The LV. Cap: 3D Dot Game Heroes Review
Retro games are great. Taking time to play some of the games of the past is a much for all gamers. So, is there a game takes retro style of games with modern gaming perks? 3D Dot Game Heroes is that game. You are warrior sent by the king of Dotnia to get rid of the evil that rules the land. Is this retro style journey worth the time or have you played this game a long, long time ago?
3D Dot Game Heroes
Playstation 3
1 Player
Developer: Silicon Studio
Publisher: Atlus USA
ESRB Rating: E10+ For Everyone 10 & Older
Price: $39.99
Pros
Gameplay: If you’ve played the older Zelda games, then you’ll be just fine playing 3D Dot Game Heroes. You’ll gain items throughout your adventure like a trusty boomerang, bow & arrow, hookshot, and more. Each will have their uses in dungeons and will help you reach areas contain treasure and other goodies. You will be getting different swords to help you through the dungeons. Unlike Zelda, your sword is giant and can stretch across the screen to kill enemies. Of course, you’ll need full health to use your sword at full strength. or you’ll end up with a stub. Modern gaming features are added into the game. Saving anywhere and fast travel are going to be the most used. These modern features add life into the retro gaming style. There are also minigames that resemble other retro games, which is always nice. Overall, 3D Dot Game Heroes has classic Zelda gameplay with modern features and huge freakin’ swords.
Graphics: 3D Dot Game Heroes has a unique look. It takes the 2D from retro games and adds some 3D in there. The characters are in 3D, but you can see every pixel on them. When an enemy dies, you can see every pixel roll around on the floor. The areas look pixelized as well and the water sparkles like crazy. Overall, the graphics look great and pay tribute to 2D sprites in a new fashion.
Funny & Tons Of Easter Eggs: 3D Dot Game Heroes pokes fun at itself. There will be dead sprites of translators and developers in dungeons that give you funny advice or just speak to you in Engrish. There are also many easter eggs to be found. Anything from Demon’s Souls and Mega Man to Final Fantasy and Bionic Commando shows up in the game and it’s actually funny. Keep an eye out for even more easter eggs and Engrish speaking sprites.
Character Creator: If you ever wanted to play as Mario in a Zelda-type game, then here’s your chance. 3D Dot Game Heroes has a complete character creator that allows you to make your own sprite to use in the game. You’ll be able to make your character pixel by pixel. You WILL spend a lot of time creating characters from other games or original ideas. This is a great tool that makes the retro style of the game special.
Cons
Retro Difficulty: One thing about retro games is that sometimes, they can be hard as hell. 3D Dot Game Heroes keeps the difficulty and it can be a pain. Enemies will rush you, bottomless pits galore, and puzzle can get frustrating. If you don’t have an item to get through a dungeon, you will have to go back to the other dungeon and get the item. If you are use to the difficulty of older games, this won’t be a biggy. If you don’t play many retro games and have a tough time with modern games, you will get frustrated.
Lack Of Direction: Like in Zelda, you’ll have to read carefully to find out where to go next. It’s easier in 3D Dot Game Heroes to know where the location is, but getting there is a different story. There will be detours to take to get around areas. Rocks and other structures will block your way and there aren’t many signs out in the field. Let us hope you have a good sense of direction because you are going to need it.
Stuck: On several occasions, I got stuck in an area and couldn’t get out. I tried countless times to try and squeeze out there, but no luck. I had to reload my last save and end up at a dungeon across the map. Hopefully, they can fix this glitch soon.
Verdict
Fans of retro gaming and have a Playstation 3 should definitely get 3D Dot Game Heroes. For everyone else with a PS3, rent the game. The Zelda-like gameplay, graphics, and character creator make this game worth a playthrough. Lets just hope you have a good sense of direction and can withstand the retro difficulty.
Want to use the Brain Child in your adventure on 3D Dot Game Heroes? Get him here!
