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[AlimNassor]

I tried Daggerfall, and tried to like it, I really did but the dungeons were just so bad and the map was even worse. I've played a few dungeon crawlers like Anvil of Dawn/Grimlock/Stonekeep but they all had maps that were y'know actual maps and not pure broken.

I just hate the stupidly large dungeons and the terribly made maps in-game.

 

[NemesisPrime]

I still have and play DungeonHack. I think it is awesome. Also Darklands is the best RPG ever made IMHO.... not a dungeon crawler though.

BTW no Bloodwych? One of the first co-op dungeon crawlers. Played this to death on the Amiga.

(even on Speccy)

 

[HamPster PamPster]

Didn’t see this one posted - Anyone ever play Dragon Wars? It was one of the first games I owned as a kid (check out that box art, SO COOL) yet I could never play it or wrap my head around it. Too young at the time I guess. Maybe I’ll give it a shot one day

 

[Gorgon]

A lot of those appear to fit the "dungeon crawler" aspect but completely miss the "first-person" aspect, judging from the backs of those boxes. I mean, The Immortal is totally an isometric third-person game.

I know, I said so at the beguining of the post

Also, this thread is so full of win, and there are so many great old rpgs out there that deserve attention that I just had to add them.

Also Darklands is the best RPG ever made IMHO.... not a dungeon crawler though.

True, but neither is Betrayal at Krondor nor it's sequel.

 

[StoppedInTracks]

Sup dudes I am actually in the process of first-time playing through an old (1995) DOS first person dungeon crawler called Thuderscape - World of Aden. I will add it to the OP list when I finish it but it will take a... while.

One thing that blows my mind is how absolutely MASSIVE dungeons are in this game. I've beaten my share of old CRPGs but none of them had such insanely HUGE dungeons in them. Sure Daggerfall has larger maps but they are the overworld (outside) maps, not dungeons per se. The closest game I can think of is Might and Magic 6 especially Castle Darkmoor dungeon but it was still like 1/3rd of the size of the first Thunderscape dungeon that you enter 1 hour inside the game.

As they say a picture is worth a 1000 words:

1) here's me looking straight ahead - you can see that there are basically 2 "grids" ahead till the wall.

2) here's the in-game map - you can clearly see that indeed the distance is 2 square grids.

3) Let's zoom out the map a bit:

4) Zoom out again, this is already VAST:

5) Zoom out to see the whole mapped out dungeon, IT IS FUCKING INSANE!!!

Moreover the dungeon is multilayered! It has different height levels, ramps going up and down, pits, stairs etc. The light coloured tiles are "above" you, the dark tinted ones are "below" your current level. Reading that map and navigating through it is a NIGHTMARE. But the map itself is pretty fancy and fully 3D. You can zoom, rotate, show walls and different heights etc.

It took me about 6 real time hours to map the whole place... it's quite unheard of in this kind of games. Ishar, Eye of the Beholder, Lands of Lore, Wizardry etc. have tiny dungeons in comparison. And this is the first dungeon in the game! This might be one of the longest CRPG adventure I've ever had because from what I checked the game features... 24 levels.

Some more pics!

Random troll fight:

Behind these doors the dungeon boss resides:

Going up the elevator to face him:

There he is, King Droog! The King of Trolls.

He had 500 HP, pretty easy fight as I could damage him for about ~200 HP in one combat round.

I am loving this game. The combat is piss-easy, though. There is ZERO risk and challenge involved so far after 8 hours.

 

[StoppedInTracks]

So I beat lands of lore. Overall, good game. Not the biggest fan of the last dungeon or the enemies that burn your armor or the fuckers who earthshake your gear. Inventory can be a bit of a pain, but as someone who played it in 2013, I think it holds up really well.

I'm playing world of xeen now. I don't expect to beat the whole thing because the game is huge, but if I beat cloudside, ill be more than satisfied.

It's surprising how many of those old CRPGs still hold up as long as you give them a pass on their graphics. The rules are basically very simple (none of the Fallout or Baldur's Gate "complex" stuff), the combat is super straightforward: fighters attack, mages cast Fireballs, clerics cast Heal etc. The only real challenge in majority of those games comes from: mapping or lack of thereof, no way to easily identify found gear i.e. is the Magic Sword better than the Fire Blade I have?, hard riddles that require you to input the passphrase (not the antipiracy one, mind you) and hidden buttons all over the place.

