MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death Reviews
MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death is a good though unremarkable game.
MeiQ really isn’t that bad of a game. The beautiful artwork, fresh spin on combat, guardian building and elegant solution to power leveling are all strong elements. The environments are vast, though lacking in substance, and the shallow narrative is held up by likable characters with lots of… plot. However, with so little nuanced challenge, harshly repetitive gameplay, mindless combat, unexciting story progression, no class or otherwise deep customization systems, barren maps and unrewarding exploration, item creation and character building in general, it falls far short of the genre’s best and barely executes, much less improves upon a seemingly simple formula.
The battles hooked me right from the start, and only improved as I gained the ability to upgrade my Guardian.
MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death isn't a bad game, it's half-assed. There are a couple of interesting ideas here that, applied to a competent dungeon crawler, could have made for something great. Instead, it's just passable. But I still had fun.
MeiQ hits all of the right marks of a dungeon crawling RPG but fails to capture that sense of challenge, instead opting for light fan service as a substitute.
MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death is a prime example of a below par dungeon crawling RPG. Kinda fun in parts, if not a bit basic and simple, the title has nothing that offers a real challenge and nothing that demands your attention. While the game starts off well enough, very little is added throughout to hold your interest, and it's a struggle to remain enthused about the lacklustre plot and the title's repetitive nature.
MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death is evidence that Compile Heart and Idea Factory can make mistakes too. In recent years, the two Japanese companies produced a long series of little titles, innovative and exquisitely witty. The new product has only touched the target, showing many flaws in the most important aspects of the structure and gameplay.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Interest can be found within MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death’s story premise and customisable Guardians. Unfortunately, the positives fall flat much too quickly, as there isn’t enough depth to keep them from getting stale.
MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death is in a weird situation where it's neither hard enough for DRPG veterans nor easy enough for newcomers to the genre. Combined with the lack of gameplay depth and a short playtime, it's hard to recommend unless you really must play every DRPG that hits Vita.
The game has its positives, but it doesn't stand out from the thick crowd of Vita dungeon-crawlers.
MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death is an acceptable title dotting the grievous past of Compile Heart. A dungeon crawler with maze style gameplay, and a fairly unique and customizable battle system, MeiQ does a good job of providing some fun and interesting moments. Falling short overall in the battles, and leaving very much to desire with story, characters, dialogue, and respect for human dignity, MeiQ is a title only for the most dedicated RPG player.
MeiQ is a low quality title whose flaws permeate through every twist and turn of this dungeon crawler.
Feels like it wanted to be a genre epic but had to settle for merely 'alright�.
It was around my third time backtracking through the first dungeon to acquire some obscure item when I realised I had stopped having fun
MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death might not appeal to a wide audience, particularly fans of DRPGs. A shallow narrative, an underutilized battle system and repetition make for an average game.
Dungeon crawler fans will have a ton of simple fun with MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death. Having another good game for the criminally underrated PS Vita is definitely a benefit.
Far from being a bad game, 'MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death' doesn't really try to be much more than simply competent. Its systems and ideas are all strong, but they're tackled fairly gracelessly and just end up feeling rote after a while. I didn't have a bad time with the game, but it's hard to not just recommend playing something like 'Demon Gaze' or even Idea Factory's own 'Trillion' instead for those looking for a great Dungeon Crawler or JRPG on Vita.
MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death starts quite positively and is very enjoyable up until around the third or fourth tower. At this point, the combat starts to feel like a chore and there isn't anything new added to keep the adventure interesting. Even post-game is disappointing for this type of title, and it all just ends up feeling quite unsatisfying. That being said, with this type of niche title, the loyal fans will certainly enjoy it. MeiQ is one worth picking up for dungeon crawling RPGs enthusiasts out there that have exhausted all other options, but not really for many other gamers.
There are so many missed opportunities and slipups in MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death. And despite all that, it surprisingly manages to be enjoyable and far less frustrating than other games in the genre.
MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death is a serviceable dungeon crawler that newcomers to the dungeon crawler craze can pour dozens of hours into. The appeal to genre veterans is going to be far lower due to the lack of a substantial plot and the underutilised battle system, but the game functions wonderfully as addictive comfort food.