The Rangers In The South

About

The Rangers In The South is a single player open world role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by DPA Studios and was released on January 9, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

The Rangers in the South is a pixel art action roguelike RPG set in a hand-drawn 2.5D world with over five biomes to explore. Players build unique characters without predefined classes, combining hundreds of abilities and traits to face procedurally generated enemies and challenges. Death is permanent, but progression between runs unlocks new items and opportunities for discovery.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 445 reviews

gameplay27 positive mentions

grinding22 negative mentions

The game features charming 2.5D pixel art and engaging gameplay that captures the essence of classic ARPGs.
It's a great value for the price, offering hours of fun and replayability with various builds and skills.
The developer is responsive to community feedback and actively updates the game, showing commitment to improvement.

The game suffers from balance issues, with some builds being overpowered and others feeling underwhelming.
There are numerous bugs and quality-of-life issues, such as unresponsive controls and lack of key remapping options.
The dungeons and enemy variety can feel repetitive, leading to a lack of engagement after the initial playthrough.

gameplay
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
64%
5%
The gameplay is a blend of simple mechanics and engaging customization, featuring a 2.5D maze-like structure reminiscent of titles like "The Binding of Isaac." While the core loop of exploring biomes, clearing dungeons, and collecting loot is addictive, many players find it repetitive and lacking in variety, with some mechanics feeling underdeveloped. Overall, the charming visuals and enjoyable combat mechanics contribute to a fun experience, though there are calls for more depth and refinement in gameplay systems.
- “The gameplay itself, the biomes, the dungeons, it was very fun!”
- “Its engaging gameplay, coupled with its charming visuals and deep customization options, make it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.”
- “The gameplay loop is pretty addictive and the different spells, classes, and weapons are a lot of fun to try out and farm.”
- “The gameplay itself is 2.5D maze mice, or Binding of Isaac, but insanely generic.”
- “After 5 hours (2 gameplay - 3 paused/asleep in chair), I feel trapped in a long gameplay loop that has sad progression.”
- “There's almost no enemy or content variety; all you do is start on the bottom left of a big map and walk around defeating monsters that are either walkers, casters, or 'callers' (for other monsters), leveling up, picking new passive and active skills, equipping items with higher stats (no gameplay changes), and clearing dungeons (that are just small rooms with the same progression as the above).”
graphics
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
55%
4%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their charming 2.5D pixel art style, which evokes nostalgia and draws comparisons to titles like Octopath Traveler and classic JRPGs. Players appreciate the diverse biomes and engaging visual aesthetics, although some have noted performance issues on lower-end hardware. Overall, the art style and graphical presentation are considered standout features that enhance the gameplay experience.
- “Players traverse through diverse biomes, each with unique aesthetics and challenges.”
- “The graphics are charming and after about 10 minutes of gameplay, I started to understand what the game is aiming for: start off without much of anything, level up, get food, start clearing dungeons to get better loot, die, try again.”
- “A beautiful game, with varied biomes and an atmosphere that traps me to stay appreciating its pixel art style.”
- “My 3060 ti should not have to struggle to get 144 fps at 1440p with medium settings, while in many other games I can easily get more stable frame rates with much more advanced graphics.”
- “When I run it on high graphics, I lose a lot of fps, which is weird because I run everything on ultra perfectly fine, but with this game it doesn't go above 10 fps on high, while on medium settings I'm running at 120 fps.”
- “My complaint with this type of graphic display is that it can be difficult to see item drops.”
music
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
45%
8%
The music in the game is generally praised for its chill and immersive quality, enhancing the exploration experience with a nostalgic feel reminiscent of 90s JRPGs. While many players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to complement the game's aesthetic, some note issues with repetition and occasional awkwardness in audio transitions. Overall, the music contributes positively to the atmosphere, though there are calls for more variety and polish.
- “The soundtrack is phenomenal.”
- “It's incredible to think that this was made by a single person, the effort and the attention to detail and the music is a perfect combination to immerse in this world!”
- “Another aspect that I loved was its music, strongly inspired by the JRPGs of the 90s that captivated me for hours when I was a child <3”
- “The biomes were cool and unique, had a fresh feel to each, and music to accompany, but it's just so empty.”
- “I do think the audio and music loops could use a bit of polish and work.”
- “Music is a handful of loops put together semi-randomly: repetitive, but neither obnoxious nor intrusive; just not particularly good, either.”
grinding
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the early stages tedious and repetitive, leading to a lack of meaningful progression. While some enjoy the mindless nature of grinding for gear and coins, others feel that the absence of significant rewards and the loss of gear after runs diminish the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a blend of enjoyable combat and loot mechanics, but the grinding can become monotonous and detracts from the sense of growth and challenge.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The lack of a challenge becomes tedious after a bit, and you kind of lose your carrot on a stick.”
- “The whole game is literally just a slog of moderately entertaining combat, grinding through enemies that may as well be floor traps as they don't do any meaningful damage or pose any challenge until the fourth area where they are stupidly powerful and fast.”
