Level-5 may be a big name in the gaming industry these days, but once upon a time they were just another nobody set to release a launch title for the PlayStation 2. Whilst Dark Cloud is certainly showing its rough edges in this day and age (and has undoubtedly been bettered) it’s still interesting to see the scope this studio invested in their first outing.
When it comes to RogueLikes it’s safe to say that the average player is spoilt for choice on mobile devices as the genre has been going through something of a revival this past few years. Already having thrown his hat into the ring once with ‘Microgue’, Jason Pickering self-publishes that charming Ms Spell.
1-Bit Rogue is a title very much true to the spirit of the RogueLike, but is rooted more firmly into the increasingly popular RogueLight sub-category of the genre, providing small snatches of random dungeon crawling with a unique visual style that wouldn’t be amiss on the Game Boy.
Enyo is the name of a lesser-known Greek Goddess of war, sometimes portrayed as an aspect of Ares and responsible for the sacking of cities and the fall of culture. This mobile title puts you in her sandals as you hook, jump and shield bash your way to victory.
Dead Shell is the newest game to come out of HeroCraft, the studio that brought us ‘Dark Ages’, ‘Tempest’ and ‘Alchemic Maze’. Their first attempt at a RogueLike, this game falls more sincerely into the sub-category of RogueLight, but makes up for what it loses in challenge with an insanely brilliant premise and gameplay hook.
RogueLikes are coming back into vogue at the moment, with their randomised nature being the perfect match for bored minds and simple goals (usually just ‘reach the next exit alive’) lending themselves to mobile play.
If ‘Dungeon Marauders’ and ‘Barcode Knight’ had a baby, it would probably be Code of Arms, a game that attempts to fuse RogueLike dungeon crawling with card based battling and a barcode scanning mechanic to find new equipment.
