The Algorithm recommended this video to me, and man, am I glad that it did! I've been craving a first-person, real-time dungeon crawler like Kings Field or Daggerfall for a long while, but I've just assumed that the genre is dead. I had no idea the indie scene was pumping out some sick looking games! Grabbed Islands of Caliph and Lunacid because of this video. Thanks man!! Awesome video, very helpful and way higher-quality production than I'd expected from a channel this size
It's a shame though, that the Dark and Darker and its clones devs aren't taking advantage of the huge demand for a PvE only experience too. There aren't really many true coop dungeon crawling experiences out there. Barony being probably the only one and it just doesn't scratch the same itch games like Dark and Darker do. Personally I'm waiting until one of the clones realizes that and adds it, that will be the one I will support 100%.
There were actually a few indie Wizardry 8-style games that hit last year-A Quest That Became Legend, Legendary Journey, and Archaelund are the three I am most familiar with. I didn’t get a chance to play them or check out reviews yet, so I didn’t include them in the video (probably should have anyway), but definitely look them up on Steam!
I'm here to sell you on Remnant 2. I liked Remnant 1, but it had some problems. My biggest complaint is bosses too often summoned minions. Remnant 2 fixes every issue that one had, including the minion summoning. Theres a new hybrid class system that the original didn't have and it greatly improves the coop experience. Its just overall a massive improvement over the original and one of my favorite games of all time now.
I really wanted to pick it up last year, the co-op structure and gameplay loop remind of PSO, which is a huge plus. I hope to eventually pick it up this year.
13:25 I'm currently playing Artificial Dream, and really enjoying it. Highly recommended for SMT fans, as long as you're cool with the early-90s design and aesthetic. I just wish the menus weren't so clunky; party management can be a major pain. That's my only real complaint. (And it's odd because the game does modernize some aspects of the SMT experience, like allowing you to select abilities when fusing. So why did they stick with terrible old-school menu layouts that spread party info across several different, often unconnected, screens?)
Artificial Dream is fantastic for SMT and Touhou fans alike. It really scratched the itch for an SMT style game for me before Vengeance came out and doing the og style with Touhou characters made for an interesting crossover. I agree menuing is a bit wonky, but otherwise it does a great job appealing to it's target audience.
Etrian Odyssey on PC plays like a dream with mouse and keyboard, I really hope we get the rest of the series and eventually new titles as well. I really recommend everyone to at least play the 3rd game in the series.
Honestly, you have jumped up in video quality. I have been a fan for a couple of months, and even in that time the positive change is noticeable. Keep on msking freat crawl content!
As an old (I played Wizardry on the Apple IIe) dungeon crawl fan I can vouch for Labyrinth of Zangetsu essentially being a love letter to the early Wizardry games! It pays homage, without being an unabashed clone, the same way Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark lovingly gave use the Final Fantasy Tactics feel. The PS4 version is now going for under $30 USD and ran like a dream on my PS5!
What a pleasant surprise bumping into this Chanel was !!!! I didn’t know we had content creators focused in on this beloved genre !!! Cheers 🍻 instant sub , quality list !
27:05 I really love Baldur's gate 3 but I found the dungeon aspect of the game kind of disappointing, it really could have used it's equivalent of Durlag's Tower or Watcher's Keep. Still a game totally worth playing though.
Great video Brendan, I agree - 2023 was so loaded with content and releases, it was hard to keep up! Finishing the year with sea of stars and BG3 play throughs had me feeling positive about the state of games I like to play heading into 2024.
How I never heard of the Bastard mangaka making a video game is beyond me, but bless you for sharing it here so I can try it (and a bunch of other games you mentioned) out!
It's really cool! The visuals are simplistic, but the character portraits are excellent, and the game is surprisingly deep if you put the time in. There are some decent guides out there as well.
Came here for Dark and Darker and stayed for the retrospective deep dive About Darkers lawsuit in case anyone wants a scope on what kind of feet Nexon had, they were trying to claim copyright on names like "Cleric" and "Barbarian" while saying a Ranger wearing things like a green hooded cloak is their copyright.. You know, like robinhood or green arrow might wear
Dude, I'm so happy I found your channel! I played the Etrian Odyssey and The Dark Spire a few hours each back in the day on DS and enjoyed them, but they were a bit too much for me back then. I just grabbed the Etrian Odyssey HD collection on sale, and just finished EO1's first stratum last night; I'm addicted. Subbed!
I first started dungeon crawling in 1979 with Dungeons and Dragons and The Keep on the Borderlands. The closest video game experience I've had to what I felt back then is the Burial Chambers, Sunken Crypts, Ice Caves, and Infested Mines of VALHEIM. With a 1st-person mod (or not), that game scratches that itch like none other so far.
My favorite dungeon crawler this year, as nontraditional as it is, was Remnant 2. The level and world design as absolutely phenomenal and the sense of mystery is genuinely unparalleled for me, especially the way it's implemented into multiplayer. The combat was fun, super solid, but solving complicated puzzles with my boys was some of the most fun i had in a game all year.
I'm a little late to this video but it was a good watch. This is a genre I REALLY need to sink my teeth into beyond King's Field. Lunacid looks really interesting so I might have to make that my first foray into the world of indies! Hope you're having a great start to the year too my dude!
