The Swords Of Ditto PC, PS4
This cheerful, cartoonish dungeon-crawler doesn’t want for ideas – even if most of them aren’t really its own. From its top-down perspective to its flipscreen scrolling, its enjoyably simplistic combat and its dungeons filled with switches, hazards and gear-centric puzzles, it aims an affectionate nod to A Link To The Past. In setting a time limit for the parochial calamity that’s about to befall the titular town, it’s redolent of Majora’s Mask (on the standard difficulty you have an extra 24 hours to put your affairs in order). It pilfers Costume Quest’s toys and stickers for weapons and buffs; with its melee attacks refilling your special meter, it’s in hock to Hyper Light Drifter, too. And since fallen warriors can leave useful items to their descendants, there’s even a hint of Rogue Legacy in there. Still, it’s one thing to borrow ideas, quite another to make them all fit. Developer Onebitbeyond hasn’t just picked its targets well, but via some strange osmosis, Ditto emerges from its influences as very much its own game.
Each randomly generated hero accepts their destiny with heartwarming enthusiasm. Fate has decreed that they must prepare for the imminent arrival of a malevolent sorceress, who at least has the good grace to give notice of her hostile takeover. Two artefacts,
You can collect more toys once you’ve defeated the trial dungeons, with up to four items mapped to the D-pad for convenience. All run off the same magic supply: it pays to equip stickers that have toys consuming less mana lying within nearby dungeons, can weaken her grip if destroyed; first, however, you’ll need to find two legendary toys – a remote-controlled drone, perhaps, or a laser-shooting eye-ring – to complete these labyrinths. That is, of course, assuming you’ve passed the entry restrictions, which demand you get your hands dirty. Every kill accrues points to level up your sword and increase your health bar, so roll-dodging attacks will only get you so far.
Even at her weakest, the witch is no picnic. Though Ditto isn’t as ruthless as some of its peers, death still stings, especially since the delightfully hand-scribbled map that steadily fills out as you explore is wiped clean and rearranged for each new dungeoneer. You can tip the scales in your favour, though only so far: gather enough celestial fragments and you can cash them in to bequeath your most valuable kit. But would they perhaps be better spent on extending the deadline? Either way, enemies scale to the sword’s level, so while an extra day or two gives you the chance to bolster your arsenal, any complacency is swiftly punished.
Challenge is a welcome constant in an-ever changing world, which, with its fast-travel kazoos, vinyl frisbees and Viewtiful Joe- style jumpsuits, has plenty of charming eccentricities. It’s not going to change your life, but for a dozen or so hours, this genial adventure might just make it a few shades brighter.