The Guild of Dungeoneering (PC and Mac)

The Ivory League has sat on its high horse for too long, raking in gold hand over fist and parading their heroes about. It’s enough to make an intrepid entrepreneur gag. Meanwhile the Guild of Dungeoneering has fallen on hard times but that could be an opportunity of sorts. You elect to buy the Guild on the cheap and build your own adventuring society to save the day… and make enough gold to fill an olympic sized pool with — gotta have priorities. Chumps, Mathemagicians, and Mimes show up daily to adventure — and almost certainly die — in service to the Guild of Dungeoneering.

History

Not a lot here today. Guild of Dungeoneering was made by the five man team what calls themselves Gambrinous and was released on July 14th, 2015.

It’s competition was Godzilla: The Game (PS4 and PS3), Five Nights at Freddies 4 (PC), and Way of the Samurai 4 (PC).

Experiences

I gotta throw another big shout out there for youtuber Kikoskia, without whom I probably would never had heard about this game. That out of the way I’m gonna use this section to complain about my lack of deep experiences. Darkest Dungeon is a similar game with much darker overtones that I’ve spoken about before. The reason I bring it up is because Darkest Dungeon made me feel really attached to adventurers going into unknown depths to get their shit rocked. Guild of Dungeoneering did not. All of the adventurers in the Guild have individual character based on their class but every chump is the same as the last. Ah well, means I don’t feel as bad when they get horrifically petrified by a beholder.

Gameplay

Guild of Dungeoneering is not the typical dungeon delving game. Unlike most games the player does not have control over the adventurer. Instead the player builds the dungeon, places monsters, and treasure in an attempt to guide or goad the adventurers around. Every quest has a goal such as defeating a certain number of enemies or a boss. Some have limits like a set number of turns before the adventurer dies. In others the boss is chasing the adventurer down in a bid to destroy them.

Should your adventurer get too close to a monster they’ll engage in combat. Combat is card based in which both characters execute maneuvers simultaneously. The player chooses from 1 of 3, or more, attacks or maneuvers which deal magic or physical damage or block physical or magic damage. Enemies choose whatever card they’ve got off the top of their deck. The trick is, the player can see it and try to act accordingly. The adventurer gets new attacks and abilities based on the equipment they loot from enemies.

Build the dungeon and try to use your knowledge to take advantage of it.

When you’re not in the dungeon you can tour around the guild. Which basically amounts to building new wings to unlock new adventurers or equipment and checking out the graveyard to behold the great horde of brave people you’ve sent to their untimely demise. And apparently in between adventures your heroes throw all their equipment or spend it on prostitutes or something because they go to every dungeon unarmed and unarmored with just their base abilities.

The Gush

The music in this game is really solid. From the main theme itself to the little ditties the the narrator sings when you win or fail it’s always a joy. The music in the dungeons itself can either strike a moody underground tone or a raucous adventurous one. No matter what, it’s good stuff.

It’s something small but I like how the game looks like a page of graph paper. It really harkens back to the days of making dnd dungeons on grid paper in the back of english class in high school.

Gambrinous is still making content for this game. Having released a pirate themed and ice themed DLC. So there’s a lot of game here… if only there were enough fresh upgrades and classes to keep the systems fresh.

The Kvetch

Because the dungeon tile cards, monster cards, and loot cards you get are all random it sometimes feels more like good luck or bad is more responsible for success or failure instead of player choice. There’s certainly strategy in choosing which equipment is supported by the current class or effective against the monsters in that area. But if those items don’t drop then it feels like failure was a foregone conclusion and that’s just no fun.

Did I lose because I played sloppy? Or because I got trash loot?

The priority system is a pretty compelling system but not involving one. I think it would have been more interesting if different classes had different priorities for treasure, monsters, and unexplored tiles. It would add a layer of complexity that I think it would be a welcome one, and one easily understood i.e. the Bruiser likes monsters more than loot but the Cat Burglar loves loot more than anything etc.

The Verdict

This game is worth a little whirl. It and it’s DLC are modestly priced at $15 for the game and $5 for each of the DLC — and it goes on sale all the time. I got through about three campaigns before it lost my interest and every once and awhile I go back to it. I think I got my money’s worth so if this interests ya’ll then I would say it’s worth the purchase.

