Best Roguelike! ! Solid gameplay borrowing from action rpg and strategy games! Thats what Roguelike games are!
Shiren the Wander plays like an action game because its quick and snappy, and yet and its like a strategy game because its turnbased. Battles are tactical in nature where in you make every move in the game, like decided which magic item to use and what direction. Its turn based like chess, you make a move, then the monster make their moves. No time units involved. Its like a dungeon hacking simulator. Movement and positioning is important in the game wherein you will battle lots of monsters in the dungeon. Thge dungeons are randomly generated so you never play the same dungeon layout twice. Every game is refreshing and you will feel the urge to explore the dungeons finding random loot and treasure.
The core of this game is the tactical battle. There are no complex story lines like final fantasy., You play this game because you want to whack monsters! You want treasure! You magical artifacts! its alll about the combat! If you want a story, look elsewhere. If you want ACTION PACKED DANGER, this is the game.
This game doesn't promote grinding to level up. It promotes player skill and tactics and longterm strategy. Its makes you manage the scarce resources that you find in the dungeon. Each item in the game has multiple uses, even the seemingly useless ones have great effects when used in the right situation.
This games promotes using your brain instead of using brute force. I died so many times because of relying too much on my Gold Plated-Dragon Slaying-Cylops killing- Anti-Drain +50 Katana. Even a sword like that is does not guarantee victory in coming out with the Golden Condor.
This is what RPGs are all about. YOU ARE THE WANDERER. You will die many times due to your stupid mistakes. And thats part of the fun. You are actually afraid to die unlike most games out there today. And its PERMA DEATH. Its hardcore mode in Diablo 2. When you die, you lose everything and you start from scratch. But to counter that, in the game, there are warehouses whererin you store your equipment there to save for another day. If you die, you can get the equipment that you stashed in the warehouses before dying.
Even though you lost your best sword, you can easily get started again in getting good equipment. If you are already a well trained wanderer, you can finish the main quest without even using high powered items.
This game has depth wherein there are so many techniques to learn and apply in surviving in the dungeons of Kobami Valley.
I urge everyone who likes strategic tactical dungeon combat to play this game. Its most rewarding and has unlimited replayability. Btw, did I mention you have WI-FI access as well to rescue fallen wanderers around the globe and get their loot? Lost your best sword because you died? Request a rescue online via Nintendo WiFI or via password, and a fellow wanderer will be willing to help out. You can even say you will be giving them a reward for doing so and you can send that item via wifi as well. They too can send you a rescue item to help out if you ran out of food and starved to death.
This game is truly a masterpiece in gameplay design. More power to Chunsoft!
-Ishmoks the Wanderer