Crypt of the NecroDancer is the first game created by indie developer Brace Yourself Games, and it’s not very often that you’re first foray into making a marketable game is this successful and widely enjoyed. Crypt of the NecroDancer is being praised by publications such as Destuctoid and even Forbes, just to name drop a few.
Developer: Brace Yourself Games
Price: $14.99
Platform: PC, Mac, Linux
A review copy of Crypt of the NecroDancer was supplied to us
Crypt of the NecroDancer is a roguelike rhythm based dungeon crawler, and the first game of it’s kind. It’s a simple mash-up of two different type of games that you wouldn’t think would work, but to my surprise not only does it work, Crypt of the Necrodancer is a blast to play.
In Crypt of the NecroDancer, players find themselves in a dungeon with all manner of beasts to encounter ranging from immobile blobs to fire breathing dragons (is there ever any other kind?) and various bosses. The thing that makes Crypt of the NecroDancer stand out is the fact that you can only move and attack to the beat of the music. It’s sort of like Brazilian Capoeira, but probably a bit more useful.
After you kill an enemy in Crypt of the NecroDancer, you’ll activate a coin multiplier that makes the floor light up and pulse in rhythm to the beat. The coin multiplier will only stay active for as long as you continually move or attack without missing a beat in the music.
The soundtrack for Crypt of the NecroDancer is pretty awesome for an indie game, and it’s very upbeat and varied in terms of tempo and style. One of the songs even sounds like it takes influence from the hip hop genre. This game is worth buying for the soundtrack alone if you enjoy retro game music (and I know you do!). You can also use your own custom music, which I tried out with Jay Z’s Holy Grail, which was a fun distraction, but the soundtrack is actually preferable in my opinion.
When the song ends, so does the level and you’ll be dropped through a trapdoor into the next level, and when you land you’ll be in a room filled with the mini boss and any other monsters that were in the exit room of the previous level. This mechanic really urges players to make haste while exploring the dungeons of Crypt of the NecroDancer, lest they find themselves in a room full of mobs they just can’t handle in such close proximity.
The art style of Crypt of the NecroDancer is pixelated, and actually quite charming. It seems like a love letter to the Super Nintendo days, which happens to be one of my favorite video game consoles of all time. Sorry Sega fans.
In every level you’ll find a shop with three randomly generated items, with a shopkeeper waiting to take your gold. Not like he needs it or anything, as his shop walls are made of gold. When the song really gets going, the shopkeep starts singing in a weird indecipherable yodel which is pretty amusing.
When your character dies, or you beat a zone, you’ll be transported back to the lobby where you can spend your diamonds that you’ve obtained while traversing the aforementioned zones. If you try to leave without spending your diamonds you’ll be prompted with a notification informing you that diamonds are like earthly possessions when you die, meaning you can’t take them with you.
There are plenty of things to spend your diamonds on in Crypt of the NecroDancer though, so you shouldn’t have any problems finding something you want. There are various merchants in the lobby that you’ll have to find keys to gain access to, including a Dungeon Master that sells permanent upgrades such as heart containers and coin multipliers, and a Beastmaster that allows you to train against those pesky mobs that you just can’t figure out how to beat.
Check out the trailer for Crypt of the NecroDancer below:
The Final Word
Crypt of the Necrodancer is a simple game with an idea that sounds odd at first, but once you pick it up, you won’t want to put it down. Blending rhythm and dungeon crawling makes for a smashing success, and one of the most unique gameplay experiences of 2015 so far, and that’s saying something.
– MonsterVine Rating: 5 out of 5 – Excellent
Quick heads up that we’re currently hosting a giveaway right here where you can win a Steam key for this fantastic game.
