Sweet little mystery dungeon.
It’s nearly guaranteed that during any online discussion about a game of the ‘rogue’ genre, at least one sweaty person will eagerly emerge from the woodwork to say, “Well, ackshually, this game is a roguelite, not a roguelike.” Eyerolls aside, the distinction isn’t without merit, though ‘pure’ roguelikes are relatively rare these days despite the popularity of many of their mechanics in modern games. Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island—the latest mainline release in the long-running Mystery Dungeon franchise—is a roguelike, and it unashamedly features all the thrilling randomization and savage brutality that you could expect of one. We’re happy to report that it executes on its unflinching design brilliantly, providing a tough, engaging, and addictive experience that you won’t want to miss (if you like roguelikes).
The narrative of Shiren ‘6’ follows the titular wanderer and Koppa, a talking ferret who accompanies him on his adventures. The two of them both received visions in a dream about a mysterious treasure lying in the stomach of a powerful beast on Serpentcoil Island, so they head there to see if the legends are true. In a rather interesting twist, we then jump forward to the very end of their adventure, right in the middle of their climactic battle with the monster. Shiren takes a blow to the head during the fight that gives him amnesia and though he and Koppa fight bravely, they’re eventually overwhelmed by the creature and awaken in a nearby village. Eager for another crack at the beast, and in an attempt to jog his foggy memory, Shiren and Koppa set out again to retrace their steps and, hopefully, succeed.
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