Crown Trick Demo First Impressions
By RedGaiaMastadon
Crown Trick is a dungeon crawling RPG with a mixed bag of fun mechanics. You play as Elle who awakens in an unknown dungeon She stumbles across a talking crown, who informs her that she is asleep in a place called the Nightmare Realm and in order to escape she needs to put him on her head. She does and the two proceed through the dungeon.
This game allows you to choose how you respond to the crown so you can decline, or at least pretend like you're going to, but like almost every set of Terms and Conditions you've ever read, you ultimately agree. As you move around the dungeon you will grab a sword in order to fight enemies. Players also will notice that as they move, so does the world.
Knowing this, they will have to tackle foes and puzzles strategically. Sometimes combat is simple as simple as going up to an enemy and fighting. But other times many enemies can be waiting to ambush players. You will also come across different power ups such as shoes that allow you to warp through the stage and through road blocks.
An Elixir can be used to heal Elle, but it must be used wisely. They can be replenished by finding certain fountains across the dungeons, but they are sparse. It borrows a page from Dark Souls playbook and the limited nature of the estus flask. The player can also grab items that can allow for the limited uses of a magic attack. In a fun twist, once you've faced and defeated the various bosses of the dungeons, you can equip those monsters as familiars!
Equipping these familiars allow you use magic without the help of items. Familiars can also be gained from completing a dungeon, and it is revealed that multiple can be equipped at once.
I cannot wait to play the full version of this game. The story is simple but intriguing enough to keep me engaged. The mechanics all come together and allow for a cohesive dungeon crawling experience while still keeping the game enjoyable. Definitely something to look forward to!
You can find more information on the game here.