I just got both grimrock games as an intro to dungeon crawling thanks to kikoskia. I remember Etrian Odessey from back when McGammar played it over a decade ago. It was awesome and I will definitely get them from steam.
Nice list at the end. Enjoyed the TotK segment. While the game isn't my favorite, one thing I can agree 100% with is that there are segments of it that are so good conceptually they could easily be expanded into their own game.
First of all: Great video. Really refreshing to see some new games instead of always the same when looking for a video like this. You made me find Barony and I love it! So, thank you for the video and for the awesome recommendation!
I was always curious about the Etrian Odyssey series and it's cool they made a collection for the Switch. I am even more amazed on how many great indie Dungeon Crawlers are being worked on. Backpack Hero in particular is interesting because I have always enjoyed messing with RE4's inventory system and it scratches my itch. Thank you for the all encompassing video and teaching me a lot on a sub-genre that deserves more credit!
Adding to your comment on Barony, I would also add Vagante, super underrated, local or online 4 player dungeon crawler, rogue elements, permadeath, etc. it's super under rated
Ive been looking for a vid like this, just got into drpgs more and more last year with Strange Journey and Geisterschiff and have been looking into playing Wizardry Llylgamyn Saga and Tale of the Forsaken Kingdom but also wanted to see what was coming out recently. The indie scene you covered especially have me excited, I can't wait to see what 2024 has in store!
I played EO Untold and Nexus in 2023. Both are unfinished, sadly. I also managed to try an indie dungeon crawler called "Touhou: Artificial Dreams in Arcadia", only the demo but its a pretty solid game. In 2023, we also got Labyrinth of Galleria and remasters of Etrian Osyssey 1-3 And moving to 2024, I am so looking forward to trying Dungeon Travelers 2
I haven't tried it yet, but I'm really happy there's a remake of Wizardry. I remember playing the original years ago on the Nintendo! Yeah, it was too much for me as a pre-teen. I don't think I got passed the second dungeon level. Anyways, awesome video!
Wonderful Commentary! I have limited experience in Dungeon Crawlers, mostly Etrian Odyssey exclusively, but I find them intriguing! The Depths are my fave part of TotK so I loved the talk about it! I am also glad my GOTY Pikmin 4 had a mention! :D
Amazing video! Another good note to add into this discussion, the Class of Heroes PSP crawlers are releasing HD remasters in a little over a week from now. I am very excited for it!
Man I was just thinking about this very topic while enjoying some Etrian HD after watching the latest episode of Dungeon Meshi. What a time to be alive.
I'm so glad you mentioned granblu fantasy relink. Such a special game in an unspecial way. It's somewhat generic but it also has this strange appeal to it. Like a game you saw the boxart of in a gamestore and you just had to play it and it was just simply fun. And it just is, for all its flaws and positives.
I've been loving the content lately and it's gotten me more into newer dungeon crawling games. I'm even working on my own grid-based dungeon crawler with real-time combat at the moment inspired by some of the games from your videos!
Great vid, I have now added several games to my future play list! Have you played Into The Inferno? That is a recent game on my future play list that you didn't mention. No idea if it is any good. That dev is coming out with a 2nd game in a couple weeks called Crossing the Sands. Did you finish Wiz8? You seemed pretty enthused about it in a previous vid. Did you ever get Wiz7 to play? It is certainly worth the effort. I subscribed and am looking forward to your future vids.
Oh wow, I was unaware of both of these games, thank you for mentioning them! Added to the Steam wishlist! Also, I played several more hours of Wiz8 but haven't completed it. It'll happen one day, though! As for Wiz7, I did get to play it! It's another I have yet to finish (there are too many games!) but I'm sure I'll get back to that one as well.
@@TheCrawl Heh. I used to finish almost every rpg I played before moving onto the next one. Now I am in the middle of about 5 games. Currently trying to get through the Mass Effect series. I like it, but it is too heavy on the story. Like 90% story, 10% action. I prefer games to be the other way around, more like a game, less like a movie. Though I often have the opposite problem with a lot of the wizardry-like games that are only 1% story, or less.
I didn't know that my favorite type of RPG style was based on the original Wizardry. I'm a huge fan of JRPGs and games from Japan, so here recently I've been looking into TRPGs like Swordworld and the japanese influence on the continuation of Wizardry. I'm greatful there are people in the community that can cover releases and share games that might be overlooked.... Well, at least I overlooked them.
One game to look for in 2024 is another (unrelated to ADiA) Touhou fangame, Labyrinth of Touhou Tri. The last entry in the series (Gensokyo and the Heaven-Piercing Tree) is on Steam and it has a really compelling 12-member party system. LoT Tri should be out in spring or summer, and I'm really hype for it.
I just finished Quester! I first heard about it from this video, and I'm really grateful for the recommendation--I think it's my favorite game I've played this year.
awh man, now i have like 700 new Dungeon Crawlers to try LOL Awesome Video dude, you are a wordsmith and The Wizardry revival & Path of the Abyss are the main two i wanna sink my teeth in 😎
Kind of crazy you skipped over Kazushi Hagiwara's biggest claim to fame, the manga Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy which has been running from 1988 to present day. Seems kind of a shame to say his most known accomplishment is designing two jobs in Final Fantasy 11. Otherwise, great video. Also, I would suggest checking out Path of Achra at some point.
I actually cut it after double checking some of the reviews and seeing most people seem to hate it lol. But yes, he is for sure best known for Bastard.
