Dule is the A Golden Week of RPG Maker 2003 event inspired straight RPG story centering around a contract taken up by two travelling guides, who must help a mysterious sorceress reach a secluded tower for an unknown purpose. Having left her only child behind, the sorceress seems ready to die for her mission and winds up entangling the two guides in the future of the world - to help save it from a disaster which hasn't even happened yet. Pizza (Minutes to Midnight, Peeking at Stars, Carpan), used to making short atmospheric games far less than half an hour in length, plays against type to develop a straightforward cliche-driven RPG, differeng from the short parable genre he had been typecast for.

In the video Aesthetics of Play, Extra Credits touched on the idea of abnegation as a reason for Japanese RPGs having thrived over the years. Abnegation here is defined as the act or an instance of abnegating, or denying oneself some rights, conveniences. Described in the video as checking out, with a picture of a lazy cat, implies an apparently vegetative gamer-state. By this example, the RPG (or any subgenre) becomes a passive gaming experience, one that requires a minimum level of attention in order to "complete a quest or two" or to "grind a couple levels".

Of course, this is a debatable statement, but I believe this is where Dule shines. Dule is friendly and frothy, whilst remaining subtle. It recalls the zen feeling of an exploration game such as Fez. For those who dislike Fez with a passion, I doubt you will like this game. The game utilizes Scenery Porn, with an emphasis on luscious backgrounds with great detail. The RTP mapping in this game is well-composed and immersive. What Dule does better than other games is that it contains a calming sense of structure, and is graceful to your shortcomings.

I found Dule calming. Some maps may be seen as filler. But if the filler is gorgeous, then it makes it less annoying. I didn't find this game that annoying at all, compared to other games. I was just blissfully exploring through, spamming space bar and enjoying my surroundings. Before I knew it, I finished the game. Some may consider this a non-experience. But I don't think it was time wasted. I enjoyed not having to think about a thing. I enjoyed breezing through battles like they were nothing. I enjoyed buying the best equipment, and I enjoyed just breezing through and enjoying a very light story that was complete from start to finish.

Some weren't fans of the abrupt ending. I wasn't too fussed. Some did not like that there was no menacing antagonist in the game. I didn't think it mattered so much, in fact, perhaps I would have preferred it if there were no enemies at all. Nevertheless, somehow the battles made the experience more calming than before.

There are some negative points to the game. The gameplay is not complex at all, and thus it may not necessarily engage gamers looking for a challenge. Equipment seems useless. The antagonist is not an established character in the game; he/she is merely a side note. These are the factors that did not raise Dule to excellency status, but it does not deserve ridicule either.

Not all games have to observe rules. Dule is not the greatest game to have hit shelves. But it is neither frustrating nor incompetent. If you just watch the scenery and fight the battles, you might feel a sense of peace overwhelm you. It feels like an airtight product with a beginning and an end, and a set number of nodes between. It's like the Grandma's soup of games.