9th Dawn Remake Review (Steam)

9th Dawn Remake Review, Rediscover the magic of the 9th Dawn series with this complete re-imagining of the original game. Venture into a massive 2.5D open world. Explore 45 new dungeons in single-player or online/local co-op, craft weapons, raise pets, play a deck-building card game, and take down the Castle of Maltyr!

9th Dawn Remake Review Pros:

  • Decent graphics.
  • 1.08GB download size.
  • Steam achievements.
  • Full controller support.
  • Four save slots.
  • Graphics settings – resolution, v-sync, fullscreen, GUI scale slider, graphics preset, and pet HP bars in UI.
  • Controller settings – Invert axis and sensitivity sliders, can remap buttons for each individual player.
  • Local two-player support.
  • A field of view slider.
  • Character creator – hair type, hair color, and skin Color.
  • Three difficulties – Easy, normal, and hard.
  • Game setup – enemy density can be set to classic (low) or modern (high) along with treasure type set to default, randomized, and set from seed.
  • Online Co-op support and you can host or join.
  • Adventure gameplay.
  • Tutorial signs are scattered around the world.
  • Loot chest contents can be looted individually or all at once.
  • Twin stock controls for fighting.
  • You have a huge selection of gear slots – four rings, head, arms, necklace, boots, body, bow, arrows, two relics, and two weapon slots.
  • Many Breakable objects in the world that can drop items.
  • Find map fragments to fill in the map and mini-map.
  • Bloodspawn is a place you activate and it becomes your respawn point. You can’t miss them, lot of red.
  • Fog of war is in play meaning parts of the level and map don’t show until you move and explore it.
  • Very easy to get into the game thanks to simple controls.
  • In-game character interaction, you can click through them to speed it up.
  • A fascinating world to explore.
  • Each area on the map has a completion score.
  • Fast travel points can be found and used.
  • You do have missions both main story and side but you can just go off and do what you want.
  • Command-line prompt setting.
  • Force the death button.
  • Day/night cycle and weather effects.
  • Rolling info bar of what’s killed or picked up.
  • Shortcut items use the system of holding a button and then pressing the shortcut button assigned.
  • Clear bars showing exp, health, etc.
  • Save when you want.
  • Skills will go up as you use those weapons in battle.
  • Dungeon entrances are everywhere.
  • Earn EXP and level up to get attribute points to distribute.
  • Crafting-find recipes and make weapons/armor/items.
  • Main quests and optional side quests.
  • A lot of loot.
  • Fishing Survivors mini-game – unlock new water types (quiet, etc) and you have a seperate progress bar for this mode. Four playable classes and it plays like Vampire Survivors. That is it’s an auto-attacking survival game where you move around killing enemies and collecting orbs to level up and get loot.
  • full of atmosphere.
  • Collect eggs and hatch then get a pet who follows you around.
  • Big boss encounters.
  • The game has its own card game battler in the towns. You can collect cards in the world to use in it.
  • Buy and sell weapons and gear with vendors in towns.
  • It’s possible to wear sets of clothing by getting all the pieces.
  • Craft weapons and potions that can heal or give you buffs.
  • It’s possible to have an army of pets following you around attacking enemies for you.
  • The game world is either a third-person 2.5D game World or a full first-person 3D game World.
  • Ability orbs can be collected and spent on upgrading stats, you can respect them whenever you want.

9th Dawn Remake Review Cons:

  • You do need a keyboard for name entry.
  • Even in a single-player game, you cannot pause the game.
  • Enemies respawn quickly.
  • Can feel lost a lot of the time.
  • Shortcut buttons are not always ideal as you need to press a button beforehand to activate them as it were.
  • Way too much food loot meaning loads of small HP recovery food.
  • Constant difficulty spikes.
  • Inventory management is clunky.
  • You cannot zoom in on the map.
  • Not the greatest signposting for finding objectives.
  • Dungeons all feel the same.
  • The first person takes some getting used to.
  • I found the controller to not always be great with the combat. Not very precise or consistent.

Related Post: The Legend Of Zelda Echoes Of Wisdom Review

9th Dawn Remake:

Official website.