I was a bit impressed that you placed DLR above Islands of the Caliph. For me, DLR feels so barebones... and some of the requested features are just going to be added to the sequel Gaiden(?)... I'm curious what's your take on that game, what am I missing. Maybe I will give it a second chance.
I mean, like with all things, these rankings can change from day to day. And much of it is influenced by what else is going on around the game as it’s played. But just factoring in the games themselves, Caliph is a great game, and many aspects of it I do enjoy over DLR, but DLR was a really novel experience and the weird ideas it tried out really stuck with me for some reason, even the stuff that didn’t fully cohere (like the inconsistent skill progression).
This was great! Saw a few crawlers I had missed, thanks!! Cool connection to FFXI that you called out. I wasn't sure about Quester but that makes me want to support.
I play mostly RPG with alot of story decision, relationship like Baldur Gate, Pathfinder. May i ask , is there any first person Dungeon Crawler like what you recomend here but also have more relation interaction between party member or decision in dialogue ?
Those are less common, simply because you often are creating the entire party rather than recruiting pre-made characters. However, Eye of the Beholder, Might & Magic, and Wizardry 7 and 8 are closest to what you're looking for. I would also suggest looking into Shin Megami Tensei's many first-person crawlers. They aren't quite as open-ended as the other games I mentioned, but most are very story- and character-driven.
Man, I heard the phrase "release of the previously Japan-only PS2 Wizardry spinoff..." and for a beautiful second I thought maybe Busin 0: Wizardry Alternative Neo was going to see a US release.
Conflicted is so spot on for 2023. Love the recap and learned about many games i haven't heard of prior to watching. Keep up the great work! PS: shoutout to AC6 :FoR , my GotY
Great video! My local game shop had a used but pristine copy of the first Etrian odyssey (I played the first 3 games years ago) and they had an acceptable Nintendo ds lite. Bought those and played all evening. What a fantastic game on an incredible console!
There were actually a few indie world crawlers that hit last year-A Quest That Became Legend, Legendary Journey, and Archaelund are the three I am most familiar with. I didn’t get a chance to play them or check out reviews yet, so I didn’t include them in the video (probably should have anyway), but definitely look them up on Steam!
Honestly i wouldve never thought to call the genre DRPGs, and as such ive had a terrible time trying to sift through "Dungeon Crawlers" lookin specifically for that type of game as its my kryptonite haha Edit: didnt finish comment cause apparently ctrl+enter posts the comment so thats cool to know! anyway, this was a great vid! wishlisted at least have the gamed mentioned and lookin forward to each and every one! DRPGs are genuinely such a great genre and i cant get enough of them!
Yeah, that's true. I wish I had remembered it when writing up the script. I definitely think SuperEyepatchWolf's video and streams have exposed more folks to the genre.
Y'know, it totally should have. In fact, I even recall thinking about it when I was writing the script, but I think it just got lost in the shuffle. 2023 had... a LOT of games, so I know I missed quite a few haha.
Labyrinth of Galleria was great. Only nitpick is that environments were more varied in the 1st game but this one has a better story. The one title that surprised me was Quester (MetroQuester on switch (dunno why they have different names)). Gameplay is simple but pretty fun. It did well enough to get a new game which is a prequel Quester|Osaka.
With Path of the Abyss, it's early access -- any idea if it runs w/ controller or on Steam Deck? I almost exclusively play games on the deck these days, only getting on the laptop for weekly online sessions w/ friends. My daily driver is the deck
@@TheCrawl I went ahead and bought it (it's like $7, why not). It's actually more playable that you'd think, you can use the Track Pads pretty effectively. I'll hold out hope for more optimization from the dev, of course - but in case any other Steam Deck player wonders, it's doable.
I wish I could enjoy Lunacid, I've started the game over 3 times and keep getting a bug that prevents me from talking to the NPCs in the hub which means I can't buy a key necessary to progress past the first like 20 minute segment.
Ah, yes, thank you! I didn’t realize I forgot those. Added to description, and I’ll link them here too: Dungeon master nexus: segaxtreme.net/threads/dungeon-master-nexus-for-sega-saturn-english-v2-and-french-translation-kit-for-any-language.25420/ Madou Monogatari: github.com/Eight-Mansions/MadouMonogatari1-pc98 Baroque (Saturn): www.romhacking.net/translations/7001/ Baroque PS1: www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php?topic=35396.0
I don't think I'll ever be as captivated by a game of this genre as I was by Dark Spire. It was the first Wizardy style game I finished. Though since it was a flop I don't think I will see it again.
Oh yes. So good, and completely forgotten. Even among people with a genuine interest in video games, very few has heard of it. It's beginning to get some sort of following though by the pricing on ebay. When I bought it I think it was 5$ for the nicer version with the cd included and a cardboard sleeve. It's a bit more nowadays....
i have to ask, if you explore some place like in 36:07 of this video! but without bg moving...still being dungeon crawl? thanks for everything and that biig video
If you're asking where that is from, it's actually from my game The Necromancer's Tower. I have a video about it called "I made a dungeon crawler in 30 days."
