VR Dungeon Knight
- April 24, 2017
- Blackjard Softworks
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"VR Dungeon Knight" is a VR Role Playing Game with both single-player and local co-op modes. It features randomly generated dungeons, a variety of weapons, classes and enemies. Despite some bugs, it boasts outstanding graphics, a masterful soundtrack and plenty of humor. The game's highly emotional story and replayability make it a must-play for dungeon crawler enthusiasts.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Great atmosphere and immersive gameplay that captures the essence of dungeon crawling in VR.
- Variety of weapons and classes allows for diverse playstyles and customization.
- Fun co-op experience that enhances the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Numerous bugs and glitches, including issues with enemy animations and hit detection.
- Performance issues, particularly a memory leak that causes lag after extended play sessions.
- Limited content and repetitive dungeon layouts can lead to a lack of long-term engagement.
- gameplay444 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is generally described as fun and engaging, featuring a variety of mechanics such as climbing, combat, and looting that contribute to a satisfying dungeon-crawling experience. However, many players note issues with poorly explained mechanics, clunky controls, and performance problems that detract from the overall enjoyment. While the game shows promise with its diverse gameplay styles and procedural generation, it requires further refinement and updates to address its current shortcomings.
“Really fun, a great example of how simple fun gameplay trumps unpolished graphics.”
“The gameplay itself is fun so far, will update as I play more.”
“It has really versatile yet simple mechanics for climbing, swimming, and 'jumping' through a randomly generated dungeon, and it all feels really good to play.”
“The game mechanics are wonky.”
“Runs really poorly to the point where the game was literally unplayable; turned down all of the settings in the settings room to as low as possible, due to the mechanical issues it was difficult to test the gameplay itself.”
“Honestly, mechanics aren't well explained at all; the parrying mechanic is complete crap when it comes to projectiles.”
- graphics244 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the charming, cartoonish art style and overall visual appeal, while others criticize the performance issues, graphical glitches, and a general lack of polish. Many acknowledge that the graphics are decent for a single-developer project, but there are calls for improvements and optimizations, especially given the game's tendency to slow down over time. Overall, while the visuals have their strengths, they are often overshadowed by technical shortcomings and a need for further refinement.
“The graphics are good, the gameplay is smooth enough, and the variety of weapons and classes will keep you interested.”
“The graphics are crisp and nice, the combat feels good.”
“Graphics are beautiful, the environments are vivid and atmospheric, and I was totally immersed playing it.”
“I play on a 1070ti and my friend plays on a 4090, and both of us had to drop down to minimum graphics settings available in the game and still after a little while the game just starts slowing down until it's like playing in bullet time, regardless of how strong the computer is until you restart.”
“Seems very buggy, graphical glitches giving me a headache and the movement controls seem to randomly change or not work which makes getting around a real pain.”
“Graphics and effects on the other hand are quite bad, magic spells are just a glowing box with minimal particles and slow movement speed, and for some reason all projectiles bounce around as if you are firing rubber bullets.”
- atmosphere146 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and eerie qualities, effectively capturing the essence of a dungeon crawler with a mix of dark, spooky elements and vibrant graphics. Players appreciate the detailed environments, ambient sound design, and the sense of tension and adventure that permeates the gameplay, making it a standout feature despite some criticisms regarding combat mechanics. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a significant strength, enhancing the overall experience and engagement for players.
“The atmosphere of the game along with the random traps have definitely made for an excellent dungeon crawler in my opinion.”
“The sense of adventure and the deep creepy atmosphere of the dungeon just ooze from every corner of this game.”
“The lighting and atmosphere is perfectly executed and it sounds like the audio has been expertly done as well because there is all kinds of creepy ambiance that basically just puts you on edge the entire time.”
“I would have liked to leave a good review but the fighting is poorly done; otherwise, the atmosphere of the game was really nice and I liked the style of the game. Too bad the combat is so bad.”
“One of them made it through your intro stage and immediately quit because he was convinced solely from that that the controls were bad, the configuration options were bad, and the storytelling, graphics, sounds, music, atmosphere (things that other VR publications on the store don't even offer) didn't help to hold it up... because mechanics make a game and without them the game wasn't worth playing.”
