Dungeonoid 2 Awakening Review (PlayStation 5)

by Jim Smale · Published February 7, 2024 · Updated February 6, 2024

Dungeonoid 2 Awakening Review, Classic dungeon crawling gets a block-busting twist in Dungeonoid 2 Awakening, a top-down adventure presented in retro pixel art style! In this genre mashup, you’ll pick from 4 role-playing classes, each with their own unique stats and special skill, then set off on a quest to conquer evil by controlling a floating platform to deflect a magical orb into targets along the way.

Dungeonoid 2 Awakening Review Pros:

Decent pixel art graphics.
207.1MB download size.
Platinum trophy.
Own in-game achievements called awards.
You get the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5 versions of the game.
Excellent game manual complete with pictures and tips.
How to Play is a playable tutorial.
Arkanoid-style gameplay. (paddle and ball brick smashing)
Can turn the music off.
You earn mana and charge by playing the game and pressing the buttons lets you do a melee attack from the ball or a special move from the paddle.
Three game modes with just classic adventure mode available at the start.
Four playable characters each with unique stats for strength, speed, slash, and special. Paladin, Amazon, Priest, and Sorcerer all have a special attack.
Adventure mode has a level selection.
The actual playing of the game is done on a rolling road but luckily only the ball interacts with the blocks meaning your paddle can pass through unhindered.
Animated cutscenes with text and voice.
Set-piece fights against stronger enemies or mid-bosses can happen and give bonus rewards.
Find bonus coins and items by breaking parts of the levels.
Every level is timed and you can buy more time if you find the shop and time extensions can drop from blocks.
After some time you can press the circle button to reset the ball back onto your panel.
Big end-of-level boss fights generally have multi-tiered goals to win.
At game over you can sacrifice a huge chunk of your score for another set of lives.
New locations bring up new obstacles and enemy types along with the level rolling in a different direction.

Dungeonoid 2 Awakening Review Cons:

So many powerups to try and learn.
Cannot remap controls.
Had it happen a lot (on level 2 in particular) where the ball would get stuck and I couldn’t reset it.
Boss fights require so much trial and error.
When it all kicks off with projectiles and explosions it’s nigh on impossible to see your ball.
The bad powerup that reverses your direction control is way too common and infuriating.
The rolling road is fine but it doesn’t always work well.
The game doesn’t always explain everything well like the fact the paddle cannot be killed by enemies or obstacles.