Thanks a lot for reminding me to pick up Path of the Abyss, I saw it once but forgot to wishlist it. Also a big fan of EO although I think the rereleases are a bit on the expensive side, picked up 3 though and I hope they port the other games as well, even better if they release a new game anytime soon. Oh and you have a typo in your timestaps, 36:06 for your GOTY picks, not 26:06
Saturn version! But honestly, the PS1 version is totally fine The differences are mostly in gameplay. This website overviews the differences (but is slightly harsher on the PS1 version than I would be) nervetower.neocities.org/lore5_versions
When it comes to "live service" games I simply just don't engage much with the "live service" aspects of it. I might take a peak at the battle pass and if the conditions seem reasonable to progress in the battle pass I'll make progress but if it seems like it's going to be a slog to get through then I don't bother. From there I then judge it as if it were an actual game (like does it feel good to play and is the campaign interesting) Diablo 4 was fine enough game even with ignoring the live service stuff in so far that I feel I got my money's worth engaging with just the campaign. Hell I even Platinumed Avengers twice by my lonesome and I'm actually quite hyped for that Suicide Squad game
This was the first vid from your channel I've seen and I iked it. I did almost vomit finding out that people still consider anything past Diablo 1 to be dungeon crawling. lol. Cant wait to see more about things like path of the abyss and moonring
As a RPG player from the 90s that grew up with dungeon crawlers, yet feel that rpg games have improved and evolved past dungeon crawlers simplistic nature; can someone explain to me why games like Wizardry or Etrian are still popular and heavily enjoyed in today's environment? I feel like I'm missing something here.
Some of us like the mechanics and presentation, simple as that! I have a video talking more about it: th-cam.com/video/0miFRnelD7o/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
im not one to usually care about graphics but it baffles me that there are no 1st person dungeon crawlers that have decent graphics, it absolutley baffles me
I think it's because a lot of these games are budget titles made by smaller teams, so the resources available make having "decent" graphics less of a priority. Personally, that doesn't bother me much, especially because so many of them still have good art direction, which is higher on my personal priorities list than technical fidelity. But I totally understand that's not the case for everyone, and I can't deny that it would be cool to have a game that plays like Wizardry or Dungeon Master but with the graphical fidelity of a AAA game.
![ละลาย (LALALYE) - DAOU PITTAYA ต้าห์อู๋ พิทยา [OFFICIAL MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wo6r9TgausI/mqdefault.jpg)
Count how many times I say “dungeon” in this video.
Not including the handful of time you said DRPG or the 1 time you said DND you said the word "dungeon" 83 times
holy shit
@@youngpawdowanaep Not all heroes wear capes!
I took a shot each time. I'm dead now.
Someone get @Xeteh to the Temple of Cant
Moonring is completely free, so you have no reason not to pick it up. Its very good so I have no idea why they wouldn't charge anything for it.
The Algorithm recommended this video to me, and man, am I glad that it did! I've been craving a first-person, real-time dungeon crawler like Kings Field or Daggerfall for a long while, but I've just assumed that the genre is dead. I had no idea the indie scene was pumping out some sick looking games! Grabbed Islands of Caliph and Lunacid because of this video. Thanks man!! Awesome video, very helpful and way higher-quality production than I'd expected from a channel this size
It's a shame though, that the Dark and Darker and its clones devs aren't taking advantage of the huge demand for a PvE only experience too. There aren't really many true coop dungeon crawling experiences out there. Barony being probably the only one and it just doesn't scratch the same itch games like Dark and Darker do. Personally I'm waiting until one of the clones realizes that and adds it, that will be the one I will support 100%.
Man DRPGS becoming popular again is majorly exciting... Can't wait for the Wizardry 8 indie blobbers or AAA games to come back!!
There were actually a few indie Wizardry 8-style games that hit last year-A Quest That Became Legend, Legendary Journey, and Archaelund are the three I am most familiar with. I didn’t get a chance to play them or check out reviews yet, so I didn’t include them in the video (probably should have anyway), but definitely look them up on Steam!
@@TheCrawl woah! Thanks! Hey those games look so cool.
You must be the only person in the world in the last several years who has said 'can't wait for AAA games to come back!'
@@MW-cx3sb I mean those style of games as aaa titles sorry for the mistake.
I'm here to sell you on Remnant 2. I liked Remnant 1, but it had some problems. My biggest complaint is bosses too often summoned minions. Remnant 2 fixes every issue that one had, including the minion summoning. Theres a new hybrid class system that the original didn't have and it greatly improves the coop experience. Its just overall a massive improvement over the original and one of my favorite games of all time now.
I really wanted to pick it up last year, the co-op structure and gameplay loop remind of PSO, which is a huge plus. I hope to eventually pick it up this year.
13:25 I'm currently playing Artificial Dream, and really enjoying it. Highly recommended for SMT fans, as long as you're cool with the early-90s design and aesthetic. I just wish the menus weren't so clunky; party management can be a major pain. That's my only real complaint.
(And it's odd because the game does modernize some aspects of the SMT experience, like allowing you to select abilities when fusing. So why did they stick with terrible old-school menu layouts that spread party info across several different, often unconnected, screens?)
Artificial Dream is fantastic for SMT and Touhou fans alike. It really scratched the itch for an SMT style game for me before Vengeance came out and doing the og style with Touhou characters made for an interesting crossover. I agree menuing is a bit wonky, but otherwise it does a great job appealing to it's target audience.
Etrian Odyssey on PC plays like a dream with mouse and keyboard, I really hope we get the rest of the series and eventually new titles as well. I really recommend everyone to at least play the 3rd game in the series.