“I get that it's supposed to feel claustrophobic and the atmosphere definitely did add some tension when you saw the glowing eyes of enemies in the darkness, but it's still a bit shortsighted for me.”
- stability114 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with many users reporting numerous bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, particularly in multiplayer modes. While some players acknowledge the potential and fun aspects of the game, they also note that the overall experience is marred by janky controls, graphical issues, and unresponsive mechanics, making it difficult to recommend in its current state. Despite these issues, some players express optimism for future improvements, given that the game is still in early access and developed by a single individual.
“The game runs great and is a lot of fun!”
“Nice performance, runs great on my PC.”
“The game runs smoothly and provides an enjoyable experience!”
“While it has potential and some groundwork, it's still just way too buggy and wonky to be truly playable.”
“I wouldn't recommend this to anyone just because of how bland and buggy it is, as well as how difficult it is to perform the most basic VR actions.”
“At the time of this review, the game was so buggy to the point where I could not complete the tutorial area because the enemy to practice on was not spawning correctly and was stuck underground.”
- story108 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and not a primary focus, with players encouraged to engage in dungeon crawling and combat rather than deep narrative experiences. While it features a light thematic backdrop involving various fantasy elements and bosses, many reviewers note the lack of character development and quests, making it more of a mindless action experience than a story-driven adventure. Overall, players should not expect an intricate plot, but rather a straightforward gameplay loop centered around exploration and combat.
“Dark gloomy corridors filled with traps and ghouls keep you on your toes as you traverse either adventure dungeons (more puzzle and exploring oriented) or nightmare dungeons (more combat oriented) on your quest to find more loot and upgrades to get yourself ready to fight the evil necromancer.”
“Combat feels great, weapons feel natural, the randomly generated dungeons make it exciting with each journey, just wish there was a little more to the story.”
“Please read my little story to find out how truly awesome this game can be.”
“Don't expect an in-depth story (there's none) or character development (there won't be aside from assigning points), but it's a quick and dirty way to get yourself into some fun combat scenarios and some interesting puzzles.”
“Lastly, this should be obvious, but the game has no story so don't expect anything but killing random stuff and looting treasure, rinse and repeat.”
“- Great voicing and environments makes me sad there are not really any NPCs and that the storyline is so shallow.”
- replayability80 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability due to its procedurally generated dungeons, diverse classes, and extensive loot and upgrade systems, which keep players engaged for countless hours. Many users highlight the thrill of discovering new environments and challenges with each playthrough, especially in co-op mode. Overall, it is regarded as one of the most replayable VR experiences available, with a strong potential for future content and improvements.
“The random generation of the dungeon is really good; it adds to the replay value.”
“Every dungeon is randomly generated, so there is limitless replay value.”
“Very high replayability due to the random dungeon spawning, the amount of time it takes you to grind out loot, the various classes, and the weapons and their upgrades.”
“However, it currently feels like an advanced demo and I can’t find the replay value in it.”
“While there's not a lot of depth to it, the randomly generated dungeons coupled with the respectable variety of weapons adds some extensive replay value.”
“Well, shit man... uh, I was looking for something replayable for VR.”
- music74 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with some tracks described as epic and fitting well with various situations. However, there are criticisms regarding the lack of independent volume controls and occasional dissonance between the music and gameplay events. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated for its beauty and mood-setting capabilities, some players feel it could benefit from more variety and better integration with the game's dynamics.
“Some of the soundtrack is real epic and adds so much, and the atmosphere can really catch you off guard with how eerie it is despite the colorful graphical style.”
“It fits the theme of every situation very well, the reward room music makes me do a cheerful little dance, and that delightfully bouncy clarinet is the best; it's the true reason I brave such a dangerous dungeon.”
“The composer did a great job with the soundtrack, I'm very impressed as a composer myself.”
“The music is a bit samey and sometimes feels a bit disjointed with what's happening at any given time.”
“While reviewing the footage, the music seems a little too mad hatter, bright and happy in the beginning that doesn't seem to mesh with the surroundings in some areas.”
“Music volume is sometimes too loud in some rooms, especially in the weapon chamber.”
