Game Review: Dungeons 4: Nintendo Switch Edition

By Al

Players: 1-2 (Online)
Platforms: Nintendo Switch

Originally releasing in the tail end of 2023, Dungeons 4 recently dropped onto the Nintendo Switch in the form of Dungeons 4: Nintendo Switch Edition. This port adds in a lot of content made available over the past year to the PC version, and some content exclusive to the Switch itself. We're going to be taking a look at the game now, and see if the year it took to make the move was worth the wait. There's going to be a lot to cover in this one, so let's dive right in!

Before I begin to discuss the plot of Dungeons 4, and get too deep into the review itself, I should mention now that I have no knowledge at all of the games that came before this one. I've seen it mentioned online that this is something of a spiritual successor to the Dungeon Keeper series, but those are games that I barely remember either. I guess the core of that concept would be dungeon management, but we'll get there in due time. Suffice it to say I'll still do my best to cover this game, even though the game seemed to be fighting me in doing exactly that every step of the way. (More on that in just a bit!) All that aside, Dungeons 4 places you into the role of The Absolute Evil, a disembodied hand that controls an evil horde led by the Dark Elf Thalya. There is a greater plot Thalya and her past with certain heroes, including some that are related to her, but none of that ever clicked with me very much. I don't think the game really cared about telling a strong narrative either, as the plot seemed to only be there to give the players missions to complete. It's your job to wipe out all vestiges of Good still present throughout the land and spread the corruption of Evil, one doesn't exactly need a strong narrative through line when you have a mission as direct as that. Going back to my lack of knowledge of the series, I was pleased that I wasn't expected to know much of the game world's lore. I'm positive I might've cared more about these characters if I'd known about them before, but I'm also sure that I would still think the plot was only just okay. Don't get me wrong though, the game is funny as all hell, and I had a great time with it. Just don't come in thinking you're going to get a fantasy epic of the like of Lord of the Rings and you'll be fine.

Moving the discussion to gameplay is a bit troublesome, as there is a lot to discuss when it comes to mechanics and features, but I don't think most of it is actually worth mentioning within the context of a review. At its heart, Dungeons 4 is part resource management sim, and part Real Time Strategy game. As I mentioned earlier, you control The Absolute Evil, and it's your job to create the perfect dungeon, amass gold and Evil to expand said dungeon, and defeat any forces of Good that stand in your way. Your dungeon empire is where much of the action takes place, but it’s only half the picture. The simple pitch of the game would probably be that you amass resources in the underworld that are used to fight an ongoing war in the overworld. It's of course more complicated than that, but that gives you a good idea of what to expect. You'll constantly be jumping back and forth between these settings, though it honestly never feels overwhelming. It's a really cool concept though, and it keeps the gameplay from ever feeling stale. While there are endless modes you can play, and even multiplayer, the core campaign is broken up into scenarios. Each scenario has a set goal, and some of them even have unique mechanics. Beating a scenario can take a decent amount of time, usually between 30-60 minutes on the low end, and 2-3 on the higher end, and there are 20 scenarios within the main campaign. Sounds easy enough to get into, but let's examine some of the mechanics with a little more depth next.

Even though I'm a fan of RTS games, I much preferred the dungeon management side of Dungeons 4. Part of this is due to the fact that I don't find much enjoyment in controlling units with a console controller, but another part of it is because I felt that the underworld segments came off as the most fun. Your dungeon exists to expand, and you can create new rooms, set traps for wandering heroes, mine for resources, and even fight spiders and dwarves. Dwarves will be your main enemy in the underworld, as you occupy the same space as they do, and both of you seem to want to expand into the same new areas. Though things never get too intense in the underworld, it did feel like the best parts of both experiences. Much of the overworld gameplay involves taking out the forces of Good, and that of the game requires a surprising amount of strategy. Don't think you can simply overpower your opponents through sheer numbers, as most scenarios will require you to work within the constraints of limited resources and manpower. I wouldn't call the game particularly hard, but it isn't something you're going to be breezing thorough. All in all, it's a neat set of mechanics that come together to create one of the most unique gameplay experiences I've had in recent memory. I'd probably go on and on about how the game expands, and how the story pans out in the later sections, but that is not the case here unfortunately.

Now I'm going to have to cut my discussion on the gameplay short, and get to something I feel is the biggest issue with Dungeons 4. I was only able to stomach a few hours with this game, and that's because it runs horrible on the Nintendo Switch. "Horribly" isn't even a strong enough term in my opinion, because there were times when I found it to be near unplayable. Dungeons 4 is clearly a PC game first, and that is most obvious in the UI and controls. Text is small, there are boxes and things that are meant to be clicked everywhere, and you have the absolute worst controls at your disposal to navigate through everything. The tutorial does a decent job of explaining the core gameplay concepts, but no attempt at all was made to simplify anything for the console crowd. I get why the purists might think this is a good idea, but this is a game clearly meant to be controlled with a mouse and keyboard. There was never a time where I felt I knew what button did what, and there were several moments where I found myself pressing every button in a vain attempt to get something to happen in-game. Then there's the performance issues. While there thankfully isn't much in the way of slowdown or the like, the game does have some insanely long loading times. I'm not exaggerating either, it literally takes several minutes for the game to load the main menu, and then another minute or two when you want to start a campaign. Some of the scenarios take longer to load than others, and there are other times still when a loading screen will just pop up during gameplay like a jump scare. The first tutorial mission takes about ten minutes to clear, but you'd better set aside 15-20 to account for those load times. They never got better either, and just got worse. The game even crashed at one point, and it took everything I had to not quit the game then and there.

