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Fascinating ideas with flaws.
June 25, 2007 | 8:53 PM PSTPick an RPG, any RPG. How do they usually start? A boy with a problem is called upon by a higher power to save the world, a reluctant hero of sorts is born. This universal, generic story is widely accepted as a way of life for RPG gamers. Once and awhile, a game will break that mold and provide a unique and satisfying experience. That kind of game is called Dungeon Maker: Hunting Grounds.
You are a young, unimportant, yet adventurous man looking to make it big in the world. You purchase an abandon cave and you want to construct the best dungeon in the world and attract dangerous creatures. This not only will make you famous, but rich. As you start your new life in a small town, the town’s folk (who all have great personality) will give you quests that you must complete as you build your sprawling maze. The quests are not that diverse and usually have you end up killing a random monster you need to find. The rewards for these quests are rather useful items or building blocks to make your dungeon more complex and interesting.
As you first step foot in your dungeon, you have the option of branching out in any direction. The choice of where you want hallways and dungeon rooms is entirely up to you. This only limits you to your imagination as you meander through twists and turns, finding just the right spot to put that fountain room the merchant gave you. Monster encounters along the way are never the same twice. Some days you might find hundreds of goblins and other days you might run into a handful of bats. As your dungeon gets larger, there will always be an ample supply of monsters to kill and loot for better items. To get better loot, you need to change the theme of rooms and corridors to make the dungeon as dark and dank as possible for vile creatures to call home. There are also treasure rooms that you can install that have chests that provide valuable items for your character.
Character customization is a fleshed out feature in Dungeon Maker. Hats, armor, legs, boots, up to eight rings, and more are all positions you can upgrade on your character. Traditional leveling up is tossed to the side and in its place is a cleaver system of increasing your basic stats. You are only allowed to go in your personal dungeon once per day, so, after you descend into the pit, you can’t go back and forth. At dusk, you can restock and talk with the neighbors to find quests. Right before you sleep for the night and get ready for the next day, you are able to eat one meal. These meals increase your base stats. Different recipes will add to different facets of your character. It sure beats the level grinding in more traditional games.
Despite the lack of multiplayer, there is an enormous replay value to the game. Seeing that you can raze and rebuild a level of the dungeon on your own whim, the game changes constantly and you’ll never tire of running the same level a dozen or more times. Graphics are lacking as well as music but they are by no means terrible and save the game from potential nasty long load times and slowdown.
By virtue, it is easy to fall in love with the idea of a game that breaks the mold of an ancient genre. There are far too many great ideas along the way to mention. Unfortunately, that doesn’t translate into a game that is perfect. At some point, you’ll notice you are running in the same dungeon many times over. The animations for fighting are stiff and the hit detection is off kilter. Money is tight for the first 15 or so explorations in the dungeon and you’ll have to save your money a few days to save for a room vital to your progression. Building a bad design to your dungeon will not improve the seemingly random enemy spawns. In fact, it will make your cave a barren wasteland.
For the first game in what hopes to be a long running series, there is space for improvement. There are a few features, just off the top of my head, I’d like to see implemented in future sequels. Multiplayer, deeper quests other than killing [insert monster name here] and bringing back trinkets to the museum curator are some things that would benefit this series greatly. If you are looking for a fresh and original title this summer, Dungeon Maker: Hunting Grounds fits that bill. Even if flawed, there are some fascinating ideas that are definitely worth a look. The greatest risk Dungeon Maker runs is being too niche but hopefully there are some adventurous gamers out there.
You are a young, unimportant, yet adventurous man looking to make it big in the world. You purchase an abandon cave and you want to construct the best dungeon in the world and attract dangerous creatures. This not only will make you famous, but rich. As you start your new life in a small town, the town’s folk (who all have great personality) will give you quests that you must complete as you build your sprawling maze. The quests are not that diverse and usually have you end up killing a random monster you need to find. The rewards for these quests are rather useful items or building blocks to make your dungeon more complex and interesting.
As you first step foot in your dungeon, you have the option of branching out in any direction. The choice of where you want hallways and dungeon rooms is entirely up to you. This only limits you to your imagination as you meander through twists and turns, finding just the right spot to put that fountain room the merchant gave you. Monster encounters along the way are never the same twice. Some days you might find hundreds of goblins and other days you might run into a handful of bats. As your dungeon gets larger, there will always be an ample supply of monsters to kill and loot for better items. To get better loot, you need to change the theme of rooms and corridors to make the dungeon as dark and dank as possible for vile creatures to call home. There are also treasure rooms that you can install that have chests that provide valuable items for your character.
Character customization is a fleshed out feature in Dungeon Maker. Hats, armor, legs, boots, up to eight rings, and more are all positions you can upgrade on your character. Traditional leveling up is tossed to the side and in its place is a cleaver system of increasing your basic stats. You are only allowed to go in your personal dungeon once per day, so, after you descend into the pit, you can’t go back and forth. At dusk, you can restock and talk with the neighbors to find quests. Right before you sleep for the night and get ready for the next day, you are able to eat one meal. These meals increase your base stats. Different recipes will add to different facets of your character. It sure beats the level grinding in more traditional games.
Despite the lack of multiplayer, there is an enormous replay value to the game. Seeing that you can raze and rebuild a level of the dungeon on your own whim, the game changes constantly and you’ll never tire of running the same level a dozen or more times. Graphics are lacking as well as music but they are by no means terrible and save the game from potential nasty long load times and slowdown.
By virtue, it is easy to fall in love with the idea of a game that breaks the mold of an ancient genre. There are far too many great ideas along the way to mention. Unfortunately, that doesn’t translate into a game that is perfect. At some point, you’ll notice you are running in the same dungeon many times over. The animations for fighting are stiff and the hit detection is off kilter. Money is tight for the first 15 or so explorations in the dungeon and you’ll have to save your money a few days to save for a room vital to your progression. Building a bad design to your dungeon will not improve the seemingly random enemy spawns. In fact, it will make your cave a barren wasteland.
For the first game in what hopes to be a long running series, there is space for improvement. There are a few features, just off the top of my head, I’d like to see implemented in future sequels. Multiplayer, deeper quests other than killing [insert monster name here] and bringing back trinkets to the museum curator are some things that would benefit this series greatly. If you are looking for a fresh and original title this summer, Dungeon Maker: Hunting Grounds fits that bill. Even if flawed, there are some fascinating ideas that are definitely worth a look. The greatest risk Dungeon Maker runs is being too niche but hopefully there are some adventurous gamers out there.
February 8, 2010
