Boyfriend Dungeon review

Our Verdict

Young man Dungeon elicits an emotional attachment to its big bandage of characters, just repetitive gameplay and dungeons sour the feel.

For

• Relaxing soundtrack aslope interesting characters
• Accessibility and inclusive romance options
• Varied weapon styles to use in combat

Against

• Merely ii main dungeons.
• Not much replay value after maxing dearest ranks.
• Character customization feels at odds with itself

Tom's Guide Verdict

Boyfriend Dungeon elicits an emotional attachment to its large cast of characters, but repetitive gameplay and dungeons sour the experience.

Pros

• +

  Relaxing soundtrack alongside interesting characters

• +

  Accessibility and inclusive romance options

• +

  Varied weapon styles to employ in combat

Cons

• -

  Simply two main dungeons.

• -

  Not much replay value after maxing dear ranks.

• -

  Character customization feels at odds with itself

Fellow Dungeon has been in development for a few years, and has garnered much attention due to its massively successful Kickstarter. The game reached more than double its original funding goal, and the developers have promised to add a few more dateable characters in the future. At nowadays, Boyfriend Dungeon is engaging, blending the aesthetic choices of visual novels and dating simulators with isometric action/adventure gameplay, similar to Hades or Expiry'southward Door.

However, the game has a hard time balancing these genres together finer, with simply two major dungeons to explore. I found myself playing these two dungeons numerous times, solely to upgrade my private relationship with each weapon and complete their specific character arcs.

Nevertheless, fans of dating simulators and simple action/adventure games volition absolutely discover aspects worth thinking near, even later finishing the game's cadre narrative and their preferred romances. Or, they can be similar me, and romance every single character before the end credits appear. Read our full Boyfriend Dungeon review to learn more.

Boyfriend Dungeon review: Gameplay

In Boyfriend Dungeon, you play as an broken-hearted individual who has never been on a engagement, or had much luck with forming bonds of friendship. You come to stay with your cousin Jesse in the seaside boondocks of Verona Beach until the end of the summer. As you feel this new community for yourself, you attempt to form relationships (romantic or platonic) with a diverse cast of characters. You can choose your own responses for a lot of the dates, besides as the subsequent text-message conversations.

Boyfriend Dungeon contains content warnings for harassment, stalking and manipulation, and it is best to accept these warnings seriously. You'll also have a Mom character routinely texting you lot reassurance throughout the game, but you can plow these off if you find them uncomfortable. It is considerate of the developers to take this approach.

(Image credit: Kitfox Games)

The main aspect that sets Boyfriend Dungeon autonomously from other dating simulators is the dungeons — referred to in-game as "the dunj." The player volition routinely go through dungeons, where the game shifts a visual novel to a dungeon crawler. You'll fight various monsters to effigy out why each dunj exists, all while confronting the main grapheme's inner demons and fears. In each dunj, you volition discover broken, worn-out weapons who can transform into people. Finding these weapons lets you utilise them in battle, every bit well as get on dates with them.

The game includes dateable queer and/or transgender characters. Some of the character backstories are also explicitly queer. Isaac talks about how the monsters he fought in the dunj were trucks, and how they represented his family'south issues with rigid masculinity. Sawyer directly talks nigh how they just came out as non-binary, and are adjusting to new pronouns. Quite a lot of thought went into each grapheme.

The game likewise lets you customize your appearance. When I saw the game had turbans, I cried.

Turbans, and Sikh characters more by and large, have been in games since dorsum in the NES days. Recently, turban options are popping up more oftentimes in games. Not having to unlock this selection moved me to tears. Compare and contrast to a game such as Cozy Grove, where it took me two full weeks to unlock a turban option.

However, I wasn't able to equip the turban with other headwear, like crowns or glasses. I couldn't wear damage-increasing glasses with a turban, or headphones that changed the dunj'due south soundtrack. An option that fabricated me feel so represented at first ultimately felt pretty lacking. I was missing out on in-game bonuses considering I wanted to accept my character look like me. This ultimately made the game harder than it needed to be, since I couldn't equip extra accessories with perks.

