HomeReviewsShiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island
Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon Of Serpentcoil Island Review: a traditional roguelite heavy on charm but light on agencySlightly less mystery would be grand, actually
Slightly less mystery would be grand, actually
Image credit:Spike Chunsoft/Rock Paper Shotgun
Image credit:Spike Chunsoft/Rock Paper Shotgun
Image credit:Spike Chunsoft/Rock Paper Shotgun
Image credit:Spike Chunsoft/Rock Paper Shotgun
Image credit:Spike Chunsoft/Rock Paper Shotgun
More so than other games, my experience with Mystery Dungeon does feel like a case of the reviewer’s curse; the dreaded roguelike embargo. Played one run at a time as a cosy evening ritual, and the luster is going to stay on a lot longer. Still, that sense of fickleness - of having little agency how your runs turn out in the face of random drops - does feel like it’s baked in. Perhaps that’s the sticking point for me, having to deal with untameable chaos lurking underneath such inviting presentation. Perhaps I should let go and allow the winds of fate to carry me. It’s just not easy when they keep knocking me right back to the bottom of a mountain, and making me trust them again if I want to get back up.