Next Week: Warlocked

Sonny 1 and 2 (Flash Game)

 

In a modern world where magic is real and the undead are commonplace you assume control of one of the legion of the undead. But you are not a nameless shambling monster. You are Sonny, with a mind all your own. You’ve come to on a ship alongside a blind man bent on mentoring you. His mentorship is cut short by the by the bullets of the Zombie Pest Control Incorporation — or ZPCI for short. With his final moments he gives Sonny a tape that he says is certain to help him. Sonny takes the tape to civilization meeting the acquaintance of a ZPCI medic who is secretly a zombie in full gear, a fellow by the name of Veradux.

History

The Sonny series was created by Flash game veteran Krin. Known best for his Senjid series, his games generally involve ability trees, straight forward quests, unanswered mysteries, and equipment as character advancement. Popular on sites like Kongregate and Armor Games — some content is locked to the Armor Games client which makes sense considering Krin is a business partner with Armor Games. It is believed by fans that Sonny 3, coming out later this October, will reveal a lot of the questions in the Sonny series.

Sonny 1 was released on December 28th, 2007 and Sonny 2 was released on December 19th, 2008. They had competition like Beowulf: The Game (PSP), Knights: Journey of Dreams (Wii), Dissidia: Final Fantasy (PSP), and Kingdom Hearts RE: Chain of Memories.

Experiences

When I was younger I found the story of the Sonny games incredibly engrossing. What was on that tape? Why was a blind man on that ship? Did he revive Sonny? Why do Sonny and Veradux have sentience when most zombies don’t? Great questions but in my recent playthrough it seems more obvious that these questions may never be answered. And if they are I’m not confident that it will be satisfying. Between Sonny’s sudden and murderous mood swings, paradoxical character dialogue, and the sheer number of questions I have at the end of Sonny 2 I have serious doubts. I guess what I’m saying is play this game young and forget this section if you want to enjoy the games fully.

Gameplay

Sonny 1 and 2 are turn based RPGs where Sonny must mow through hordes of enemies and bosses with the accompaniment of AI companions. Sonny can acquire a series of abilities based on his class and how the player distributes his ability points along his skill trees. These skills can then be equipped to one of eight slots on an action ring around the opponent, or around Sonny or his allies for buffs.

It’s tricky to explain but really slick in execution.

Every area has a shop where Sonny can acquire sub-par gear, fight training fights where Sonny can get that sweet sweet XP and get gear that actually matters, and fight in plot fights where Sonny can continue the story with yet another fight. Sonny 2 also introduces the ability to alter AI companions basic behavior by setting their ‘stance’. This subtly alters their AI and sets them to be more or less offensive or defensive in their ability use.

The Gush

Each of the classses does a good job of being effective in combat in their own way. Figuring out how they work and what ability combinations work together are fun and satisfying. It’s a pity though that The Hydraulic class is locked to the Armor Games version but considering the relationship between Krin and Armor Games it’s not surprising. And just for the record, my preferred class is the Psychological.

I don’t know why but my favorite character in the series is Ed Spencer. Don’t remembe Ed? Haven’t met him yet?

He’s that guy by the blue glowing thingy.

Motherfucker doesn’t give a shit that he’s talking to a goddam zombie. He just wants to get from A to B on the train. He’s got artifacts for sale and I’m not gonna bother haggling and I’m definitely not going to steal from this guy because he’s the only living thing on this train and that frightens me.

Even when the train derails and he’s all messed up he’s pretty stoic about the experience

The voice acting, cut-scenes, and visuals are overall far better than I would expect from a flash game. Even though Veradux will often say, “I’m gonna knock you silly” three times in some fights the dialogue is usually well delivered if simple. I’m tickled pink hearing Veradux say, “Agh! There’s a knife in my face… again!”

 

The Kvetch

Now if only the character motivations made any goddam sense. Sonny seems like a decent guy but sometimes it seems he chooses to murder defenseless people simply because RPG combat demands that his opponents die. Even though battles commonly end with some dialogue and a fade to black. I just can’t draw a bead on who Sonny or any of the characters really is and because of that I don’t know who to root for or why.

I have no idea what my allies are capable of. Well, I know what their techniques are but I don’t know how the stats conferred by their equipment alter the effectiveness of these techniques. I keep giving them higher leveled equipment but I have no idea whether its helping anything or not.