Developer: Valorware

Publisher: Valorware

Store Links –

Steam

  • 7/10
    Graphics - 7/10
  • 7/10
    Sound - 7/10
  • 8/10
    Accessibility - 8/10
  • 8/10
    Length - 8/10
  • 8/10
    Fun Factor - 8/10
7.6/10

Summary

The 9th Dawn Remake offers a visually appealing experience with decent graphics and a manageable download size of 1.08GB. It supports Steam achievements and full controller functionality, enhancing the overall gaming experience. Players can enjoy the game with four save slots and a variety of graphics settings, including resolution, v-sync, fullscreen, GUI scale slider, graphics preset, and pet HP bars in the UI. The controller settings are customizable, allowing players to invert the axis, adjust sensitivity sliders, and remap buttons for each player. The game also supports local two-player mode and features a field-of-view slider. The character creator is quite detailed, offering options for hair type, hair color, and skin color. Players can choose from three difficulty levels: easy, normal, and hard. The game setup allows for customization of enemy density and treasure type, and it supports online co-op play, where players can host or join games.

The gameplay is adventure-based, with tutorial signs scattered around the world to help new players. Loot chests can be looted individually or all at once, and the twin-stick controls make fighting intuitive. The game offers a wide selection of gear slots, including four rings, head, arms, necklace, boots, body, bow, arrows, two relics, and two weapon slots. Many objects in the world are breakable and can drop items. Players can find map fragments to fill in the map and mini-map, and Bloodspawn points serve as respawn locations. The fog of war mechanic adds an element of exploration, as parts of the level and map are revealed only when players move through them. The game is easy to get into, thanks to its simple controls, and in-game character interactions can be sped up by clicking through them. The world is fascinating to explore, with each area on the map having a completion score. Fast travel points can be found and used, and players have the freedom to pursue main story missions, side quests, or simply explore at their own pace.

The game includes a command-line prompt setting, a force death button, and a day/night cycle with weather effects. A rolling info bar displays what’s been killed or picked up, and the shortcut item system allows for quick access to items by holding a button and pressing the assigned shortcut button. Clear bars show experience, health, and other stats, and players can save their progress at any time. Skills improve as players use weapons in battle, and dungeon entrances are plentiful. Players earn experience points and level up, gaining attribute points to distribute. Crafting is a significant aspect of the game, with players finding recipes to make weapons, armor, and items. The game is rich in loot, and the Fishing Survivors mini-game adds an extra layer of fun, with players unlocking new water types and progressing through a separate mode. The game is full of atmosphere, with big boss encounters and the ability to collect eggs and hatch pets that follow and assist in battles. The game also features a card game battler in towns, where players can collect and use cards found in the world. Vendors in towns buy and sell weapons and gear, and players can wear sets of clothing by collecting all the pieces. Crafting weapons and potions that heal or provide buffs is possible, and players can have an army of pets following them around, attacking enemies.

However, the game has its drawbacks. The game world can be either a third-person 2.5D or a full first-person 3D, which might take some getting used to. Ability orbs can be collected and spent on upgrading stats, and players can respec them whenever they want. A keyboard is needed for name entry, and even in single-player mode, the game cannot be paused. Enemies respawn quickly, which can make the game feel overwhelming at times. Players might often feel lost, and the shortcut buttons are not always ideal, requiring an extra button press to activate them. There is an abundance of food loot, leading to an excess of small HP recovery items. The game has constant difficulty spikes, and inventory management is clunky. The map cannot be zoomed in on, and the signposting for finding objectives is not the greatest. Dungeons tend to feel repetitive, and the first-person perspective can be challenging to adjust to. The controller can be imprecise and inconsistent during combat, which can be frustrating.

In summary, the 9th Dawn Remake is a game full of potential with its detailed graphics, extensive customization options, and engaging gameplay mechanics. It offers a rich and atmospheric world to explore, with plenty of loot, crafting, and character progression. However, it also has its share of issues, such as clunky inventory management, repetitive dungeons, and imprecise controls. Despite these drawbacks, it remains an enjoyable experience for those who appreciate adventure games with a high level of customization and exploration.

Jim Smale

Gaming since the Atari 2600, I enjoy the weirdness in games counting Densha De Go and RC De Go as my favourite titles of all time. I prefer gaming of old where buying games from a shop was a thing, Being social in person was a thing. Join me as I attempt to adapt to this new digital age!