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This is a quick summary of my experiences and thoughts on 3DDGH. I will update for the next few days as I progress further. This is basically to answer a few questions people might have regarding gameplay and other aspects.
This game is a tip of the hat to all those great old school RPGs like Zelda and Dragon Quest. While some may say it's a complete rip-off of our beloved Zelda, it's more of a tribute.
The graphics are very good, obviously not God of War III quality, however they are extremely charming, I might even say "cute". All of the environments and character models are built out of little cubes, think LEGOs, but 1x1 size blocks. I was surprised how much detail can be created using simple blocks. There obviously aren't any fine details, however if you've ever played Nintendo or Sega Master System games you will appreciate the graphics. Throughout the world are bodies of water and what appears to be lava, but it's swirling and not made out of cubes. It's a blend between 8-bit graphics and sort of hokey special effects, I love it!
There are a large number of enemies in the game. I've come across 8 or so already and I've been playing a couple hours. Like games of old, once you leave a screen and come back, the monsters respawn. They appear in small poofs as they get spawned, which is a nice little touch. There are enemies that rush you, throw spears, and other stuff. Some are cute little bunnies but they obviously have a grudge because they will rush! You have classic creatures such as skeletons, scorpions, slimes (a nod to Dragon Quest, there's a blue slime in the first village), bats, ghouls, and most other creatures you can think of.
The dialog is extremely humorous! BTW all of the text in the game is blocky just like the days of NES and Sega. Just looking at the menu is enough to bring fond memories flooding back to me. The developers have quite the sense of humor. For instance, you can choose your basic "yes" and "no" responses to questions. Upon talking to the king who asks you to help the kingdom, if you say "no" he says "But that answer doesn't advance the story!". Small funny moments like that really make the game special.
I've played through the first temple. It's very Zelda-like. There are switches, chests, clay jars to break. Cutting grass with your sword rewards you with random coins. Basically if you enjoy Zelda, you will have a blast with this game.
The audio is enjoyable. Yes it's repetitive like old school games, but that's part of the charm. Some of the music sounds like "modern" 8-bit, I don't know how to phrase it. Other music is definitely modern sounding.
One minor issue, and I guess it's personal preference. I don't like the swords. If you've seen videos where the sword is unrealistically large and takes up a good portion of the screen, well it really is like that. It's a small problem, but the swords are just lame. I don't know how else to state it. Maybe it's a reference to some game I never played, but I think it's sort of cheap the way swords can be upgraded to be so large that most enemies don't even have a chance to attack you.
Funny dialogue, great graphics, and tributes to old school games all combine to give PS3 owners a game worth buying. For $40 you really can't go wrong. You will get more gameplay out of this than most other big name titles. Yes it's a Zelda clone (tribute), it was designed that way. Any Zelda fan will adore this game. Most old school gamers from the 8-bit era will also get a kick out of this game.
One final note, most of the trophies are secret. It's a great way to prolong the game because you don't know what you have to do to unlock them. I've gotten a fair number in the first couple of hours. Too many games throw it all out on the table so you can just rack them up. This game isn't like that!
*EDIT* 5/14/10
After putting roughly 8 hours into the game, I can say that it keeps getting better. Some things of note I wish to add to my review: The character editor as stated in another review is pretty interesting. I am not the artistic type, so I quickly gave up in frustration. You create a few different poses for your character which are incorporated into the game. There are a number of characters to choose from, from a tank, underground ninja (all you see is a snorkel coming out of the ground), two santas, a manager, to other absurd (and amusing) characters. Each of them as a one or two line description to read, also amusing.
The enemies explode into individual blocks which disappear shortly afterward. It's a fun way to dispatch enemies. As stated before, I've now upgraded my sword and it takes up a large part of the screen and there are still more levels of upgrading available! One further note, each of the MANY swords available have a maximum potential value and a current value. You can obviously only upgrade each weapon to a certain extent so you have to plan in advance which aspects of your weapon you would like to increase before you reach max potential.
UPDATE: Beware! There is no autosave! I found this out by playing way past the 2nd boss and pausing the game for a few hours before returning to game. I then shut off the PS3 upon going to bed only to find myself back at the first boss. I should know better, being an avid game, just giving you all a heads up!
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I'm not sure I can add anything new to the excellent reviews here, but I'll try.When I first heard that "3-D Dot Game Heroes" would be released in the US, I was ecstatic. From Software had already scored a huge hit with "Demon's Souls," and the idea of this game seemed very intriguing: an homage to the top-down action adventures of yesteryear, with particular attention paid to the granddaddy of them all, "The Legend of Zelda."
But "3-D" is more than a tribute. It is a blatant rip-off. I say this in the best way possible, because if there is one game a company should rip off, it's "Zelda". Hailed by many as the single greatest game ever made, "TLOZ" changed gaming forever, from its use of the battery-pack for saving, to its open-world environments, to its dungeons and bosses. "Zelda" had it all. Of course, it spawned many quality sequels, but with the advent of 3-D gaming, the top-down beauty of this classic has been lost.
"3-D" has a full dose of itself, however. There are numerous references to 8-bit classics of yesteryear, from strange translations of spells, to clues that point you nowhere. There's even a developer's room, harking back to games such as "Chrono Trigger." But scratch below the nostalgia, and you have some quality gameplay that's worth coming back for.
Anyway,
The Good:
1) The Nostalgia I loved every minute of it. As a 35-year-old gamer who remembers crowded arcades in the early 80's, it was great to revisit the quirks of old NES classics.
