When people think about multiplayer dungeon crawlers, ones that come to mind are Gauntlet and Might and Magic. The thing about those games is, as fun as they are, you aren’t completely working with your team members. Friends steal gold and health away from you along with fighting over EXP and skills, but where is the cooperation? Let’s introduce React Games’ and Wired Productions’ new game, Super Dungeon Bros.
I got to play Super Dungeon Bros at E3 2015 and I must admit, I didn’t quite know what the game was prior to playing, but immediately after picking up the controller and entering a dungeon I was hooked. Super Dungeon Bros plays off of past dungeon crawlers in all the right ways while offering you a roguelike dungeon experience–so playing a level again will be totally different–and tons of enemies to kill on screen. The game forces you to move from room to room as there is a threat meter on the side that will rise as you occupy a space for a period of time. Once this meter is full, the level is surrounded by enemies, which does tend to get overwhelming, but adds to the challenge of completing the stage.
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The new things that are offered in Super Dungeon Bros is the ability to pick up your “bros” and throw them, either to safety or across gaps. Special moves also encourage teamwork because when used you can gain the help of players around you to make the move more powerful. There are also player-specific puzzles in dungeons that change considering how many players are in the game. All these mechanics add to a more cooperative dungeon crawling experience–well, that and the fact that you share gold.
Super Dungeon Bros offers some customization in terms of what weapons your bro can have, giving you the choice of crossbows, swords, hammers, and wands. I liked this feature and had fun choosing between different weapons and using their specials, but what I thought the game could have used was a female character given that the four playable characters are male; girls can be bros too!
The art style and level design in Super Dungeon Bros is cartoonish and bright. The art style goes very well with the playfulness of the main characters and makes the game more approachable to younger audiences. I asked if Super Dungeon Bros was coming to Vita, considering that this game would look really good on the Vita’s OLED screen, but as of right now the team at React Games are focusing on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC with Mac and Windows 10 support.
My time with Super Dungeon Bros was short-lived–about 40 min–but it was very fun with four players. I’m looking forward to getting more time with the game and playing it with my bros, who are girls, too.
