Dungeons of Hinterberg [Review]
Dungeons of Hinterberg creates a lighthearted mix of Persona and Zelda that is a joy to play.
Dungeons of Hinterberg. Credit: Curve Games / Microbird Games
Magic has returned to the world. In Hinterberg, a village in the Austrian Alps, 25 portals to mysterious dungeons have appeared, as have strange monsters resembling creatures from local folklore. This has created a tourism boom for tiny Hinterberg and a cottage industry of professional celebrity slayers. Luisa, a young lawyer from Vienna burnt out from her 9-5, comes to Hinterberg on a vacation to check out the dungeons and experience magic firsthand. Intimidated at first, Luisa turns out to be a natural at slaying and is determined to complete all 25 dungeons.
In Dungeons of Hinterberg, you are Luisa, lawyer turned slayer. Explore the outskirts of Hinterberg and dungeons by day; befriend the locals and learn more about Hinterberg by night. The game’s structure is much like the last few Persona games. You must choose where to go by day to explore and who to spend time with at night, then the calendar will advance. Thankfully, there isn’t a time limit, despite Luisa alluding to her vacation being 25 days long early on.
Dungeons of Hinterberg. Credit: Curve Games / Microbird Games
Spending time with the people around you will strengthen your friendships with them and earn you perks, as well as allow you to learn more about the town and the world. As you get to know everyone, the stories that play out are compelling and well-written. Everyone has their own motivations and rich history; no one-dimensional characters exist here. The dour French professional slayer who has trouble connecting with people. The teen girl who feels trapped in the small town and is suspicious of her elders. The local artisan struggling against the chain store next door that is trying to force her out of business. You’ll want to spend time with everyone to see where their stories lead, not just to get the perks that come with each level of increasing friendship.
While I enjoyed the story and social element, the game's core is its action-adventure dungeon crawling. The gameplay will immediately feel familiar to fans of The Legend of Zelda. Dungeons are spread across four areas, each a distinct biome—grassy lowlands at the foot of the mountains, an autumnal forest with giant trees, snowy mountaintops, and rainy swampland. You explore each biome, seeking the dungeon portals, some only available after certain events in the story. As you explore, you’ll encounter magical monsters you must defeat to move past their small, impromptu arenas.
Dungeons of Hinterberg. Credit: Curve Games / Microbird Games
Dungeons of Hinterberg. Credit: Curve Games / Microbird Games
You use a sword for combat, with quick or heavy strikes. You also have access to two magic spells, unique to the biome you’re visiting, that you can use as long as you have enough mana. After completing a couple of dungeons, you’ll also gain access to equippable special attacks, powerful but with long cooldowns. You can run around and attack freely, taking advantage of the game’s magnetic targeting—similar to what you’d see in the Batman Arkham games—but it’s much more practical to lock onto enemies to get better camera tracking and easier long-range magic targeting.
Dungeons run the gamut between emphasis on puzzles or combat. The 25 dungeons are all different, constantly feeling fresh. The unique magic spells of each biome lead to different puzzle mechanics for the dungeons you’ll find there, and the designers iterated very effectively with those mechanics. I was rarely stuck on any puzzles once I got used to the game’s design language and learned what to look for. The dungeon designs give the famously good Zelda designs a run for their money. Sometimes, the over-the-shoulder third-person camera will shift to fixed-angle tracking; sometimes, it will change to an isometric perspective. A couple of my favorite dungeons had *Mario Galaxy-*style microplanet gravity. The dungeons are full of surprises that make them a joy to explore.
Dungeons of Hinterberg. Credit: Curve Games / Microbird Games
The game’s graphics are cel-shaded, complemented by half-tone dot textures. Characters are caricaturish and full of personality, each with a distinct silhouette and wardrobe. The bright but carefully managed color palette, outlined shapes, half-tone dots, and occasional lines in bumpy environment textures give Dungeons of Hinterberg a newsprint look. Specifically, combining the style with the characters' designs makes it feel like a Belgian comic. A comic book font and the shapes of the dialogue boxes reinforce that impression. I think the look is a big part of what makes the game work; I can’t imagine it feeling as excellent in another style based on its tone and gameplay feel. It all comes together to create something unique. The art is beautiful, even if you need to turn down your graphics settings a bit to maintain 60fps like I had to on my Steam Deck.
I want a sequel to this game because I just loved every second. Let’s hope developer Microbird Games is up to the challenge of creating another set of dungeons that feel as distinct as the ones here. It was like playing an all-new 3D Zelda game set in modern times, and I could definitely get on board for more of that.
Dungeons of Hinterberg is available now on PC (Steam) and Xbox Series X|S.
Overall Score: 10/10
Played on: Steam Deck
