It seems that nowadays there is a steady flow of roguelites coming to Nintendo Switch. If you are a fan of the genre, you might feel like a happy camper, but if not, how can you enjoy everything a roguelite has to offer The developers of Tangledeep thought about this and have provided an experience that can appeal newcomers, but with classic roguelite difficulty options to appease the more experienced gamers familiar with the genre.
When you first start the game, you are given a brief introduction of the lore and story of the game (kudos for that). It’s really interesting to see the motivations of your main character to get into Tangledeep. Then, you are given an option to choose your class. There are 12 different classes to choose from (three locked from the beginning but unlockable later). From the available classes, you can choose from there are some that are harder to use (but have interesting and powerful abilities) and others that are easier and recommended for beginners (I like the Budoka; I’m a sucker for monk like jobs).
When you find a Job class you are happy with, you proceed to the permanent bonuses screen. Here, you can choose two from the list, but think carefully since you can only pick two and these bonuses stay with you until you die. Then, you choose your poison (so to speak) you can choose from three different modes of play: Heroic, Adventure, and Hardcore.
Heroic mode is more akin as roguelites normally go. When you die, your character is lost forever (permadeath). You lose your inventory, and you need to continue with a new character. However, any unlocks for the class or main town are kept as well as any money or items you had stored. At least if you die, you can get back some of your money and items if you were smart enough to have them stored.
In Adventure mode, things are more oriented to newcomers, so they can enjoy the game in a more casual but still challenging) way. In this mode if you die, you are automatically transported to the town, but you lose half of the money you had at the time of death as well as any job points that you didn’t use. At least you don’t have to start over with a new character.
Hardcore is for those gamers who like to live on the edge, that live for all or nothing in hardcore. When you die, everything is reset, so no saved money and no saved items nothing (the true permadeath), so for those who laugh at the face of danger this is your mode.
I must say that I really like the battle system in Tangledeep, since it has a mistery dungeon kind of vibe. There is also an auto attack mechanic. I find it particularly helpful, since when you move and there is something that can be attacked, it saves a move and moves and attacks on the same turn. However, against multiple enemies, it could drag you down, so you need to strategize before you end up dying.
One of the things I like the most about Tangledeed is when you die…wait Ramon are you nuts!? No, I’m not last time I checked, but the thing is that when you die the game offers tips in order to make your next run as successful as possible, and the different explanations offered in game, motivate the player to continue without giving up. This sets the game a part, since it offers a reason to continue playing for fun, instead of wanting to show the game who’s boss.
The game looks beautiful, and I really dig the style. It brings me back to the SNES-era of greatness and epic adventures. I really like the music too. It reminds me of games like Secret of Mana and Lufia, that while different genres I just feel at home.
Bottom Line: Tangledeep is a really good roguelite that stands aside from the rest, including accessible game play for newcomers of the genre, but including the ruthlessness of roguelites that fans have come to love. I definitely recommend it to fans and newcomers. There is a lot of charm and fun here, so come on lets uncover the secrets of Tangledeep.
A Review code was provided for this review.