#3 Dungeon Hearts Review [PC]

        It is hard to talk about Dungeon Hearts, the game this review is about, without comparing it to other games. The setting reminds of the classic Final Fantasy, the gameplay is a mixture of Tetris and Puzzle Quest and the whole graphical idea resembles Guitar Hero series. But through combining all those elements, the developers managed to create an outstanding product, which is easy to take up and really, really hard to put down!


          In Dungeon Hearts, a party of four heroes, Warrior, Mage, Cleric and Archer chase their ultimate dream (or a final fantasy, whichever you like more ^^) of slaying the great evil that lurks the land. In order to do that, they embark on a journey, slaying every evil creature they encounter.

"Easy to take up and really, really hard to put down!"

 

        The game is single-playthrough based, meaning that you start and finish it in the same session (usually, as there is also a save option), with a score being awarded at the end. It may end in two ways – either you slay the great evil or you perish at the hand of one of its minions. The whole thing is very intense, requiring good reflexes, sharp eye and a mind capable of multi tasking. Quite much like in Puzzle Quest series, your goal is to make formations of three identical symbols (called chargers here), which allows you to deliver blows to the enemy. The main difference is that the game board is not static and the chargers keep sliding towards the heroes, ultimately disappearing or even damaging them. You need to rearrange and fire them quick enough, while also destroying any harmful ones that come around.

 

        You proceed, fight after fight, and after every one of them, are given a bonus grid, which allows you to level your heroes up, unlocking their special abilities (4 each). Again, the thing is time based, so you need to act fast if you want to stack these levels up!

 

        The enemies we encounter are to some extent random, but every few fights we will encounter a boss monster, stronger than others. Also, every type of opponent passively introduces one or more special gems into the fight, forcing us to adapt the strategy. In the main menu we have a Bestiary (once again, in finally seems fantastical, does it not?), in which we will find additional info on every encountered enemy, type of charger and our heroes’ skills. The game also features Steam Achievements and an online high score ladder.

 

        In conclusion, Dungeon Hearts is a game worth trying, which will most probably appeal to any player. It may be played both as a casual game and for the high score, so whichever of the two you are looking for, you will find it here. The pleasant-looking graphics and lively music also add to the total, making the game an interesting experience.  The only people who may not like it so much would be those who prefer slow-paced gameplay, as this title offers none. Yet still, is you are looking for a nice, interesting game to fill your free time, you have just found one candidate!

Pros	Cons
Interesting gameplay idea Combines the best elements of several games Randomness of the enemies Demanding Lots of fun!
Uwagi: -very dynamic, good reflexes advised