Dungeon crawlers have always required a kind of specific rhythm, your success often dependent on the sequential execution of your own decisions. The items you move, enemies you attack and direction in which you explore all contributing to your eventual victory. The flirtation between dungeon crawling and rhythm is a long term partnership, but never has it been married in such a literal and masterful way. Crypt of The Necrodancer brings together the unforgiving nature of dungeon crawling with the charmingly playful elements of titles like Guitar Hero and Fantasia: Music Evolved. Propelled by a fantastically varied soundtrack that remains unpredictable throughout. Time to boogie!
All you need to succeed in Crypt of the Necrodancer is a distinct sense of rhythm and a keen mastery of the arrow keys. You move in a specific direction along with the distinct beat of each stage. As you stick to the rhythm the dirt floor beneath you transforms into a euphoric dance floor, spurring you onward towards the pixelated beasties that roam the dungeons you explore. Each enemy has a specific pattern of movement that also corresponds to the music, and devising a strategy to combat these is an absolute joy. Every single combat encounter morphs into an unpredictable dance that never fails to be satisfying. The repetitive process of initially coming across a new enemy and succumbing to a slew of continuous deaths can be frustrating, but a necessary evil in the grand scheme of things.
Necrodancer’s charm is lifted to galactic heights in part to its stellar visual style. Adopting a pixelated look that purposely echoes the well loved retro titles of the past. Every monster and environment possesses its own distinctive identity. The otherworldly grunts some monsters emit are charred into your memory as you spend countless hours mastering a specific zone. The mines, forests and castles you precariously explore are vibrant and brimming with lively personality. This is all magnified substantially by the outstanding soundtrack that accompanies the visuals. They flawlessly bounce off one another to create a tense yet playful atmosphere that somehow never alleviates. Necrodancer’s visuals and soundtrack are a near flawless combination, one that flows and intertwines in a manner that practically oozes lovable charm.
As is the nature of rogue titles, death itself becomes a mechanic. One you must use to your advantage. You will soon learn to take the time to return to Necrodancer’s expansive hub world to hone your skills, purchase new items and try out different characters. The hub world here is simplistically laid out but absolutely brimming with content to uncover and explore. New shops and other such amenities can be unlocked by rescuing NPC’s inside of levels. These can give you access to new merchants that can provide you with weapons and potions, along with individuals that allow you to train against difficult bosses without consequence. Items can’t be equipped or used outside of a level, leaving you to nothing but your own devices upon entering a stage. Equipment you purchase from merchants can only be found within chests throughout levels, giving each and every run its own unique strategy. Introducing an element of luck into the mix could have been disastrous, but every time I stumbled across the perfect chest I almost roared in triumph. I never felt defeated by a particularly difficult stage; constantly pushing myself to have another go. Before I knew it, minutes had become hours, and every second was a musically induced blast.
Such an abundant array of potential weapons and abilities are complemented further by characters that also harbour their own individual traits and characteristics. You could potentially spend dozens of hours on one character before suddenly uncovering another. The first time I stumbled upon a new character my entire philosophy on how to play the game was thrown out the window. Having to adapt and comprehend a completely new style of play out of the blue was a fantastic surprise. Crypt of The Necrodancer continuously conjured up brilliant ideas that kept my interest, providing charming longevity to an experience that could so easily have been a brief and underwhelming affair.
Another thing that surprised me was the sheer variety of weapons and equipment at your disposal, and how drastically they can influence the strategic approach you take for each enemy. A broadsword allows you to swipe across several tiles to dispatch multiple enemies at once. A whip means you can attack diagonally or even from several feet away, giving certain enemy patterns a completely different definition. This diversity is also present in the environmental design. Statues present throughout each stage may transform your weapons into glass but populate the floor with more powerful enemies. Another may grant you with immense abilities as your health slowly drains away, giving you a clear incentive to haul ass to the nearest exit with your new loot intact.
Equipment can be purchased with coins from the shopkeeper within levels only after using diamonds to unlock them in the hub world. Diamonds are a rare commodity that can only be accrued through skill and determination. For them to make any significant impact you need to collect several of them without dying, as they vanish immediately after restarting a level. I adore the unforgiving yet simultaneously playful nature of the game, one that meant I never stopped having fun despite the occasional bouts of frustration that surfaced at times.
It’d be a sin to critique Necrodancer without mention of the fantastic soundtrack that delivers an astounding level of variety in its plentiful assortment of tracks. Tunes can range from rampant techno to soft and melodic scores that feel is as if you are floating methodically across a stage. The catchy rhythm is Necrodancer’s crux, a feature that if absent would compromise the entire experience. But the music driven gameplay never feels forced or monotonous. The concept of rhythm is present in every single mechanic the game harbours, whether this be the collection of equipment or the timely elimination of enemies. Hell, you can’t even move about unless your steps accurately correspond to the background music.
Crypt of the Necrodancer is beautifully accessible as an initial premise, but the evident depth in its mechanics become clear as you delve deeper and deeper into its many stages. The stellar soundtrack and gorgeous visuals are complimented further by the ability to implement your own music into game. Doing so completely overhauls the pace of each stage, bringing an entirely new layer of strategy to proceedings. Necrodancer is an absolute treat and one I could easily recommend to anybody, roguelike fan or not.