Sunday, September 30, 2012

Dungeon Defenders PC Review : Mates, Modes, and Music



“Etheria was once a land of living legends….”

Okay, let's work with this. Dungeon Defenders starts with comic-book style beginning while a comforting male voice narrates. He speaks about four distinct people who are left by their elders to take care of the boring castle chores. I found this an interesting start instead of being charged immediately with those trusty words, "You, SuchandSuch, are now tasked with saving the world" or rants about how all 4 "types" of people will be essential to winning the war against evil,  I was able to see what these four chums were doing before they unleashed a terrible force by accident and made me have to answer for their mistakes.

So, who do you wanna be?
You can choose from four original classes! 
Apprentice (Mage), Huntress(Hunter), Monk(Healer), Squire(Warrior)

Oh, sorry. Were you expecting something more creative?
Well, you're in luck if you want to spend extra money.
Other classes you can pick, not counting the other sex counterparts of the above are:
Barbarian, Series EV, Jester, and Summoner. These four classes are more or less combinations of the above in some way or the other. I've only played the Summoner out of those special classes, and I can say, it is definitely fun. Instead of risking your own health points lowering, you get to breeze around the maps creating minions left and right to fight for you. Ah, the life of a passive-aggressive class. Plus, Summoners look so cool!

His name is Pumpernikle.

Dungeon Defenders is designed to be played with more than just you. However, you do have the option to struggle all by your lonesome through complicated levels, but are you really playing the game just to play a strategy game? Or are you interested in experiencing something new?  



I like new. Dungeon Defenders isn't just a strategy game, it’s merged with the action RPG genre. Single player isn't very intense until higher levels when there are more doors and many more enemies to manage. Can you imagine a game that offers levels beyond easy, medium, and hard? Well, now you don't even have to ponder it. Dungeon Defenders has 6 modes you can play: Easy, Medium, Hard, Insane, Nightmare, and Hardcore Mode. Personally, I've only played on Easy and Medium. I tried Hard but was soloing at the time and I had so much trouble. 

So you're trying out easy mode in single-player, but you yearn to work with other people. First things first!  You must know your class before playing in a team. If you fail to grasp the intricacies of your class, then not only will your team get frustrated because you’re taking too long setting traps, defenses, healing pots, or minions, but also you won’t get invited back for future rounds. This seems common knowledge, but you would be surprised how many people lack this understanding.

If you're stuck in game, here's a helpful website Dungeon Defenders Guide To Classes.

Dungeon Defenders' Music

Like any game that has a music loop, the dungeon music can get annoying. But if you’re someone like me who doesn't pay attention to the music after a while since I’m so focused on surviving, then you’re good. Overall though, I like the map musics.

Opening menu music –heroic – strong brass sounds

Tavern music – relaxing, with a harp and pipe. There is soft chatter in the background from the miscellaneous NPCs in the background. No distinguishable words, but there are rises and falls in their voices. There’s some dish clinking and creaking floor boards. So even though you’re there all by yourself, you feel like there are others around.

Dungeon or Build Phase music entails soft to medium volume stringed instruments

Combat Phase music has a nice set of choral voices alongside a faster version of strings played during the Build Phase.

I like the music simply because it rewards the player positively (like when you survive a wave -"du du duuuuh!")  and keeps the player pumped during the fights. Claps all around, Trendy Entertainment.

Recommend? Yes.

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