Dungeon Raid
Dungeon raid. The title brings to mind a RPG where you are battling to defeat the big bad guy with a group of your friends. But Dungeon Raid for the iOS isn't really a RPG, it is a match three game mixed with a RPG. Surprisingly it is one of the best games in my opinion for the iOS, and I believe that everyone would enjoy playing it.
At it's heart, Dungeon Raid is a match-three game. On the playing field there are various icons; potions, shields, coins, swords, and skulls. You match them up to remove them and gather what they represent. Coins give you gold which can be spent to buy new equipment, potions heal you, shields level up your armor.
The tricky part is the swords and skulls. The skulls attack you every turn, lowering your life. You can match them to kill them, but that isn't efficient. Instead you match swords to the skulls and you kill them faster. What is also different about Dungeon Raid is that you aren't limited by matching only three items, if the entire play field is coins, you can match all 36 at once.
Dungeon Raid also throws into the mix boss monsters, ones that are more powerful than the normal monsters. These also have their own unique tricks from teleporting around to stealing gold to having spikes that damage you when you attack them. The spikes boss is the most annoying, one that has ended many of my games when I wasn't paying close attention.
As you play Dungeon Raid, you sometimes get trophy's. These unlock new classes and races to play, each of which offer a different spin during game play. It does take a while to level up each class and race, but it never feels like a chore.
Graphically, Dungeon Raid is kind of plain looking. But I think that the plainness works to its advantage. The game is about progressing and leveling up, you don't want to have it be too flashy looking lest you get distracted. The best way I can put it, is the graphics are functional and that they work.
Dungeon Raid is also lacking a bit in the sound department, but that isn't to say its silent. Each thing you gather makes its own sound, from the bubbling of potions to the grunting of the skulls as you kill them. Once again, the sounds are nearly perfect for this game.
Dungeon Raid doesn't have any in-app purchases (IAP) but I almost wish it did. I got the game when it first came out last year and I've put so much time into it I want to give the developer more money. I know, strange but that is how much I enjoy this game.
Time seems to fly by when playing. When I was playing today to get screenshots I somehow managed to play for about 20 minutes without even noticing. Then again I was doing extremely well so that might have contributed a bit to the time.
So in closing, do you like match-three games? Do you like RPG's? Do you want to try a excellent game that combines them both into one wonderful package? Why are you still reading this? Go and buy Dungeon Raid right now and start playing. This is one game that I think everyone will love. If you are still on the fence, there is a lite version. But try it and I can nearly guarantee that you'll end up buying the full game.
Here's a sample of the game play from Dungeon Raid, sorry there isn't any sound for it. And this is my actual game that I ended up screwing up due to getting greedy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDzjBfVEpcs
Verdict
Graphics: Two stars
Sound: One star
Gameplay: Four stars
Amount of IAP: None
Angry Bird Leg rating: High
Overall: Four Stars
Cost: $2.99