Three is my pick as well. Also, love the pfp!
I never thought I'd care for the minimalist story of EO3 but I was proven wrong. I can only hope they take these remasters to fund the next sequel.
they kinda killed any chance of those PC versions doing well sales wise with the outrageous price tag lol
Incase anyone is wondering the music playing in the beginning of the video is
Code - Deck from Phantasy Star Online Episode III
Honestly, you have jumped up in video quality. I have been a fan for a couple of months, and even in that time the positive change is noticeable. Keep on msking freat crawl content!
As an old (I played Wizardry on the Apple IIe) dungeon crawl fan I can vouch for Labyrinth of Zangetsu essentially being a love letter to the early Wizardry games! It pays homage, without being an unabashed clone, the same way Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark lovingly gave use the Final Fantasy Tactics feel. The PS4 version is now going for under $30 USD and ran like a dream on my PS5!
What a pleasant surprise bumping into this Chanel was !!!! I didn’t know we had content creators focused in on this beloved genre !!! Cheers 🍻 instant sub , quality list !
Damn, I think that’s the second super controversial Diablo game in a ROW
I mean, if we include Diablo 3 having a middling launch and the auction house issues, we could bump it up to three.
27:05 I really love Baldur's gate 3 but I found the dungeon aspect of the game kind of disappointing, it really could have used it's equivalent of Durlag's Tower or Watcher's Keep. Still a game totally worth playing though.
Great video, thanks for the shout-out!
And thank YOU for making LotBS!
Great video Brendan, I agree - 2023 was so loaded with content and releases, it was hard to keep up!
Finishing the year with sea of stars and BG3 play throughs had me feeling positive about the state of games I like to play heading into 2024.
How I never heard of the Bastard mangaka making a video game is beyond me, but bless you for sharing it here so I can try it (and a bunch of other games you mentioned) out!
It's really cool! The visuals are simplistic, but the character portraits are excellent, and the game is surprisingly deep if you put the time in. There are some decent guides out there as well.
Came here for Dark and Darker and stayed for the retrospective deep dive
About Darkers lawsuit in case anyone wants a scope on what kind of feet Nexon had, they were trying to claim copyright on names like "Cleric" and "Barbarian" while saying a Ranger wearing things like a green hooded cloak is their copyright.. You know, like robinhood or green arrow might wear
Also Islands of the Caliph was really cool
It’s such a wild saga, it honestly could have been its own 40 minute video haha.
Dude, I'm so happy I found your channel! I played the Etrian Odyssey and The Dark Spire a few hours each back in the day on DS and enjoyed them, but they were a bit too much for me back then. I just grabbed the Etrian Odyssey HD collection on sale, and just finished EO1's first stratum last night; I'm addicted. Subbed!
I first started dungeon crawling in 1979 with Dungeons and Dragons and The Keep on the Borderlands. The closest video game experience I've had to what I felt back then is the Burial Chambers, Sunken Crypts, Ice Caves, and Infested Mines of VALHEIM. With a 1st-person mod (or not), that game scratches that itch like none other so far.
Great video. Recently subbed to you last year when I was in a dungeon crawler kick so nice to see your take on the games of the year for 2023.
Very thorough video. Was halfway through and was shocked it was 40 minutes long
My favorite dungeon crawler this year, as nontraditional as it is, was Remnant 2. The level and world design as absolutely phenomenal and the sense of mystery is genuinely unparalleled for me, especially the way it's implemented into multiplayer. The combat was fun, super solid, but solving complicated puzzles with my boys was some of the most fun i had in a game all year.
I'm a little late to this video but it was a good watch. This is a genre I REALLY need to sink my teeth into beyond King's Field. Lunacid looks really interesting so I might have to make that my first foray into the world of indies! Hope you're having a great start to the year too my dude!
Thanks, duder! Same to you! And feel free to reach out if you're ever looking for dungeon crawling recommendations :)
I just got both grimrock games as an intro to dungeon crawling thanks to kikoskia. I remember Etrian Odessey from back when McGammar played it over a decade ago. It was awesome and I will definitely get them from steam.
Crazy-good video, man.
Nice list at the end. Enjoyed the TotK segment. While the game isn't my favorite, one thing I can agree 100% with is that there are segments of it that are so good conceptually they could easily be expanded into their own game.
Keeping my eyes peeled for the HPRShredder TotK vid
@@TheCrawlIf it ever happens lol
First of all: Great video.
Really refreshing to see some new games instead of always the same when looking for a video like this.
You made me find Barony and I love it!
So, thank you for the video and for the awesome recommendation!
I was always curious about the Etrian Odyssey series and it's cool they made a collection for the Switch. I am even more amazed on how many great indie Dungeon Crawlers are being worked on. Backpack Hero in particular is interesting because I have always enjoyed messing with RE4's inventory system and it scratches my itch.
Thank you for the all encompassing video and teaching me a lot on a sub-genre that deserves more credit!
Adding to your comment on Barony, I would also add Vagante, super underrated, local or online 4 player dungeon crawler, rogue elements, permadeath, etc. it's super under rated
2023 was def a good year
My favourite discovery of the year was "Potato Flowers in Full Bloom". It's pretty short, but feels and looks better than any of DRPGs I have played
Really good presentation. Subscribed.
altimit os theme in the background.... oh the memories
Ive been looking for a vid like this, just got into drpgs more and more last year with Strange Journey and Geisterschiff and have been looking into playing Wizardry Llylgamyn Saga and Tale of the Forsaken Kingdom but also wanted to see what was coming out recently. The indie scene you covered especially have me excited, I can't wait to see what 2024 has in store!
