Dandara is a Gravity-Defying Metroidvania That Exceeds All Expectations

Dandara ($14.99) by Lengthy Hat Home and printed by Uncooked Fury is a particular metroidvania platformer that's in contrast to something you've performed earlier than. When you get pleasure from video games like Kraino and Goblin Sword, then you definately'll fall in love with Dandara.

Final yr at GDC in San Francisco, I had the chance to take a look at an early construct of Dandara on iOS and even Nintendo Swap (earlier than it got here out). After I sat down and tried it, I knew that this was one thing magical, as I've definitely by no means seen a metroidvania platformer with such uniqueness earlier than. And as somebody who turned obsessive about 2D Castlevania collection video games throughout highschool, I can positively respect an excellent metroidvania sport once I see it. And Dandara doesn’t disappoint — it's effectively well worth the money.

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Visually, Dandara has a basic, pixel-perfect aesthetic that takes me again to my childhood, the place I'd play video games like Tremendous Mario Bros. and the like. The retro, 2D pixel artwork type in Dandara is a blast from the previous and appears prefer it got here straight out of the '80s, particularly with all the vivid, vivid colours. Despite the fact that it's pixelated, all the things within the sport is extremely detailed, from shading to textures. Animations are easy and fluid with no lag on my iPhone 8 Plus. Because the sport depends closely on fast pondering and reflexes, the regular body fee is important. The ambient, atmospheric soundtrack is refined and provides one other layer of depth to the sport, and it's fairly satisfying to hearken to. Total, Lengthy Hat Home did a superb job with the visible and audio design of Dandara, making it a positive keeper.

Since Dandara is a metroidvania type sport, meaning gamers progress by means of a collection of related rooms. These rooms comprise loads of traps, obstacles, and enemies that you simply'll must get previous with a view to discover and transfer on to the following room. Within the case of Dandara, gamers can be traversing by means of one big world referred to as Salt.

However what’s Salt? It was a world the place peace thrived, and concepts turned extra than simply one other abstraction. However all of this reworked into oppression and isolation as Salt took away the freedoms of its personal residents. Luckily, there’s one ray of hope left, and her identify is Dandara. The last word quest is to battle the oppression and convey again freedom and steadiness to the world of Salt.

In Dandara, gamers can solely soar to navigate round Salt, but it surely's somewhat gravity defying. Dandara has the ability to leap on partitions, flooring, ceilings — you identify it. Nevertheless, she will be able to solely land on the white spots, so whereas the motion system defies gravity, it's nonetheless restricted, making it all of the tougher for gamers. The digital joystick within the backside proper nook helps you to intention your reticle, and if it's inexperienced, you’ll be able to launch and Dandara jumps to that spot. The digicam angle shifts when crucial, making it simpler to orient your self with the altering views. When she's at a door or chest, simply transfer the joystick in direction of it to open.

However once more, there are enemies that may be sure you don't succeed, together with powerful bosses, so there's fight along with the particular leaping mechanism. Within the backside left is one other digital joystick that allows you to intention your gun and shoot upon launch. It takes a couple of second to cost up although, so timing is all the things, particularly in later areas.

In case you have a MFi controller, the sport has full help for them. It's seamless, and a few might choose bodily controls for a sport reminiscent of this one. Nevertheless, the contact controls are optimized effectively, so I had no points with them.

Dandara begins out with solely three hearts, so when she takes successful, it depletes a coronary heart. If all three are out, then it's sport over. Nevertheless, there can be campsites scattered all through the world of Dandara, and if you happen to discover these, they beautiful a lot act as checkpoints. You’ll be able to proceed after your useless, and the sport locations you again on the final campsite you found. A ghost-like sprite is left rather than the place you died, however sadly, you don’t recuperate objects once you decide up your ghost. Realizing this, it offers you extra of a cause to, you already know, not die.

Pretty early on within the sport, you'll discover the Map merchandise, which exhibits you the place you've already been. That is helpful in not solely serving to you not get misplaced, but in addition going again and revisiting areas the place you couldn't progress since you had been lacking key objects or mechanics. Despite the fact that it's a metroidvania platformer, there are many puzzles that you simply'll want to unravel to get into each nook and cranny of Salt.

Dandara takes your concept and expectations of a metroidvania platformer and turns it the wrong way up with a recent new expertise.

The Good

Dandara is a bit dear for an indie iOS sport, however that is positively top quality. The pixel artwork graphical type is top-notch and appears wonderful. The music is atmospheric and a delight to hearken to, so be sure you have some good headphones on whereas taking part in this one. Whereas most metroidvania platformers are similar to each other, Dandara separates itself from the pack and presents a very recent expertise. And with the weird gaming mechanic, the controls are streamlined and optimized for the contact display screen, and having bodily button help is a superb addition. The world of Salt is big, so it emphasizes exploration and retains you coming again.

The Unhealthy

Whereas Dandara is a good sport, I used to be a bit shocked with the worth. Normally, when a sport finally ends up on a number of platforms, together with cell, the iOS or Android costs are normally cheaper than consoles. Nevertheless, Dandara is $14.99 throughout all the platforms it's on (iOS, Google Play, Nintendo Swap, PS4, Xbox One, and Steam). For an iOS sport that isn't from an enormous firm like Sq. Enix (a lot of the previous Remaining Fantasy video games are this worth vary), it might be a troublesome capsule to swallow.

Luckily, I bit the bullet and assume Dandara is effectively well worth the worth. I'm additionally contemplating getting it on my Nintendo Swap in a while.

The decision

I'd been trying ahead to Dandara ever since making an attempt it out nearly a yr in the past, so I'm ecstatic that it's lastly out there. It's confirmed to be effectively well worth the wait too, as a result of this sport is excellent in each side. The visible type is beautiful, the sound is pleasant, controls are intuitive and streamlined, and the mechanic is totally different however satisfying. I do know it's early on within the yr, however this can be a contender for sport of the yr for me.

Dandara is accessible on the App Retailer as a common obtain on the iPhone and iPad for $14.99. You may also get it on Google Play, Steam, Nintendo Swap, PS4, and Xbox One.