- “Fighting the same reskinned 3 (more like 2) enemies for an hour or more can get a little tedious rather quickly.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over performance issues, particularly on higher-end systems. While some users report solid performance on the Steam Deck, others describe the overall optimization as lacking and in need of significant improvement. The developer has acknowledged these concerns and expressed a commitment to enhancing optimization in future updates.
- “The performance on the Steam Deck is solid—40 fps on high settings or medium if you want to save battery.”
- “As mentioned, not super well optimized yet, but the dev is very dedicated.”
- “The game could use a polish pass, especially for the optimization seeing as I well exceed the minimum specs.”
- “The performance in this game isn't the greatest.”
- “Horrible optimization, unplayable.”
stability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting numerous glitches and bugs that affect gameplay, though most agree they are not game-breaking. While some users have managed to play for extended periods without issues, the overall consensus is that the game is still quite buggy, particularly on certain hardware, and may require further updates to improve quality of life features and stability. Despite these concerns, players find the game addictive and appreciate its potential as a solo developer's passion project.
- “There are many glitches and issues.”
- “Good idea for the game, very buggy; the developer blames the engine he chose and refuses to fix anything.”
- “The game is beautiful and seems to have potential, but unfortunately, as of right now, it is too buggy to be played fluidly (mostly quality-of-life reducing bugs, not game-breaking ones), and controller support is 4/10.”
story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
56%
33%
The game's story aspect has received mixed feedback, with some players enjoying the nostalgic art style reminiscent of classic titles like Star Ocean 2, while others criticize the lack of a coherent narrative and quest system, describing it as short and lacking depth. Overall, the absence of missions and a consistent storyline detracts from the experience for many users.
- “I'm really enjoying my time in this game. I downloaded it because it looked like the art style of Star Ocean 2: Second Story, which was one of my favorite games as a kid. I'd love to see this get an expansion. I have yet to beat it, taking my time and savoring the vibe. I look forward to playing again soon.”
- “There are no quests or missions to accomplish throughout the whole experience.”
- “It’s a short game, still lacking a consistent story and with many bugs and imbalances.”
- “-no storyline”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
Overall, the game offers a mix of replayability, with many players appreciating the character customization and class variety that encourage multiple playthroughs. However, some reviews suggest that the short length of the game and the ease of defeating the final boss may limit long-term replay value for certain players. Despite this, many still find the experience enjoyable enough to warrant revisiting.
- “Fun little indie game, short though, was able to defeat the final boss and beat the game within 3 hours with my first generation hero. Not that it matters though since the game is built to be replayed over and over. Good character customization for such a small game too, lots of replayability, and the 2.5D graphics are nice.”
- “It has so much replayability!”
- “Very fun game with lots of replayability.”
- “The replayability may be lacking, but I am excited to... well, to die, so I can respawn and make a wizard.”
- “Tldr: great game, but takes little time to kill the final boss, almost zero replay value.”
- “And there's a couple of build styles you can do, a little replay value, worth full price for sure.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its quirky customization options, such as the ability to play without clothes and engage in absurdly comedic combat. Players find the game's comedic elements both entertaining and ironic, particularly in moments like unexpectedly dying after defeating the final boss. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted and amusing layer to the gameplay experience.
- “The game is funny, but I cleared the game by defeating the last boss, then... my character died!”
- “You can be naked too and just go one-punch everything because it's funny.”
- “I haven't tried it yet on my Steam Deck, but I expect roughly the same performance, which is somewhat ironically disappointing and hilariously similar.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its beautiful art and cozy ambiance, creating an immersive experience that captivates players. The varied biomes and charming pixel art style contribute to a sense of appreciation and engagement, making it a standout feature in modern gaming.
- “Watching my player move, immersing myself in the atmosphere, it's like this is exactly what I've been missing in modern games.”
- “Beautiful art, cozy atmosphere, nice pacing.”
- “A beautiful game, with varied biomes and an atmosphere that captivates me, allowing me to appreciate its pixel art style.”
- “A beautiful game, with varied biomes and an atmosphere that traps me, making me appreciate its pixel art style.”
- “The atmosphere feels empty and lifeless, failing to engage me in the world.”
- “Despite the visuals, the atmosphere lacks depth and fails to draw me into the experience.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
50%
Character development is praised for its flexibility due to the lack of predefined classes, allowing players to customize their characters in unique ways. However, some users express a desire for more options in character design, wishing for the ability to create their own characters.
- “The absence of predefined classes further enhances this customization, offering a flexible approach to character development.”
- “I would love to have more character design options to create a character myself, but I understand why that's not a feature.”
- “Maybe, now this is just me, but I would love to have more character design options to create a character myself. I understand why that's not a thing, though.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a strong emotional response to the game, with feelings of empowerment from character progression contrasted by frustration and sadness due to disruptive gameplay elements, such as intrusive tooltips during combat. Despite these challenges, the overall experience remains enjoyable and engaging.
- “Giant half-screen sized tooltips in the middle of combat causing my first death was terrible, unnecessary, super upsetting, made me cry, but it's fun!”