Indie Games Summer Uprising III Review: Diehard Dungeon
Words by: Jamie Tarren | Posted: 7 months ago | Filed under: Indie Spotlight.
We’ve seen many promotions pass by for Xbox Live Arcade such as the Summer of Arcade and Arcade Next, which always insures to provide a variety of high-selling titles, well now we’ve got something different for you, introducing the Indie Games Summer Uprising III. This is a promotion to get Indie Games on the map, so to speak. The games are handpicked, so expect only the best and the first one we’ve reviewed is Diehard Dungeon.
It’s been far too long since I last played an Indie Game and I can thankfully say I’ve missed playing them. A lot of the “mainstream” arcade games tend to lose their originality when it comes down to the gameplay, while this title keeps its originality throughout. The graphics are one of the main reasons why this game will prove popular amongst other dungeon crawlers. It plays like an updated classic, so if that’s your thing, you’ll love this hugely.
Diehard Dungeon doesn’t skimp on the pixelated blood.
Diehard Dungeon is a classical dungeon crawler from Tricktale, which places you right in the middle of a creature-infested dungeon system. Every room is different because it’s randomly generated, so there’s always a good mix of enemies to fight and you never know what to expect in the next section of the level. Some areas may be easier during one playthrough, whilst another playthrough might have you fighting tougher enemies, so it’s always best to have a couple of attempts before giving up.
What makes this title stand out from the rest is its charm. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing pixelated blood pour from your foes. There’s even a loot chest, which follows you everywhere and picks up all the coins and items dropped around you. It makes it easier to battle your way through each dungeon, without having to worry about running around and finding every last bit of loot on the map.
If you want to take things to another level, there’s also new weapons such as throwing knives, which makes clearing out a dungeon simpler when you have a ranged attack. It can however prove to be annoying at times, as you have to play a mini-game in a similar style to Pac-Man – extinguishing flames as a chest, whilst an enemy chest chases after you. If the time expires or the enemy chest catches you, you miss out on the loot. It seems harsh and will punish players a lot if they don’t manage to get any new items from this.
You’ll also encounter some tough boss fights, such as this burly chap!
Sadly, there are a few sound and graphical issues such as the music not looping correctly and a drop in frame rate – but we can expect these issues from most arcade games, including those that make it to Xbox Live Arcade, however the gameplay is mostly bug free, so that’s always a positive from any developer’s point of view (Ed Note: The developer says there is a patch on the way so hopefully these problems will be sorted soon)
Diehard Dungeon is a charming title, which will appeal to most fans of dungeon crawlers. Only a few bugs occupy the negatives of the game, but overall it was an enjoyable game and I’d recommend everybody gives it a go at such a cheap price.
You can currently download Diehard Dungeon for 80 Microsoft Points here.
Score: 3/5
About Jamie Tarren
Jamie is the Assistant Editor for Xboxer360. He shares a passion for gaming and will happily play most genres. He also likes to wear sunglasses, both inside and outside to look cool.
