By many people’s standards, I could be considered “old.” Granted, I am only in my mid-20s. However, I have seen a fair amount of things and have lived through ’90s. I remember the “old” systems, how they relied on little blocks to create pictures because polygons were not used in videogames. There was something magical about those days. It was just fun. Were there games that didn’t play well or were more fun than others? Yes, just like today’s games. For the past several weeks, I have been playing a game that not only satisfies my inner child but also works well by today’s standards: 3D Dot Game Heroes.
3D Dot Game Heroes takes place in a world known as “Dotnia.” A thousand years ago, an evil wizard was released and terrorized the land. Until a young hero found the six sages and the orb of light and then sealed him away for eternity. Until now. Now it is up to your hero to find the six sages and their respective orbs, kill a bunch of monsters and save the kingdom. Yippee.
So here’s a weird tangent for you: Have you ever heard of Stanly Fish? He was a literary critic that said readers bring their own perspective (thoughts and experiences) to a text. Some of his followers have taken this thought a bit further by stating that until someone reads it, the story does not exist. So when a person is done reading the story, the world is “destroyed.” This is something 3D Dot Game Heroes believes and understands all too well. Gamers visit various worlds on a daily basis. But very few people continue to visit them after they complete the journey.
That’s what makes 3D Dot Game Heroes so refreshing: It knows it is a game. It knows it depends on you, so its characters can live on. It wants you to spend time in its world and complete quests because it knows nothing will happen without you. It does everything in its power to do so by providing a massive world and various homages to older games. Yeah, the game will wait for you to return. But what without the player, it is nothing. The reason for it is simple: You are the catalyst.
Gameplay is old school. Your avatar runs around the screen slashing everything that moves as you head toward your goals. You explore dungeons, looking for the three main essentials: boss key, dungeon item necessary to explore more of the world map or something that will destroy pesky creatures more easily, and finally, the boss. It is nothing we gamers haven’t seen before.
:But what makes it so cool is the much hyped sword system. Ninety-nine percent of the swords available in the game are customizable. You can go to the local blacksmith and have him increase the length, width, strength, add spin, pierce (a much needed improvement as it allows your sword to go through walls and other solid objects) and the ultra rare special ability that exists on a few worthy swords. To fully actualize the ultimate potency of each sword would cost thousands upon thousands of gold pieces and hours of gameplay!
Whichever sword you choose, its true power will not be released unless your character is at full health. This makes certain screens, especially boss battles, challenging. That far-reaching sword spun in a complete circle quickly makes mincemeat of most enemies. But when its reach is depleted and returns to normal, the game becomes much more challenging. And did I mention learning how to block is a necessity?
On top of that, there are quests to complete. Some can be activated when you first find them. Others must be completed before you complete the next dungeon. There are also three different minigames: dash circuit, blockout and block defense. While the first two are easy to get into and complete, Block Defense is something that could have been its own game. You place towers around the map in an attempt to keep the monsters at bay. It starts easy, but the difficulty quickly ramps up. Rewards for completing these challenges vary from a simple red apple shard (four parts adds a new point to your character’s health), money, a sword or a small block (used to trade in for swords).
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the game’s potent character editor. You have the opportunity to create any character, from your imagination or eight-bit hero, into an avatar. There are six panels you have to worry about: standing, attack 1, attack 2, walking 1, walking 2 and victory. You have seven different colors to play with to create your ultimate character. Pixel placement is time-consuming, but intuitive and simple enough that a nonartist could create something. I created a simple centaur hero in about three hours. As much as I like the other precreated characters that came with the game, I like my creation the best.
Graphically, the game is pixilated and uses no more than eight different colors at a time for each area, character and item. Of course, this is not a bad thing because that’s the style it chose. And it looks great. Little blocks are built on blocks in a “faux” 3-D style. Light perfectly plays off them to properly shade them. Water flows like nobody’s business and does not look like pixilated water.
Outside of dungeons, the game handles everything in quadrants. And each section is massive. It feels to be at least a mile in length (well, if it translated into the real world). Load times are fast and give you a few moments to appreciate the cool wallpaper. (First you have to turn them.) Even though you can take a picture of everything else that moves, it drives me nuts that I cannot make of copy the load times’ wallpaper and load them into my computer. Furthermore, the install function reduces load times by about one-third. While you don’t need it, it is a nice addition.
Sound wise, the traditional sword clashes and dashes and magical twirls are there in all their old-school glory. What truly sets this game apart from what it emulates is the music. Yes, it will remind you of that original game — and many others. But it has its own take on it. It is there simply to emphasize what is going on, evoke nostalgia and a sense of historicity.
If we look at 3D Dot Game Heroes overall, it is a blast. The old-school exploration and gameplay combined with new-school sensibilities of top-notch humor and action creates something that is downright addictive. It reminds me of my childhood while keeping me fully grounded in the present. It proves that games from my childhood are important pieces of history and the direction 3D Dot Game Heroes takes are still relevant to who we are as gamers. Retro-chic may not be the best way to describe it, but it comes pretty darn close. PS3 owners, rejoice! You have access to completely fun and cool game. What else do you need for a fun-filled days?