I played EO Untold and Nexus in 2023. Both are unfinished, sadly. I also managed to try an indie dungeon crawler called "Touhou: Artificial Dreams in Arcadia", only the demo but its a pretty solid game. In 2023, we also got Labyrinth of Galleria and remasters of Etrian Osyssey 1-3
And moving to 2024, I am so looking forward to trying Dungeon Travelers 2
What's the release date on DT2? I have the sequel on my PSP, lot of fan service, which turned me off but people say it's very good.
@@patron7906 february 15 I think
It's already out on PC, but the store it's available on is a bit annoying to use (Johren)@@patron7906
I haven't tried it yet, but I'm really happy there's a remake of Wizardry. I remember playing the original years ago on the Nintendo! Yeah, it was too much for me as a pre-teen. I don't think I got passed the second dungeon level. Anyways, awesome video!
Wonderful Commentary! I have limited experience in Dungeon Crawlers, mostly Etrian Odyssey exclusively, but I find them intriguing! The Depths are my fave part of TotK so I loved the talk about it! I am also glad my GOTY Pikmin 4 had a mention! :D
This guy used Code -Deck- off the Phantasy Star Online Episode 3 soundtrack, that's an automatic win for me.
One of the best OSTs of all time
Amazing video! Another good note to add into this discussion, the Class of Heroes PSP crawlers are releasing HD remasters in a little over a week from now. I am very excited for it!
Man I was just thinking about this very topic while enjoying some Etrian HD after watching the latest episode of Dungeon Meshi. What a time to be alive.
Truly a new dungeon crawling golden era
I just got Core Crossing and am playing it, seems good so far -- lacks some polish but looks like it has very rewarding gameplay
I'm so glad you mentioned granblu fantasy relink. Such a special game in an unspecial way. It's somewhat generic but it also has this strange appeal to it. Like a game you saw the boxart of in a gamestore and you just had to play it and it was just simply fun. And it just is, for all its flaws and positives.
I played the original Wizardry on an Apple 2E, and the original Rogue a DEC PDP-11.
Great video! This might become my must play list for 2024
A good portion are still on my 2024 to-play list as well XD
I've been loving the content lately and it's gotten me more into newer dungeon crawling games. I'm even working on my own grid-based dungeon crawler with real-time combat at the moment inspired by some of the games from your videos!
Oh wow! That’s awesome, I’d love to check it out!
@@TheCrawl still very early on in development, but I'll get back to you once we've got a demo going in the next few months.
Great vid, I have now added several games to my future play list! Have you played Into The Inferno? That is a recent game on my future play list that you didn't mention. No idea if it is any good. That dev is coming out with a 2nd game in a couple weeks called Crossing the Sands. Did you finish Wiz8? You seemed pretty enthused about it in a previous vid. Did you ever get Wiz7 to play? It is certainly worth the effort. I subscribed and am looking forward to your future vids.
Oh wow, I was unaware of both of these games, thank you for mentioning them! Added to the Steam wishlist!
Also, I played several more hours of Wiz8 but haven't completed it. It'll happen one day, though! As for Wiz7, I did get to play it! It's another I have yet to finish (there are too many games!) but I'm sure I'll get back to that one as well.
@@TheCrawl Heh. I used to finish almost every rpg I played before moving onto the next one. Now I am in the middle of about 5 games. Currently trying to get through the Mass Effect series. I like it, but it is too heavy on the story. Like 90% story, 10% action. I prefer games to be the other way around, more like a game, less like a movie. Though I often have the opposite problem with a lot of the wizardry-like games that are only 1% story, or less.
I'd argue that System Shock 1 is a dungeon crawler.
I have loved this genre and constantly craving it. I know it's niche, but will continue to support it. Hope to see more releases coming.
There's been some really cool ones in 2024 so far! I'll be doing some more round ups like this soon :)
Amazing video as always!
Loved this episode, succinct explanations of each and so many titles for me to check out
I didn't know that my favorite type of RPG style was based on the original Wizardry. I'm a huge fan of JRPGs and games from Japan, so here recently I've been looking into TRPGs like Swordworld and the japanese influence on the continuation of Wizardry. I'm greatful there are people in the community that can cover releases and share games that might be overlooked.... Well, at least I overlooked them.
Hey man, great vid. Found some interesting looking games. Hopefully I can play some of them sooner rather than later.
One game to look for in 2024 is another (unrelated to ADiA) Touhou fangame, Labyrinth of Touhou Tri. The last entry in the series (Gensokyo and the Heaven-Piercing Tree) is on Steam and it has a really compelling 12-member party system. LoT Tri should be out in spring or summer, and I'm really hype for it.
I just finished Quester! I first heard about it from this video, and I'm really grateful for the recommendation--I think it's my favorite game I've played this year.
Great video. Thanks!
The coolest Dungeon Crawler content this year was the release of multiplayer mod for Might & Magic 678 for sure.
