Dungeons

 

 

Developer:  Realmforge Studios

Publisher:  Kalypso Media

Release Date:  February 8th, 2011

Platform(s):  Windows PC

Genre:  Strategy/Simulation

 

 

Heroes come in many shapes and sizes. Whether they are treasure hunters, knowledge-seekers, or ones driven by glory and legacy, they share a common denominator: They will inevitably infiltrate an evildoer's dungeon in search of what they seek. But there is a point of view that we are not often privy to. What is going on in the minds of the dungeon masters? How do they construct such elaborate worlds with the object of capturing said heroes? To answer these questions, Kalypso Media was kind enough to provide NoobFeed with a preview build of Dungeons, their upcoming strategy game that makes you, the player, the dungeon master himself.

 

PC gaming aficionados should recall Bullfrog's 1997 title Dungeon Keeper, but Dungeons places an interesting twist on the concept. The two games share major points such as placing the player in the role of the evil dungeon master in defense of the dungeon, but the focus differs. Wheres, in Dungeon Keeper, the player's primary concerns were the needs of the monsters within the dungeon, Dungeons demands that the needs of the heroes themselves be met. Indeed, treasure must be present to attract the attention of treasure-hunters. Libraries are necessary to usher in heroes seeking knowledge. These things make heroes happy. And what do happy heroes have? Soul energy.

 

 

Now then, what do we do with happy heroes filled to the brim with soul energy? As Dungeons shows us, we attack them with monsters, capture them, place them in torture chambers, and ultimately kill them, harvesting the soul energy and using it to further expand and enhance the dungeon that attracted them in the first place. The more soul energy the better, so teasing heroes is the name of the game. You want to send monsters after them but, at least at first, you want the hero to win, satisfying that inherent hero need of conquering evil, thereby making him happier. But you do not want him to win for too long, because if he starts plowing through monsters and reaches the heart of your dungeon, he can take it over, and that is curtains for you, dungeon master.

 

The game's viewpoint comes in the form of an isometric camera that can be rotated and moved about the dungeon in an almost Sims-like fashion. Still, you do control one specific character who you command to roam about the dungeon to explore it and build upon it. Your cronies come in the forms of goblins and imps who you command to dig out tunnels and chambers and make them available for you to customize. Once ready, you designate the style of individual rooms by placing an object within them. For instance, if you place treasure, it will be designated as the treasure room, and only treasure room elements can be added from there on. Ultimately, it is all about striking a balance between attracting heroes and hurting them, and the balance is obtained through building treasure rooms and libraries alongside monster lairs, torture rooms, and traps.

 

 

But while you are busy making heroes happy and planning to capture and torture them, you want to make sure that they do not escape. Once the heroes are sufficiently scared, they will grab what they came for and make for the exit. This adds another interesting dynamic to the game as while you want to bring heroes in and keep them from claiming your dungeon, you still want the heroes to come in and stay in, not allowing them to escape with your gold.

 

The game has two modes of play. One is the campaign mode, which is a story-driven mode that kicks off with the revelation that your dungeon master's girlfriend Calypso has betrayed you and is planning on taking your position as the dungeon master herself. This will take you through several scenarios in the game as you try to prevent heroes from capturing your dungeon while instead capturing them and harvesting their soul energy. The other game mode is an open mode that serves as more of a sandbox. Instead of taking on specific scenarios, this mode leaves you free to start a dungeon and build upon it simply for the simulation side of things.

 

 

The preview build of Dungeons that we played is not quite complete and we are told to expect more character classes and deeper descriptions in the final version along with voice acting. Regardless, what we did see of this game serves as an entertaining tribute to and modernization of the mini-genre started with 1997's Dungeon Keeper. It does not appear that it will require a powerhouse PC to play, either, as this title opts for gameplay over system-crippling visual effects. Dungeons is a refreshing alternative to the more commonly-themed titles in the genre while remaining light-hearted, not taking itself too seriously. It is worth a look for strategy and sim enthusiasts who like to see things from a different perspective. Look for it on store shelves and also for digital distribution on February 8th, 2011.

 

Matt Buckley, NoobFeed