MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death Reviews
It was around my third time backtracking through the first dungeon to acquire some obscure item when I realised I had stopped having fun
Feels like it wanted to be a genre epic but had to settle for merely 'alright�.
In conclusion this game just has too many problems to be recommended to anybody unfortunately. What started off as a good and entertaining time just became a race to finish the game as fast as possible to get away from it. The game certainly has cool ideas but there’s way more negatives than positives; with the worst of it all being that the Vita has so many DRPGs on it already – some of them being the best DRPGs ever made. For this one to come out after them just feels like wasted potential.
MeiQ is a low quality title whose flaws permeate through every twist and turn of this dungeon crawler.
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.
MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death does a lot of things right but it also sets the genre back in many ways that take away from the overall experience.
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 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
MeiQ: The Labyrinth of Death is an awesome Dungeon Crawling RPG that is great to sit down to for hours at a time either on the Vita or the PSTV. With fun and quirky characters to awesome customization systems there’s more than enough fun to go around the multiple dungeons that these Machina Mages will needs to explore with their Guardians in order to restart the planet’s core.
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 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.
The Vita already has a large selection of games in the lucrative "dungeon crawler but with breasts" subgenre, most of which are far more worthy of your time than MeiQ. The game is light-hearted but low rent; it's sorely lacking in challenge, originality and pants.
When all is said and done, playing MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death is a bit like eating sushi from your local supermarket. Sure, you know it isn’t as good as the stuff at your favorite haunt downtown, but it’s (probably) not going to kill you. And while it might leave you feeling full and somewhat satisfied in the end, you’ll probably have to steel your nerves to swallow some of the more squishy, unappealing bits peppered throughout MeiQ’s experience.
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: Labyrinth of Death is a good though unremarkable game.
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: 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 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.
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.