And as for the graphics: for me the DOS era of games has a perfectly serviceable level of visuals some of them look amazing till this very day (Anvil of Dawn's hand drawn enemies and animations) but I was raised playing those games back in the day. So I recognize that era and to be frank... I never stopped loving it.

Re: M&M World of Xeen

If you beat Cloudside then what stops you from beating Darkside as well? You are already 50% done with the game

 

[Kelegacy]

So I have been hankering for a dungeon crawl lately and came to this thread. Tried MMIII and World of Xeen but damn there seem to be an overabundance of baddies to fight. I think I am looking for something a bit more plodding, like Grimrock could be. I really want to lose myself in a world and while MM looks great it seemed so overwhelming in terms of combat. I know this is a MM staple since 6 and 7 are the same and I liked those...it just felt different here for some reason.

Anyway, fired up Betrayal at Krondor and it is as awesome as I remember. This game singlehandedly got me into fantasy books in high school. Loved it.

Still, I think I will aim for a real time dungeon crawler to satisfy those needs. Maybe Lands of Lore or something. I have a hunger and need to sate it. Maybe I will go back to MM6 since I still have a save from last month or so I was working on.

 

[cicero]

So I have been hankering for a dungeon crawl lately and came to this thread. Tried MMIII and World of Xeen but damn there seem to be an overabundance of baddies to fight. I think I am looking for something a bit more plodding, like Grimrock could be. I really want to lose myself in a world and while MM looks great it seemed so overwhelming in terms of combat. I know this is a MM staple since 6 and 7 are the same and I liked those...it just felt different here for some reason.

Anyway, fired up Betrayal at Krondor and it is as awesome as I remember. This game singlehandedly got me into fantasy books in high school. Loved it.

Still, I think I will aim for a real time dungeon crawler to satisfy those needs. Maybe Lands of Lore or something. I have a hunger and need to sate it. Maybe I will go back to MM6 since I still have a save from last month or so I was working on.

FYI, if you are still interested in Lands of Lore, it is currently on a 60% off sale along with most of the other EA titles, including the brilliant Ultima Underworld 1+2, for about another 9 hours (8:59PM EST or 3:59AM GMT) on GOG.com.

First person dungeon crawlers on sale:
Lands of Lore 1+2: $2.39 (-60%)
Ultima Underworld 1+2: $2.39 (-60%)
Lands of Lore 3: $2.39 (-60%)

 

[cicero]

So I had this post prepared for the Grimrock thread thought it would be better for another discussion specifically focused on these classics.

It would be great if you guys posted some that are missing and better yet: available legally on some DD service.

Part 2: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=36706516#post36706516
Part 3: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=36728077#post36728077
Part 4: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=36851341#post36851341

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's a list of some of the old First Person RPGs. I have finished all of the below except one that is mentioned (RoA1). I did not post about the most famous ones (M&M3-5, Wizardry, EotB etc.) as everybody knows them and has played and loved them

I hope Grimrock joins these classics!

Enjoy!

Anvil of Dawn

eBay

A very fun dungeon crawler from the Might and Magic guys (New World Computing). It has IMO the best graphics out of the 90-degree movement era. Enemies are big and have lots of frames of animation. It is a pleasure seeing them die, every single time. There is a game breaking bug that WIPES OUT your inventory (actually things in your inventory that are in some kind of a container) so you should save often and alwasy toggle save states. AoD can be pretty easy if you have lots of time to waste: there is real time mana regeneration (something like 1% each 15 seconds) so if you are low on health you can just stay in one place and wait for your mana to regenerate in order to cast Heal.

A cookie cutter RPG but hey - it's fun and it looks glorious!

Anvil of Dawn was just added to the GOG.com library today at $5.99.

I can't wait.

 

[perfect free]

Anvil of Dawn was just added to the GOG.com library today at $5.99.

Oh shit, that's awesome. I've been wanting to play AoD again, thanks to this thread.

 

[Malio]

I remember getting about half-way through Anvil of Dawn back in the day. Time to give it another go!

 

[traveler]

Bumping this for the Wizardry releases on GOG. I know quite a few in here were disappointed in how hard to obtain the titles were.

6&7- http://www.gog.com/gamecard/wizardry_6_7
8- http://www.gog.com/gamecard/wizardry_8

I'm about halfway into EOIV at the moment and this title has been my introduction to the genre. Enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would and I can definitely see how there's more potential here that EO doesn't flesh out, so I'll take a look through the thread and try out some of the older classics afterward.

