AdventureQuest 8-Bit: Dungeons & DoomKnights Review (Nintendo Switch OLED)
For this AdventureQuest 8-Bit Dungeons & DoomKnights Review, we must try and defeat DoomKnight and his army of the evil undead. Explore a huge world and battle vampires, ghosts, death knights, liches, ancient evils, giant flying eyeballs, chicken cows… and other unspeakable horrors!
AdventureQuest 8-Bit Dungeons & DoomKnights Review Pros:
- Beautiful 8 Bit graphics.
- 195MB download size.
- Chiptune soundtrack.
- The music player is in the extras menu.
- Screen settings – CRT filter, frame/border, aspect (pixel perfect/4:3/widescreen), and color palette (vanilla/game child/game child contrast/virtual child/greyscale).
- A beautifully created game manual that acts as a tutorial, shows off the map, and is housed with many images and tips.
- Chaos mods – play the main game in black and white mode, play the game as the dog, or play a spin on the Pac-Man genre.
- Necronancy is a different game where you play as Nancy the necromancer.
- 2D adventure RPG gameplay.
- Solid tight controls.
- Hack and slash combat.
- Enemies can drop coins and items randomly.
- Save points are found in the world.
- The game plays out on a screen-by-screen basis.
- Respawn enemies by leaving and red entering a screen.
- Many secrets to find.
- The game has excellent Easter eggs and nods to classic games and tropes.
- Main and mini-boss fights.
- Get a bloodthirsty Pomeranian sidekick!
- Meet new memorable characters.
- All character interactions are done via in-game art sequences.
- Instant reloading upon death, you go to your last save point. Enemies can stay dead upon respawning.
- The health system at play is 3 dots and you can pick up health.
- Modern retro adventure game.
- Gets very addictive.
- Over time collect upgrades for more health or skulls.
- Skulls are used to send your dog out through dog doors and get killed.
- Excellent level design.
- With some deaths staying permanent with enemies and doors staying open it does make replaying parts a bit easier or less stressful.
- Does have the cool thing of having a respawn point right next to big boss fights.
- Progression is very satisfying.
AdventureQuest 8-Bit Dungeons & DoomKnights Review Cons:
- Takes some getting used to not pressing the start button to pause.
- Jumping is fine but it’s not how modern games are it’s a case of pressing jump and then moving rather than both at the same time.
- The manual doesn’t mention the controls.
- Is difficult a lot of the time but always fair.
- Movement is not always as smooth as you would like.
- Doorways are very sensitive meaning you can constantly walk in and out of a door by accident.
- A game like this has the get hit by enemies the moment you enter a screen niggle.
- Checkpoints are far apart.
Related Post: Jett Rider Review (PlayStation 5)
AdventureQuest 8-Bit Dungeons & DoomKnights:
Developer: Artix Entertainment, LLC
Publisher: Nami Tentou
Store Links –
- Graphics - 8/108/10
- Sound - 8/108/10
- Accessibility - 8/108/10
- Length - 8/108/10
- Fun Factor - 8/108/10
Summary
AdventureQuest 8-Bit Dungeons & DoomKnights is a modern retro adventure game that takes inspiration from the NES era and offers a unique blend of 2D adventure RPG gameplay with beautiful 8-bit graphics. The game is a 195MB download and features a chiptune soundtrack, which can be accessed from the extras menu. The screen settings offer a variety of options including a CRT filter, frame/border, aspect (pixel perfect/4:3/widescreen), and color palette (vanilla/game child/game child contrast/virtual child/greyscale).
The game manual is beautifully crafted, acting as a tutorial and showcasing the map with numerous images and tips. The game also offers Chaos mods, allowing players to experience the main game in black-and-white mode, play as the dog, or even enjoy a spin on the Pac-Man genre. There’s also a separate game called Necronancy where you play as Nancy the necromancer.
The controls are solid and tight, supporting a hack-and-slash combat system. Enemies can drop coins and items randomly, and save points are scattered throughout the world. The game plays out on a screen-by-screen basis, with enemies respawning when you leave and re-enter a screen. There are many secrets to find, and the game is filled with excellent Easter eggs and nods to classic games and tropes.
You’ll encounter main and mini-boss fights, and even get a bloodthirsty Pomeranian sidekick! The game introduces new memorable characters, with all character interactions done via in-game art sequences. Upon death, there’s instant reloading to your last save point, with enemies potentially staying dead upon respawning. The health system is simple, with 3 dots representing your health, which can be replenished.
The game can get very addictive over time, with opportunities to collect upgrades for more health or skulls. Skulls are used to send your dog out through dog doors and get killed. The level design is excellent, and with some deaths staying permanent and doors remaining open, replaying parts can be a bit easier and less stressful. There’s also the convenience of having a respawn point right next to big boss fights.
However, it takes some getting used to not pressing the start button to pause. The jumping mechanism is different from modern games, requiring you to press jump and then move rather than doing both at the same time. Unfortunately, the manual doesn’t mention the controls. The game can be difficult at times but is always fair. Movement is not always as smooth as you would like, and doorways are very sensitive, meaning you can constantly walk in and out of a door by accident. Also, you might get hit by enemies the moment you enter a screen. Checkpoints are far apart, adding to the challenge.
Overall, AdventureQuest 8-Bit Dungeons & DoomKnights is a challenging yet fair game that offers a unique blend of retro and modern gaming elements. Its beautiful graphics, engaging gameplay, and plethora of features make it a must-play for any adventure RPG fan.
