Created by the Nuke Nine development team and produced by Blitworks Games, it arrives Wandering, apparently harmless roguelike due to the strongly pixel art aesthetic, but in reality incredibly difficult. Without hiding too much the strong influence of Spelunky, one of the constants of the Nuke Nine title – as usual for works related to the roguelike genre – is death. After many hours of gaming dedicated to this review, what is certain is that in Wandering you often die. Whether it’s from enemy ambushes, gravity, traps, or because you have mistakenly hit a merchant, in Wandering you will be called to retrace your steps several times like any good self-respecting roguelike. But where does the frustration end and where does the fun begin? And is the difficulty rate balanced at the right point, or is it unnecessarily punitive? Let’s find out together in the review of Wandering.
In the meanders of the cave
Rumors have circulated across the kingdom of one hidden cave at the edge of the forest. Legend has it that it is full of treasures, but also of deadly monsters. The deeper you go into it, the greater the rewards, but at the same time, the risk will also increase. Many adventurers have attempted to get to the end of the cavebut no one has ever come back to tell it. Will the group of protagonists succeed where others have failed?
At the beginning of the title the player will be called a choose from a variety of classic characters role-playing games. Each hero has strengths and weaknesses that must be mastered to be successful. The player will start the journey with basic equipment and limited skills. As you progress through the game they will find them new weapons and equipment (melee weapons, ranged weapons, spells and potions) that will increase the chances of survival. In addition, it will be possible to level up and skills will increase based on the class chosen at the beginning of the game.
Every area has oodles of treasures And weapons to find and a shop where to spend the gold earned along the way. Moreover, some mini-bosses hold the keys for some chests present in the dungeons. Overcoming these monsters is not easy but it will be essential to progress to the fullest. Like many of the members of the genre to which it belongs, Wandering asks the player to evaluate the risk and the possible reward, but in most cases a patient approach is required if you want to stay alive.
Between one dungeon and another it will be possible save the game in the transitional corridor between levels, which means you can resume the game at a later time from that point intermediate. Once reloaded, if you die continuing the save will be deleted and we will have to start from the beginning.
The roguelike genre has always divided videogame users. Due to the not always balanced dualism between luck and skill, combined with undoubtedly difficult gameplay elements, this genre in most cases soon demotivates the player. Wandering it is no different in that respect, as its procedural maps make each game unique yet extremely difficult. However, Nuke Nine has decided to cater for less patient players by inserting a cooperative modewhich makes the experience much less frustrating.
In company it is better
Face Wandering in the company of his friends makes the idea of failure more tolerable. Cooperation will be essential in finding treasures, killing creatures and delving into the abyss of the cave. The ability to play with friends adds a element of tactics which is missing from many of the best exponents of the genre, and for this reason Wandering he certainly has an extra arrow to his bow. It will be possible to combine the strengths of each hero to annihilate enemies and stay alive longer.
They will be available four distinct classesthree of which from the beginning: knight, thief and magician. They all have their respective strengths and although the knight will tempt players due to his higher health and sword, the player will be required to experiment with the various classes to better deal with the various dungeons. The last class the player will unlock will be the master of the hounds, who will be able to incite his own creature against the enemies. However, it is clear that Wandering was designed to be played in co-op as the classes complement each other, and indeed when the title faces off in single player the difficulty rate increases significantly, perhaps too much.
The developers clearly like the idea of a particularly dark atmosphere and that’s what it delivers Wandering. However, its use of somber colors and poorly lit areas makes navigating procedural maps difficult. This is further compounded by the pixel art style. As a result, the level of detail is greatly reduced and this makes it difficult to identify traps and obstacles. Unfortunately, this problem makes the game much more difficult, as the player will repeatedly fall into traps that they will not be able to see in time. This problem could have been easily solved with better lighting or sharper colors. The engine that procedurally creates the various dungeons, moreover, at times seems rather crude given that in certain circumstances it will create unreachable platforms.
The audio compartment supports the overwhelming images described above. With depressing musical themes and punchy sound effects, the soundtrack immediately takes the player into the decadent vibe of Wandering. In general, the musical and sound choices were reminiscent of many retro games and, for this, this department for the more experienced ears could be not very original.
In conclusion, the license plate title Nuke Nine is a good roguelike afflicted, however, by some problems related to the imperfect balance of difficulty between cooperative and single player, a game engine that does not make clear the dangers present in the various dungeons and a lack of originality both in the musical choices and in the design general. If you love the genre and want to face a challenge in the company of other players, however, Wandering it could turn out to be a good title without infamy and without praise.
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