• Add Review
  • Subscribe
  • Nominate
  • Submit Media
  • RSS

To enjoy this game is an acquired taste.

  • YDS
  • 07/10/2010 12:01 AM
  • 1970 views

Dungeoneer: The Beautiful Escape

"VERDICT: Acquired Taste . Not everyone a game for everyone to enjoy, but it
tries to be different and avant garde. If you are looking for something that is
not the run of the mill Dragon Quest clone, you might enjoy this game. However, the
violence and themes deters a lot of players. It's slow pace and gameplay flaws might
also bother others. If you dislike gore and violent themes, stay away from it altogether."


This game is for you if like ... dark games, avant garde, violence
This game is not for you if like ... action-packed, quick pace

My Review Policies

.I just review these games for two reasons: (1) to give gamers a good sense of what
the game is, and if it is their type of game or not and (2) to help the developers make better games in
the future. I've seen a lot of people get a lot of crap in the past for making critical reviews and people
accusing others of "being jealous." I really hope that no one does the same to me. Anything I write here is
no personal and is not meant to offend others. I am just a hobbyist.
.Criteria I try to be a bit understanding and sympathetic to the developer and
understand the limitations of a homebrewing hobbyist (who is more likely a jobless youth) so I am not too
picky about having custom content.) Though as a player, I have expectations too. I grade games on a F - A scale.
The stars, in my opinion, are multipled by x2. So

..........

1-2 = F
3 = D
3.5 = C
4 = B
4.5 - 5 = A


CONTEXT
.Dungeoneer was a game created in two weeks, I believe, for a contest held on RPGmaker.net
called "Game Gale." Considering the amount of time given to create a game, it's not a
surprise that it is a simple and short game. With considering to the time span of this game's
development, leverage will be given.
. Though this game is interesting and avant garde, the theme and contents are disturbing and
definitely not everyone's cup of tea ... there are many fundamental flaws in the gameplay.

GAMEPLAY
.A fucked up"dating" simulator. :) The game consists of wooing people
off of the streets in a date-simulator style where you converse with your victims and
attempt to bring them back to your home in order to torture them. I was really annoyed
at the fact that if I lost the Dungeoneering phase of the game, I would have to go
and talk to them again a second time. It just took up a lot of uneeded time.
.Interface. I honestly think that the walking speed - at least while setting
up the dungeon, needs to be a lot faster. I've seen worse as far as walking speeds go, though
it is still annoying in this game. I can understand that you want some sort of creepy and slow
atmospheric effect on the maps, so at least you could have made the walking speeds during the
dungeon set-up a lot faster. Also, I had no idea what I was doing, to be honest. I didn't under-
stand what was the criteria of the videos. To set up as many traps and whatnot? I think this
problem could have been solved at the beginning of the game with the bald bastard if you
threw in a line or two about it. I kept on getting 2 - 3 stars. I wasn't really sure what I was
doing wrong. I knew the guy said not to kill them too fast, and I did just that, but I still
didn't get anywhere with the ratings. Even though I sucked up to the guy as much as possible,
or made sure that the victim did not die or give up just before leaving. So ... I don't know.
I think you could have given the players a better sense of direction.
.Suggestions. I later read after writing this initial review that the author intended of having gamers experiment in order to get good reviews. If the is the case ... then I think speed is definitely necessary. Also, he had more time or a chance to go back and fix things up. Perhaps you can make a "simulator" gimmick on the computer to experiment with different machineries to get different results.


two and a half yummy drumsticks - Slow

PRESENTATION
.Very Fitting. I really liked atmosphere in this game. I am pretty picky
with lighting effects and I think Calunio did a really good job here. One thing that kind of bothered me
was that I thought the sprites looked a bit cute ... not really something you'd expect for a "horror" game.
Though I understand that there was not enough time to ask someone else to make the sprites and I appreciate
the effort of doing something original instead of using RTP sprites.
.Very Fitting. I don't appreciate the title screen. I guess it was trying to be edgy?
Controversial? I guess some people can argue that the entire inspiration of this game is to be constroversial,
but nonetheless, using pictures of Abu Ghraib is just distasteful.


four and a half yummy drumsticks - I personally think that the game is very nice.


SOUNDS
.Nothing special. Though I think the mood in the song selection in this game was
good ... the fact that there were lyrics made it feel kind of cheesy and strange at the same time. Especially
when it loops. The sound effects were okay. Overall it was standard and nothing special - though I think
that Calunio should have picked tracks that didn't have words.


three yummy drumsticks - It was okay, but the lyrics is just awkward.

WRITING
. Some people did not really like the writing in this game, though I suppose
if you don't like the premise of the game (which is a lonely loser who is bitter of a crush he has goes out
and senseless kills) you just won't like anything here. Period. I felt a bit mixed - I understand the intention
of the game wasn't to really make an amiable protagonist to begin with, though the problem is there weren't
many other mechanisms in the game that would want me to continue playing it - in fact, the only reason why
I would see someone wanting to continue this is either for the sake of conpletion or for the torture. Despite
of my criticisms, I do like the basic direction and gist of the story itself (the twists, etc. )
... I just didn't really like the characters much at all. I felt that they were a bit tasteless. I believe
there was another review written by StrangeLuv which compared Dungeoneer to American Psycho, a novel about
a mad businessman. I think this game could have learned a thing or two from it in terms of characterization.

three yummy drumsticks - I think the premise (not the theme) of the story is very interesting ...


CONCLUSIONS
.This is definitely a love-or-hate game, as stated above. So is it worth your time?
I think so if you want to try something different.


My Notes During the Game

- @Daily: How is it that someone who makes torture videos can be likeable? O_o
- I think the atmosphere and the street is very nice and soothing. GG.
- I died sooo many times because I got the wrong equipment ... I didn't even save beforehand.
- ARGGHHH.
- RAWWWRG.
- Wow. That was a interesting plot-twist. The loverboy is fucked up.
- Wtf? Now it is loverboy you get to torture? I guess he had it coming.
- There wasn't much to really note in this game considering how short it was

Posts

Pages: 1
Good review. I liked the songs in the game, though. I thought it was a nice touch. Completely agree with the Abu Ghraib thing.
thanks for the awesome review yds <3<3<3<3<3

About the title screen... it was just my way of stating that there's no tasteful way to seriously address torture.
YDS
member of the bull moose party
2516
Ah. Hm. Okay. I thought it was just trying to be edgy or something.
Pages: 1