Break On Through: A Dungeonoid 2 Awakening Review

By Al

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, XBox, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC

Every so often a game comes along that takes a classic formula and tosses new elements into the mix. Dungeonoid 2 Awakening (referred to as simply "Dungeonoid 2" from here) is one of those games. Mixing block-breaking gameplay with light RPG elements, it released on all major platforms earlier this year. We're going to be taking a look at the Nintendo Switch version today, though it will be representative of the experience you'll get across all the versions. Will the gameplay mix work out well? I guess we'll have to play it to find out! Let's dive in!

Dungeonoid 2 sees you take on the role of one of four characters, each with their own classes and stats, who then go off on a dungeon crawling journey. Though the four characters look quite unique when displayed on the character select screen, the only differences I ever noticed during gameplay were their speed and special attacks. No matter who you pick though, your goal is the same: Head to Medina's Volcano and stop the Dark Priest from summoning the Dark Star. In case you didn't already know, this Dark Star is the "most powerful demon in hell", and has been banished for hundreds of years. Perhaps he was also the villain of the first game, though I haven't had the chance to play that one yet. It's all a rather basic story, but it's one that at least gives reason to everything going on. It's silly enough to draw one in, cool cutscenes and all, and there's even a bit more lore to check out in via the in-game instruction manual. Perhaps I'm more swayed by the overall charm of the game than anything else, but I felt that the story more than sufficed considering this is more an action arcade game than a full-fledged RPG. Now that we have all that covered, let's move on and take a look at gameplay next.

I have to admit that I'm very unfamiliar with the original Arkenoid game that Dungeonoid 2 is referencing in its name. I know that it's a more complicated brick-breaking game that plays like Breakout on steroids, but that's where my knowledge starts and stops. While I'm definitely going to make all sorts of comparisons throughout this review, comparing the game to Arkenoid won't be one of them. Dungeonoid 2 actually plays very much like an autoscrolling shooter where your ball is the ammunition that you have to keep hitting back into the field of play. I'm reminded a lot of the games like Mario Pinball, but obviously with a moveable paddle instead of flippers in a fixed position. Your ball can hit and bounce off of everything, with it being particularly destructive to blocks, walls, and enemies. You also have the ability to unleash a sword-like attack with your ball, though this must be recharged after each use. Since this is an action adventure game, you'll have to take out enemies, flip switches, and even fight bosses. The latter encounters are probably the most interesting aspect of the game, though they still revolve around the simple mechanic of hitting the enemy in their weak spot until they die. Also, if you manage to fill your mana meter all the way, you can unleash a powerful attack. This attack may have secondary effects, like creating a safety net beneath your paddle, but they're mainly used as screen-clearing attacks. Hits to your ball from projectiles, or simply letting it fall past the paddle, cost you one life. Three lives and its game over, and you have two continues available for each stage. While there are a lot of little gameplay nuances that add to the formula, that essentially is it.

Even though I wished that the character classes were far more unique from one another, I eventually found the gameplay loop to be quite entertaining. In spite of the gameplay premise seeming very simple on paper, there are plenty of secrets to uncover, shops to buy items from, powerups to obtain, and even other game modes to try out once you complete the story mode. I was admittedly stuck in said story mode pretty much my entire time with the game, mainly due to rather intense difficulty, but there's more to the game for those more skilled than me to check out. There are even in-game achievements to unlock, and that aforementioned manual to peruse. I do wish more of the game was open to the player from the get-go though, as getting through the main game can be quite the daunting task. It was so daunting to me that I actually swore off the game for a while afterwards, and decided that I might as well write the review. Each of the game's six levels took me several tries to beat, and even the first one pushed my skills and patience to the limit. I know all that might sound like odd things to praise, but there are times when a challenge is good. Despite the fact that there are times when Dungeonoid 2 doesn't exactly feel fair, there was a huge sense of accomplishment when one finally clears it. Playing through the a single stage multiple times did eventually fine tune my skills, so I guess it can be said that practice does make perfect. At least in this case. 

