Crypt of the Necrodancer Reviews
Don't let its electro beat fool you. Crypt of the NecroDancer belongs in a jazz club, a live, imperfect performance, sometimes fumbling and sometimes transcendent, where preparation can become improvisation with an audience shouting "go, that's right, go!"
Imagine playing Dark Souls. You've just saved up enough to purchase a new sword that will give you just enough reach to take out that foe from a distance. Unfortunately, you make a stupid mistake, and you die. But when you come back, that sword is gone, and you have to die fifteen more times before a random number generator decides you can have it back.
With an interesting rhythm-based gameplay mechanic and innovative gameplay that works perfectly with the brilliantly-engineered soundtrack, Crypt of the Necrodancer is the best roguelike I've played so far this year.
A fantastically addictive merge of genres
Crypt of the NecroDancer is a game for people who like good music, cool ideas and being repeatedly punched in the face and told you're rubbish. If you've ever fancied taking on the toughest challenges a game like Dark Souls has to offer, Crypt of the NecroDancer is probably what you're looking for. But now imagine completing it with a dance mat.
Crypt of the NecroDancer offers a groovy twist on traditional rouguelikes, and its sick beats make for some very satisfying dungeon crawling. Although the rhythm-based gameplay can make the basics very difficult to grasp, the title does a good job of teaching you everything that you need to know – and it offers more than enough content to keep you foxtrotting back for more.
There's never a dull moment: Brace Yourself Games have created an experience where there is a lot to think about in terms of strategy, movement, enemies, traps and maintaining multipliers. However, the constant pull of Baranowsky's compelling soundtrack always keeps things moving, encouraging the player to think on their toes and adapt to the situation at hand.
Considering the combination of the two genres that make up the game, Crypt Of The NecroDancer will certainly not be for everyone. With a great and varied soundtrack, there's at least one choice to suit your tastes. The gratifying gameplay offers a real feeling that it is the player's skill that has persevered over all obstacles and there are plenty of modes to occupy your time. The punishing difficulty may put off newcomers to the genre, but those who enjoy rhythm games or roguelikes may well find a new obsession here... just be ready to die a lot.
Crypt of the Necrodancer marries rhythm and roguelike in a unique way — It feels accessible, fun, and fairly difficult at any given moment.
Crypt of the NecroDancer is a fast paced dungeon crawler that brilliantly blends rhythm based mechanics into a chimeric roguelike that can entertain you for hours. If you manage to master the music you will be rewarded with engaging combat, a plethora of items to use and an addictive adventure that you can sink your teeth into. However if the beat breaks you down then this game is nothing more than a heartache.
Crypt of the Necrodancer is a brilliant, fresh spin on the roguelike genre. It's uncompromisingly tough, but its pattern-learning, beat-matching gameplay is also highly addictive and very rewarding to play.
Rhythm and roguelike sync up in a fun twist on a common concept.
Finding your flow in the music feels incredible – until you're crushed by some procedurally generated monstrosity for the umpteenth time
Crypt of the NecroDancer is one of the best games that I've played so far this year.
Crypt of the Necrodancer is an innovative roguelike experience that deserves praise for its rhythm-matching system as well as for its mechanics that add replayability and encourage players to keep going even during the most difficult of stages. However, if you want to unlock more characters and really enjoy the game, prepare to spend a lot of time with it.
Challenging and entertaining, Crypt of the Necrodancer is a lot of fun, but the difficulty can become frustrating.
The will to power seems incongruous with impulsive action, but it's through this passage of devilish irony that Crypt of the NecroDancer thrives. It's the acquired and applied knowledge of a roguelike against the demanding drive of a rhythm game, and yet Crypt of the NecroDancer escapes the gaze of a simple curiosity and leaps to an ideal hybrid of two disparate genres.
Even if Crypt of the NecroDancer lacked its trademark rhythm-action mechanics, it would still stand out as a cleverly designed, feature-rich, immaculately streamlined take on a classic roguelike formula. As it is, it's extraordinary.
Crypt of the Necrodancer for Nintendo Switch combines a great dungeon crawler with some awesome rhythm mechanics. If you haven't played this great indie, now its your chance to try it.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A beautifully designed, tough, and cheerful roguelike that rewards perseverance with a singular feeling of finesse.