Bit Dungeon Plus review for PS Vita, PS4, Xbox One, Switch

Platform: PS Vita
Also On: 3DS, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Wii U, PC
Publisher: Hidden Trap
Developer: Dolores Entertainment
Medium: Digital
Players: 1-2
Online: No
ESRB: T

Even though isometric roguelike dungeon-crawlers aren?t my favourite genre (or, if I?m being honest, anywhere close to a genre I even particularly enjoy), I think I?ve played enough that I?m at least able to differentiate the best of the genre (i.e. Binding of Isaac) from the worst (say, NeverEnd, for example). Consequently, I feel like I know enough to say that Bit Dungeon Plus is neither the best nor the worst the genre has to offer.

In fact, if you were to line up every single isometric roguelike dungeon-crawler from best to worst, I have a sneaking suspicion that Bit Dungeon Plus would be right in the middle somewhere. Maybe a little closer to the “bad” end than the “good”, but generally, this is about as blandly average as games get.

Like, just pick any aspect of the game at random, and you?re sure to find something to leaves you feeling mostly indifferent, with the tiniest hint of, “Meh, that could be improved.” The graphics? Retro-infused, without displaying any kind of individual style. The dungeons? Rectangles with no identifying or differentiating features. The plot? Absolutely forgettable, if it even exists. The enemies? A little more differentiated from each other, but you stand there hacking away at them whichever ones you?re facing.

Actually, that last point hints at the one area where the game is looking up at mediocre. Bit Dungeon Plus? controls are kind of bad, with imprecise hacking attacks and magic attacks that only seem to go in one direction. They?re far from the worst thing I?ve ever experienced, but they?re not particularly fun, either.

Which, really, could be this game?s tagline: not the worst, but not the best, either. Bit Dungeon Plus is just kind of there, and I challenge anyone to have a strong opinion about it one way or another.

Dolores Entertainment provided us with a Bit Dungeon Plus PS Vita code for review purposes.

Grade: C-