While part of me loves Dungeonoid 2, another part of me felt that it was a broken mess. The first, and probably biggest, issue has to be the timer. Every level is timed, and most of my game overs were simply due to it running down to zero. You may think that this wouldn't be an issue since the game is an autoscroller, but there are several sections where the action stops and you have to defeat a set of enemies. Most often than not one enemy would be too hard to hit, and the timer would eventually run down in these sections too. You can get more time via powerups, but powerup distribution in this game has to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. There are about ten powerups and powerdowns to be found in the game, and you'll need a lot of if you hope to get only the ones you want. Besides the fact that you have to memorize their similar-looking symbols in order to tell them apart, they also usually rain down on you in groupings of 3-5. Most of the time you'll grab a bunch of powerups only to find that half of them were beneficial, and half of them weren't. You might speed up the ball and add more time to the clock, but you might also make your paddle extremely tiny or reverse your controls. It was all such a gamble that I ultimately just ignored powerups entirely unless there was a single specific one I knew I needed on screen. Besides those two big complaints there are issues with the size and number of enemy projectiles, the delay in the ball's attack, the fact that everything is highly missable, and all sorts of other things to contend with as well. Dungeonoid 2 isn't a bad game by any stretch of the definition, but it does have some really annoying, somewhat broken, aspects to it.

Gameplay issues aside, one area where the game really shines has to be in its presentation. Both the visuals and audio have a retro aesthetic to them, and both are the epitome of amazing. The game's graphics are beautifully blocky, and the enemy and monster designs impress as well. Even the stage layouts are well designed, and my only complaints regarding them go back to how they play. I guess I would've loved to see more of the character you're playing as on screen, but I guess that can be forgiving given that this is a game about a ball and paddle. Also, just in case you're wondering, the game runs perfectly fine on the Nintendo Switch without even the slightest hiccup. Sound-wise, things are actually a bit better, as just about every track is not only well-composed, but also memorable. Most of Dungeonoid 2's soundtrack lives rent-free in my head, and it was probably the music that kept me retrying even the most challenging of stages. The sound effects could've had a bit more punch to them, but that's most me trying to find small issues to add. I mentioned a charm to the game keeping one invested earlier, and I think it's fair to say that said charm comes from the look, feel, and sound of the game. It's near perfect, and makes up for a lot of the failings in gameplay.

Though Dungeonoid 2 Awakening only has six stages, they each take about ten minutes to clear. That means you're looking at an hour or so to beat the game, and that's if you're doing a perfect run. It took me far longer than that of course, but I think most players are looking at 2-3 hours for their first successful story mode completion. I will admit that there will be many players who probably give up long before reaching that point, as I was very nearly did so more than once. If you do stick around until the end, you'll find a well-made game that one can pick up for a very reasonable $8.99. Even though I'm not sure I can give it a full recommendation due to its many issues, I can say that it's perfect for fans of old school arcade games, or those who are looking for a challenge. If you're a brick-breaking fanatic, or are a fan of Breakout or Arkenoid, you're also going to find something to enjoy here. On the other hand, if you're looking for an action RPG or something casual, you might want to look elsewhere. If you do end up picking the game though, don't pick The Priest. No one picks The Priest. See you in the next one!

Check Out Dungeonoid 2 Awakening on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/dungeonoid-2-awakening-switch/

---

Story: A
Gameplay: C
Graphics: A+
Music/Sound: A+
Value: A

Overall: A-

Pros:
+ A fun mix of brick-breaking gameplay and light RPG elements.
+ The graphics are simply amazing, and there are a lot of detailed touches that will impress even the most jaded gamer.
+ Music is perfect, with a soundtrack full of lively and memorable retro-inspired tunes.
+ Offers challenging gameplay that is probably a callback to the arcade stylings of Arkenoid.
+ Lots of game modes, and even in-game achievements, keep the replayability high.
+ Priced very reasonably at just $8.99.

Cons:
- Can be very difficult and unfair at times. Not at all for casual players.
- The powerup system is a joke, and you'll more likely than not get yourself powerdowned.
- The amount of game overs I got via time are just ridiculous.
- Keeping the other content locked behind completing the story mode means that many players will simply never see it.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

---

This is quite the Game Over screen.