aspect here, to be honest.”
- optimization52 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback from users, with many praising its smooth performance and stability, particularly after the beta phase. However, some players have reported significant performance issues, including stuttering and frame drops, especially on high-end hardware. Overall, while many find the game well-optimized, there are notable exceptions that suggest inconsistent performance across different systems.
“The game's performance has been remarkably smooth for me, denuvo or not.”
“Endless dungeon with its engaging gameplay, modern visuals, and optimized performance kept me enjoying the fast-paced multi-tasking this game requires.”
“After playing the beta, I'm pleased to find that it's well-optimized and runs really smoothly.”
“Quite a bit of stuttering on my end as well.”
“Performance is awful on 3080ti/ryzen 7 5800x, lowest settings 1080p, still dropping frames in every wave and freezing with every zone change.”
“Though the game isn't all smooth yet, as my friend and I have been having some serious performance issues, where my friend gets a lot of stutters and low frames, while my PC crashed after I closed the game.”
- humor51 mentions
- 92 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The humor in "Endless Dungeon" is a mixed bag, with some players finding it entertaining and filled with witty character interactions, while others criticize it as shallow and overly reliant on slapstick and fourth-wall-breaking jokes. Many feel that the humor detracts from the game's lore and atmosphere, which previously had a more organic and bittersweet tone. Overall, while there are moments of genuine comedy, the humor often comes off as grating or out of place within the established universe.
“Tons of characters, all with unique backstories and interactions with the other characters and funny quips.”
“Fantastic game to play with friends, it's fun and just the right level of challenging while bringing interesting characters with a great sense of humor.”
“Visual presentation is top notch, music from Arnaud Roy (Flybyno) is unique and haunting as always, witty humor of writers is present, tons of Endless' lore to explore.”
“I get that it's supposed to be funny, but hearing 'unless it's a map out of here, I don't care' every time you encounter lore feels like the game is telling you not to bother reading it.”
“Too shallow to be an interesting tower defense game, too bland for a frenetic twin-stick shooter, too smarmy for endearing sci-fi characters, and not funny enough to justify the many attempts at comedy; nothing about Endless Dungeon actually works.”
“The humor falls flat, making the numerous attempts at comedy feel forced and unoriginal.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional response to the game reflects frustration and disappointment, particularly regarding the grindy gameplay and lack of meaningful progression. Players feel that the initial excitement is diminished by repetitive content and an underwhelming end-game experience, leading to a desire for improvements like Steam Cloud support before they consider playing again.
Critic Reviews
Endless Dungeon Review – Co-op perfection
Endless Dungeon manages to create the perfect mix of tower defense, roguelikes, and twin-stick shooter to create a deep, yet accessible adventure for the ages. One of the best co-op games of 2023.
96%Endless Dungeon review
A touch too much repetition doesn't spoil this ambitious and elegant combo of run 'n' gun, tower defence, and roguelike.
81%Endless Dungeon review
Endless Dungeon is a fantastic roguelike with beautiful visuals, a charming cast of heroes, genuine humour, and a comprehensive, well-designed meta-game.
90%