Platform - Sega Game Gear

Dragon Crystal is a roguelike dungeon crawler that features a high level of challenge with permadeath and procedurally generated levels.

Gameplay

Dragon Crystal follows a simple premise: you must navigate randomly generated dungeons while fending off monsters, collecting weapons, armor, and magic items whilst trying to find a way out.

The game uses turn-based movement meaning every step you take also advances enemy actions, requiring some strategic planning. Combat is a straightforward affair, simply bump into enemies to attack. Items, weapons, and spells are unidentified at first, forcing players to experiment (often at great risk- especially if you are unfortunate enough to equip a cursed item) to determine their effects.

One of my pet-hates is present in this game: food management. Every step you take consumes food which you have find throughout every level to replenish your supply or you die. As if this game wasn't hard enough.

Story

I'm note entirely sure on the story- like most rougelikes the story really is secondary.

Graphics & Sound

Dragon Crystal has colourful and detailed environments with distinct dungeon floors, enemies, and items but variety diminishes as you progress through the game. The lack of variety makes each level feel repetitive, which can be discouraging in a maze-focused game.

The soundtrack is catchy. Especially the level 1 theme. which may in fact go down as one of my favorite computer game themes.

Verdict

Dragon Crystal is a solid roguelike that gives you a challenging dungeon-crawling experience. The occasional unfair difficulty spikes paired with the try and you'll know nature of equipment and potions may turn off some players. But if you don't mind a bit of trial and error, Dragon Crystal is worth a shot. Those looking for a more structured or forgiving experience may find it frustrating.

Score: 6/10