I need to check that out at some point! Might & Magic is a bit of a blind spot for me, but I have been checking out those three games recently.
awh man, now i have like 700 new Dungeon Crawlers to try LOL Awesome Video dude, you are a wordsmith and The Wizardry revival & Path of the Abyss are the main two i wanna sink my teeth in 😎
I didn’t know that touhou artificial dream in Arcadia was on steam thank you ❤
Kind of crazy you skipped over Kazushi Hagiwara's biggest claim to fame, the manga Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy which has been running from 1988 to present day. Seems kind of a shame to say his most known accomplishment is designing two jobs in Final Fantasy 11. Otherwise, great video. Also, I would suggest checking out Path of Achra at some point.
I actually cut it after double checking some of the reviews and seeing most people seem to hate it lol. But yes, he is for sure best known for Bastard.
I was a bit impressed that you placed DLR above Islands of the Caliph. For me, DLR feels so barebones... and some of the requested features are just going to be added to the sequel Gaiden(?)... I'm curious what's your take on that game, what am I missing. Maybe I will give it a second chance.
I mean, like with all things, these rankings can change from day to day. And much of it is influenced by what else is going on around the game as it’s played. But just factoring in the games themselves, Caliph is a great game, and many aspects of it I do enjoy over DLR, but DLR was a really novel experience and the weird ideas it tried out really stuck with me for some reason, even the stuff that didn’t fully cohere (like the inconsistent skill progression).
This was great! Saw a few crawlers I had missed, thanks!! Cool connection to FFXI that you called out. I wasn't sure about Quester but that makes me want to support.
0:59 Which game? Ex-Anima or Spark in the dark as mentioned at 25:15
Spark in the Dark!
I play mostly RPG with alot of story decision, relationship like Baldur Gate, Pathfinder. May i ask , is there any first person Dungeon Crawler like what you recomend here but also have more relation interaction between party member or decision in dialogue ?
Those are less common, simply because you often are creating the entire party rather than recruiting pre-made characters. However, Eye of the Beholder, Might & Magic, and Wizardry 7 and 8 are closest to what you're looking for. I would also suggest looking into Shin Megami Tensei's many first-person crawlers. They aren't quite as open-ended as the other games I mentioned, but most are very story- and character-driven.
Dark and Darker is amazing and I cannot wait till the come out with the full on rpg team based dungeon crawler with extended loot and levels.
Complete wrote off ToTK (except for that excellent trailer #3) so that section of your video excited me now.
Need to check path of the abyss
As I said in the video, I have complicated feelings on it, but the parts that landed for me *really* landed.
Man, I heard the phrase "release of the previously Japan-only PS2 Wizardry spinoff..." and for a beautiful second I thought maybe Busin 0: Wizardry Alternative Neo was going to see a US release.
Oooof. I wish. Hopefully one day
Always love to see more turn based, first-person blobbers. It's a very specific niche, but it's my favourite.
Conflicted is so spot on for 2023. Love the recap and learned about many games i haven't heard of prior to watching. Keep up the great work! PS: shoutout to AC6 :FoR , my GotY
Great video!
My local game shop had a used but pristine copy of the first Etrian odyssey (I played the first 3 games years ago) and they had an acceptable Nintendo ds lite. Bought those and played all evening. What a fantastic game on an incredible console!
That sounds like a perfect way to spend an evening!
Cant wait till someone makes a game like Might and Magic with graphics of Legend of Grimrock
There were actually a few indie world crawlers that hit last year-A Quest That Became Legend, Legendary Journey, and Archaelund are the three I am most familiar with. I didn’t get a chance to play them or check out reviews yet, so I didn’t include them in the video (probably should have anyway), but definitely look them up on Steam!
dude your a life saver !@@TheCrawl
Honestly i wouldve never thought to call the genre DRPGs, and as such ive had a terrible time trying to sift through "Dungeon Crawlers" lookin specifically for that type of game as its my kryptonite haha
Edit: didnt finish comment cause apparently ctrl+enter posts the comment so thats cool to know!
anyway, this was a great vid! wishlisted at least have the gamed mentioned and lookin forward to each and every one! DRPGs are genuinely such a great genre and i cant get enough of them!
2018 game but the spotlight on Fear And Hunger will have an impact on the genre I m pretty sure
Yeah, that's true. I wish I had remembered it when writing up the script. I definitely think SuperEyepatchWolf's video and streams have exposed more folks to the genre.
amazing video
Im surprised the full 1.0 release of Daggerfall Unity didnt make it onto this list, though to be fair it did come out of the 31st of December
Y'know, it totally should have. In fact, I even recall thinking about it when I was writing the script, but I think it just got lost in the shuffle. 2023 had... a LOT of games, so I know I missed quite a few haha.
Can't seem to find ur article on Lunacid with Kira.
I gotchu: www.gamespot.com/articles/move-over-dark-souls-the-from-software-title-inspiring-a-new-wave-of-games-is-kings-field/1100-6507649/
Labyrinth of Galleria was great. Only nitpick is that environments were more varied in the 1st game but this one has a better story.
The one title that surprised me was Quester (MetroQuester on switch (dunno why they have different names)). Gameplay is simple but pretty fun. It did well enough to get a new game which is a prequel Quester|Osaka.
Quester is so good! It’s such a unique take on the formula. I am stoked for Quester|Osaka as well.
oo this look really interesting, heard of a few but there are more that I haven't - will have a lot to check out!
