A brand new Shiren for a brand new era.
Roguelikes are a dime a dozen in video video games today, however that wasn’t at all times the case. A handful of video games drove the recognition of the fashion greater than a decade in the past, however I bear in mind my first wondrous expertise was with Spelunky when it got here to Xbox 360 in 2012. I used to be shocked to see that Shiren the Wanderer – Japan’s preeminent ‘90s Rogue-inspired sequence – hadn’t had a brand new entry designed for the reason that modern-day roguelike explosion, as Shiren 5 (subtitled within the West as The Tower of Fortune and the Cube of Destiny) got here out initially in 2010, although with an upgraded Swap launch in 2020. That recreation is nice, however the sixth and newest entry within the almost 30-year-old sequence, dubbed Shiren the Wanderer: The Thriller Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island, is an excellent greater step ahead, enhancing on some novel on-line options and increasing the enjoyable and complexity of the superior and oft punishing franchise.
The visuals are essentially the most obvious change in Shiren 6, because the franchise sheds its pixel artwork roots for 3D visuals. I used to be hesitant at first, however the implementation of the brand new artwork fashion suits the sequence splendidly. Characters and enemies are expressive and the sport general seems sharp on the Nintendo Swap. I wouldn’t name the 3D visuals head and shoulders higher than 2D pixel artwork, but it surely in the end feels nearer to 6 of 1, half-dozen of one other when it comes all the way down to it.
The gameplay is refined however typically unchanged from the Thriller Dungeon fashion. By means of a novel narrative conceit the place the titular wanderer is destroyed by the eventual last boss and awakens again within the beginning city with no reminiscence, Shiren units off to unravel the thriller dungeon of Serpentcoil Island. Flooring of the randomly generated dungeon are all grid-based and every transfer or motion you make is a flip. Once you take a flip, different enemies and NPCs throughout the ground additionally take an motion. The emphasis is on considerate technique, making use of the objects and scrolls you discover to navigate traps and defeat more and more troublesome hordes of enemies. Once you lose all of your hit factors, you begin again on the first ground with none of your objects or gear.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply there isn’t development. You possibly can uncover alternate paths and discover completely different aspect quests as you possible fail quite a few runs. The development isn’t present in level-ups or gear, however in data. You’ll study the weaknesses of various enemies and the effectiveness of various objects. You’ll study when to get the hell out of a dungeon and when you may dangle again and choose off foes. Whereas I typically wished there was a neater issue setting, I had a blast attempting to utilize my stock to remain alive within the lethal thriller dungeon.
Once you do inevitably die, you may make use of the rescue system. Initially launched again in Shiren the Wanderer on Wii, the rescue system is an ingenious on-line part the place, whenever you fail, you may request a rescue from a web-based participant. Once you try rescues on-line, you additionally earn Assist Factors, which can be utilized to make your future rescues simpler, letting you begin at the next degree or with extra well being. Even for those who’re offline, you may rescue your self (although you don’t get Assist Factors that means). In the course of the evaluate interval, I primarily rescued myself, which was a enjoyable and distinctive problem in and of itself. Whilst you can solely be rescued thrice over the course of a run, it’s a pleasant choice to have for whenever you get pantsed deep into the dungeon.
Rescue isn’t the one neat on-line characteristic. You can even let different gamers strive your present run whereas utilizing Parallel Play, which creates a save level mid-dungeon you can share with others to see who can do one of the best. That, mixed with a number of the stream-friendly UI choices, makes Shiren extra a web-based expertise than I ever would have anticipated after I was getting my ass kicked by punishing dungeons again within the 2000s.
Even for those who’re not dabbling within the worldwide thriller dungeon internet, Shiren 6 remains to be a beefy recreation that holds a wealth of secrets and techniques. The primary dungeon is just 30 flooring, however by progressing via the sport, you may unlock numerous shortcuts and aspect dungeons that often include a better problem and an excellent better reward. This can be a taste of recreation which may not be for everybody, however for those who’re in search of a considerate, difficult recreation that continually evolves and builds, Shiren’s journey to the mysterious Serpentcoil Island could be good for you.