Crypt of the NecroDancer
Windows, OS X, Linux, PS4, PS Vita
Developer: Brace Yourself Games
Background
When I found this game on Steam I was instantly captivated by its very different and unique style of gameplay. Crypt of the NecroDancer, developed by Brace Yourself Games and released on all computer platforms April 23, 2015, and to PS4 and PS Vita on February 2, 2016. This game is a dungeon-crawler with rogue-like elements that add to the difficulty of the game, such as permadeath which means that when you die you die permanently and must start over. Follow Cadence, or one of the many unlockable characters as you dance your way through caverns and forests while defeating a diverse gallery of monsters, rescuing shopkeepers and even hanging out with the Opera singing shopkeeper. This game has tons of energy and is quite the gem.
Gameplay
The game uses the sound of music and fast-paced gameplay to create a very unique and challenging game. Unlike most other dungeon crawlers where you have time to plan out where you want to go and how to attack and enemy, NecroDancer says screw that, were playing with sound! Every monster has their own unique movement pattern and you must be able to figure that out and move in to strike them down all within a few beats. Not moving or missing a beat can result in you being hit or losing your gold streak which is crucial to buying better items. You must make your way through the floors of each zone and do battle with a boss. Defeat the boss move onto the next zone. should they player die in a zone they will lose their progress and must start over.
Replayability
I have said it before and I will say it again, I believe a game’s best friend is replayability. The feeling of wanting to replay something even after you have just beaten it. It is what makes a game live on even after the game is over. This games replayability comes from the permadeath, forcing you to keep replaying to get the most out of it. It also is from collecting diamonds which can be used to purchase better items from the shopkeepers you have rescued. Better items make it easier to win. It also is just fun to replay the zones and see what cool items you can pick up and utilize to defeat the hordes. different types of weapons do different things and attack in different ways. I have found it fun just to try out the new weapons and just go kill enemies. There are such weapons as the Whip where it will attack a distant enemy or even the Broadsword where it will attack all enemies in a row. Different weapons, different outcomes.
Music
When it comes to indie games, music is a usually payed a lot of attention. Many indie gams use it to set the mood or to help emphasize a particular part in the narrative. For this game however it is used for so much more. the sweet techno beats and energizing rhythms really make it enjoyable to play and keep on playing. Each world has its own theme and feeling and none of them feel to similar to where it feels monotonous and boring. It has the cavern with a techno beat bumping and keeping you bobbing with the music for both enjoyment and for keeping with the rhythm. I have recently found out that one man is behind the music to some of my favorite indie games; Danny Baranowsky is the brain behind the music for such popular games as Super Meat Boy, The Binding of Isaac and of course NecroDancer. He is an incredible talent and deserves to be in the spotlight.
Verdict: 7/10
Here we have another game that shows off that a game doesn’t require amazing HD graphics with 3D models for it to be a quality game. This game has a lot of content and you can definitely give it a lot of time and it will give you back a fun time. As I said before there isn’t really any character development other than Cadence saying why she is in the crypt and there is very little reason to even pay attention to the story. This is a game that if you don’t really analyze what your about to do you will die over and over again; it requires very quick attention to detail which for some is a struggle. We have another time-eater with this game and needs to be said that the time you put in definitely what you get out. If you don’t put in time to play then you obviously wont unlock new weapons or shopkeepers. Also I am always down for a game with a cool female protagonist, and while there is little to no character development Cadence is still a cool character and I am a very huge fan of the wordplay on certain characters names. If your down for a very different type of game then check out Crypt of the NecroDancer.
