SHIREN THE WANDERER

A brutal, brilliant dungeon-crawler

With a subtitle like The Tower Of Fortune And The Dice Of Fate, Chunsoft lays its cards firmly on the table. Luck is going to play a part in your journey, and you’d better believe that the rolls are rarely going to be in your favour. Armed with the knowledge that there’s every chance you’ll be screwed over at some stage, it’s easier to accept when things invariably go horribly wrong.

It plays things by the (Nintendo) Mystery Dungeon rulebook, then, but those rules are applied consistently. In randomised, grid-based labyrinths, each step counts as a turn: you move a space, and monsters do likewise. Your goal on every floor is to reach the steps, but you’re also looking to level up and find better gear. HP regenerates and XP builds with every step, but your stomach empties. As such, you’re kept on your toes: a thoughtless move is a wasted move.

It’s all about preparing for every eventuality, knowing there are still some circumstances you’re never going to be equipped to deal with. On one run, we plated our sword to protect it from rust traps, but couldn’t afford a blacksmith to improve it further because we’d hired an extra guide. Our two allies were then warped next to a monster1 who beat them both and subsequently evolved into a deadlier form. It may sound unfair, but you can mitigate failed runs by banking money or storing gear, and each attempt teaches you something new. 2

Some will bounce off it within the first half-hour; those prepared to persevere and adapt will find an astonishingly deep and rewarding game of almost limitless longevity. Chris Schilling

FOOTNOTES1 You can confuse enemies into attacking each other, ensuring the victor levels up so you get more XP for killing it. 2 You can also stash items in pots, but you’ll need to smash them later.