Cladun: This is an RPG!
Score: 88% ESRB: Everyone 10+ Publisher: NIS America Developer: Nippon Ichi Software Media: Download/1 Players: 1; 2 -4 (Ad Hoc) Genre: Action/ RPG
Graphics & Sound: Cladun: This is an RPG! is the latest entry in the growing line-up of retro-homage parody games. Like 3D Dot Game Heroes or Retro Game Challenge, Cladun takes genre conventions (in this case, RPGs) and treats then with equal parts homage and outright parody. Cladun manages to look great and not so great at the same time. Following other retro-styled games, Cladun uses throwback, sprite-based visuals similar to what you'd expect to see in 16-bit era games. Characters are simple, but feature attention-grabbing design aspects. Environments look good and keep with the look, though I thought they were a little busy. Areas are bursting with details - grass, flora, and debris - which add to the appearance but are a little distracting. There's also an in-game character editor. You have complete freedom to make your main character (up to 64 characters, actually) look however you want. The editor is easy to use and flexible. Music keeps pace with the visual aesthetic, but with a modern surprise. A chiptune version of the soundtrack is available, as is an "instrumental" version. You can switch between the two at any time, which is a nice touch.
Gameplay: Cladun: This is an RPG! plays like a hybrid of Dragon Warrior and a rogue-like. Gameplay revolves around exploring dungeons and hitting enemies with whatever weapons you have on hand at the moment. There's a story behind why you're traveling through the dungeon, though it doesn't get much deeper than two kids, Souma and Pudding, falling into the mythical world Arcanus Cella. Pudding is convinced the world contains vast treasures, while Souma just wants to keep Pudding out of trouble. Somewhere along the line there's something about a witch, Despina, and a sentient luchador mask, but story is just around to introduce new characters for the Magic Circle mechanic. There's also a town, though visiting the town is optional. You'll miss out on dialogue options, but every shop is accessible via the in-game menu. Cladun knows where its strengths are and doesn't feel the need to add anything that would detract from it. What are these strengths, you might ask? Cladun is a hack n' slash dungeon crawler. Each dungeon is filled with traps and monsters. The goal is to get to the exit, though most of the time you'll have to figure out exactly how to unlock the door to the next floor... and the answer isn't always obvious. Cladun also features a 100-floor, randomly-generated dungeon. Each floor features one of four gates you need to activate before proceeding to the next level. What's neat about the gates is they affect what happens on the next floor. One may increase the item drop rate; another might change enemy difficulty. It's a neat system and adds a lot to a game that will likely hook you in for hours.
Difficulty: Though dungeon designs are sometimes a bit obtuse, they're well designed. A good judge of a game's difficulty isn't how many times you die, but how many times you die and say, "Oh! I could have done this differently." If your first reaction is "Stupid Game!" the game isn't hard - it's cheap. Every dungeon is filled with traps and other challenges (invisible walls, fire pits...). You can run if you want, though haplessly charging through dungeons is a sure-fire way to die. Death comes with the not-so-happy penalty of losing all of your gear, experience and gold. Instead, successful exploration is about recognizing traps, figuring out cryptic clues from the corpses of past explorers and getting the most from "Heal Traps," the only way to regain life in a dungeon. Careful exploration is important, but not always possible. Each dungeon has a goal time in addition to any other goals. Hitting the goal time earns Fame, which goes towards special equipment in the shop.
Game Mechanics: Dungeon crawling is one thing, but combat is the thing you'll likely obsess over for a long, long time. As with most RPGs, Cladun: This is an RPG! offers several character classes to choose from. The catch is you can only take one character into the dungeon with you; but that doesn't mean the rest have to miss out on all the fun. Cladun's main mechanic is the Magic Circle. After choosing your main character, you can assign the rest of your party to support classes in your main's Magic Circle. Support classes are invisible while in the dungeon, though you can still use their abilities in combat. Some enemies have affinities and weaknesses to certain attacks, so you'll need to surround yourself with the right people. Additionally, they'll still gain experience and take damage in place of your main character. In a sense, support characters are "meat shields" for your main character, so their level is probably more important than your main character. However, they offer other benefits based on where they are placed on the circle. Some spots offer HP bonuses, but afflict some other status downgrade. It's a lot to take in, and I'm still not completely sure of how all the bits and pieces shake out, but the system is compelling enough that I wanted to keep tinkering with everything just to get the best outcome. Cladun: This is an RPG! is an odd bird. Though set up as a parody, it's a surprisingly deep and complex game - probably one of the deepest I've played in the last few months (at least on the PSP). At $20, it's an absolute steal, particularly for the amount of gameplay you'll manage to squeeze out of it.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Related Links: PlayStation Illustrated's Review of 3D Dot Game Heroes on PS3 Game Vortex's Review of Retro Game Challenge on DS
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