As far as I’m concerned the story is total word salad at this point. I don’t know who Louis was. I don’t know why the tape was important. I don’t know why Sonny and a few other undead are sentient. And at this point and I just don’t care. Most of this story telling is really tropey and created with the thought of , “Oh man, wouldn’t it be cool!” Wouldn’t it be cool if the mentor in the first game was a blind man who could smell zombies? Wouldn’t it be cool if there was this mysterious object that holds the key to Sonny’s future? Sonny 3 is going to have to try really hard to tie everything together.

The Verdict

The game is pretty good! I might not like the story any more but the systems are so deep that I’m more than willing to overlook that. I love tinkering around with my kit and build especially in the face of special and unique bosses or interesting enemies. I’m actually pretty excited for Sonny 3 to come out. I hope it’s good and ties everything together but I have serious doubts. Like the others in this series, this game is completely free.

Next Week: Au Sable

Megaman Legends 1 (PS1)

Introduction

On a world covered in endless water Mega Man will take its jump to the third dimension– with awesome opening narration. This incarnation of the blue bomber is an explorer who uses his family’s flying machine to search the seas for ruins and treasure. He travels the skies and ruins as the adopted son of Barrel Casket and, his granddaughter, Roll Casket. Their flying machine is called The Flutter and she’s seen some better times. This latest expedition will lead Megaman to an adventure greater than he could have expected. Run, jump, shoot, and discover the secrets of an Island.

This island to be precise.

 

History

Keiji Inafune created Megaman back in 1987 and ten years later he would produce, and help design, Megaman Legends. Inafune and his team wanted to make a game that was just fun for the players. Unfortunately, Legend’s quality suffered because it was released before it had gotten the polish Inafune wanted to give it. Inafune said, “If we made it at the present time in modern quality, I believe that it would have sold a lot better,” on the matter of its early release. Inafune went as far as saying, “[My favorite game is] Mega Man Legends, a title that really didn’t sell well in the Mega Man franchise,” in 2007 at Comic Con.

Megaman Legends was also released on the Nintendo 64 and the PC in increasingly bad ports. Each one receiving a lower score from reviewers than the Playstation release.

Fun Fact: In the Japanese release Megaman’s name is Rock, like all of his Japanese counterparts– I’ve got to say Rock is just a more sensible first name than Megaman. If you were at a coffee shop and you started a conversation with someone and when you left you asked his name and he said, ‘My name is Megaman,’ I think we’d all give him an odd look and never call him back.

Megaman Legends was released in the US on August 31st 1998. It’s competition was Medieval (PS), Spyro the Dragon (PS), and Metal Gear Solid (PS)– no wonder this title got blown out of the water.

Nostalgia

This was the first Megaman release for the Playstation and it came as a big surprise for me. I was familiar with the Megaman games from my Super Nintendo days so I thought that Megaman would be a Nintendo property until the day I died but it was the first game in my life that not only jumped platforms but also jumped into the 3rd dimension. At first I didn’t like it, I kept wondering where Dr. Wily was, but eventually I warmed up to the game. I realized that it was a different take on the Blue Bomber. A take that included things like a plot, a story, and interesting characters. Not to say that there’s anything wrong with the jumping and shooting that the previous incarnations bring, it’s just that this game is a different beast.

What is this 3-d world? And why doesn’t it look totally awful?

Gameplay

Even though this game was strong RPG elements it’s still a Megaman game and is therefore all about jumping and shooting robots. And boy are there robots to shoot and lots of weapons to shoot them with. Like Megaman games before it Legends presents quite an arsenal for the Blue Bomber. Unlike other Megaman games he doesn’t get more weapons from defeating bosses in this game he can find stuff in the ruins he explores. His partner, Roll, can take these seemingly dissimilar junk parts and make sweet special weapons from them. Megaman’s buster can also be upgraded with buster parts that can make it shoot further or do more damage among other things. So check everywhere for stuff, you never know when a hole in the wall might contain valuable stuff.

As far as the story goes, not soon after Megaman lands on the island it gets attacked by a gang of pirates called the Bonnes who are searching for treasure that is rumored to be hidden somewhere on the island. Since the police force isn’t really trained to repel pirate attacks it falls to Megaman to fend off the sky-borne ne’er-do-wells– Yarrr.