2) Exploration "3-D" has a large overworld map, just like Zelda of the past. But many of the secrets of this map are obscured, or unattainable, until you get certain abilities. This adds length to the game, but it never feels unnecessary. A world that was a pain to traverse early becomes easily maneuverable later.
3) Bestiary This gets it own section. In order to get enemies into your bestiary, you actually have to HIT them with your bestiary book. It is amazing how much fun this adds to the game. The weapon itself has short range and pathetic attack, and often it takes many, MANY hits to "book" an enemy (particularly bosses). There are many enemies to hit, and some of them can be quite challenging.
4) Character creation I spent hours with this, creating strange and wonderful characters. It might not be for everyone, but it's fun nonetheless.
The Bad:
1) Perspective. At times, I found the dungeon cameras incredibly frustrating. When trying to book the Dark Knight, I would often take phantom hits for no good reason. Sometimes, your character will get hung up on environment, or won't be able to use his weapon because he's too close to the door. It's a pain.
2) Control the game utilizes a mix of the grid system from "TLOZ" with analog controls, and while sometimes the effect is good, it often fails. It's annoying that my character can move diagonally, but can't ATTACK that way.
3) Music quirks At times, the music would start skipping, particularly when moving from screen to screen. It always freaked me out.
The Best:
1) Trophies It's nice when a game gets it right, and these trophies only serve to add to the experience. For example, in order to get many of the hidden trophies, you have to defeat a boss without getting damaged. That adds to the experience. Booking bosses also gains trophies, as does beating the game without ever dying, etc. etc. All in all, the trophies do exactly what they should they ADD to the overall experience of the game.
So, that's it. I docked the game a single star due to the few missteps I mentioned, but all in all, if you are a fan of the old school classics, you should buy this. Even if you aren't, there is still a lot to be had here.I've had this game since the day it came out and absolutely love it. If you download a Link mod (or make your own!) off the offical website
and switch the camera to angle B, it's just like playing an old Zelda game. My only complaint is that if you miss an item in one of the temples you're going to get stuck and have no idea what to do next. Luckily, IGN has a good walkthrough in case that happens.
This is a game that was made for the old school gamer, like myself, who grew up in the days when NES & SNES reigned supreme. Ironically, as much as 3DDGH uses old ideas from the past, it's actually a very unique game in todays market. There's a whole legion of kids who grew up on Halo who have never played anything like this before. They just don't make em' like they use to. PS3 owners should not miss out on this gem.
Read Best Reviews of 3D Dot Game Heroes Here
Yikes, it's finally here. I've been waiting on this ever since I fell in love with the previous Atlus title Demon's Souls, and having given it some serious time since yesterday I've got an observation. This game is a fun throwback. Agree with those who say it's worth it just for the return to yesteryear, but also agree with those who say it's just a slick copy of Zelda with little new to offer. I think the disparity is in HOW developers pay homage to classic games for those of us who seek and love that "nostalgic" element. Demon's Souls was an incredible nextgen game with a throwback to the gameplay style of 8-bit games, where unforgiving levels literally drive you to the brink of insanity. That just makes success all the more sweet due to how hard you work to achieve it. I hadn't screamed and accused the computer of cheating so much since 1989, all because after I died I had to start all the way back at the beginning and that sucks (and rocks). Unfortunately, Atlus's new attempt to pay homage to classic games falls a bit flat because it's not replicating the gameplay style so much as the aesthetic and plot simplicity of a beloved set of classic games. The result, while fun, leaves you a bit empty and longing for the original. Still, it's not a full-price game, so there's that too. Overall a fun but shallow homage to (some of) the things, not all, that made classic 8bit so great.Want 3D Dot Game Heroes Discount?
If you're looking at this game, and you've scrolled down, or clicked some button to read more reviews, and you're still not sure whether or not to buy this game, then I really don't know what to say.3D Dot Game Heroes is [insert generic description seen above here]. It takes many cues from past...game.....s....li.....ke....ze.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
You have to know this information already. So instead let me explain some smaller details not often mentioned. The side quests are actually quite entertaining. Most of them lead to encounters with NPCs that have witty dialogue and references to other video games, famous people, pop culture, or memorable past events. One fairly entertaining side quest, for example, is a quest around town delivering letters to significant others, but each person has no idea they're in a relationship with the other person, and instead wish for you to send a letter to their "fiance", who in turn, believes she is actually being stalked.... and the cycle continues.
Truly the dialogue is really what sets the game over the edge. Too many one shot lines to recount, but I found myself laughing aloud more at this game than any game in the recent past (maybe minus other Atlus titles, or games that, likewise, don't take themselves too seriously [Phoenix Wright saga])
Actually, I would say the greatest downfall of 3D DGH is the gameplay. Here's some fun facts about me: I love Zelda. I love Zelda titles more than almost any other games out there. I have played them all, and beat them with flying colors and highest grades of completion. I have beaten pretty much every console Zelda game without dying once. Why am I telling you this? I got my ass handed to me by the first boss in 3D DGH probably 20 times before I was able to beat him. I was appalled at myself. How embarrassing.... But it's possible that it's just not the title I'm best suited for. That being said, I did start to get the hang of it after playing for a few hours, but trust me, you're gonna feel my pain.
Some of the trophies are horrendous... but doable given enough determination
If you like the genre, you really didn't need to read more people's thoughts. Chances are you'll know if you're going to like it well before you make the buying decision.
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