Summary
Dungeon crawlersare all about the player enjoying exploring subterranean structures, to find loot, treasure, and more. And of course, there are bound to be complex puzzles, hidden secrets, and a whole host of vicious enemies to overcome during the journey.
Many dungeon crawlers feature a companion or party system. These companions are sometimes fully AI-controlled with the player having little impact on their actions. Other games feature a complex, interactiveparty managementsystem, with each companion being fully controlled by the player. Either way, these games almost always require the player to consider how party members synergize as a combined team, and make the right choices to build a strong party.
The Bard’s Taleis an RPG franchise with a long history, with the original game being released way back in 1985, and being released for home computer platforms such as the Amiga and Atari ST at the time. The original game did much to set the standards for futureparty-based RPGs.
Combat inThe Bard’s Tale 4: Barrows Deeptakes place on a grid, and the player must think tactically about the actions that each companion in their party will take, and when. The game made this list because each companion has their own background quest, a full set of voice samples that are used at appropriate times, and skill sets that make them unique within the game.
Legend of Grimrock 2takes the old-school slant on dungeon crawlers, reminiscent of ancient games such asEye of the Beholderand Bard Tale, and adds in some modern ideas, as well as much better graphics.
Many of the traditional dungeon challenges must be overcome in this game, such as deadly traps, intricate mazes, and, of course, dangerous enemies. Choosing the right companions and developing them in the right way to create a synergistic team is crucial to being successful in this game. This means having damage dealers, healers, and buffers that work together to help the party survive.
Demon Gaze 2has a slightly different angle on recruiting and managing a party of dungeon crawlers. In this game, players can recruit a team of powerful demons to be their allies. Each demon has a distinct personality and their own skill set.
The dungeons inDemon Gaze 2require strategic thinking to traverse safely, which means the player needs to make tough choices about which companions to level up and upgrade. Combat is quite tactical, and takes place turn-by-turn, enabling the player to use the right companion for a role during each turn.
Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomiis a dark, often grim dungeon crawler. The gameplay follows the adventures of the Undernauts, a party of subterranean workers that have been trapped in a confusing, often dangerous labyrinth.
The companion system inUndernauts: Labyrinth of Yomiis deep, enabling the player tocustomize companionsin many ways. Primarily, this involves making sure that companions progress in ways that make them fit well with the rest of the team, with skills and abilities that work synergistically with other team members. Indeed, combat in this game requires the entire party of companions to work as a unified whole to take down tough foes.
TheWizardryfranchise is synonymous with classic RPG gameplay, replete with tough dungeons to overcome.Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Soulsis considered to be one of the titles in theWizardry Renaissance, following on from the original franchise where it left off in 2001, withWizardry 8.
The companion classes in this game are instantly recognizable. Mages, warriors, healers, and other well-known fantasy classes are all available. Combat is turn-based and requires tactical planning to ensure the right companion uses the right skill at the right time. Anyone who loves classic RPGs will likely enjoyWizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls.
3Stranger Of Sword City
Companions Are Essential In This Dark Fantasy Dungeon Crawler
Stranger Of Sword Cityis a dungeon crawler with a very dark fantasy theme. In this game, companions are everything, and the wrong choice of companions or skills they offer can be disastrous. Primarily because the game’s combat can be brutal at times.
To do well, players will need to consider the role of each companion in their party, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses, and how they fit into the party as a whole. Core abilities need to complement the whole team, and bring needed capabilities such as healing or buffing, alongside simple direct or ranged damage skills.
Labyrinth Of Galleria: The Moon Society can be considered to be something of a spiritual successor to the classic Labyrinth of Refrain. It expands on the gameplay in relation to the companion and party mechanics.
InLabyrinth Of Galleria: The Moon Society, players have to control a veritable army of puppet-like companions. Each of them is customizable and can be tailored to fill specific roles when exploring dungeons,finding treasure, and defending enemies. The game takes a place on this list for breaking the mold and using companions in a very different way than most other dungeon crawlers.
Etrian Odyssey 4: Legends of the Titancould be considered a definitive example of what a great dungeon crawler with comprehensive companion and party mechanics should look like. The game offers a significant challenge, even for aficionados of the genre.
The reason forEtrian Odyssey 4: Legends of the Titantaking top place on this list, is the sheer depth of customization the player can apply to companions. When exploring the labyrinth, and dealing with dangers and enemies, the player must ensure that they have access to a team of companions that form a cohesive party. This means ensuring that party members have skills that are both needed, and complementary skills wielded by other party members.