 

[Jac_Solar]

What exactly do you like about dungeon crawlers? What's do you find so appealing about them? Please, elaborate. I always find it difficult to get into these types of games.

 

[FACE]

Quoting Sinatar from another thread because this is quite useful:

For folks going deep and diving into Wizardry 6 check out GridMapper. Great tool for making maps if you don't have any gridpaper around.

 

[StoppedInTracks]

Bumping this for the Wizardry releases on GOG. I know quite a few in here were disappointed in how hard to obtain the titles were.

6&7- http://www.gog.com/gamecard/wizardry_6_7
8- http://www.gog.com/gamecard/wizardry_8

I'm about halfway into EOIV at the moment and this title has been my introduction to the genre. Enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would and I can definitely see how there's more potential here that EO doesn't flesh out, so I'll take a look through the thread and try out some of the older classics afterward.

I think Lands of Lore 1 is the best advise I can give you. It is neither a hard game nor too easy. Not too complicated and not dumbed down enough. Not overwhelming like Might and Magic series and not boring at the same time.

EDIT: oh I have actually finished Thunderscape some time ago You cannot belive how LONG this game is and how absolutely HUMONGOUS dungeons it features. One dungeon level = at least 4-5 hours of real-time gametime. It's absolutely unheard of. The game is very, very tiring on you... how long can one person wander around same looking walls? Up to 15 hours because there are some environments in this game that span 3 huge levels! I was so sick of this game... luckily for me the last boss died without any problems.

 

[Korranator]

Major props on this thread.

This thread has been a wealth of information for me. Almost all of these games I have never played.

Inspired, I went and tried Wizardry 8. At first it seemed a bit overwhelming, and it took a couple of re-starts. I glad I stuck with it though, the strategy, depth, and customization of battles, and character building is insane and offers a lot of replay. It made most of the modern RPGs feel very shallow.

Anyway, I going to use this thread as reference guide as I eagerly look forward to tacking more games.

 

[cj_iwakura]

Would there be any interest in a dungeon crawler best of thread once I'm done with the shmup one? Should be interesting to see whether a western or eastern one comes out ahead.

 

[AutumnAve]

I still play Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls, I have a big soft spot for this style of RPG, so if you do, I'll be posting in it. haha.

 

[almostheathen]

Would there be any interest in a dungeon crawler best of thread once I'm done with the shmup one? Should be interesting to see whether a western or eastern one comes out ahead.

Sounds great to me <3

 

[Augemitbutter]

I still play Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls, I have a big soft spot for this style of RPG, so if you do, I'll be posting in it. haha.

it's a very fun game. i've played lots of crawlers these past years, and that one gave me the biggest addiction.

 

[Sinatar]

Would there be any interest in a dungeon crawler best of thread once I'm done with the shmup one? Should be interesting to see whether a western or eastern one comes out ahead.

On this forum? It wouldn't be that interesting. I'm sure some Etrian Oddyssey game would be #1.

 

[mr_toa]

Would there be any interest in a dungeon crawler best of thread once I'm done with the shmup one? Should be interesting to see whether a western or eastern one comes out ahead.

Would be good times - genre is a jungle on mobile.

 

[Augemitbutter]

On this forum? It wouldn't be that interesting. I'm sure some Etrian Oddyssey game would be #1.

maybe it could be more interesting if you require 5-10 games to qualify for voting. and/or just one game per series.

 

[FACE]

On this forum? It wouldn't be that interesting. I'm sure some Etrian Oddyssey game would be #1.

 

[StoppedInTracks]

Major props on this thread.

This thread has been a wealth of information for me. Almost all of these games I have never played.

Inspired, I went and tried Wizardry 8. At first it seemed a bit overwhelming, and it took a couple of re-starts. I glad I stuck with it though, the strategy, depth, and customization of battles, and character building is insane and offers a lot of replay. It made most of the modern RPGs feel very shallow.

Anyway, I going to use this thread as reference guide as I eagerly look forward to tacking more games.

Glad you liked the game! Old school dungeon crawlers are pretty insane when it comes to customization, strategy and depth of battles but they have NO comparison to new age RPGs stories. I mean story telling is pretty much not existing in these old games... you get intro, battle your way thru the game, kill the boss and get an ending - that's your story.

In these games the story happens mostly in your head and imagination.