Beau Dungeon review: Combat

Each weapon in Young man Dungeon has a man form, as well every bit a unique gameplay fashion. You're almost sure to find one that suits y'all. Yous start off with Isaac, a fencing teacher who transforms into an estoc, and strikes with tearing, quick pokes. Later on, you might equip Seven, a lasersaber who can inflict massive electrical shockwaves to zap enemies.

(Image credit: Kitfox Games)

The combat is simple, with calorie-free and heavy attacks and a dodge-roll. Boyfriend Dungeon has some rogue-like elements, only the penalties for fainting in the dunj are depression. Y'all go on any treasures you lot find, and earn rewards for completing each floor, finding hidden secrets, or simply hanging with your weapon-friends. Well-nigh floors take an arcade or skating rink where you can restore life and take a breather together. There is too a Goddess Shield option that you can toggle in the Settings to reduce all damage by 50%. This is helpful for players who aren't adept at action/gamble games. Some rooms can take more twenty enemies, and feel much more than challenging than normal treks into the dunj.

(Paradigm credit: Kitfox Games)

Discovering hangouts lets you lot give a souvenir to your weapon friend. This will normally increase your relationship rank with them. Maxing out each relationship level will prompt an inevitable appointment text, which further increases your rank. Leveling up your relationships with weapon-friends unlocks new, and more than powerful abilities.

Yet, I plant myself increasing dearest ranks much quicker by simply exploring the dunj. After you lot max out each weapon's love ranks, there's non much reason to revisit the dunj. That'south disappointing, especially considering at that place are just ii dungeons in the game.

Boyfriend Dungeon review: Story

The story in Boyfriend Dungeon is a pretty straightforward fish-out-of-water state of affairs. The player visits Verona Beach for the summertime, and learns to create meaningful relationships with other residents by going on dates. The cadre narrative focuses on dealing with a jerk named Eric, who impedes your progress throughout.

(Prototype credit: Kitfox Games)

The player tin interact with up to 7 weapon-people, each one of whom has an private arc. Helping one character process grief, or educational activity another how to melt, fabricated me expect forward to these dates. Each character exudes a very different energy. It was too refreshing for characters to discuss topics like consent, or managing depression with medication.

There's not much replay value at the moment, but I hope to dive in again when the developers add more dateable characters in the futurity. The stop had me smiling, but also sad about leaving Verona Beach. Saying cheerio to major characters in games with huge casts is always a downer, but their stories and issues helped me retrieve nigh my own feet and hesitancy in making new relationships, merely like the main grapheme. People tin meliorate and be better, as long as they have some space to amend past mistakes.

Boyfriend Dungeon: Visuals and sound

Boyfriend Dungeon has a fantastic, relaxing vibe throughout. When you meet each weapon, y'all see a gorgeous animation of them transforming from weapon class into human form, or vice versa, as if you were watching a magical girl show. Even though the transformation sequences are short, each ane is memorable.

(Image credit: Kitfox Games)

Just similar any visual novel, the game employs stills for characters, and some characters take voice acting as well. The voicework is mostly pretty solid. Some of the subtitles were incorrect, though, which would have me out of the game for a moment.

The game'south soundtrack is mesmerizing, and I constitute myself listening to it abroad from the game, likewise. It sets the tone extraordinarily well, and the lyrical tracks were my accented favourites. They all transported me back to my pleasant memories of Verona Embankment.

Boyfriend Dungeon review: Verdict

Boyfriend Dungeon has been in evolution for several years, and it basically delivers what it promised. I was sorely disappointed that the game only had two dungeons, though. By the end, I was mostly only reading, having exhausted most of the gainsay options. The game tries to join the visual novel aesthetic with action/take a chance gameplay, but at that place is not an equal residue of the two.

Still, I was taken in by Beau Dungeon's accessibility, and by having numerous characters be outwardly queer and/or transgender. I as well personally plant the option of having a turban right from the start beauteous. I do hope to visit Verona Embankment once more, when future dateable characters come up out. Simply as of now, the game has very picayune replayability. I would have liked more than dungeons to explore and conquer.

If yous oasis't already backed this game on Kickstarter, I would say to concur off for now — but maybe option it upwards when the inevitable future content hits.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/boyfriend-dungeon

Posted by: woodruffthavir1976.blogspot.com

Share this post