Dragon Marked for Death

Addictive Adventuring with Friends

Written by: Gyaoon

Instagram: @indie.game.reviews

I think it's safe to say that we are currently living through an indie game renaissance. It seems like every week Steam and the various console shops are inundated with amazing games made by small, dedicated teams. While the plethora of options is great for gamers, it can be difficult for the gems to shine through all that digital noise. Despite the competition, Inti Creates has managed to gain my attention time and again, and their newest game, Dragon Marked for Death, is a great example of why.

Dragon MFD is a side-scrolling hack-and-slash RPG with plenty of style and depth. If you've ever played Symphony of the Night or Hollow Knight then you know more-or-less what to expect combat-wise.

But the similarities end there. Dragon MFD is not a metroidvania. There is no contiguous world to explore, which is fine. The separation of levels makes the mechanics of this game's true strength easier to manage - online co-op with up to four people. Besides, the various levels are all big and varied enough in their own rights.

There's also a lot of variety when it comes to combat. Each class has its own strengths and weaknesses, and every creature has its own attack patterns, meaning you have to change up your strategy to fit each situation.

You can also assign points to your stats after every level-up, JRPG style, so there are multiple builds possible for each class. Should you make your Empress a melee phenomenon, or focus more on her ranged attacks? The choice is yours. If you aren't satisfied with the set-up you currently have you can always reassign your stat points for a fee.

The game also excels in terms of artistry and presentation. The music is catchy, and the art direction oozes style.  With its funky character design and satisfyingly chunky sprites, I'm tempted to say Dragon MFD looks a lot like an Arc Systems Works fighting game. Imagine if Blazblue or Guilty Gear were a side-scrolling co-op game and you'd get the idea. Everything in this game looks amazing.

Now for the bad stuff. Dragon MFD isn't perfect. For one, there's very little direction in terms of how things work. Just two days ago I found a whole new move my Empress is capable of that I had no idea was possible and my friend accidentally triggered an awesome ability with his Warrior that he can't replicate again no matter how hard he tries.

Also, while there is plenty of customization in terms of how your character plays, there's very little variety in terms of how they look. You get to choose their trim color and a couple of voice actor options, and a few other things that are hardly noticeable in-game. While this is an ultimately minor issue, being able to choose my character's sex and clothing would have been nice. The Empress is fun to play and all, but as a 35-year-old man I feel kind of silly playing as a young woman in a mini skirt.

I should also mention that the way Dragon MFD is marketed on the eShop is also a little confusing. There are two separate SDKs. One for frontline fighters, and another for advanced classes. Each SDK comes with two characters. But it's not a big issue. No matter which you choose first you can always buy the other SDK as a DLC if you ever get curious about the other classes.

These are all minor beefs, of course. The one major issue I found is that, as a solo experience, Dragon MFD can be pretty bland. The levels themselves and the format they're presented in just aren't interesting enough when you're on your own. Worst of all, like many indie games, it's nearly impossible to match with random players. After several attempts, I only ever found one room, with a level 50 player who wanted to take on a level 60 quest. I was level 16 at the time. It didn't go well.

If you're willing to deal with the lack of character customization and have two or three friends who are willing to play with you, then I definitely recommend you give Dragon Marked for Death a shot. My homies and I are having a lot of fun with it. Overall, I give it a 4.5 out of 5 easy.

Happy question, boys.