Dungeon crawlers are one of the most basic game genres that come to mind when thinking about where games originally started. The people that play them usually either love them or hate them, all for various reasons. This year the Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk developed by Nippon Ichi Software is finally releasing internationally. Japan got their copies in both 2016 and 2017, but now the game will be released in its full glory.
The play style of the game is pretty simple to follow and the plot seems to be short and straightforward. In a mysterious underground area, you and your team of dolls must go explore and collect riches. The more that is collected however, the tougher the dungeon becomes. Facing off with enemies is a must, but you must return with whatever you can carry, for however long you can hold on that is.
In a first person perspective, players move directionaly through the dungeon to explore. Exploring every little item and corner is crucial to finding new exciting things. Enemies will make their appearance and at that time, a turn based fight takes place. Each battle gives rewards to upgrade characters and abilities in order to keep moving forward.
Even though the graphics are kept simple, the exploration feels appropriate. In this type of game, the graphics don’t have to be amazing and photo-realistic in order to move around and be a part of the adventure. Here, it’s easy to get lost in the journey since you want to keep poking around at every little things to see what is hiding and this is the best part.
After exploring, there are times where you can craft and prepare your puppets. The neat part about this is the ability to prepare strategy and direct your puppets for upcoming battles. Battles almost feel card based, but this is just in a visual aspect. Attacks are satisfying and there is fun in being able to keep changing the way you get to play and fight. So far the only downside to this labyrinth is the plot. Somehow the plot seems so broad that it begs for more. Specifically, this issue can present itself as a bit boring. Nonetheless, there is still a lot to get in to.
Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk is a game that can take over quickly. Many times you will feel pulled in to the exploration and the journey. The battles and crafting is just extra. Even with some minor issues such as the overall plot, the game still looks good and is fun.
7/10
Available on: PS4, Switch, PC
