Shields take some time to put up, which is a commitment. Going deeper into the mechanism reveals more subtlety, some of which would be obscured, were it not for the character enhancement system revealing their deliberate existence. Incoming arrows can be blocked by addressing the right angle or hits can be warded off until an enemy drops their guard. Combat is simple hack and slash fodder, with one side that swipes a sword, while the other brings up a shield. Enjoyment is more due to how TinyKeep plays in general. It’s definitely harder to keep the replay value alive, when there’s such a fixed side to the game. It starts out with finding equipment, then moves to a boss fight, a puzzle room and then the process is repeated in slight alterations. While a run is procedurally generated, the elements within are always the same. It doesn’t help either that TinyKeep is largely formulaic. This not only leaves a narrower field of view, but its sweeping motion also reinforces disorientation in similar-looking, generic dungeons. Generally, gameplay is already seen from an extremely sharp incline, but during select moments when passing arches or other obstructions, the camera will tilt even further, resting almost ninety degrees overhead. Camera angles, however, don’t follow the same solid commendation. While the view is monotone through sheer repetition, any location is, at least, cohesive in construction. Characters are reduced to a cuter deformed style, nearing the Asian “chibi” model, but in a Western sensibility. Its uniform textures plaster walls and floors alike, periodically disturbed by some dried vegetation or a myriad of clutter vases, crates and the likes. It may not be designed in the tightest way, in fact it’s often shaky, but its quirky approach does have its merit.Īn adventure starts at the bottom of the latest nondescript dungeon, presented in 3D. TinyKeep keeps it classic, top-down views, grey cobblestone and all, though it does try to manipulate the theme to its own individual gameplay elements. That’s why so many now simply alter genres altogether to get their hooks in. It’s a good thing that the world of random dungeon crawling permadeath games have inherent refreshing qualities, because finding originality is much harder than it used to be.

Tinykeep review