Would there be any interest in a dungeon crawler best of thread once I'm done with the shmup one? Should be interesting to see whether a western or eastern one comes out ahead.

Do you really have to ask what game would come on top? For 99% Etrian Odyssey or some other DS/ 3DS title. It's useless to create artificial east vs west rankings in this case. The genre comes from the west, 95% of its titles come from the west, 95% of its titles are dated pre 1999. Yet a 2008 DS game would win here, hands down.

Just enjoy the games, east or west, old and new.

And yeah I've beaten Wizardry: Lost Souls + the The Red Sister DLC on PS3 just in case you think I have some kind of west bias.

 

[ElectricThunder]

I should think a poll would work best when based on the platform in question, be it handhelds, consoles, or PC. This way you can perhaps get past the tunnel vision and help to spotlight some buried gems

 

[cj_iwakura]

Do you really have to ask what game would come on top? For 99% Etrian Odyssey or some other DS/ 3DS title. It's useless to create artificial east vs west rankings in this case. The genre comes from the west, 95% of its titles come from the west, 95% of its titles are dated pre 1999. Yet a 2008 DS game would win here, hands down.

Just enjoy the games, east or west, old and new.

And yeah I've beaten Wizardry: Lost Souls + the The Red Sister DLC on PS3 just in case you think I have some kind of west bias.

95% is a bold claim. Japan has churned out dozens if not HUNDREDS of dungeon crawlers since and continues to release them regularly.

While the west has done, uh... Legend of Grimrock? (Fantastic game, mind you.)

Love or hate J-DCs, they keep the genre alive.

Poll should begin this weekend.

 

[Joe Molotov]

On this forum? It wouldn't be that interesting. I'm sure some Etrian Oddyssey game would be #1.

You gotta give some props to EO for bringing graph paper mapping in the 21st century, and finally revealing the true value of the DS's extra screen.

 

[cluderi]

You gotta give some props to EO for bringing graph paper mapping in the 21st century, and finally revealing the true value of the DS's extra screen.

I just discovered them and I'm loving it at the moment, I wish some studio in the West would put some dungeon crawlers on the 3DS as it's the perfect device for them. Been tempted with Grimrock a few times but I want to rotate my gaming from my PC to other devices if possible (as I sit at a PC for my day job)

 

[Sinatar]

You gotta give some props to EO for bringing graph paper mapping in the 21st century, and finally revealing the true value of the DS's extra screen.

I'm a fan of the games, but I certainly wouldn't rank them as my favorite dungeon crawlers, or even in my top 10. But I know if GAF votes, it'll win.

 

[StoppedInTracks]

I just discovered them and I'm loving it at the moment, I wish some studio in the West would put some dungeon crawlers on the 3DS as it's the perfect device for them. Been tempted with Grimrock a few times but I want to rotate my gaming from my PC to other devices if possible (as I sit at a PC for my day job)

Worst thing is there is NO INFO on Grimrock iOS. It's unbelievable. They would sell SO MUCH COPIES.

 

[Sinatar]

Worst thing is there is NO INFO on Grimrock iOS. It's unbelievable. They would sell SO MUCH COPIES.

It's a 2 man team and they (wisely) decided to put their effort towards Grimrock 2.

 

[Xbudz]

Shining The Holy Ark!

 

[Korranator]

Well those interested in these games should look at the current GOG Summer sale. Lot's of great games super cheap.

I bought the Might and Magic series pack so far......

Plus I started playing MM3. My first time playing this series.

Anyone interested in a let's play thread, or should we just update this thread with current game plays?

 

[cj_iwakura]

Thread's live.

 

[Unison]

Has anyone ever played the PSN-exclusive Wizardry game?
I've wanted it since it came out, but have been holding out for a sale!

 

[cj_iwakura]

Has anyone ever played the PSN-exclusive Wizardry game?
I've wanted it since it came out, but have been holding out for a sale!

Played it? I wrote a FAQ on it!

It's good, but a bit lacking in content. Only one major dungeon, no BGM, but it's a fun time all the same.

 

[FACE]

Thread's live.

See what we were talking about? Even your OP is biased towards japanese dungeon crawlers!

 

[cj_iwakura]

See what we were talking about, even your OP is biased towards japanese dungeon crawlers

Hey, I stick with what I know. I did use a couple images from western ones!