- optimization50 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many players experiencing severe performance issues, including stuttering and memory leaks that render it nearly unplayable over time. Despite some users reporting decent performance on lower-end systems, the lack of development updates and persistent optimization problems have led to a general consensus that the game is not currently recommendable. Overall, while there is potential, significant improvements in optimization and gameplay balance are urgently needed.
“Aside from the performance issues, there is a lot of potential for the game.”
“The atmosphere is great, performance is pretty good, concept is awesome.”
“+ Nice performance, runs great on my PC.”
“I purchased the game in the hopes that the poor performance and the general lack of features and different levels would be fixed and expanded upon; however, due to the devs abandoning this project, I cannot recommend the game in its current state.”
“Not to mention, I found that my performance gets worse over time as I played the game, which makes me believe there may be a memory leak, rendering it pretty much unplayable for any extended period of time.”
“I really want to give it a yes, but those performance issues basically force you to restart every 30 minutes or so if you want to play with a smooth frame rate.”
- humor46 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from its janky mechanics and character physics, which lead to hilarious moments during combat and co-op play. Players find the mini bosses and various glitches, such as characters moving awkwardly or having extra limbs, to be particularly amusing, creating a lighthearted atmosphere despite the game's bugs. While the humor can enhance the experience, it may also become frustrating, especially in multiplayer settings with random players.
“The mini bosses were hilarious.”
“It's kinda janky here and there but at the core it's hilariously fun.”
“Myself and my friend were laughing and loving every minute we played yesterday and I can't wait to play more!”
- grinding26 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while it offers a nostalgic dungeon-crawling experience with various builds and secrets, players note that the lack of maps and frequent loading screens can make navigation tedious. Those who enjoy grinding in roguelikes may find the gameplay rewarding, but it requires a significant time investment, and some players feel that the repetitive nature of grinding can lead to a sense of monotony after a few hours. Overall, the game is best suited for players who appreciate long-term grinding and exploration.
“There are no maps or automaps, and the dungeons aren't seamless, so lots of mini loading makes an already confusing dungeon very tedious to navigate.”
“You'll have to keep grinding dungeons hoping that you'll randomly upgrade the weapon you like, smash hundreds of boxes for every bit of gold you can get for the pricey armors, grind tons of enemies for XP so you can increase your stats and ultimately beat the game.”
“Cons: after 6 hours, I feel like I've seen pretty much all the game has to show, have unlocked everything except the last couple of classes which require a lot of grinding.”
- emotional16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of frustration and enjoyment regarding the emotional experience of the game. While some find the gameplay mechanics janky and inducing motion sickness, leading to thoughts of refunding, others appreciate the beautiful artwork and wholesome fun, highlighting moments that evoke a sense of immersion and excitement. Overall, the emotional response is polarized, with significant issues impacting enjoyment for some players.
“Made me feel like a real goblin slayer.”
“Great experience, beautiful artwork, and truly wholesome fun.”
“+ The locomotion is fantastic, I loved the arm swinging; it made me feel like I was walking in Saint's Row 4 when you're in Pleasant Town.”
- monetization8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's monetization model avoids microtransactions, focusing instead on a loot-based system where players earn experience and items through dungeon completion. While the leveling of weapons involves a degree of randomness akin to loot boxes, players appreciate the absence of cash grabs commonly seen in other titles.
“Watch out cash grab!”
“The quest to level up your weapons is somewhat based on luck (think loot boxes but no microtransactions) and you are rewarded for successfully completing dungeons, but experience gained sticks regardless of the outcome.”
“Bows and arrows, daggers, swords, claymores, shields, lanterns, magic tomes to cast spells from, health potions and the like are at your disposal, and these items can level up as you earn loot from running the dungeon, albeit in a somewhat randomized, lootbox fashion (don't worry, there are no microtransactions).”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development in this game is minimal, with no in-depth story or significant growth for characters beyond basic point assignment. Players can expect a focus on combat and puzzles rather than narrative depth or character evolution.
“Don't expect an in-depth story (there's none) or character development (there won't be aside from assigning points), but it's a quick and dirty way to get yourself into some fun combat scenarios and some interesting puzzles.”
