Dandara Reviews
Dandara is more than the average Metroidvania and is a game worth your time. Although its unique stop-and-go gameplay may have you stumbling at first, movement turns into an art form as you get accustomed to it. And though not everything about Dandara stands out, the titular character is executed so masterfully it is hard not to be impressed with the folk-lore based heroine.
Dandara is a beautiful game with a fresh movement mechanic, but it doesn't come together as well as I had hoped. Leaping across platforms is satisfying when it works, but aggravating when it doesn't, and even when the leaping does what you want it to do, you'll find annoying backtracking or bizarre navigation puzzles to overcome. There are some great moments in Dandara, but the headaches you have to deal with to get to them aren't always worth it.
Dandara has some interesting ideas and great visual design, but it rarely feels rewarding. It drags in the middle and the final third just frustrates, sucking the fun out of the experience.
Dandara proves that there's still originality in a decades-old genre. It changes the way you control the player character, breaking from Metroidvania traditions, and creates new types of puzzles and methods of progression along the way.
Dandara is an indie game that couldn't have released at a better time. It's a surreal, magical, platformer
In the end, I didn't enjoy my time with Dandara. The controls, while unique, just didn't work well for me–especially in combat. Dandara wants players to explore but the incentive just wasn't there. If you're looking for a Metroidvania with a unique control experience and a great art styles, Dandara might fit that bill. Otherwise, I'd pass on this otherwise beautiful game.
Brazilian developer Long Hat House prevails in forging a gaming and cultural touchstone in Dandara.
A unique but strange game. Great character and art design really make this something special, though the control scheme is truly unique as well.
Dandara is the perfect example that it is always possible to innovate no matter how well-trodden a genre is. Taking the well-known bases of the Metroidvania, it manages to give a twist to the formula to be able to differentiate from the rest of the games of the genre. All this is wrapped up in a pleasant and detailed audiovisual section.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Dandara is an excellent game and I can't believe I haven't heard people talking about it. Its unique movement is accompanied by an equally unique world, soundtrack, and symbolic story that will fascinate lore nerds. While it's controls may not support the precision combat asks of you, the Salt is definitely a world worth saving.