 

[MoGamesXNA]

Outstanding thread OP. Subscribed. I'm in the early hours of my first proper EotB playthrough now.

I tried Daggerfall, and tried to like it, I really did but the dungeons were just so bad and the map was even worse. I've played a few dungeon crawlers like Anvil of Dawn/Grimlock/Stonekeep but they all had maps that were y'know actual maps and not pure broken.

I just hate the stupidly large dungeons and the terribly made maps in-game.

I'm ashamed to admit it but my Daggerfall obsession was brought to a grinding halt because I couldn't find my way out of an insanely complex dungeon. The way the map works didn't make finding a way out any easier. It's mostly my fault of course; I went in there and kept going. It has taught me to appreciate quality dungeon design however.


Edit: I'm on the tail end of my trek through the dungeons of Waterdeep in Eye of the Beholder now. Such a great game.

I'm thinking of jumping into a Bard's Tale title next. Any recommendations?

 

[cicero]

I am cross posting this from the GOG thread because it is entirely appropriate that this thread should be bumped with this deal info. It is a fantastic deal, buy it now if you already haven't.

24 Hour Classic Gem Promo: Anvil of Dawn. 60% off ($2.39), offer lasts until Tuesday, August 13, at 9:59AM GMT.

http://www.gog.com/news/classic_gem_promo_anvil_of_dawn

Anvil of Dawn Trailer HERE.

 

[jackal27]

I totally loved Legend of Grimrock and a few other indie first-person dungeon crawlers I've played on my iPhone and various other places. I also really REALLY love Arcana on the SNES. First person dungeon crawler by HAL. It's like... An RPG with Kirby music. My dream game.

Arcana is a bit more of a JRPG, but it makes for a fun play. It's worth it for the soundtrack and hilariously bad translation alone.

What are some games in this genre that are still very playable today and great for someone new to the genre?

 

[Ravager61]

So apparently the first Realm of Arkania got a full 3d remake. Anyone have a chance to play it? I'm interested in it but it looks a little janky.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/237550/?snr=1_7_15__13

 

[Sinatar]

So apparently the first Realm of Arkania got a full 3d remake. Anyone have a chance to play it? I'm interested in it but it looks a little janky.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/237550/?snr=1_7_15__13

It's horribly horribly broken. One of the buggiest releases ever. Go have a gander at the steam forums to see why.

 

[cicero]

Another absolutely worthwhile crosspost bump to this thread.

Classic Gem Promo: Wizardry 6+7 and 8 up to 60% off!. This sliding scale 50%-60% promo lasts until Tuesday, August 27, at 9:59AM GMT.

http://www.gog.com/news/classic_gem_promo_wizardry_67_and_8_up_to_60_off

Wizardry 6 + 7 - $2.99 (50% off alone)
Wizardry 8 - $4.99 (50% off alone)
60% off ($6.38) if bought together.

Another brilliant Classic Gem Promo, this being the best one yet. Honestly, I would suggest buying everything if you have any interest in the dungeon crawl genre.

This is a fantastic promo sale. I would jump on it if you can...

 

[Magellan]

Thanks StoppedInTracks for the awesomely informative thread! It definitely inspired me to re-purchase a few old classics like Might and Magic I-VI, Wizardry 6-8, and Ultima Underworld, and also purchase some that I missed before like Realms of Arkania, and Ishar. Thanks again!

 

[Magellan]

Has anybody tried out the pre-release of Might and Magic X? It seems pretty promising, I'm enjoying it. It's certainly nice to see a fair amount of these retro projects popping up lately!

 

[chubbytired]

Old thread, I know, but I really think the content by OP is fantastic and was hoping to get recommendations for similar games on handhelds (psp, ds or 3ds, don't have vita yet unfortunately). I know of EO, SMT, Class of Heroes and Unchained Blades, but was wondering if there were maybe a few other stand outs I might have missed.

 

[cj_iwakura]

Old thread, I know, but I really think the content by OP is fantastic and was hoping to get recommendations for similar games on handhelds (psp, ds or 3ds, don't have vita yet unfortunately). I know of EO, SMT, Class of Heroes and Unchained Blades, but was wondering if there were maybe a few other stand outs I might have missed.

Elminage(PSP) is great. Script is wonky, but the game itself is fantastic. Possibly the best PSP DC.

 

[chubbytired]

Oh nice, it looks great. It was a digital only release in the west, right? Definitely something I'm going to have to pick up!