Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island Reviews

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is ranked in the 91st percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
60 / 100
Mar 22, 2024

It may have taken over ten years to finally come out, but Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is an unforgiving experience that will either make or break players. Success relies heavily on personal skill, luck, and meticulously planning every move to ensure survival until the very end. Yes, all the points I've made mostly sound negative but if you're the type who love a devilish challenge, I recommend this title. Otherwise, there are others that are much more lenient for players new to the roguelike genre. Like I said earlier, it's under the "love it or really hate it" category of niche entries.

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6 / 10.0
Feb 23, 2024

Shiren the Wanderer may have pioneered the roguelike genre, but this latest entry sure hasn’t advanced it in any positive way.

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6.5 / 10.0
Feb 23, 2024

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island certainly succeeds at providing just enough clues of what’s possibly at the other end of the wall to make the arduous journey to climb it one that you’d want to partake in. It’s the sort of game where your investment won’t necessarily equal a tangible result no matter how much to kick and scream at it. Instead, it’s something that feeds our curiosity, and in that, there’s something to be said about having this be your entryway into this, one of gaming’s obscure and at the same time most influential of series.

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7 / 10.0
Feb 23, 2024

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island doesn't re-invent the wheel, but adds a new entry in a solid, dependable series of rogue-like adventure games.

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7 / 10.0
Mar 5, 2024

If you are already a fan of mystery dungeons or hardcore roguelike nightmares, you’re going to have a lot of fun. If the prospect of luck-based scenarios and cruel difficulty seem unappealing, then Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island will give you a thousand-yard stare. This is not for the faint of heart and demands only gamers with steely resolve, patience, and a bit of luck.

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8 / 10.0
Mar 4, 2024

Shiren The Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is an excellent addition to the franchise. It combines narrative and roguelike dungeon crawling to offer a challenging yet rewarding adventure. Unlike other games that rely on tutorials, this game doesn't hold your hand and is enjoyable for both veterans and newcomers. This latest installment introduces a captivating new setting and multiplayer modes, and also refines the gameplay with quality-of-life improvements. Additionally, the game features a dynamic online rescue system, making it stand out in the mystery dungeon genre. It is a must-play for fans and newcomers alike.

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8 / 10.0
Mar 8, 2024

Overall this is an excellent sequel to the series and great addition for new players and experienced ones. After an 11 year wait since the previous title it feels good to say that Shiren is back.

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Feb 23, 2024

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is the best Mystery Dungeon game. It's absolutely heaping with mechanical depth and a breadth of content. The gameplay requires acute focus and a smart mind in order to progress. Items and enemies have a staggeringly high amount of interactivity that makes exploring even more engaging. Those who don't like roguelikes or strategic RPGs may not enjoy the randomness, as poor luck or focus can ruin a run in a flash. The game's story and characters aren't nearly as deep as the gameplay, but they offer some enjoyable respite from the challenging gameplay.

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4 / 5.0
Feb 23, 2024

All in all, Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island provides a thoroughly enjoyable and constantly engaging adventure. It updates the presentation and online features of the series, while stubbornly sticking to the tried and true mechanics that have worked since the SNES era.

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8 / 10.0
Feb 23, 2024

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island maintains the series' challenge and ads plenty of dungeons.

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Evan Norris
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Feb 23, 2024

The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is a triumphant return to the Shiren series, roughly 14 years after the last mainline entry. It benefits from an ever-expanding story, a cast of colorful characters, a revamped asynchronous multiplayer mode, and, most essentially, the same challenging tactical gameplay and extraordinary replay value that has defined the franchise for generations.

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8 / 10.0
Feb 23, 2024

This game is fun and addictive, but damn, it can be frustrating when you have a great weapon and items and then die, making you have to start from the beginning with nothing.

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8 / 10
Feb 27, 2024

It may have taken over ten years to finally come out, but Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is a new high-water mark for the storied roguelike franchise. Its masterful blend of uncompromising difficulty with a wealth of content to overcome makes for a game that'll easily keep you satisfied for dozens of hours as you learn its tricks. Combine that with some cool online features and a charming art style, and you've got a game that's an easy recommendation for any roguelike fans out there. This is a tough nut to crack, but the experience is well worth it.

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8.5 / 10.0
Feb 28, 2024

Shiren the Wonderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island comes suddenly and takes the position of ultimate Switch Mystery Dungeon, which belonged to the previous title in the series. The new visual, small improvements to the gameplay, and dynamic way to tell parallel stories and explore alternative routes are welcome additions to a formula that has already proved it works for over 30 years. If the high difficulty and somewhat repetitive formula aren't an issue, this can be an excellent addition to your hybrid console library.

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8.5 / 10.0
Mar 2, 2024

Even as a long-time fan of the franchise, Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island surpassed my expectations and it will likely remain my favourite dungeon-crawling roguelike for many years. So, settle in with an onigiri or 2 and give it a go. 🏯

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8.5 / 10.0
Feb 23, 2024

Even if you're not dabbling in the worldwide mystery dungeon web, Shiren 6 is still a beefy game that holds a wealth of secrets. The main dungeon is only 30 floors, but by progressing through the game, you can unlock various shortcuts and side dungeons that usually come with a greater challenge and an even greater reward. This is a flavor of game that might not be for everyone, but if you're looking for a thoughtful, challenging game that constantly evolves and builds, Shiren's journey to the mysterious Serpentcoil Island might be perfect for you.

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8.5 / 10.0
Feb 26, 2024

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is a phenomenal Roguelike for fans of tradition.

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9 / 10.0
Feb 27, 2024

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is an addictive, thought-out strategy title that will keep you climbing floors until your fingers give out - making it easily one of the finest roguelike titles to hit modern platforms in years.

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9 / 10.0
Feb 23, 2024

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is a brutal, uncompromising game. It carries out all of its unconventional and punishing rules with conviction and smart consideration, making for an unsuspecting RPG that’s one of the most consistently thrilling I’ve played in years. Couple this with dramatically improved presentation compared to past entries, and you have an excellent example of how to modernize an old series without sanding off the edges. It says a lot that after finally completing my first playthrough, I was ready to jump back in again for another round. If you’re feeling brave, enter the dungeon and take a roll of the dice with this excellent iteration on the Mystery Dungeon genre.

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Mar 2, 2024

This is one of those shorter reviews as I don’t have much else to say. Almost everyone knows what a roguelike is, and Shiren the Wanderer is a classical roguelike in every way. However, Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is one of the most perfectly executed, impossible-to-put-down examples of the genre, and for that reason it’s essential.

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