There were certain things I expected at the PlayStation Experience, but didn’t see. I figured Final Fantasy Type-0 would be present, or perhaps Tales of Zestiria. I was disappointed on both counts, but fortunately lesser-known games were on hand to surprise. Cosmic Star Heroine and Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines were two of the games I didn’t expect. Dragon Fin Soup was another.
For those who’ve never heard about this delicacy before, it was a Kickstarter success story. The five people at Grimm Bros. wanted to come together to create a roguelike dungeon crawler that took inspiration from games like Spike Chunsoft’s Mystery Dungeon series. The idea was to tap into classic fairy tales to bring gamers a challenging and mature experience.
Well, seeing as how the tutorial was the nightmare of Red Robin, Dragon Fin Soup‘s drunk Red Riding Hood, mission accomplished. The heroine has a tragic past, of course, which has led her to become a lush in the present day. After she wakes up, she decides the hair of the dog is needed to help her face the day. This sends her to the tavern, where she unfortunately doesn’t get what she “needs.” Her tab is too large, and she’d need to take on some jobs to repay it.
Cue a task! Zombies have risen up from the graveyard and are attacking the town. Red, her wolf Big Bad, and a nearby warrior head out into the field to cut down the undead.
If you have ever played a Mystery Dungeon roguelike, you will be in good form to tackle Dragon Fin Soup. The gameplay is very familiar. Every time the player moves, all enemies in the dungeon move too. Red Robin can equip a variety of items for standard attacks, but also has items like a bomb and rifle available with different ranges. Not to mention, her allies trail alongside her. Surviving means wander, while keeping an eye out for traps, being aware of enemy positions, and thinking strategically to attack without being overwhelmed.
Dispatching the zombies was easy enough in the demo. A pleasure too, since Dragon Fin Soup is an absolutely gorgeous game. Randis Albion’s designs are amazing and it’s incredible to believe one person is responsible for all of the designs in the game. It really makes you appreciate the project even more.
What I think people are going to like best, however, is the Survival mode. Sure, everyone likes a good story, but the idea of having one shot to go into a labyrinth and get as far as you can get is going to pull so many people in. It adds this extra replay value that is going to compel players to keep going. Honestly, I think it’ll be an educational experience too. Getting the chance to go into random dungeons and do the best you can with what you have is going to help people develop new strategies and build valuable skills.
I guess what I’m saying is that Dragon Fin Soup looked great at the PlayStation Experience and people who backed this game, either when the Kickstarter was on or as a slacker backer after the fact, shouldn’t worry. Grimm Bros. isn’t going to disappoint you.