With Path of the Abyss, it's early access -- any idea if it runs w/ controller or on Steam Deck? I almost exclusively play games on the deck these days, only getting on the laptop for weekly online sessions w/ friends. My daily driver is the deck
I don’t have a Steam deck, so sadly I can’t say. It’s very mouse-dependent, however, so my guess would be no, sadly.
@@TheCrawl I went ahead and bought it (it's like $7, why not). It's actually more playable that you'd think, you can use the Track Pads pretty effectively. I'll hold out hope for more optimization from the dev, of course - but in case any other Steam Deck player wonders, it's doable.
Oh, that's awesome! I'll be sure to mention this in case other folks ask :)
So many good games are currently coming out. I'm excited! 😁
I wish I could enjoy Lunacid, I've started the game over 3 times and keep getting a bug that prevents me from talking to the NPCs in the hub which means I can't buy a key necessary to progress past the first like 20 minute segment.
oh noooooo! I haven't heard of this bug. Have you reached out on the Steam forums?
Could you add the title for the games that you mention got fan translations here in the comments or in your description?
Ah, yes, thank you! I didn’t realize I forgot those. Added to description, and I’ll link them here too:
Dungeon master nexus: segaxtreme.net/threads/dungeon-master-nexus-for-sega-saturn-english-v2-and-french-translation-kit-for-any-language.25420/
Madou Monogatari: github.com/Eight-Mansions/MadouMonogatari1-pc98
Baroque (Saturn): www.romhacking.net/translations/7001/
Baroque PS1: www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php?topic=35396.0
I don't think I'll ever be as captivated by a game of this genre as I was by Dark Spire. It was the first Wizardy style game I finished.
Though since it was a flop I don't think I will see it again.
Dark Spire was my first Wizardry-like Dungeon RPG as well! A criminally underrated game.
Oh yes. So good, and completely forgotten.
Even among people with a genuine interest in video games, very few has heard of it.
It's beginning to get some sort of following though by the pricing on ebay.
When I bought it I think it was 5$ for the nicer version with the cd included and a cardboard sleeve.
It's a bit more nowadays....
Lunacid has become one of my favorite games. Absolutely amazing experience.
Thank you so much for showing so many cool looking games, ill try and play as many as possible :)
i have to ask, if you explore some place like in 36:07 of this video! but without bg moving...still being dungeon crawl? thanks for everything and that biig video
If you're asking where that is from, it's actually from my game The Necromancer's Tower. I have a video about it called "I made a dungeon crawler in 30 days."
Thanks a lot for reminding me to pick up Path of the Abyss, I saw it once but forgot to wishlist it.
Also a big fan of EO although I think the rereleases are a bit on the expensive side, picked up 3 though and I hope they port the other games as well, even better if they release a new game anytime soon.
Oh and you have a typo in your timestaps, 36:06 for your GOTY picks, not 26:06
all these years later and im still just waiting for a dungeon crawler that will scratch the itch for something like the ultima underworld games
Look into Monomyth!
Do you prefer the PS1 or Saturn version of Baroque? Is there much difference?
Saturn version! But honestly, the PS1 version is totally fine The differences are mostly in gameplay. This website overviews the differences (but is slightly harsher on the PS1 version than I would be) nervetower.neocities.org/lore5_versions
@@TheCrawl Thanks for the link. This game has such a cool aesthetic.
When it comes to "live service" games I simply just don't engage much with the "live service" aspects of it. I might take a peak at the battle pass and if the conditions seem reasonable to progress in the battle pass I'll make progress but if it seems like it's going to be a slog to get through then I don't bother. From there I then judge it as if it were an actual game (like does it feel good to play and is the campaign interesting) Diablo 4 was fine enough game even with ignoring the live service stuff in so far that I feel I got my money's worth engaging with just the campaign.
Hell I even Platinumed Avengers twice by my lonesome and I'm actually quite hyped for that Suicide Squad game
This was the first vid from your channel I've seen and I iked it. I did almost vomit finding out that people still consider anything past Diablo 1 to be dungeon crawling. lol.
Cant wait to see more about things like path of the abyss and moonring
lol that's entirely fair.
I hope quester gets more attention, loves that game!
Thoughts on Wizardry the Five Ordeals?
Nice list bro 😁
God, i hope someone pick BUSIN 0: Wizardry Alternative to translate someday, i so long to play this game since forever
As a RPG player from the 90s that grew up with dungeon crawlers, yet feel that rpg games have improved and evolved past dungeon crawlers simplistic nature;
can someone explain to me why games like Wizardry or Etrian are still popular and heavily enjoyed in today's environment? I feel like I'm missing something here.
Some of us like the mechanics and presentation, simple as that! I have a video talking more about it: th-cam.com/video/0miFRnelD7o/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
what game is the girl with gun and katana on bottom-right of the thumbnail?
Quester!
What's the elf mage in the thumbnail from?
Path of the Abyss!
im not one to usually care about graphics but it baffles me that there are no 1st person dungeon crawlers that have decent graphics, it absolutley baffles me
I think it's because a lot of these games are budget titles made by smaller teams, so the resources available make having "decent" graphics less of a priority. Personally, that doesn't bother me much, especially because so many of them still have good art direction, which is higher on my personal priorities list than technical fidelity. But I totally understand that's not the case for everyone, and I can't deny that it would be cool to have a game that plays like Wizardry or Dungeon Master but with the graphical fidelity of a AAA game.
Always gonna upvote Exanima!