Ultimately I was only able to put in a handful of hours before I threw in the towel, but I honestly tried my hardest to get through this one. I was being serious when I said that I was having a lot of fun with the game, and I found it to be something worth experiencing. I wanted to love it. The fact that I kept sitting through the 3-5 minute initial loading screen was thanks to how much the actual game had charmed me. There's only so much I can take though, and I can't imagine anyone else out there having a better time of it than I did. I'm willing to bet that the issues I have with Dungeons 4 don't exist on the PC version, but I can't say that with certainty. What I can say for certain is that this is one of the biggest wasted opportunities on the Switch. Nothing about this port feels at all optimized, and it made me question why anyone decided that porting this game to any console was a good idea in the first place. Seriously, there's no reason this should exist on consoles in this form. None at all.

Graphically, Dungeons 4 has a look that harkens back to old school 3D RTS games like Warcraft III. Though a bit dated, I'm all for this type of aesthetic. I'm probably not doing the visual style much justice with that description either, as it really does look and feel like a modern game. There's a lot of detail to be found in each of the game's environments, and the world is surprisingly colorful given the limitations of an Evil setting. There's also basically two distinct worlds going on at any one in the form of the underworld and overworld. I'm also all for the game's cutscenes, which have almost have a single-panel comic book feel to them. The problem with the game's graphics once again lies with how it runs on the Nintendo Switch. I'm sure this game looks amazing on PC, but it's all rather muted here. Part of the reason it reminded me so much of Warcraft III was because of how rough the models and backgrounds could look at times, especially when there's a lot going on at one time. Thankfully I didn't experience any real slowdown or performance issues that are worth mentioning, but it still feels like the least optimized way to play this game. Add in the UI that is always cluttering up everything, and you have a game that is practically impossible to play in Handheld Mode, and not too much fun to play even when docked. I really don't want to hammer home the same point over and over again, but I can't fathom as to who this game is actually for.

Probably the only aspect of the game that I feel came out unscathed in the transition to Nintendo's hybrid console would have to be the sound. Dungeons 4 features a soundtrack that isn't exactly the most memorable you'll ever hear, but is very good nevertheless. There's plenty of music, and each theme fits its setting perfectly. Even though there were some melodies I found myself humming along to from time to time, the biggest positive would have to be that there were none that I outright loathed. I know that seems like a low bar to set, but this is the type of game where you're likely to hear single tracks for long stretches of time, and it's always worth noting when a game manages to find that perfect balance. Music aside, there's also some amazing voice acting too. It goes without saying that humor is subjective, and can often be hit or miss. Dungeon 4's humor manages to land successfully most often thanks to the amazing performances on display. Everyone from The Narrator to the smallest grunt feel well-acted, and that's something you don't always see either. Lastly, I should mention that this Switch version actually comes with the soundtrack in the form of downloadable DLC. I don't know how much listening I'll get in outside of playing the game, but it's a nice addition.

Even though I've already stated that I don't think this Switch version is worth picking up, it is at least something of a complete package for those seeking it out. Though I did not go through it all during the review period, Dungeons 4: Nintendo Switch Edition comes with (I think) all the DLC that was released for the PC version. This includes extra scenarios and missions that you're able to unlock once you complete the main questline. I once again have pretty much no experience with this content, but it's there for those who have more patience and tolerance than myself. You can also pull up a code in-game to get that aforementioned soundtrack, and even an art book too. There's a lot of content to go through here, and the only problem there is that you'll have to play what I feel is the worst version of the game. With all this in mind, I have very mixed feelings on the current $49.99 price tag this game has. On one hand this is the complete Dungeons 4 experience you're likely to get, but on the other it is very near unplayable in this version. Actually, now that we're on that topic, I wouldn't recommend picking this up on any console given the control issues I mentioned earlier. Throw in the excessive loading times, and you're better off just grabbing it on PC.

I don't think I'm surprising anyone when I say that I don't think I can give Dungeons 4: Nintendo Switch Edition any sort of positive recommendation. The core Dungeons 4 does seem like it would be a game worth playing, but this was literally one of the worst gaming experiences I've had in a long while. I don't see myself picking up this game at any point in the future, though it did make me curious about how it plays on PC. This isn't a bad game by any stretch, it's just a really bad port. Maybe I'll pick up the PC version and give that a review after this. I'll link it here if/when I do. That said, if you do decide to pick up the Switch version anyway, don't say that I didn't warn you. On that note, I'm out. See you in the next one!

Check Out Dungeons 4: Nintendo Switch Edition on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/dungeons-4-nintendo-switch-edition-switch/

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Story: B
Gameplay: D (This version at least)
Graphics: C (Also this version)
Music/Sound: A
Value: B

Overall: C-

Pros:
+ The core concept of a dungeon management sim mixed with an RTS game is unique and well-implemented.
+ This game gives off Warcraft vibes in all the best ways. The humor is spot on, even if the writing isn't always the strongest.
+ Not only is the soundtrack amazing, but the voice acting is all spot on too.
+ This version contains all the bonus content released over the past year for the PC version, as well as bonuses only found on the Switch. (Like a Princess costume for Thalya!)
+ Getting to play the game with an optional Christmas theme during the holidays was something I'm willing to admit I enjoyed the most.
+ Defeating the forces of Good is just so much fun!

Cons:
- Insanely long loading times kill any fun you might have with the game. It literally takes several minutes to load in the main menu each time you start the game.
- The controls are very unintuitive. It feels like very little was done to adapt this game to consoles.
- The story isn't exactly the strongest, which can be a negative to some people.
- Even though it comes with a lot of content, $49.99 seems a bit high for this.
- Considering the bad job done with the porting, I can't see why anyone would pick this up over the PC version.
- Seriously, skip it entirely if you only have a Switch.

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.

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