Labyrinth of Zangetsu Reviews
Labyrinth of Zangetsu is a profoundly stressful, but admittedly exciting experience. This is a very hardcore RPG that throws you into the deep end. Merely making it out alive feels like an accomplishment and you will feel the sting of loss when your favorite unit dies, over and over.
A beautifully designed title that truly brings the Sumi-e artistic style to life, Labyrinth of Zangetsu, unfortunately, doesn't quite do enough with its gameplay to create the next must-own dungeon crawler.
Despite being mechanically decent, Labyrinth of Zangetsu is uninspired and basic, becoming a hard sell, even for fans of the genre.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Labyrinth of Zangetsu isn’t the longest dungeon crawler (though if you choose the “hardcore” difficulty mode, prepare yourself for a grind that chews through some hours). It is, however, one of the most imaginative examples of the genre in recent years. I find it most similar to Dark Spire, an old (and, sadly, nearly forgotten) DS dungeon crawler. Just like that one, Zangetsu is a fundamentally retro-themed dungeon crawler that plays like a modern game, making it far more accessible than, say, trying to tackle the original Wizardry in 2023. And, as an added bonus, it has an absolutely incredible art style.
Though simple and a little uninteresting in its narrative and game design and some decisions that hinder progression in the game, Labyrinth of Zangetsu has a unique and elegant Japanese painting visual design and it works well as a traditional dungeon crawler, especially considering the customization and traps variety as well as its consistent medieval/folkloric setting. The title is recommended to those looking for a traditional-style dungeon crawler that's not too long and has a distinctive, oriental visual.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Labyrinth of Zangetsu offers a traditional dungeon crawler RPG experience but doesn't go beyond that simple skeleton of a concept. Only its stylized Japanese ambience is a highlight, making it hard to recommend to any person who isn't already fascinated with the genre when compared to better games in the market.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Labyrinth of Zangetsu is a solid, addicting, enjoyable game. Yes, there are some annoying shortcomings, but the story and art style are both intricately connected, with the story being surprisingly engaging for a first-person dungeon crawler, and the art style likewise remarkably deep and beautiful for the genre. Exploration is addicting, and character classes can be changed or upgraded as you progress through the game, giving you access to advanced classes. First-person dungeon crawlers can often be a bit of a slog, but Labyrinth of Zangetsu manages to avoid that particular pitfall by being a reasonable length. While the difficulty can, at times, be quite steep, it’s worth the occasional pain and suffering.
Even though Labyrinth of Zangetsu doesn’t have any voice acting or over the top sound effects, the traditional instrumental music makes up for that and more. The music in Labyrinth of Zangetsu plays a big part in the atmosphere and immersion of the gameplay, with several shifts in mood and tone indicated by the music as well. Though a bit more work on sound effects would help this game stand out.
Labyrinth of Zangetsu is a uniquely beautiful dungeon crawler with interesting lore, but can occasionally feel shallow.
While it has a pretty cool art style it’s hard to say the game does much to differentiate itself from most other dungeon crawlers out there
Labyrinth of Zangetsu is a beautifully designed game with so much old Eastern cultural inspiration. While the combat system can be a bit unbalanced, it’s still a joy to play.