From left to right we have Bon, Tron, and Tiesel.

When Megaman isn’t fighting pirates or trying out his new weapons he’ll probably be exploring ruins and solving some pretty easy puzzles. The ruins are interesting just to look at. Most of them look different and I always wondered, “who made these places and why?”

 

The Gush

I love the Bonnes. They’re dangerous but still comic relief. Unlike the other villains of the game, they’re human. So they have human flaws and have human problems. Watching Tiesel lose his patience and throw a little tantrum is hilarious. But Trons creations present decent challenges. Their flying machine is called the Gesselschaft which is German for society and is often extrapolated as a sociological term which are things people do for their own benefit. I didn’t get that for years down the line but it did make sense why pirates would call their home base a term for doing things for personal gain.

Such as Bruno, the walking weapons platform. Literally every part of this guy has weapons on it except his torso and his head.

Or the Fokkerwolf which presents a highly mobile and powerful opponent even if it is a little fragile.

And how could I mention this game without talking about the Servbots, Tron’s faithful and indestructible minions.

Each one has their own unique personality and they’re just so cute.

 

All of the characters are actually really interesting. From Gramp’s mechanical parts, the plights of the city’s mayor, and the machinations of the local “gang” there’s always someone new to meet with near Earthbound levels of humorous dialogue. Also some characters can initiate little mini-quests and puzzles to earn buster parts, items that can be developed into sub weapons, or money.

The sub-weapons in this game range from simple to intense. There’s the Machine Gun Arm that does what you’d expect, fire a lot of shots. Then there’s the Shining Laser which can pierce enemies hitting multiples at once for massive damage! All of them have upgradeable attributes so I recommend toying around with them and seeing which ones suit your playstyle.

The Bonnes aren’t the only ones making robots of mass destruction. The underground ruins are swarming with and defended by reaverbots. Some of these reaverbots dwarf Megaman, but that’s never stopped him before. The boss fights in this game are almost always a joy.

We got big reaverbots!

Fast reaverbots!

And annoying reaverbots with unbreakable shields!

The plot and mystery of the game is marvelous. It’s a great tale about what it means to dig too deep and dealing with the consequences of it. It answers a few questions about this water covered world but asks just as many more, striking a nice balance between mystery and resolution.

The music in this game is really good. It fills me with fear when something intense is happening or perfectly compliments the dank ruins of the underground.

The Kvetch

Some sub-weapon upgrades are just plain too expensive. Most of them are for giving the weapon unlimited ammo but 99990 is just too much zenny to reasonably farm for anything. The best enemies in the game only drop 2000 per so I’d have to destroy 50 of them, going in and out of the room repeatedly. And that’s just for the final stage of the upgrade and not including any of the other stats.

New Game plus allows a player to start the game over but there’s no real benefit to doing so. They can change the difficulty to hard on the second playthrough and then easy on the third, each one increasing money drops. But there’s no carry over between the playthroughs so I don’t really see the point.

Although the plot does answer some questions it answers almost none about who Megaman is. I posits that there’s something unique about Megaman even though this world has other Megamen but doesn’t elaborate on it overmuch. I guess that’s what sequels are for.

The camera is not always your friend in this game. It sometimes does what is pleases and leads to the player getting blindsided by enemies they couldn’t have seen coming.

Locking on in this game is nearly a waste of your time. The player can’t move and lock on at the same time. It suddenly gives a character like Megaman, the original jumper and shooter, the decision to choose one. Shots generally tend toward your opponents even when you’re not locked on but the fight against the agile Fokkerwolf are exasperated because it’s really hard to hit. This problem also gets highlighted when enemies on the ceiling are throwing bombs all over the place. In these situations the camera pans up and makes it impossible to see the explosives below as they bounce around. It’s problematic overall.

The Verdict

Those complaints are little niggles trying to chip away at a rock solid game. Kattleox is fun to explore, the characters are fun to see, and the enemies are fun to fight. Overall I think this game is super good… but… I have to admit that I’m pretty nostalgia blind for it. It was one of my first Playstation games and I played the heck out of it because I might have forced myself to get into it because I didn’t have anything else to play– like a videogame version of Stockholme Syndrome. So maybe make a friend who’s into Megaman already buy it first and try it?

Next Week: Megaman Legends 2– Electric Boogaloo.