Hello, and welcome to our first installment of WASD Reviews. Today I have a very special game that I would like to share with all of you: Crypt of the NecroDancer by Brace Yourself Games (http://necrodancer.com/). Their studio name is quite appropriate, because this game is UNFORGIVING. There were many times playing it where I would constantly yell obscenities that would shock even the hardiest of men and women. So much so in fact, that I forgo attempting to stream myself alongside playing the game, because I didn't want to offend anyone watching. Especially those damn dragons...
But I get ahead of myself.
Let's take a step back and look at Crypts at a top level.
Crypts is a top-down 2D dungeon crawl...rhythm game. You hear that correct. It shares an odd relative with PaRappa and Theatrhythm. When I heard about this game, my first response was one of perplexity. I had played Rhythm melded games before, but nothing like this. The release trailer for this game looked completely absurd. It was a basic dungeon crawl game that appeared to take place in a 1970s discotheque. Honestly, the only reason I bought this game was because it was on sale for 10$ on Steam, I was bored, and I wanted to tear a hole in this game via review.
Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah Stayin' Alive, Stayin' Alive. |
Your ultimate goal in this game is to traverse the many ever-changing dungeons as the young adventurer Cadence; chasing after your missing father. After being fatally wounded entering the crypt that your father previously disappeared into, a nefarious NecroDancer steals your heart, and curses you to live (and die) to the rhythm of the music.
Yeah, it sounds like a shoddy remake of Footloose, but honestly, the story is merely a backdrop for the amazing game play and style of Crypts of the NecroDancer.
There are four "Zones" which each contain multiple dynamically created floors (no run is the same as the last). On the fourth floor of each Zone, lays a mini-boss, themed after a type of music (ala Deep Blues, King Conga, Death Metal).
There is a constant music beat along with the action of the game, and moving off beat has a negative effect on score, gold (in game currency used for shops, upgrades) and battle scenarios. Stepping in-beat however, produces positive results - Multipliers for gold, damage, and other positive effects.
Each of the monsters within Crypts move along with the beat as well, and each monster type adheres to a specific AI, allowing you to learn patterns for enemies and how to defeat them. However, as you dig deeper into the crypts the AI becomes more complex, and enemies get significantly stronger. Some enemy AI even adapt to the weaknesses of their previous form. A green dragon has a basic follow and long distance claw attack AI, prompting you to run away and hit from a distance, However a red dragon has a fire breath attack that attacks you from a range, and a blue dragon, well... let's just say it doesn't get any easier.