Inspired by /r/PixelArt pixel artist Sebastian Van Hijfte and funded 600% over budget on Kickstarter, Legend of Dungeon sounds like a game straight from our inaugural Skinny Banter. It’s got: 1) procedurally generated dungeons a la Rogue, 2) gorgeous pixel art, 3) beat-em-up style gameplay similar to classic arcade games like TMNT and X-Men, and 4) 4-player local coop.
The music, lighting, and levels are all generated dynamically as you play through the game. I’ve been listening to their music preview as I write this, and it’s wonderfully engrossing music (along with great 8-bit sound effects) that sets a very tangible mood.
The dynamic lighting layered on top of beautifully rendered pixel art is a delicious combination: the crunch of pixels mixed with the sweet smoothness of light and shadows. Seriously, this game may be a must-have for the art alone – it has all the charming character of Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery with the colorful realistic glow of games like 3D Dot Game Heroes.
Dynamic levels are hardly new, having been a staple of games since the early days of Rogue, Hack, and others of their ilk. I’m on the fence about them – on the one hand, they lead to nearly infinite re-playability, while on the other it’s difficult to craft a powerful, cohesive story with procedurally generated levels. As a beat-em-up hack and slash RPG, the dynamic levels could work really well. I hope they do.
I love that the game has four-player local co-op. I may have to invest in some extra controllers for my computer to play this together with my wife and son.
I am really looking forward to playing this game. It’s up on Steam Greenlight right now so if you’re looking for a great pixellated RPG beat-em-up (and who isn’t, really?), vote for them. They’ll also have a booth at PAX East for those lucky enough to attend.
