Bit Dungeon 3 or bit Dungeon III by Kinto Games is the latest installment in a series of 2D, 8-bit roguelike dungeon crawlers. The retro top-down pixel art style is a nostalgic throwback to classics like 1983's The Legend of Zelda with an added selection of weapons, gear, and stats.
Characters in Bit Dungeon 3
You can choose one of four characters: skeleton, ghost, demon or alien. Each has unique initial stat boosts that suggest which class to play. Once the class is selected, line up your starting weapons to progress accordingly.
Rich boss battles in a looter's paradise
Your mission is to defeat the seven Archons who live in the Dungeons live in seven of the world's randomly generated zones. Your victory summons the final boss, the Demiurge, who threatens to destroy everything. Each zone has its own landscape with monsters and mini-bosses to match. The eerie ambient soundtrack enhances the exploration experience much more effectively than the 8-bit EDM rave jams of the prequels. But rest assured, you still get the dungeon crawler dance party in the credits.
The zones
Hack and slice your way through each zone, looting and enchanting your gear, discovering hidden areas and completing side quests for NPCs who are having a terrible time keeping track of their belongings. Collect black coins to buy rare items and even buy a house to store them in. The item names are reminiscent of old-fashioned D&D gear.
The control
In a refreshing contrast to previous Bit Dungeon games, there is a menu with a list of controls, an overview of mechanics, and a quest log. Unfortunately, only keyboard controls are available, but it's pretty intuitive for mobile devices. There are downsides to relying solely on tapping the touchscreen. Enemies easily disappear behind your fingers, especially when you hold them down to block or perform power attacks. The auto attack feature is great for clearing mobs and definitely saved me from developing carpal tunnel, but can be an issue when trying to dodge attacks during boss fights. You try to run away but get stuck in their massive hitboxes on auto attack.
Lots of death
Legions of enemies await you. Every time you have one Archon As you defeat enemies in other zones, they become stronger and everything scales with your character level. Bit Dungeon III is a perma-death game. So if you run out of lives, you have to start over. Fortunately, Archon Souls grant additional lives. But if an Archon defeats you, all of those souls will be dropped. You can pick them up when you face the Archon again, but it's a risky business. Healing potions are readily available. Beware of enemies as they spawn en masse as you consider your next move.
Conclusion
Bit Dungeon III turns out to be quite entertaining. It feels a bit too easy at first, but after a while the difficulty scales appropriately. Especially with every new game - albeit with the same character. More interesting side quests and additional plot twists would have been nice, but there's plenty of gear, blood, and stat adjustments to keep things interesting. Bit Dungeon III is an addicting, fast-paced 8-bit roguelike mobile game with tons of gear and endless carnage. While storyline and inventory management may lack a bit, the combat and gear hunting certainly make up for it. Additional playthroughs and the constant threat of permanent death keep things interesting and challenging.
Originally posted on 2022-12-20 14:34:00.
